Experimental and boundary-pushing, Beau Neilson is one of Australia’s most renowned Creative Directors. If you’re looking for unmissable, under-the-radar culture and cuisine, Beau knows exactly where to go.
Sydney with Beau Neilson
Creative Director & Philanthropist
Culture Phoenix Central Park
‘Phoenix used to be a martial arts studio. An explosion took place inside the building. Following that, it was developed into a performance space. Phoenix, rising from the ashes.’
37-49 O’Connor St, Chippendale
Food & Drink The Everleigh Hotel
‘One of my favourite things about the Everleigh is you can hear beautiful jazz music inside in the afternoons, have a fabulous meal, and sit there with your puppy.’
158 Abercrombie St, Redfern
Culture White Rabbit Gallery
‘The White Rabbit Gallery is always inspiring. It’s amazing seeing the skill of these artists, their attention to detail… They create something that’s unconventional, surprising and challenging.’
30 Balfour St, Chippendale
Location Spice Alley
‘Kensington Street has an amazing Spice Alley with all these vendors serving Asian food. It’s got bars, it’s open late. So after a great show at Phoenix you can have an amazing bite to eat.’
Kensington St, Chippendale
Food & Drink KINDRED
‘KINDRED has amazing Italian food. They’ve got fresh pastas, and it’s all made in-house. It’s divine.’
137 Cleveland St, Darlington
“Sydney is a really beautiful city, and I think that’s what it’s most known for. But as well as the sea, the sun, the amazing beaches and gorgeous gardens, it does have cultural hubs all around the place. ”
On Sydney in one word
Multicultural.
But not just because people come from different backgrounds and different ethnicities. There are so many cultures that are living side by side, subcultures with music and art and different forms of expression.
On a good way to spend the day in the city
I’d start at the [Royal] Botanic Gardens, having a beautiful walk along the foreshore, looking at the trees and the ocean, and then walking through The Rocks, getting a delicious pastry at La Renaissance. After that, head to Chippendale and have a look around White Rabbit Gallery, and then mosey down the road to look at some of the little commercial galleries in the area. After that, head to The Eveleigh to have a lovely meal and sit as the afternoon sun comes in. One of my favourite things about The Eveleigh is that you can go there, listen to beautiful jazz inside in the afternoons, have a fabulous meal and sit there with your puppy. I love dogs. I love art. I love places where I can experience art with my dog! Following that, catch an early performance at Phoenix Central Park, and after that wrap up on Kensington Street for a light bite and a cocktail.
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On where to go in Sydney for a great walk
On my normal morning, I walk down Buckland Street, up O’Connor and have a nice stroll past a few of the cafés. I grab a coffee at Something for Jess — it’s really easy and convenient, and they’ve got really friendly, lovely people there — and take my pup on a loop around the Central Park green, which is a really beautiful space. It’s got lovely pet owners that are very responsible. And it’s just wonderful to see the link through to Broadway. Ten years ago, it was this walled-off area that had no connection with the major roads around it. Now they’ve got UTS right across the road, Central Station a few minutes away, and all these cultural activities in one hub.
On a favourite cultural venue
The Powerhouse is super awesome and has amazing exhibitions, changing constantly. They also have my favourite thing, called Powerhouse Late. It’s an opportunity to go to the Powerhouse between 5.00 pm and 9.00 pm on a Thursday night to see some incredible music that they program, and to walk around the exhibits. You can bring a friend, you can have a drink, and you can see things in a different way.
On the best food in Sydney
KINDRED is an amazing Italian restaurant. Make sure you book; they do all their pasta in-house, it’s divine. It used to be a very strange Irish restaurant with tarot readers, but it’s taken on its next life — been reincarnated, so to speak. They also have an excellent tasting menu. For a mid- or late-week delight, I recommend Ricos Tacos. They opened up quite recently and are sublime for your taco needs. Down the road, there is Kensington Street. It’s got bars, it’s got lots of people coming and going throughout the day; in the evenings it gets absolutely packed. And it’s got the amazing Spice Alley — as you’re walking down the road, you get beautiful wafts of all this Asian cuisine. There’s amazing Malaysian food, Chinese, Japanese and everything in between. One of the best things about Kensington Street is that it’s open late; Spice Alley closes after 9.30 pm, so after a great show at Phoenix, you can head down there and have a beautiful bite to eat.
On little-known facts you love about Sydney
One of the things I find fascinating in this area is there used to be a huge brewery that had this enormous wall all the way around it. It’s on top of a creek, and it would just sort of flush all the junk from the brewery down the road, so a whole lot of these buildings around here have creeks underneath. In this building itself [Phoenix Central Park], we have to have a pump running 24 hours a day to make sure that we don’t have a flooded basement. We’ve got this pump gurgling all the time.
On a budget? Luckily, there are tons of museums in Sydney that are free all year round. Museum of Contemporary Art, Australian Design Centre and Chau Chak Wing Museum are just a few of our faves in the Sydney art scene!
