Backstreet Block Party

A message from the Associate Vice-Chancellor NSW/ACT Professor Marea Nicholson: North Sydney Council delivered a spectacular Backstreet Block Party for ACU students and staff, local residents, local businesses as well as out of district university students and members of the public who “found out about the event on Facebook”.

It was held on Thursday 1 September, to mark the beginning of spring and the Council’s Sounds of September.

Napier Street is home to many ACU’s buildings in the MacKillop Campus precinct and was the ideal location for the occasion. The street was transformed from a traditional laneway into a fantastic event space. The Council very cleverly separated the areas on and adjoining Napier Street into a number of discrete and distinct entertainment zones ensuring all attendees could find a space that appealed to them.

The back wall of the Coca Cola building had a magnificent light display with sunflowers projected. This area also included an outdoor bar and a constantly frequented silent disco. There was even an area where school aged children could enjoy the silent disco.

The Don Bank Museum, located right next door to our Tenison Woods House, is the oldest timber house in North Sydney. It is surrounded by a Victorian garden which became a display for light and art. The Council had organised oversized games including Jenga and Dominos as well as a fabulous face painter. This space was particularly popular for families and the face painting was a great hit with many of our students.

Napier Street itself played host to food trucks selling a variety of foods including Japanese, Italian, Monster Rolls and ice-cream. Approximately 300 ACU students attended the event with the majority taking advantage of the $5 food voucher.

Numerous spaces for eating resulted in a number of people being able to sit back, relax and enjoy the incredibly friendly and relaxed atmosphere and the fantastic music. The space also included a combi van DJ that proved incredibly popular, with the music attracting a number of people from the surrounding commercial office spaces.

ACU’s own Tension Woods House (TWH) forecourt was transformed by LED cherry blossom trees, arcade games, The Mash Machine as well as a number of places to eat. At the same time there was an artist creating a beautiful work of art. Those who entered the foyer of TWH were able to find out about ACU courses on offer. Local business people had the opportunity to enter the business card draw with the chance of winning dinner for four to attend the local Treehouse restaurant for a meal valued up to $200.

Level 22 hosted Year of Mercy – The Ripple Effect, a wonderful display of student art work including paintings, photography, sculpture and short films. Over two hundred people visited Level 22 allowing those to not only enjoy the work of ACU’s talented students, but to also view our facilities at the same time admiring the splendid views of Sydney Harbour, the adjoining waterways and south western Sydney.

It would be remiss not to mention the popularity of the magician and calligrapher who wandered through the crowds entertaining so many.

It is a credit to North Sydney Council that they delivered such a fantastic event and we look forward to working with them next year.