The Rock Pop-Up is an initiative for activating temporarily vacant buildings by providing creative workers with access to affordable space to produce and showcase original work, and host unique events while a long term tenant is secured. The Rocks Pop-up supports emerging creative individuals and organizations who wish to collaborate and exhibit work.
The Rock Pop-Up project created in March 2011 by the Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority and Arts NSW with the below objectives. — To present The Rocks as a showcase for unique, bespoke and locally distinctive work and the home of innovation and creativity in Sydney. — To activate temporarily vacant properties and bring activity to the precinct. — To support emerging creative workers with access to affordable space to make work, run creative businesses, sell original products and host unique events. — To connect the broader arts and creative community with the tenants and residents.
The major outcomes of The Rocks Pop-Up project is to raising the profile of The Rocks as a home of innovation and creativity in Sydney, and attracting new and return visitors, increase profile and exposure for a number of artists, strong links established with the UTS Empty Spaces research and resources project and exposure for regional artist in a Sydney CBD environment, with the subsequence involvement of Art in the Heart Lismore.
The Authority re-launched The Rocks Pop-up in March 2012 provided opportunity to artists and creative organizations to offer their service as the producer, curator and programmer role. In 2012, the participant included three arts organizations (ICE, Gaffa and the Red Room Company), eight creative organizations (Art in the Heart Lismore, FBi Radio and artist Residnency program – ARP), 90 individual creative took part and estimated 40,000 people visited the 12 sites provided .
Various type of events plans and carry out by The Rocks Pop-Up such as Places + spaces Cockatoo Calling Rocks performances by emerging experimental musicians, Word Travels spoken word and literary performances, talks, walks, happenings drop into Word Travels to see artists in residence drop their latest creations, Organised Cacophony by New Media Curation and The Design Lab Sydney in interactive new media and exploration, Elaine Loebenstein presents “Silent Sound” a film screenings with live musical scores and many others events and activities which can be found in The Rocks website media release.