Latest news with #OutandAbout
Sydney Morning Herald
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Opposing housing may be reasonable, objecting to a puppet show is not
Every now and then, objections to planning in Sydney are rational: building mass housing in suburbs with no schools or other infrastructure, for example. But also every now and then, a groundswell of objection rises that beggars belief. Paddington is really giving NIMBYs a bad name. Six months ago, its residents were up in arms about the installation of a toilet aimed at preventing Allianz Stadium patrons from relieving themselves in front gardens. Now it's a puppet show that features Fauna, a puppet representing trees in a 'good vibes' tale about the environment which aims to relieve anxiety in children about the climate crisis and is set to take place in the sunken Paddington Reservoir Gardens. As urban affairs reporter David Barwell writes, various objections to the puppet show – part of Sydney's Out and About festival in September – have been made with concerns ranging from light and noise to urination, defecation and crime. One objector worries the puppet show for 200 people could damage the heritage value of the gardens. Another says the show could lead to severe impacts 'on surrounding residents due to excessive noise, both from crowds and performances'. 'This proposal is excessive in the extreme,' she wrote.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- The Hindu
Ticket to pride
In 2008, when Prasenjit Chaudhuri moved from a village in West Bengal to Bengaluru, he was 'trying to fit in'. 'I was going through a crisis. Someone I loved moved out of India. There was a void, a lull, exhaustion from the endless parties I was attending here,' says Prasenjit. To get his mind off things, he went on a trek with a group of strangers. And it was love at first hike. 'There were solo trekkers and that gave me space to connect. They were also seeking something. Their headspace was different. I was able to connect better with people. On my second trip, I was coming out to strangers,' he says. He says that the sessions around the campfire were when people opened up and there was no judgement. That gave him the confidence to come out at home. 'I was little more happy and felt empowered and wondered if I could take the same experience to others from the LGBTQIA+ community. We could use treks as a glue to bring people together and connect,' he says. After researching different trails, Prasenjit started a group called Come Out And Trek in 2015. The name cleverly devised as it had the element of coming out. Later as it turned into a travel company the name changed to Out and About, given its largely outdoorsy nature. The first trek was to Gokarna. Prasenjit was working at Cisco at that time but his heart was in the curation of this safe bubble that he had created for the community. On each trek they would make allies, while sensitising people on the trail. Now 98% of his clients are queer people. 'We also have queers who are introverted, socially anxious, neurodivergent. Queerness is not performative for them, they just want to exist,' he says adding that these trips give them the space to just be. While Out and About started with trekking, it has branched out to doing surfing holidays, kayaking, cycling and exploratory trips, bioluminescence tours, camping etc. He says his trips help people pick up hobbies. 'We have the knack of finding unique experiences. We are going to Sadhna forest and Solitude farm in Auroville. We do Kashmir often. We are going to Nagaland again, to villages not many have been to before. This month we are doing a wellness retreat with sound healing, ice bath, pottery, tea ceremony etc. In November we will be going to Thailand,' he says. Mostly in the 20-65 age group, more than 3,000 people have travelled with Out and About which organises almost 30 trips in a year. Prasenjit has seen the number of clients increase by 80% and he is of the opinion that the country needs more queer tour groups. While a majority of Prasenjit's clientele is Indian, other travel groups like Indja Pink and Pink Vibgyor that cater to the community get clients mostly from abroad. Sanjay Malhotra who started Indja Pink 18 years ago believes his company is the pioneer for gay tourism in India. It started with travels to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan for gay men only. In India, Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Agra, Ladakh, Mumbai, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the most popular destinations. 'I am a proud gay man and a passionate traveller,' says Sanjay who is also a designer and has showcased at Lakme Fashion Week. 'Whenever I travel all over the world, I look for companies which are not just gay friendly but cater exclusively to gay men. I feel comfortable because there is no fear of discrimination or harassment. I prefer staying at boutique luxury gay accommodation that cater to people who have similar interests,' he adds. This is a niche clientele. But one that travels a lot. 'The gay community travels at least twice as much as other members of society, including heterosexual couples. They have disposable income and enjoy travelling. When I started, there was a dearth of people catering to this segment,' Sanjay says. Though quite a few travel companies have jumped onto this bandwagon, he feels that many travel giants do not understand the concept, meaning, depth, and sensitivity that is involved in catering to this clientele. At Indja Pink, travellers — largely aged 50 and above — are from the US, Canada, western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand... The tours are personalised, intimate with attention to hobbies and passion of the travellers. 