Vivid Sydney at Parramatta

Vivid Sydney’s footprint also extends to Parramatta with performances and creative talks at Riverside Theatres and The Roxy. These are the featured events:

Telling Stories & Telling it like it is

Tuesday, 2 June
6pm at The Roxy, Parramatta

What kind of narratives drive our culture? Do artists have to manage the media message to reach audiences? Does it matter where you come from? Some of our most celebrated filmmakers, artists and thinkers engage in a frank discussion about the diversity of creative culture in Sydney, and reveal how they carved their own paths into their industries and art world. Discussion will be followed by a screening of Western Sydney's finest youth shorts. Presented in association with Information and Cultural Exchange, Shortcuts Youth Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.

With: Paula Abboud (Race Around the City) Claudia Chidiac (PYT, Shortcuts Films) Michaela Perske (Red Ithaka), Alicia Talbot (Urban Theatre Projects) and more to be announced. Check creativesydney.com.au for details.

Tickets for this event are free. To register go to the Creative Sydney website.

Rachid Taha

Thursday, 4 June
8pm at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta

Rachid Taha is a simmering musical revolution. Born in Algeria, raised in France, he grew up listening to North African folk and European pop; and when he heard the Sex Pistols, he took all three traditions and created one furious sound. Driven by an eclectic vision and a rebellious heart, his politically minded songs transcend genre, with beats and samples and powerful rock melodies pulsing alongside Arabic instrumentation. On stage, he’s a feral and formidable presence, all leather-clad and lurching, his vocals are phenomenal, his energy incomparable, his passion palpable.

To book tickets, contact Riverside Theatres on 02 8839 339 or book online.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

Thursday, 11 June
8pm at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta

He is the youngest son of world music icon Fela Kuti, and since his father’s death ten years ago, he’s being fronting his father’s band. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 perpetuate the supertight sounds of Afrobeat — all funk and jazz and Nigerian sensibility, like James Brown but grittier, much grittier and with a powerful political voice. Funky chopped guitars, screaming brass, ultra-rhythmic drums… ‘It’s pulsing music, frenetic dance, and pure joy. Egypt 80 remains a revolutionary band.’ The Independent

To book tickets, contact Riverside Theatres on 02 8839 339 or book online.

*Packages are also available for Rachid Taha and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 performances at Riverside Theatres - Adults $99 and Concession $85. Call 8839 3399 to book a package.