Party Hard – After The Party

Party Hard – After The Party is a glittering ode to what survives after the music stops. This bold new exhibition at Tasma Terrace explores the traces of celebration across time — from Edwardian gatherings to the first Sydney Mardi Gras and today’s queer clubs.

Here, garments take centre stage not as pristine objects of fashion, but as material witnesses. Ripped lace, stained satin, sequins loosened from exuberant dancing — these marks of wear reveal the body’s energy, vulnerability and defiance. Why wasn’t that torn dress discarded? Why was a stained top treasured? Each piece holds memory, intimacy and protest, reminding us that clothing embodies more than style: it carries resilience and identity. The exhibition brings together historic treasures with striking contemporary visions by queer creatives Gerard O’Connor and Gwendolynne. Together, they construct a kaleidoscope of queer resilience and joy, showing how the after-party continues in memory, material and community.

Set within the reimagined Tasma Terrace, Party Hard – After The Party aligns with the National Trust’s commitment to storytelling through objects, place and culture – engaging audiences in conversations about identity, politics and preservation.

It reminds us that joy itself is political, that dressing up can be defiance, and that every after-party tells a story worth sharing.

More Information

• Opening Night: Thursday, 5 February | 7.00–9.00pm
  – Exhibition runs until 22 February

• Exhibition Opening Hours: Thursday to Saturday | 11.00am–5.00pm
  – 5 February to 15 March

• Tickets:
  – Opening Night: $35 (18+)
  – Exhibition Entry: Free

• Access:
  – Tasma Terrace is accessible only via stairs; step-free access is not available.

Presented as part of the Midsumma Festival

Image: Photographer Gerard O’Connor, Stylist Marc Wasiak