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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/25/it-took-months-for-an-lgbtq-arts-pop-up-to-resurrect-an-old-church-but-just-three-days-to-shut-it-down-ntwnfb>
"It takes months of love and care to make an empty building come alive, but
only three days to tear it all down.
This week, the gothic signage and queer absurdist art commissioned for Divine
Playhouse had to be removed and placed into storage, as volunteers whitewashed
a vibrant mural that had been painted on its walls.
After sitting empty for a year, Sydney’s St John the Evangelist church – which
was deconsecrated in the 1930s – had been resurrected as an LGBTQ+ inclusive
arts space, opening on 8 July with a year-long permit.
For just three days, Divine Playhouse existed as intended, hosting an opening
night party, a queer comedy night and a disco.
But a day after religious groups gathered outside to protest its opening and
called on the New South Wales government to withdraw its $100,000 arts grant,
the venue’s landlord ordered the promoters, Heaps Gay Events, to cease
“engaging in offensive trade” or risk eviction before terminating their lease a
few days later.
Heaps Gay had until 5pm on Friday to vacate, which gave them three days to
clear a space that had been months in the making. Their lawyers, meanwhile, are
exploring whether they can sue for damages and make a sex discrimination claim.
“It’s not just about Divine any more, it’s about censorship,” the promoter and
founder of Heaps Gay, Kat Dopper, told
Guardian Australia.
“If we were to walk away, these groups will just get stronger and more powerful
and louder.
“We can’t allow that to happen.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
