A year-long LGBTQ+ and queer-friendly arts pop-up, Divine Playhouse, opened last Wednesday in a deconsecrated church in Sydney. According to reports, the venue was created as a “safe and inclusive” space for artists and audiences. Shortly after the opening, religious groups protested the events. The building’s landlord has now issued a notice alleging a breach of the lease, ordering the organiser to cancel upcoming events and stop what it describes as “engaging in offensive trade,” saying the operation “insulted and mocked” the beliefs of Christian Australians. The matter is also linked to ongoing redevelopment discussions for the former church site, including references to the City of Sydney considering an application for redevelopment. The venue’s organisers have said the pop-up is intended to foster inclusion, while critics and protest groups frame the events as offensive. The dispute centers on whether religious protest and claimed lease breaches justify eviction or event cancellations, and how the venue’s use aligns with the terms governing the property.
Sydney LGBTQ+ arts pop-up ordered to cancel events after religious protests
A year-long LGBTQ+ and queer-friendly arts pop-up, Divine Playhouse, opened last Wednesday in a deconsecrated church in Sydney. According to reports, the venue was created as a “safe and inclusive” sp...
- Divine Playhouse is an LGBTQ+ and inclusive arts pop-up operating in a former deconsecrated church in Sydney.
- The venue opened to the public on Wednesday before being targeted by religious protests.
- The landlord issued a notice alleging a lease breach and requiring event cancellations and an end to “offensive trade.”
- The landlord says the events “insulted and mocked” Christian beliefs, according to reporting.
- The site is linked to redevelopment considerations involving the City of Sydney, according to reports.
A theatre pop-up in a former Sydney church has been accused of ‘offensive trade’. But if causing offence can lead to eviction, every artist is vulnerableArts venue faces eviction from former Sydney church after religious groups protest LGBTQ+ eventsA priest and two nuns walk into a bar. In Sydney this week, this wasn’t the setup for a bad joke but for a fiery culture war.The bar in question is within a long-deconsecrated church, and the City of Sydney is considering an application for its redevelopment into luxury apartments. Divine Playhouse, which opened to the public on last Wednesday, is a year-long queer-friendly and inclusive arts pop-up, supported by the New South Wales government and the City of Sydney. Continue reading...
3 hours agoLandlord of deconsecrated building sends notice of breach to Divine Playhouse, claiming it ‘insulted and mocked’ beliefs of Christian AustraliansFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA deconsecrated Sydney church newly transformed into an LGBTQ+ venue has had to cancel events and been ordered to stop “engaging in offensive trade” by its landlord after religious groups protested against its opening night.Divine Playhouse opened last Wednesday with the intention of being a safe and inclusive space for artists to work and connect with audiences, its organiser said. Continue reading...
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