Concrete Playground

Not quite the picture of a fledgling festival, Creative Sydney is only turning two but already wise to the game. Part of Vivid festival's 'light, music and ideas' masterplan, Creative Sydney will enliven, educate and blow your socks off. All events are at the MCA and all are free, between June 5 and 13.

The first round up of specialists includes creators of the biannual Finders Keepers markets, Brooke Johnston and Sarah Thornton, as well as Douglas Lance Gibson, the man at the helm of indie bible Mountain Fold. Also sharing their skills are TMOD, aka Georgie Swift, and Milenka Osen, aka conceptual jewellery-makers and interactive stationary designers extraordinaire. The 10 x 10 project returns this year, with 10 industry icons each letting you know their top 10 creatives to keep an eye on (or employ) in the coming year.

The business end isn't left out of the deal either, with 'how to' panels for agents and managers, curators, promoters, creative advertisers and artists trying to survive on their work. Other features focus on the mapping of Sydney's creative territory and incorporating sustainability into everyday business practice.

We're particularly getting behind I, Robot — a Creative Sydney session par exemplar, where high-tech players Dorkbot mix it with the more lo-fi likes of Even Books and the Australian Theatre for Young People for a night that plumbs the depths of meaning that sci-fi has always promised.

The festival will finish with a giant Block Party at Circular Quay.

Image: Totem poles from George Gittoes' performance, Night Vision, Creative Sydney 2009.