The lights are on, somebody's home

People react to the political decisions made about the places where they live in ways that can be seen, heard, felt, and sensed. In Waterloo, a place with a history of large-scale redevelopments, community responses to the most recent state government announcement for ‘renewal’ are creative, risky, and political. From news articles, radio programmes and Facebook posts, to documentaries and arts-based projects, creative forms of cultural production take up an important position in social action and the politics of belonging. Not all of the community’s activism is against the state government decision to redevelop Waterloo, but much of it aims to influence and shape what Waterloo becomes. #WeLiveHere2017 is a social action project that commenced before the state government’s announcement, with an initial aim to celebrate the diverse communities and people of Waterloo. That project aim quickly went from one to many as the complexities of the changes ahead came to the fore. The collective is comprised of both private and public housing residents, all of whom live in the Redfern Waterloo area. This year, #WeLiveHere2017 will illuminate Waterloo’s iconic twin towers – Matavai and Turanga – from inside the homes of residents. Participating residents will each be offered a light that changes colour for their window. As colour means and holds meaning, residents will be in control of the colour on display from their homes.