Getting to the art of Sydney WorldPride
Image: Dan Clarke, Festival Director, Arts, Sydney WorldPride. Image: (original) Anna Kucera
Dan Clarke is the Festival Creative Director for WorldPride Arts and, as the one responsible for curating the WorldPride arts program, he is the best person to speak to about how to approach the enormous selection of events.
“There’s a lot of people doing spreadsheets at the moment,” he laughs.
That’s no surprise given there are over 300 official SWP events and another 100 plus community events. His advice?
“Book out the ones that you definitely want to go and see, but always leave space for the unexpected hits…” he says.
Clarke has been with Sydney WorldPride since March and has been working in harmony with Ben Graetz, the Creative Director for Sydney WorldPride to create a comprehensive, rich, and fulfilling overall festival experience.
A major priority was that the program be as diverse and inclusive as possible, and it is. It has a significant First Nations component; works by and for people with disability; events for older queers; and activities for kids and families. Every member of the LGBTQI+ community has been catered for and there is a breadth and diversity of voices unlike any comparable festival held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Also worth noting is the championing of new voices; there are at least 50 world premieres, many from emerging artists.
The schedule goes from morning through to late evening with a mix of paid and free events.
With a heavily curated WorldPride Arts program and open access Pride Amplified program, it’s hard to imagine anything is missing. However…
“There’s still some exciting things around the corner and some announcements to come with major events as well.”
