When is a museum not a museum? Or more precisely, how does the stuff (ing) that perceptions are made of become effectively recast? A visit to Jurassic Lounge, the Australian Museum’s recent Tuesday night foray into after hour’s event making, answered that question many times over!
As an idea, J-Lounge was conceived by Museum Director, Frank Howarth, following a visit to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco where, on Thursday nights, a similar style of event was being held. Tweaked and readapted for Sydney, Howarth hired The Festivalists, a Sydney based company that specialises in the production of cultural events that feature the hottest new artists, performers and DJ’s. Together they envisaged that success would involve a spectacular rearrangement of the institutional mood, attracting up to three hundred paying guests per night. As it turned out, the first season averaged over one thousand people per session (@ $15 per head) and the place was indeed ‘altered’.
As we approached the museum a queue stretched from the main entrance, down College Street, to the corner of William. Inside it was jumping, live music, performers and artists created scenes more reminiscent of a club in Newtown, or some other piece of nightlife central. It was a remarkable transformation with in house Interpretive Officers and Front of House staff ensuring through clever programming that guests were still engaged and interested in the exhibitions and collections on show. Clearly the koala and other cute marsupials that caught my eye, were twitching to the beat of a new generation.
With such a success on their hand I’ve no doubt Jurassic Lounge will return. So stay tuned, subscribe to the Australian Museum’s twitter account or become a friend on Facebook – be the first to know when ‘nocturnal cool’ once again descends on a ‘happening’ College Street.
Michael Rolfe
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