Wk 4

LanFranchi's Memorial Discotheque

So on MOnday evening I was able to go and see the premiere of LanFranchi's Memorial Discotheque which is being screened during the Sydney Underground Film Festival. Not knowing much about it before hand I’m killing myself afterwards as during these days I was spending my weekends at Kink, Moulin, Sounds and Yu. When really I could have been spending my weekends in a much more entertaining way! LanFranchi's Memorial Discotheque was a Sydney venue located on the second floor of a Marickville warehouse. It was a home, art studio and performance space for many people from 2003-2007 I think? Memory has gotten the best of me. Any who this artist run space was never able to get any grants and was completely DIY. As Lanfranchis was an unauthorised performance space, there was minimal advertising and ran on word of mouth. Even though the venue had a good 5 years running, the year it was coming to an end a 49 million dollar art centre was being created in redfern, “Carriage Works ”. Carriage works was being built to create a new home for contemporary arts and culture in Sydney.

‘ It was being built on a vision of a vibrant cultural life for our people and artists, it’s a place for creativity and innovation. Where artists are given the opportunity to conceive, develop and present their work in an inspiring and creative atmosphere’



Some of the artists that were previously working and running lanfranchis were finding it difficult to conform into the institutional ways and restrictions of the new venue. So bringing up the question of what money and grants can actually do in effecting work and performances that are being presented “Money means restrictions”
‘Perhaps it was lucky that Lanfrenchis never received a grant, Because the events were dangerous and some one could have died.’ Says the man sitting behind me, who was involved and probably living in the warehouse. ‘ I WAS ATTENDING COFA when I first went to Lanfrenchis I ended up dropping out and moving in.’ The institution isn’t always necessary to be a creative and successful individual.
Where the Sydney morning herald had already dubbed Lanfranchis as a stem to Sydneys cultural Dna What has the institution Such as Carriage works done to effect the art work that is being created?