Wollongong is a pilot city for a project exploring the role popular music heritage can play in the revitalisation of cities that have experienced industrial decline.
Based on a research project funded by Griffith University, the Sounds Of Our Town event will feature a panel of speakers.
Panellists will include Jez Collins (Birmingham Music Archive, UK), Carleton Gholz (Detroit Sound Conservancy, USA) and Synnve Engevik (Rockheim, Norway).
The event will aim to open a discussion about what more can be done to preserve and celebrate Wollongong's musical heritage.
The project, 'Music heritage and cultural justice in the post-industrial legacy city', is a collaboration of Professor Sarah Baker, Dr Raphaël Nowak and Dr Zelmarie Cantillon.
Project lead, Professor Sarah Baker from Griffith University said Wollongong was the target city for the project's pilot.
"We've been doing this research on popular music heritage in de-industrialising cities for almost 12 months now," she said.
"So the research team has been back and forth to Wollongong interviewing people in the music scene, as well as people interested in heritage activities there.
"It's an opportunity for us to bring our other networks from other places we've been to Wollongong to share best practice, and current heritage industry knowledge that the community might be able to get involved with and take forward.
"Maybe hearing from people outside of Wollongong will spark some ideas of what the city could use going forward."
Prof Baker said they'd applied for funding so they can expand the project to look at other places throughout Australia and internationally.
"For us, Wollongong was a really interesting place (to start) because it already has a really rich music history, and it already has activities which are acknowledging that history," she said.
"We could see there was already a lot of community interest, and that interest was generating activity.
"That was why Wollongong for us was a great starting point... We're interested in how a community engaging with its popular music heritage could actually reinvigorate senses of civic pride, community identity and start a grassroots regeneration of cities."
The event will take place at Wollongong Art Gallery on Thursday from 6pm to 8pm.
All are welcome. Drinks and nibbles from 5.30pm.
RSVP essential: r.nowak@griffith.edu.au.
Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
