James Winter and Brand X: Championing Sydney’s Creative Community
Sydney, Australia
Brand X, a leading non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting Sydney’s creative community, is thrilled to announce the unveiling of the Flying Nun Season 9 program. Running from November through to January, the performing arts residency will feature an exciting array of experimental, contemporary, counterculture, and brave new works from Australian artists.
Founded in 2005 by James Winter whose background is in theatre and opera, Brand X has become an essential resource for creatives, offering affordable spaces and innovative programming.
At the heart of Brand X’s vital work is the City of Sydney Creative Studios (CoSCS), a state-of-the-art cultural facility located in the CBD open to artists and the public alike. This vibrant hub supports hundreds of artists each month, providing resources such as digital and production suites, podcast studios, rehearsal spaces, visual art studios, workshop and screening rooms, and an artist-in-residence apartment. In 2023 alone, CoSCS hosted over 14 independent and major theatre productions, with many artists utilizing music studios for orchestral and cast recordings.
Brand X is committed to fostering emerging talent by offering performance opportunities and acreative production space that is industry-leading, affordable, and accessible. Spanning 1,200square meters, this multi-storey venue serves as the engine room for creative development in
Sydney, enabling artists to thrive.
With nearly 20 years of dedicated support for Sydney artists, James Winter has played apivotal role in the local arts scene. Despite the loss of over 110,000 square meters of creativespace in Sydney between 2012 and 2017 and further closures during and after the pandemic, Brand X has emerged as a beacon of hope and creativity.
Winter has transformed vacantproperties into thriving cultural hubs, collaborating with local and state governments, arts
organizations, and property groups, to provide subsidized spaces for artists. As a result theyhave supported over 800 artists and provided more than 4,000 square meters for tenancies,incubators, and residencies to stimulate new work.
With this year’s Flying Nun theme of Neighbourhood/Sin, Brand X invites audiences tocelebrate, critique and subvert our ideas of community bonds and find new ways to experienceour present. The program honors the legacy of Heffron Hall, a historical space of congregationand celebration for those often considered ‘sinners,’ particularly within the LGBTQIA+community and pays tribute to Sister Carol Pedersen, affectionately known as “the flying nun,”
who founded D4 Darlinghurst in the 1970s, fostering community spirit and support for marginalized groups.
For more on Brand X and Flying Nun season 9 kicking off from November 1st 2024, visit www.brandx.org.au.
What: The Flying Nun Season 9 – a performing arts residency supporting experimental,
contemporary, and brave new works.
When: November 1st & 2nd, 8th & 9th, 22nd & 23rd
Where: East Sydney Community and Arts Centre (ESCAC), Darlinghurst
Tickets: $25, available now at Humanitix
