Pride Culture Club is a recurring social event for the University of Sydney's LGBTQIA+ community, who come together to share their passion for queer culture in all its forms, including art, film, music, and literature. This June, we're bursting onto the stage at the Conservatorium of Music for a queer musical extravaganza featuring presentations and live performances by staff, students, and alumni. We are excited to announce that our program will feature:

• Paul Mac: In addition to being a lecturer at the Conservatorium, Dr Paul McDermott is an ARIA and APRA award-winning electropop musician and producer. Under the name Paul Mac, he has released two top 40 charting solo albums, recorded with bands such as the Dissociatives and Itch-E and Scratch-E, composed for film and television, and collaborated with renowned artists including Silverchair, Luke Steele, LCD Soundsystem, and George Michael.
• S5AM: Samuel Dunnicliff is a student in the Contemporary Music Practice program at the Conservatorium. He is also a singer-songwriter who performs under the name S5AM, and whose original music is informed by his experiences of life, love, and dating as a gay man. He will be giving an intimate, stripped-back performance, accompanied on guitar by Cameron Spry.
• Yizhen Wang: Yizhen is a proud lesbian from Guizhou, China, and an undergraduate studying music and data science. She loves Asian popular music, and exploring how music and identity intersect in contemporary culture. Her performance will centre on a solo vocal rendition of "Womxnly" (玫瑰少年), originally by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai.
• Damia O'Loughlin: Damia is a jazz saxophone and clarinet player and a fourth-year honours student at the Conservatorium. Her research centres on controversial issues and censorship in music education, and on promoting historically marginalised voices in jazz. Her presentation uses frameworks of queer musicology to account for the success of the all-female and gender diverse baroque-rock band the Last Dinner Party. 
• Ellis Wong: Ellis is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology. He is also a transgender man, and has been studying music and playing piano ever since he was a child. He will be performing a cover of "Your Name Engraved Herein" (刻在我心底的名字), the theme song of a Taiwanese film of the same name, which centres on a gay love story. He will then give a reading of an original prose-poem.
• And more to be announced!

About this event

• When: 4–6pm Thursday 26 June 2025
• Where: Recital Hall West, Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Room 1063, Building C41)
• Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible and equipped with a hearing loop. Acoustic performance elements may not be captured by the hearing loop. 
• Content warnings: Presentations and performances may feature explicit language and discussion of the following topics: HIV/AIDS, illness, death, homophobia, transphobia, bigotry, bullying, violence, mental health, and suicide. 
• Light refreshments will be served in the Atrium from 6pm. This is an alcohol-free event.
• Please note that this event may be photographed.
• A joint initiative of the Library and the Pride Network, Pride Culture Club is free to join, participation is open to all staff and students of the University of Sydney.
• Contact librarypride.support@sydney.edu.au for more information.
• Photo of Paul Mac by Micaela Chutrau @mica_chutrau