Monday 12 October – Sunday 18 October

Candidate ideas for arts, music and hospitality revival

We’ve asked every candidate what they’ll do to support the revival of local arts, music and hospitality.
Their answers are published in full.
But here’s the skinny …
Cut red tape and fees for things like outdoor dining or performances.
Re-investing the $1.7m from the cancelled St Kilda Festival into smaller local activities.
Other ideas include lower parking fees and selling off some of the councils art collection to fund programs.
Read below to see who will do what.
This Week in St Kilda  # 238
Seniors Festival Writing Awards @ Port Phillip Writes
Locals of Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve @ EcoCentre Seminar
Namaste India @ space2b
Binge worthy Help @ local web series
Crime and cocktails with B M Carroll @ Sisters in Crime

  West Gate Bridge collapse 50th Anniversary @ Facebook live
Thursday 15 October, 11.30 am
At 11.50 am 50 years ago this Thursday, a span of the West Gate Bridge collapsed killing 35 workers.
It left many scars and also prompted many changes to OH&S laws and awareness.
A special 50th anniversary event was planned, however COVID restrictions mean the event will now be streamed live on the Trades Hall Facebook page.
Guest speakers will include David Setka, James Webster and Tommy Watson, who was working on the bridge the day it collapsed.
https://www.facebook.com/VicUnions

Namaste India @ space2b
October online
Every month space2b celebrates a different culture.
The October focus is on India and the glorious colours, culture and art from her shores. Free
Tandoori Cook-off Challenge
Friday 16 October, 9.00 – 11.00am
Bollywood Dancing
Saturday 31 October, 3 pm – 5 pm
ArtSpace Gallery Exhibition
All October
Namaste 

Crime and cocktails with B M Carroll @ Sisters in Crime
Friday 16 October, 6 pm – 7 pm
Author B M Carroll will be talking about her latest book, Who We Were.
Bookings online by 4 pm Friday 16 October

Seniors Festival Writing Awards @ Port Phillip Writes
Sunday 18 October, 2 pm – 3 pm
Hear some great stories before announcement of the Judges Awards. Special guests will read sections of writers’ entries including a special tribute to Lesley Greagg.
Register by Friday 16 October to get link
Full Seniors Festival program

Annual General Meeting @ EcoCentre
Sunday 18 Oct, 2 pm – 3.15 pm
Zoom.
Celebrate a tricky year of eco action and a look forward to the future. The AGM includes the election of officers, presentations about EcoCentre activities and nature themed conversations in Zoom breakout rooms.
Read the full invitation 

Locals of Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve @ EcoCentre Seminar
Thursday 22 October, 6-7:30pm
Zoom.
Find out how the Elsternwick Park Association is transforming an old golf course into a sanctuary that will repair and enhance local ecologies, habitat and Indigenous connections. Learn about the parrots and cockatoos that call Elsternwick Park home, including red-rumped parrots, eastern rosellas, and gang-gang cockatoos. Free.
Register 

Kids in the kitchen and garden too @ St.Columba’s Primary School
New blog
The school’s little kitchen garden is overflowing with healthy parsley and mint. It is well looked after by dedicated parents with help from enthusiastic students. They have started sharing produce with Sacred Heart Mission who do such an amazing job cooking meals for hundreds of people.
Follow progress on their new blog

Help @ local web series
www.youtube.com/c/helptheseries
Help is a very binge worthy locally produced web series. Produced by St Kilda’s Fabiana Weiner, the series follows a newly sober 20 something as she reclaims her life after a near death experience from alcohol abuse.
Gritty and relatable. Free

30th Birthday Celebration @ Linden Postcard Show
Wednesday 21 October, 6 pm
YouTube Live & Facebook Live
A virtual opening to celebrate a special part of this year’s exhibition, the 30th Birthday Celebration. Linden has invited back some of the past winners, from 30 years of the show’s history, to exhibit their current work.
Register for the event 

