Words on Art and Life with Charles Freyberg

Spend an unforgettable hour with acclaimed poet and performer Charles Freyberg 

Drawing on decades of life, art and performance in Kings Cross, Charles Freyberg captures the raw energy and complex beauty of the many true bohemians that have inspired him. 

Arriving in Kings Cross as a young law student, Freyberg found a creative community that would shape his life and work. Through poetry and performance, he inhabits a cast of vivid characters, transcending age and gender to reveal stories from Sydney's queer and artistic communities.

His work explores identity, creativity and belonging, celebrating powerful women, mavericks, transgender and non-binary people whose lives challenged convention. Set against a backdrop of social change, the AIDS crisis, addiction and gentrification, these stories capture a unique moment in the history of inner-city Sydney.

Freyberg is the author of 3 books: Dining at the Edge, The Crumbling Mansion and Sacred Remnants. His writing started with drag shows and performance art staged at Club Bent at the Performance Space in the late 90s. He studied poetry at post-graduate level at the University of Sydney and has been published in a wide range of journals. His work has been translated into Romanian and Spanish and has appeared in Heidra Journal (Mexico) Boheme Caribe (Columbia) and AJkoki (Costa Rica). 

His poetry was part of a dance performance about Chelsea Manning by Peter Urquhart at the Conservatorium in 2017. He regularly performs around Sydney with the Fierce Violets, a collective of poets and musicians, and has featured at the Rattler with Candy Royalle, live poets at Don Bank and Poetica with Miriam Hectmann amongst others. He received an award for his services to LGBTQIA+ poetry at the National Art School during Sydney Mardi Gras 2020.

Host: Danny Gardner: prolific poet, seasoned presenter and passionate advocate for poetry and storytelling. With decades of experience showcasing some of Sydney’s creative voices, Danny brings a wealth of insight to this inspiring discussion.

Following the talk, a Q&A session will delve deeper into Charles’s creative journey. 

This is a free event open to all ages.

We aim to present inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs, please contact our cultural programs coordinator on 02 9265 9333 or pinestreet@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au