Words on Art and Life with Charles Freyberg

Spend a mesmerising and unforgettable hour with acclaimed poet and performer Charles Freyberg A Kings Cross performer, Charles Freyberg captures the raw energy and complex beauty of the many true bohemians that have inspired him. Arriving in Kings Cross as a naïve, closeted law student, he fell in love with these characters and performs them all as he transcends age and gender, presenting a cross section of an inner city queer and artistic milieu. They provoke and unsettle him, and everyone else– they come to life in him, he channels them with vivid imagery. He summons them from the dead to fascinate us again. Divas and mavericks - powerful women, surreal clowns, transgender and nonbinary people all find strength and presence from a mixture of the masculine and feminine. Freyberg explores these themes in and around Kings Cross at a time threatened by the AIDS crisis, addiction and gentrification. Charles has three books– “Dining at the Edge” and “the Crumbling Mansion’ published by Ginninderra Press, and “Sacred Remnants” recently published by Interactive Press. His writing started with drag shows and performance art staged at Club Bent at the Performance Space in the late 90s and with several plays. He studied poetry at post graduate level at the University of Sydney and has been published in a wide range of journals. His work has been translated into Romanian and Spanish and has appeared in Heidra Journal (Mexico) Boheme Caribe (Columbia) and AJkoki (Costa Rica). His poetry was part of a dance performance about Chelsea Manning by Peter Urquhart at the Conservatorium in 2017. He regularly performs around Sydney with the Fierce Violets, a collective of poets and musicians, and has featured at the Rattler with Candy Royalle, live poets at Don Bank and Poetica with Miriam Hectmann amongst others. He received an award for his services to LGBTQI+ poetry at the National Art School during Mardi Gras 2020. Host: Danny Gardner: prolific poet, seasoned presenter and passionate advocate for poetry and storytelling. With decades of experience showcasing some of Sydney’s creative voices, Danny brings a wealth of insight to this inspiring discussion.  Following the talk, a Q&A session will delve deeper into Charles’s creative journey. This is a free event open to all ages. We aim to present inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs, please contact our cultural programs coordinator on 02 9265 9333 or pinestreet@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au