Zoom with our friends in the West @ Footscray Community Arts
Not in St Kilda, but suggested by Cait, a TWiSK reader from what we cheekily call ‘West’ St Kilda.
Here are some zoom activities that are just a click away.
ArtLife Goes Digital
 An NDIS program for people with disability to engage with professional artists to create new work, develop skills and make friends.
Dagogo’s? Afrobeats
Zoom dance classes to get creative, fit and feeling great!?
Tuesdays 13 October to December 8, 7.30 – 8.45pm, $80 per term (8 sessions) or $15 per session
Plus more … 

Candidate survey
Q. As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
75 word limit, answers published in full

Canal candidate responses

Louise Crawford
www.louisecrawford.com.au
0407 152 661
louise@louisecrawford.me
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
We need to keep arts & hospitality at the heart of our municipality by supporting local ideas.
We already ringfenced $1.7 million (from postponed St Kilda festival) for recovery for the arts and traders. We need to do things differently; be quick, responsive to and supportive of the ideas put forward by the community. We also need to allow outdoor spaces to become performance and hospitality spaces eg The Triangle, Acland St, little side streets.


Warwick Cahir
Meet Warwick on Facebook
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No response


Lesley G. Pianella
Connect with Lesley’s Facebook 
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
I’ll transform our open public spaces into open-air bars, cafes and restaurants. I’ll renew our shopping strips by planning initiatives for creative enterprises to use vacant commercial spaces. I’ll expand the existing $180,000 relief package for our arts and creative industries and explore virtual, distanced and outdoor COVID-friendly ways of creative sharing. I’ll support industry and community decision making when reallocating the unspent $1,700,000 saved from the suspension of the 2021 St Kilda Festival.

Rhonda Clark
facebook.com/RhondaClarkRoPP
rmcboab@gmail.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
As a Councillor I need to ensure the council provides the support to the restaurants, pubs, clubs, art galleries, music venues and retail traders so they can re-open and bring to life our restaurant, art, music and shopping precincts again. It could be a series of small festivals, for example. The approach that I would bring is to listen to the businesses to understand what support they believe will enable them to recommence as they are all interconnected and support in one area can indirectly assist the other industry. 

Steven Armstrong
Mob: 0409 186 477
canal2020@fastmail.fm
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
I propose the relaxing of rules and bureaucracy around outdoor performances in parks and gardens for 1 year. This is meant for the benefit of local artists of all types. It is a measure to get COVID safe performances up and running as soon as possible.Jo McDonald
Facebook
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
My best memories of Port Phillip are of warm evenings and music everywhere.  Cafés, bars and pubs full of people listening to our muso’s and supporting hospitality.  Council needs to open more spaces to performing arts – our vacant premises, our footpaths, our parks – but also work with our local venues and make it easy and safe for them to operate.  Make people feel safe and our vibrant arts/music scene will once again bloom.

Tim Baxter
grns.me/timbaxter / tim.baxter@vic.greens.org.au / 0404566733
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
I’ll continue supporting more funding for festivals and events, and I’m looking forward to being able to welcome people back to St Kilda Festival again once conditions allow. I want Council to keep expanding our support for emerging creative industries like video games as well as continuing to fund the recovery of long-standing ones like live music, so we can reach new audiences through films, games, and other storytelling forms.

Dick Gross
0411446167
Dickgross@bigpond.com
hwww.facebook.com/DickGrossCanalWard 
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?The arts have been the huge loser in the “Services Recession”.  This sector has been battered.  But it is part of our economic and cultural DNA.  The phoenix like revival of the arts and culture must look at both capital and recurrent expenditure. 
Capital – Our venues are decrepit.  We must assist Theatreworks, the National Theatre and the Elwood High Phoenix revive their infrastructure with State and Federal money.
Recurrent – we have increased our arts purchases and must employ our artists for outdoor (safer) events as soon as possible.  This would activate our ailing shopping strips and start artistic revival.

Dennis Bilic
dennisbilic@gmail.com
0422 344 059
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No response

Maddy Blay
https://greens.org.au/vic/person/maddy-blay
maddy.blay@vic.greens.org.au
0430 801 065
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Port Phillip’s working on a Live Music Action Plan in consultation with the local live music industry. If elected I’m committed to ongoing support that’s produced in collaboration with local artists and venues. I want to see pop-up activation of vacant shops, extended outdoor dining in ‘parklets’ and safe walking and bike routes to the shops so locals can continue to support their favourite venues as we start the recovery from COVID-19.

