It’s finally happening, friends, and the timing could not be more apposite. It’s exactly 30 years since Loui Fraser’s ‘Joy’ - the world’s first statue of a sex worker - was originally installed on her plinth at the corner of Stanley and Yurong streets, a striking tribute to women and the history of East Sydney. It’s also 30 years since NSW became the first jurisdiction in the world to decriminalise sex work. During Joy’s brief 18-month tenure in East Sydney in the mid-1990s and over the decades since, she has inspired scholars, writers, activists, poets and musicians. Starting in January 2023, with strong support from sex workers, historians and allies, we campaigned for Joy’s return. (We being sex worker activist and policy consultant Julie Bates AO, Joys’s creator Loui May, formerly Fraser, and historian Dr Catherine Freyne.) Winning the support of then-councillor Linda Scott in mid-2023 was a major turning point. And here we are! It’s happening! The Lord Mayor is going to unveil a glorious, new, hardy, bronze iteration of Joy, the splendid result of Loui’s recent work with a local foundry, cast from the original artwork, and funded by the City council. Sydney will be one statue closer to better recognising the contribution of women and working people in its public art. Come along and help us celebrate!
Event Venue
Corner of Stanley & Yurong Street, East Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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