Ben Graetz To Curate Sydney WorldPride 2023 Exhibition At Sydney LGBT Museum Qtopia
Image: Ben Graetz Instagram / Qtopia Facebook
Performer, director, writer, MC and Sydney WorldPride artistic director Ben Graetz has been named a curator for the LGBTQI museum, Qtopia Sydney, which opens on February 23.
Originally from Darwin, Graetz is a descendant of the Iwaidja and Malak Malak Clans in the Northern Territory and of the Badu Island on the Torres Strait Islands.
Allow People To ‘Relive, Reflect, And Learn’ About Sydney WorldPride 2023
For over 20 years, Graetz has worked in the performing arts sector. As one of 12 curators creating 17 exhibitions for the museum’s opening, he will curate an exhibition called, Sydney WorldPride 2023 – Gather, Dream, Amplify.
The exhibition will allow people to “relive, reflect, and learn” about Sydney WorldPride 2023.
Graetz explained, “2023 not only welcomed our city’s greatest celebration, but it held special significance for our LGBTQIA+ community – the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Gay Pride Week, the 5th anniversary of Australian Marriage Equality and the 45th Anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978.”
He continued, “Covering the Sydney WorldPride diverse festival program, from First Nations history and content, Gender Euphoria, trans and gender-diverse performers, the Human Rights Conference and the historic march across the Harbour Bridge, this exhibition will chart the highs of this landmark event.”
Graetz added, “The exhibition at Qtopia Sydney will amplify these elements to bring an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia, allowing visitors to reflect and gain a rediscovered sense of pride.”
First WorldPride Held In The Southern Hemisphere
Sydney WorldPride 2023 took place from February 17 to March 5, 2023.
The festival also marked the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras, which took place on June 24, 1978, along Oxford Street. The march, which was held to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York City, was initially peaceful but culminated in police violence.
Qtopia Sydney Set To Open February 23
Qtopia Sydney is set to open at its permanent location at the Darlinghurst Police Station (301 Forbes Street) on February 23.
The Qtopia Sydney Campus includes 301 Forbes Street, The Substation, The Bandstand in Green Park, and the Taylor Square Toilet Block.
On Monday, the City of Sydney Council unanimously agreed to provide free admission to Qtopia Sydney on Sundays for 12 months.
The site of the old Darlinghurst Police Station on Forbes and Bourke Streets has an important place in the city’s Queer history. The police station was once associated with the harassment and persecution of Sydney’s LGBTQI community, including 78ers.
In September, the old Darlinghurst Police Station was officially handed over to Qtopia Sydney. Before the handover, the NSW Government was using the old police station as offices for NSW Health.