Gateway candidate responses

Sami Maher
https://www.facebook.com/SamiMaherRoPP
sami.maher06@outlook.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No response

Heather Cunsolo
www.heathercunsolo.com
www.facebook.com/HeatherCunsolo1
hello@heathercunsolo.com
0429 452 057
Who is Heather Cunsolo?
There isn’t enough arts or music in Gateway Ward, even before Covid. I encourage more live performances in strategic open spaces, restaurants and pubs.
Let’s get more arts in the park with picnics. We are lucky to have Gasworks Arts Park nearby.
The hospitality industry has ideas, happy to help put them in action by cutting red tape to get the customers back on site (or alternative options like footpaths or temporarily repurposed car parks).

Stan Gyles
stan@gyles.com.au
Tel: 0435 935 239
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
I wholeheartedly support our diverse music and arts individuals and groups in CoPP. But, it is a complex  subject with many diverse   views and issues. I will listen to all before deciding a firm direction to ensure our talent grows and gets the opportunity to flourish, The budget allocated must be reviewed to provide wider scope and embrace all. Bring hospitality onto the footpath and reduce the table and chairs tax! VOTE 1 Stan Gyles Gateway Ward.

Trina Lewis
trinaforportphillip@gmail.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No response
Marcus Pearl
hello@marcuspearl.com
0478136762
marcuspearl.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
 Allocate dedicated Council Staff in each trading/venue area within Gateway Ward to ensure there is a single point of contact for all Council issues relating to permits and support services for venues. These roles are to be focused to help operators cut through the red tape and fast track permits such as outdoor dining etc. South Melbourne and Port Melbourne have some of the best laneways in Melbourne. Port Phillip must open these areas up to traders especially during the all-important November and December trading period which will be make or break for many businesses. 


Earl James
Earl.james@vic.greens.org.au
0466 596 599
https://greens.org.au/vic/person/earl-james
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
As an economist and Greens candidate for Gateway ward I support the Greens plan to revitalise our local shopping strips, part of which is extended outdoor dining, pop-up activation of vacant shops (this could include artistic uses like galleries or performances) and more funding for events and festivals. This would be a great way to support artists and boost our local social and economic recovery as well. I also value the arts beyond a purely economic logic.

Peter Martin
wwwpetermartin4gateway.com.au
Peter.Martin@vic.alp.org.au 
0460 969 769
Who is Peter Martin?
I am committed to at least maintaining the currently level of support that Council provides to the arts, music and hospitality scene as well as sourcing additional funds to assist these areas in recovering from the pandemic such as by accessing the  $1.7M that will not be spent because of then the cancellation of the 2021 St Kilda Festival.

Cleo Papageorgiou
chivasbailey1@gmail.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No information received

Lake candidate responses

Andrew Bond
0488 500 505
andrewfbond@yahoo.com.au
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
The St. Kilda Festival is part of  St Kilda’s DNA. For 40 years it has been a contributor to the reputation of St. Kilda as a Live Music incubator, to the economic vibrancy of our businesses, and as an advertisement for all that St. Kilda stands for. I am the only candidate that actually lives in St. Kilda that is fully committed to bringing the St. Kilda Festival back in 2022.

Adrian Jackson
Tele: 9534 7615. Mob: 0419 313 662. Email: ajackson404@hotmail.com.
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
I would raise funds by selling some of council’s extensive art collection. Only a small amount of it can be displayed with most remains in storage? Then I would sell the Linden Gallery mansion hopefully to someone who wants to use it as a gallery or with a connection to the arts. This would save ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Art shows should happen in our town halls.

Katherine Copsey
katherine.copsey@vic.greens.org.au
https://greens.org.au/vic/person/katherine-copsey-0 .
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Our arts and live music sectors are the soul of our city. As an existing Greens councillor and singer in a band and lover of our local creative scene, I’ve already supported increases to our grants programs and most recently over $130,000 in initial COVID-19 quick-response grants to assist local artists. I’ll continue celebrating the contribution arts and music make to our city and increase funding and support for them through the coming term.

