Spotlight On: Golden Bees

The early 1990s were a halcyon and transitional time for artists in Australia.

Affordable rent, venues, Artist-run initiatives (ARI), squats and a DIY ethos characterised the arts scene.

During these times, the inner western suburbs of Sydney were hotspots for self-driven creative practice and sub-culture.

The arts scene was a hybrid and eclectic mix of visual artists, musicians, circus performers, writers, musicians and activists operating and cross-fertilising through collectives. This scene was a launching pad for many of today’s established artists.

Golden Bee was one of these collectives, a core group of around a dozen artists, musicians and performers established and based in Redfern, Sydney, then a marginal inner city suburb. With the swearing in of a Liberal Conservative government in 1996 and the preparations for the 2000 Summer Olympics, many of these artists found the inner city an increasingly oppressive environment to live in.

Aware that the DIY creative ethos was not only confined to this city, they migrated nationally and internationally in search of adventure, work and healthier lifestyles.

They create Bee themed work to raise awareness of declining numbers of the Bee population world wide and the need to protect our environmental bio diversities. They are exhibiting work at Dandifest 2017 as part of their world tour.

You can explore their work at St Margaret’s Church of Art, St Benedicts St, Norwich




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