Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian\/New Zealand music and globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe arts have always been a place where people ask difficult questions, challenge ideas and use humour, satire and performance to reflect on the world around us. Not every work will resonate with every person, but the freedom to make and experience art is part of what makes an open, creative and democratic society.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Dopper\u2019s statement, Meta has also shut down all of Divine Playhouse\u2019s social media accounts, as well as personal accounts and all LGBTQIA+ community accounts (including Heaps Gay).<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a small independent organisation that has built and communicated online with our communities and ticket holders for over 13 years, losing access to them and being silenced makes this situation even more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the setback, Dopper said the venue\u2019s priority has had to be \u201cthe wellbeing of our artists, audiences, event organisers and staff\u201d as it works through its legal options. The team behind Divine Playhouse also thanked its lawyers, who \u201ccame on board quickly and worked tirelessly\u201d to support the venue through the process.<\/p>\n
Ticket holders will be contacted directly by event organisers regarding cancelled events.<\/p>\n
In a statement sent to\u00a0Rolling Stone AU\/NZ<\/em>, City of Sydney\u2019s Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller said: \u201cI am concerned by reports that the lease that enabled temporary adaptive re-use of 420 Kent Street (which was a church almost 100 years ago, and has been a theatre for 80) into a pop-up performance space was terminated by the landlord.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s not my place to decide what is \u2018art\u2019 make moral judgements as to what is or isn\u2019t offensive and to whom. But I am very sympathetic to those whose livelihoods are directly and seriously affected by this abrupt decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n