The Bearded Tit

The Bearded Tit is both a bar and creative space. A happy place for locals, visitors and friends that haven’t met yet, it offers a relaxed and engaging place for a cleansing tipple and a catalyst for conversation and creative musing. Our nest is located at 183 Regent St, Redfern, in the old Legge Gallery building. Proud to be joining the growing family of other amazing small bars and shops in the hood, we will be lovingly opening our doors, arms and legs in June 2014.

THE NAME
Taking our name not from a pair of long-haired lovebags, but from the avian kingdom, The Bearded Tit is a unique songbird with no other living species seeming to be closely related. A rock n roll reedling complete with death metal facial markings, it is a social and colourful creature. As they say, birds of a feather…

WHO ARE WE
The Tits are three dealers in artful concoctions and kindred spirits. Joy Ng, a teenage runaway who joined the circus then ran from the circus to own a pub and never looked back; Pete Manwaring, a modern day ringmaster who danced between festival circuits while running his own gallery and Emma Price, the celebrated artful dodger, artistic collaborator and provocateur.

THE LOOK & FEEL
Entering The Bearded Tit and exiting the everyday, it’s as if colour-blind carnies and traveling salesmen have taken over a zoo and started pouring drinks. Find yourself (and maybe someone special) within the twists and turns of facades and sets as ratbaggery and humour escape from art and tableaux placed throughout the space. Whether it be the remnants of a faded barbers shop waiting for you at the entrance, the carny caravan in the backyard or on the set of a talk show, you’re bound to land somewhere unexpected.

DRINKS
We’ll be serving playful cocktails made with love, from the classics to the kitsch. Our wine cellar includes local and imported favourites, as well as a dusty selection from our mother’s bottom drawer, a 15 year collection of South Australian beauties. Focusing on local beers, we guarantee them all to be hand-picked, cold and alcoholic.

FOOD
For the peckish, there will be seasonal nibbles and tit bits, as well as collaborative dishes between The Bearded Tit and our "Local Kitchens", an original selection of offerings from our favorite neighbourhood restaurants.

GALLERY
The Bearded Tit is not only a licensed social space, but will also house an artistic and cultural program. This incorporates exhibitions, installations and happenings in our street front gallery and paste-ups, throw-ups and commissioned graffiti on our massive external wall. Within its interior we will house curated video works, performance art, a rotating artist-in-residence and hold small creative events. A curiosity cabinet will present collectables, one offs and artist multiples from local and invited artists.

ENTERTAINMENT
Colliding high art and pub rock, our stage will hold underground performances, music and actions that still allow you to have a tete-a-tete with the cute person next to you. Meanwhile over at our roaring fireplace, the vinyl crackles as you kick back to our resident and visiting DJs. Other times, you can select your favourite from our vinyl library… and let the good times roll.

In Memory of Now.