A Snap Rally Has Been Organised To Protest The Divine Playhouse Eviction

With the news of Sydney queer arts and nightlife venue Divine Playhouse being served a breach notice and facing eviction from their landlord, a snap rally has been organised by Pride in Protest.

The notice comes after small extremist Christian groups protested the opening night of the venue, claiming offence at the fact the venue is a former church, although deconsecrated in the 1930s and used as a theatre and community space ever since.

“Far right Christian bigots are trying to censor queer and trans art- we won’t stand for it,” said the organisers on social media.  “Join us on Friday for a snap action to wash away their hate preaching in a wave of music, queer joy and community love.”

The protest will be held at the former church on 420 Kent Street, from 5:30pm-7pm, Friday 17th July. Additional instructions say to bring instruments, a gay outfit, and as many friends as possible.

“No surrender, no backing down in the face of religious bigotry!'”

 

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Why is this protest necessary?

The venue, located inside a former church building in Sydney’s CBD, opened earlier this month as an arts and nightlife space operated by Heaps Gay Events. The site, which has not operated as a church since it was deconsecrated in the 1930s, was previously used as a theatre and other community spaces.

The venue changed its name from Unholy Playhouse to Divine Playhouse shortly before opening after concerns were raised by members of the Christian community.

Following the venue’s opening night, radical men’s Christian groups including Fit for the Kingdom and the Prodigal Sons held protests outside the building. Around 70 people attended a gathering opposing the venue’s programming and called for the withdrawal of a $100,000 Create NSW grant awarded to support the project.

Kat Dopper, a Sydney queer culture icon, who also helms the event Heaps Gay, shared a brief update on the situation as well as asking for practical support from people in the community able to pitch in. This includes financial contribution and signing a petition to keep the venue open.

“Following pre-emptive action taken by our landlord, we have been forced to close the venue and cancel all events, while we explore our legal options regarding the future of the venue. Faced with this situation, our priority has had to be the wellbeing of our artists, audiences, event organisers and staff.”

“As a small creative business, Divine Playhouse is facing significant operational, legal and financial challenges as it navigates this situation,” she said.

“Over the year it looked to support over 1,500 artists, producers, performers, technicians, promoters, small creative businesses, staff, and was to provide substantial investment of over $650,000 into the independent arts sector. Our goal is to minimise the negative impacts for these communities and give Divine Playhouse the best possible chance of reopening and continuing to serve Sydney’s creative sector.”

Support for Divine Playhouse

Since the eviction was announced, community members, organisations, and politicians have rallied around Divine Playhouse, including videos from queer artists like Josh Thomas and Benjamin Law.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said that Divine Playhouse is “a cool and creative addition to Sydney’s night life, culture, and economy and should be celebrated and supported” – but also noted it’s part of a worrying trend of attacks in Sydney against the queer community.

“We have had police raids at LGBTQ clubs during Pride Month, including harassment of people just wanting to go out and have a dance. Meanwhile our state has an over-dependence on addictive gambling machines to keep venues afloat.”

“Queer-led businesses are part of Sydney’s cultural and economic infrastructure. They create jobs, commission artists, engage local suppliers, bring people into our precincts and give communities places to gather. That is the rainbow economy in practice,” said Jarrod Lomas, Pride Business Association President.

“Sydney should be big enough for faith and satire, belief and dissent, landlords and renters, and queer people creating culture on their own terms.”

Greens MP and music and arts spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said that the Minns Government must defend Divine Playhouse and the LGBTQIA+ community against these kinds of coordinated attacks.

“Divine Playhouse is bringing life, creativity and community into the heart of Sydney. Instead of defending this exciting new venue and the artists behind it, we’re seeing a wave of manufactured outrage from dangerous conservative activists who want to police what art can exist and who gets to belong in our city,” she said.

“The LGBTIQ community has a long history of creating art that is bold, disruptive, radical and challenging. That’s not something to be ashamed of — it’s something Sydney should celebrate.”