Ensemble Offspring has been at the forefront of new music in Sydney for some time now. Occasionally their performances can be inaccessible or difficult for an audience which is not prepared, but that is not the case for Musical Microparks – their new installation work performed as part of the Sydney Festival. Originally intended for 2020, the project (like so many others) was put on hold, but has been triumphantly resurrected now, and rightfully so.

Musical Microparks in Erskineville. Photograph © Jacquie Manning

The event is structured as a roaming tour of Erskineville, with six short installations situated in the small suburban park areas throughout the suburb. The audience is separated into smaller groups who are shepherded through four of the performances across two hours. The installations themselves are created from collaborations between musicians from Ensemble Offspring and other artists (poets, dancers, blues singers etc.), forming unique outdoor duets, each with something to say about identity and Australian culture. Due to the nature of the event, audiences will have different experiences, seeing a different collection of performances depending on which group they are in.

The first stop for my group was just across the...