Bernard Mandile
www.bernardmandile.com
0420 861 098
info@bernardmandile.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Amending parking restrictions to make it easy for locals to come & go.
Abolish fees on outdoor dining.
Renegotiate rents with landlords..
Trialing different pop up shops.
Keeping streets safe & if needed employ security.
Beatification that strengthens the village
ARTS & MUSIC
Focus on outdoor activities & keeping them small & more frequent. Also supporting more live music in open areas.
Keep the arts ALIVE!
Redirecting some St Kilda festival funds to Arts & music.

Roger Ward
https://twitter.com/securekloud
0434315611
Roger.Ward@securekloud.com.au
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
No response

Christina Sirakoff
facebook.com/ChristinaSirakoffRoPP
sirakoff@optusnet.com.au
0411 135 549
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Fundamental to the health of our community are vibrant shopping precincts. Traders need support in the hospitality industry which includes entertainers and musicians. These areas can flourish by waiving or lowering fees for on-street trading and entertainment permits until they get back on their feet. Most important less red tape. Attract patrons to these precincts with low priced parking and stop the removal of more parking. Encourage pop-up shops and street performers to our villages.

Geoffrey Conaghan
www.vote-conaghan.com
0448913423
vote.conaghan@icloud.com
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Allocate $1.7M saved on the cancelled 2021 St Kilda Festival to reinvigorate live music, performances and exhibitions. There should be coordination between hospitality recovery and the arts as they both generate street activity, revenue for traders and jobs. See www.vote-conaghan.com for my ideas on economic recovery, arts and hospitality.
I’ve got community specific proposals, not lifted from state political party handbooks. Local candidate, local ideas and community focus.

Robbie Nyaguy
0431 686 997
robbie@robbieforlake.org
Facebook & Instagram @robbieforlake
As a councillor, what will be the first actions you will propose to revive the local arts, music and hospitality scene?
Arts, music and hospitality are the lifeblood of our community. They’ve struggled along Fitzroy Street for years but COVID has plunged them into crisis everywhere. An urgent rescue package is needed to revive our shopping strips and creative industries – including support for outdoor dining and street performances, funding for pop-up arts installations and retail in vacant shops (through the Renew Australia partnership), emergency funding for art and artists and much more. We need action now.

Are you serious? @ RoPP
After inviting all candidates to submit information to TWiSK for publication, we received this email from RoPP president Campbell Spence. We include it in full for your information.
“Hi Greg
Some our candidates and members have asked if you are serious about an “even-handed election coverage” and whether you should be covering other topics and asking questions of all candidates like:
1. Comparatively high rates per person and on a valuation basis
2. Comparatively poor record on waste services for residents
3. Comparatively expensive car parking permit system.
4. Why the self-called progressive candidates talk about “change” when they have 7 of 9 current councillors. If they were going to change things, wouldn’t they have already done it in the last term? It is counter to reality- are they in Trump’s alternative facts world?
5. Why don’t you call out the self-styled progressives for their attempt at portraying themselves as a neutral community group? In contrast, they have off the top of my head:
a. organising all self-called progressive candidates to preference RoPP last.
b. organised the ACTU secretary to come out espousing lies about us advocating for slashing services
c. lied about us advocating for privatising the South Melbourne Market
d. provided misleading statistics about average rates per property, when we have demonstrated that this is not a valid comparator
Kind regards
Campbell Spence”

TWiSK stands by its even-handed coverage.
We are the only place that provided information from all candidates in their own words.
We are the only place where preferences were easily compared.
And as an arts, music and community newsletter, we were the only outlet that gave every candidate the chance to say how they’d support an arts and hospitality revival.
TWiSK would be delighted if RoPP gave it as much free space on their website as we have on ours,
maybe a link as below:
TWiSK – St Kilda’s independent source of arts, music and community news – subscribe for free.
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Meet your next mayor and councillors in their own words
We’ve compiled responses from almost all candidates in the forthcoming council elections.
It’s your express guide to who is standing and why in your ward.
Read it now