On creative art places in Sydney you want to share
Chippendale is full of them: the White Rabbit Gallery down the road has two big exhibitions a year, lots of different paintings, drawings, installation works, you name it. It’s amazing, seeing the skill of these artists, their attention to detail, and the way they’ve taken that extra step to create something unconventional, surprising and challenging. I find that a treat. And it has also got a beautiful tea house with dumplings and, as recently reported, the finest scones in Sydney. Also, there’s Phoenix Central Park, this extraordinary space I’m in right now. We have weekly shows, and they’re all free access. You just need to sign up to our ballot and then we release the tickets a week in advance. We have lots of amazing performances: folk music, classical, jazz, experimental and everything in between.
On how the city and the Sydney art scene inspires you
Sydney is a really beautiful city, and I think that’s what it’s most known for. But as well as the sea, the sun, the amazing beaches and gorgeous gardens, it does have cultural hubs all around the place. Chippendale is one of the finest, with the combination of galleries, some selling, some just for visiting, like White Rabbit Gallery and Phoenix Central Park. There’s also a whole lot of really fun pubs that do a lot for the local music industry, with regular acts a few nights a week. They are a great place to get together with friends or meet new friends. I think at one stage, Chippendale had the highest density of pubs in any small set of blocks. There’s the Lansdowne [Hotel] just up the road that is packed every night of the week and has regular band nights with some really excellent acts. We also have the [Lord] Gladstone down the road, which has an excellent offering as well. My personal favourite is The Eveleigh Hotel.
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On growing up around art
Since I was young, I was exposed to art within the household. My parents were both born in Africa — my mother in Zimbabwe, my father in South Africa — so we were always surrounded by a lot of arts and crafts, beautiful paintings and sculptures. And they brought a lot of that heritage and those stories with them when they came to Australia.
On the importance of philanthropy in the arts
Philanthropy encourages inclusion. It allows people to access things on their own terms, without having a huge upfront fee. It supports existing programs that encourage people from different backgrounds who feel there’s a paywall, or a cultural access barrier. A lot of people don’t feel welcome in big cultural institutions — they feel it’s reserved for the rich and powerful and that they themselves won’t be able to benefit from the experience. Projects like Phoenix Central Park and White Rabbit Gallery, who allow anyone in — there’s no ticket fee, there’s no block to your access to that experience — are really valuable in sharing the Sydney art scene more widely with the Australian people, in particular Sydney people, and changing their ideas on what they think they might enjoy or be allowed to experience.
On the origins of Phoenix Central Park
The building we’re in used to be a martial arts studio. It was around for years, then it had all sorts of industrial uses. But less than 10 years ago, there was an explosion — my understanding is that a car drove in and ignited. Following that, when it was developed into a performance space, Judith took inspiration from that experience and called it Phoenix, rising from the ashes. And it has evolved since then. We had some beautiful performances that were classical or jazz in this amazing room that’s perfect for chamber music. But I felt that was limiting and that there might be opportunities to push boundaries in different ways. We brought in this amazing set of speakers that have allowed us to do some far more experimental, subtle, yet complex work, involving all sorts of different instruments, as well as electronics; looking at the sound design as part of the experience.
On where creativity has taken you mentally
Creativity comes in many forms, so the more you’re exposed to it, the more opportunities you see. I’m fortunate in my role in that I get to see extraordinary music, dance, performance art and visual art, and it allows me to expand my own horizons and get a different perception of the world around me and what’s possible.
On how travel influences your creative thinking
There’s a lot to be said for being uncomfortable. When you travel and you’re exposed to different places, it encourages you to freshen up your outlook, and reconsider what you value and what has meaning for you. I think that essentially fuels any kind of creative projects. Travel allows you to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. It teaches you to be open-minded, flexible, open to new experiences and new people. I think it’s the people you meet along the way when you travel that really change you on a more profound level than anything else.
On your relationship with Sydney
I would describe my relationship with Sydney as optimistic. We’ve gone through a lot of change over the past few years, with the combination of lockout laws and Covid keeping everyone in their homes for extended periods. Now, there’s this burst of energy where people want to express themselves and they want to experience the world around them, and they want to invest in that. Everyone is committed to making it the best that it can be, and investing in art, culture and opportunities. Walking around Chippendale, you see a huge contrast. You see people walking with dogs, you see new buildings, you see all these beautiful little workers’ cottages, and then a vibrant pub scene, as well as little restaurants that have popped up along the way.
“We’ve gone through a lot of change over the past few years… Now, there’s this burst of energy where people want to express themselves and they want to experience the world around them, and they want to invest in that.”
Next Stop: Sydney
Creators
Simon Lister
Photographer & Founder
The Sydney-based travel photographer has explored every corner of the world. But nothing beats the delectable delights of his neighbourhood bakeries and beach-side restaurants.
Nash Edgerton
Director, Actor & Stuntman
The stuntman and film producer loves exploring Sydney on foot. He knows where to leave the tourist trails and connect with the city in a unique way.
Collette Dinningan
Designer
The fashion legend has built a sanctuary in the Southern Highlands. From artisan food to enchanting English gardens – Collette will help you unwind on a trip from the city.
For more exceptional creators, visit www.exceptionalalien.com
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