Legacy & history
The Laura Street Festival was started by residents of Turnstyle in 2011. Turnstyle was a regular sharehouse that was radical in the way it built community. The residents opened the underneath of their home to the wider community as a space to be shared and activated with various workshops, music nights, poetry nights, shared pizzas from the pizza oven, etc. Each new resident of the Turnstyle house moved there because they were inspired to keep the tradition of having some of their rent go to keeping the underhouse space as an area for the whole community back when rents were more affordable to be able to do that. Turnstyle residents decided to invite the whole of the street they were on, Laura Street, to also try opening their homes to the wider community for just one day for a festival. From conversations up and down the street many neighbours got involved and let their front deck or back yard or underhouse area be transformed into a festival venue for art or music or discussions! And the wider community, who already knew Turnstyle volunteered their time to help make the festival happen.
Turnstyle existed, thanks to the renters who lived there, for over 15years from 2006 to 2021! Over that time some of the following things took place:
- Turnstyle started a food coop to look at ways to support local farmers (now moved to an alternate location on Laura St https://lettuceshare.org/docs/turnstyle_intro - you can also find other coops near you at lettuceshare.org ! ).
- Turnstyle started a bike repair shed (now located at West End community House https://www.facebook.com/TurnstyleBikeShed)
- Singpatico Choir became a beloved part
- A book library
- Then there was at different times: Yoga, Capoeira, Roving Conspiracy gigs, fundraisers, a memorial service and much, much more!
There are many legacies that Turnstyle has left us - and the Laura Street Festival is the peacock feather in the crown of jewels that was Turnstyle.
Turnstyle existed, thanks to the renters who lived there, for over 15years from 2006 to 2021! Over that time some of the following things took place:
- Turnstyle started a food coop to look at ways to support local farmers (now moved to an alternate location on Laura St https://lettuceshare.org/docs/turnstyle_intro - you can also find other coops near you at lettuceshare.org ! ).
- Turnstyle started a bike repair shed (now located at West End community House https://www.facebook.com/TurnstyleBikeShed)
- Singpatico Choir became a beloved part
- A book library
- Then there was at different times: Yoga, Capoeira, Roving Conspiracy gigs, fundraisers, a memorial service and much, much more!
There are many legacies that Turnstyle has left us - and the Laura Street Festival is the peacock feather in the crown of jewels that was Turnstyle.