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Recreational Arts Team (RAT) Parties Archive

Made
The RAT party archive is part of a larger collection of objects documenting RAT parties. During the 1980s in Sydney's inner-east, a series of more than 35 parties organised by the Recreational Arts Team (RAT) formed a key element of an emerging subculture. The core of the self-styled Recreational Arts Team was Jac Vidgen, Billy Yip and Reno Dal. Vidgen, an energetic party-thrower who had come to Sydney from Brisbane, became the de facto promoter and organiser of these so-called RAT parties. …

Summary

Object No.

2003/147/1

Object Statement

Archive, Recreational Arts Team (RAT) parties, comprising posters, artwork, invitations, tickets, passes, badges, painted rat trap, photographs and photograph albums, designed by various artists, designers and photographers including Billy Yip, David Heimann, Robert Rosen, William Yang, compiled by Jac Vidgen, paper/card/wood/metal, made in Australia, 1984-1989

Physical Description

Archive, Recreational Arts Team (RAT) parties, comprising posters, artwork, invitations, tickets, passes, badges, painted rat trap, photographs and photograph albums, designed by various artists, designers and photographers including Billy Yip, David Heimann, Robert Rosen, William Yang, compiled by Jac Vidgen, paper/card/wood/metal, made in Australia, 1984-1989

1. RAT party posters (28?)
2. Artwork for poster (3)
3. Invitations, tickets and passes (56?)
4. Badges (3)
5. Rat trap, painted
6. Photographs and photo albums
etc

Short URL

https://ma.as/319660

Production

Made

History

Notes

Material used by Jac Vidgen and the Recreational Arts Team to promote, organise and document RAT parties.
Jac Vidgen put together an extensive archive documenting RAT parties and donated the collection to the Powerhouse Museum and State Library in 2002.

Source

Credit Line

Gift of Jac Vidgen, Billy Yip and the Recreational Arts Team, 2003

Acquisition Date

16 October 2003

Cite this Object

Harvard

Recreational Arts Team (RAT) Parties Archive 2022, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 25 May 2022, <https://ma.as/319660>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/319660 |title=Recreational Arts Team (RAT) Parties Archive |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=25 May 2022 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}

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Incomplete

This object record is currently incomplete. Other information may exist in a non-digital form. The Museum continues to update and add new research to collection records.

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