'We don't do readymade, run of the mill itineraries,' he says. He also encourages his clients to communicate with the local community and they invite them home for cocktails and dinner, so there is an exchange of ideas. 'Accommodation is at boutique luxury properties and are not at massive hotels, where every kind of facility is available but it is impersonal and the charm is missing,' says Sanjay who also launched India's first guesthouse for gay men only called Mister & Art House in Delhi, with two other coming up in Jaipur and Goa. Rajat Singla started Pink Vibgyor in 2010. He has seen his clientele grow by 20 percent every year. He says that along with curation, what is also imperative is to sensitise everybody who is part of the company and the supply chain. In 2010, he faced an issue when his guides asked a gay couple about their wives. 'Hotel receptions on seeing two men wanting a room, gave them a twin bed,' he says, adding, 'So, we started training our guide and agents, we also had a word with the hotel properties and explained to them. Our clients want to be accepted, feel safe and see India in a comfortable manner. All the guides, agents, and drivers should understand their needs.' Starting with trips to India, Pink Vibgyor has now expanded to Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia. 'Asia still has this charm of being exotic. Westerners love the idea of travelling to this part of the world,' says Rajat. Other than tours and sightseeing and experiences, these tours also have what Rajat calls 'spicy inclusions' like gay saunas and spas among others. Pink Vibgyor's tours are for everybody from the LGBTQ community. The clientele — mostly male — is primarily aged 55 and above, while Indian travellers are in the 24-40 category. First time visitors from abroad visit Rajasthan and Agra. The second time South India, then Khajuraho, Varanasi, tiger reserves etc. People also like to go to Kashmir, and Leh. If they want something exotic then they head to Nepal, Bhutan, or beaches of Sri Lanka. Sometimes when their clients from abroad have a fantastic experience with them, they go back and recommend it to their family members and even if they are not from the community, Pink Vibgyor organises trips for them. Says Rajat, 'They want someone they can trust, with a good reputation, and someone who can tailor make their itinerary.'
Otago Daily Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Ideas for asset fund sought
The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board is calling for bold ideas from the community on how to spend over $4 million in asset funds. The board had its monthly meeting on Thursday and began discussing what the community plans to do with its asset funds. Ideas and issues around event management, traffic control, transport and social infrastructure were brought forward by both board members and local organisations. The asset sales reserve is currently about $4 million but is expected to grow substantially once the board sells land in Ironside Dr. Improving event management was a key topic, especially following the success of Wheels at Wānaka. The event held over Easter weekend brought record numbers of visitors to Wanaka as it sold over 60,000 tickets, causing severe traffic congestion. Board member Linda Joll voiced her concern that traffic management was unable to accommodate the growth of events in the region. "I felt like there was no traffic management plan or a very inadequate one," she said. Oliver Harcus, spokesman for pride group Out and About, spoke during the public forum and further expressed the need to improve event capacity in Wānaka. Mr Harcus focused on the increasingly limited capacity of the Lake Wānaka Centre, saying the building was a better fit for meetings rather than events. "Is this an attractive place to hold an event?" he said. He used the Festival of Colour as an example, saying it would have been hard for the festival to make money as its ticket sales were limited by the building's capacity of about 500 people. Mr Harcus also argued the building did not reflect the diversity of the town nor was it adequately accessible for someone with a disability. Queenstown Lakes District Council arts and events relationship manager Jan Maxwell said the region held more events than any other district of the same size. "We're not matching that need ... I do know it has its limitations," she said. Ms Maxwell, alongside a team from the council, presented a draft of the event policy review which promised to work on streamlining event services. This would include a single point of entry for anyone wishing to book a space for an event. Chairman Simon Telfer said the board was encouraging bold and large ideas that would be valuable to the community. He said this could include a new performance arts centre, potentially a sports fields and an artificial turf. Aside from event management social infrastructure, the board also heard from Electrify Wānaka, a local group advocating for the town to be powered by electricity rather than gas or petrol. The final recommendation on what to spend the asset fund on will be shared with the council in November while discussing the region's long-term plan.
