Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said 21 successful districts across 8 different local government areas in Sydney will each receive up to $200,000 to coordinate their efforts and build further consumer engagement.
Mr Graham said:
“This is an exciting opportunity for groups of businesses and creatives in areas across Sydney who’ve laid out their visions to create well-known precincts with unique offerings for locals and visitors to enjoy,”
“Owners have enough on their plate with the day-to-day running of their businesses. The Uptown Grant Program allows these districts to hire dedicated resources to manage their combined initiatives, including events, marketing and operations.”
“The Gathering in Blacktown has one of many exciting visions. Their program aims to attract people to hundreds of events, artists and collectives, from HipHop to the best Afghan and Filipino food, to the incredible work of Solid Ground, haunted ghost tours and films like Here Out West. The project will focus on supporting the emergence of youth culture, a local arts and music scene and amplifying and connecting existing offerings in the community.”
Recipients include Harris Park (City of Parramatta), an LGBTQIA+ Rainbow District in Darlinghurst (City of Sydney), a Koreatown in Eastwood (City of Ryde), plus other precincts in the Northern Beaches, Inner West, Hornsby, Woollahra and Blacktown councils, among others.
NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said the program follows the successful completion of the Uptown Accelerator late last year, in which more than 2 dozen district teams took part in capability and vision-building workshops.
Mr Rodrigues said:
“With an Uptown Grant, districts can bring their visions to life and deliver brilliant experiences that celebrate what’s best about their community,”
“The Uptown Program is a key element of our 24-Hour Economy Strategy, encouraging place-based collaboration, branding and storytelling within districts, and providing a platform for them to innovate with reduced risk and ultimately become self-sustainable in the future.”
The Uptown Accelerator has also returned for 2023 with applications now open for the expanded 8-week program of workshops scheduled to take place from August to October 2023.
Get more information and apply to Uptown Accelerator.
21 recipients of the Uptown Grants program are as follows:
| Project title | Description |
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| Balmain Rozelle | Balmain Rozelle ($200,000): Support will be used to “put Balmain Rozelle back on the map” through a campaign to secure and enhance local loyalty and attract more visitors from across Sydney and beyond. |
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| Brookvale Arts District – BAD | Brookvale Arts District (BAD) ($198,450): District coordination and marketing support for the BAD POSTER public art exhibition will be established and feature augmented reality street posters connecting artists, audiences, and communities to enhance the cultural fabric of Brookvale and beyond. |
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| Chippendale Collective | Chippendale Collective ($200,000): The Chippendale Collective will establish a not-for-profit business-development entity to amplify the region’s offerings, develop events and grow Chippendale’s day and night-time economies. |
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| Eddy (Central Station and Eddy Avenue Precinct, Sydney) | Eddy (Central Station and Eddy Avenue Precinct, Sydney) ($200,000): Support will help establish a coordination group to attract more visitors to the Central Station and Eddy Avenue precinct, encourage greater inter-district cooperation and ensure the future vibrancy and viability of the “Eddy”. |
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| Green² (Green Square) | Green² (Green Square) ($160,166): Green² will establish a coordination group to engage locals, community groups and businesses who will work collaboratively to develop vibrant activations encouraging residents to stay and play. |
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| Haymarket Precinct | Haymarket Precinct ($200,000): The Haymarket Precinct will develop a destination brand, marketing assets and campaign to raise awareness about what the precinct has to offer to help generate increased foot traffic. |
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| HQ Sydney (Hollywood Quarter Sydney – Precinct of Commonwealth, Campbell and Wentworth Streets, Surry Hills) | Hollywood Quarter Sydney (Precinct of Commonwealth, Campbell and Wentworth Streets, Surry Hills) ($200,000): This support will be used to develop a marketing campaign to put Hollywood Quarter Sydney's entertainment district on the map for locals and visitors from across Sydney and beyond as a night out or longer stay destination. |
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| KXQ (King's Cross Quarter, Kings Cross) | KXQ (King's Cross Quarter) ($200,000): KXQ will create a coordination group of small businesses to give King’s Cross a fresh voice, engage with visitors and attract consumers to the iconic home of Sydney’s 24-hour economy. |
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| Koreatown (Eastwood) | Koreatown ($198,200): Koreatown in Eastwood will create a multi-platform advertising campaign aiming to attract four million visitors to experience the district’s cultural food, fashion, pop-up events and activities. |
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| Paddo Collective (Paddington) | Paddo Collective ($181,371): The Paddo Collective will create branding and a multi-platform marketing campaign to build on the Paddington district’s reputation as an attractive destination for locals and visitors to showcase what the precinct has to offer. |
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| Stanley Street District (North Darlinghurst) | Stanley Street District ($200,000): The Stanley Street District will raise the district’s profile as the “Modern Piazza of Sydney” by establishing a coordination group to collaborate and promote the district’s offerings. |
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| The Gathering (Blacktown) | The Gathering (Blacktown) ($200,000): The Gathering will use the support to create a program of activities to highlight Blacktown’s vibrant youth, arts and music scenes to attract the local community, encouraging them to engage and go out within the district. |
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| YCK Laneways Association Inc (Sydney CBD) | YCK Laneways Association Inc ($200,000): The YCK Laneways Association Inc in Sydney’s CBD will establish three new roles to help with the day-to-day running of the association with a focus on increasing membership and implementing improvement projects. |
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| Rainbow Precinct (Darlinghurst) | Rainbow Precinct (Darlinghurst) ($200,000): A cohesive branding and marketing strategy will highlight Sydney’s Taylor Square and Rainbow Crossing area, Sydney’s original LBGTQIA+ precinct and the birthplace of the Mardi Gras Parade. |
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| Pyrmont+Ultimo24/7 – Powered by Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce (Pyrmont, Ultimo) | Pyrmont+Ultimo24/7 ($200,000): Support will be used to help the Chamber of Commerce coordinate and connect with local businesses to define the district’s destination, drive innovation and promote Pyrmont and Ultimo as ideal places to visit, work and live. |
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| UpTown Sydney CBD | UpTown (Sydney CBD) ($200,000): UpTown Sydney will use the support to establish a full-time coordinator role to help promote the Circular Quay district as a vibrant hub for locals, encouraging Sydneysiders to frequent this part of the CBD more often and drive foot traffic to local businesses. |
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| Walsh Bay Arts Precinct | Walsh Bay Arts Precinct ($200,000): The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct will work with local arts businesses and the local arts community to build a program of engaging activities that will highlight the precinct’s offerings and attract more visitors. |
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| 2077 A.D. - Hornsby After Dark | 2077 A.D. - Hornsby After Dark ($200,000): The Hornsby Chamber of Commerce and Liquor Accord will collaborate to enhance the 2077 postcode region’s night-time economy, engaging with other night-time industries once momentum is built. |
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| DuskDown (Freshwater) | DuskDown ($200,000): The DuskDown project aims to re-engage the Freshwater community and stimulate the region’s night-time economy through promoting it as a night-time destination for locals and visitors. |
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| New Sydney Waterfront Company District Team (Sydney Harbour) | New Sydney Waterfront District Team ($200,000): The New Sydney Waterfront Company in Sydney Harbour will accelerate its transition from voluntary business funding and government support into an independent, self-funded organisation to benefit members and the community. |
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| Harris Park | Harris Park ($200,000): This project will establish a coordinated program to brighten up the Harris Park Business prescient to attract visitors and enhance its reputation as the crowning jewel of India, outside of India. |
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