If a sunny north Queensland holiday sounds like your kind of bliss at the moment, you're not alone. Spring is here, a toasty summer beckons and Australia's tropical region is mighty enticing all year round anyway. So, whether you're a Brisbanite eager to relax at the other end of the state, or you live elsewhere around the country, Tourism Tropical North Queensland has launched a new tour voucher giveaway that'll give you an extra reason to head to the area. Under the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus scheme, 8000 vouchers worth $250 each are up for grabs for folks spending their holidays in Queensland's tropical north. You will need to fork out at least $1000 on your trip anyway. But, if you do, you can nab a voucher to use on tours while you're there. The scheme is open all through the warmest parts of the year, too, ending on April 20, 2022. And, unlike previous Queensland travel incentives that've been run at the state government level, these vouchers are open to all Aussies. That said, obviously folks in locked-down parts of New South Wales and Victoria won't be able to head north until the rules in their respective areas allow it, and Queensland's border restrictions as well. To take advantage of the deal, you'll need to book through one of Tourism Tropical North Queensland's travel partners, which includes Viva Holidays, My Queensland and Flight Centre. And yes, you can add the scheme to the list of incentives enticing Aussies to make the most of everything the nation has to offer — when and where they're allowed to, of course — with the Northern Territory doing a tourism giveaway this summer as well. Tourism Tropical North Queensland's Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus scheme runs until April 20, 2022. For more information, head to the $250 Tropical Travel Bonus website.
Sick of the winter weather? Then escape from the chill to a warm, dark cinema, where you can watch movies from places even colder than here. Returning to Palace Barracks, the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival will once again showcase the best of Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic cinema, from award-winning dramas to esoteric comedies and the very best of Nordic Noir. One of the big highlights on this year's program is the Golden Globe-nominated The Fencer, a Finnish-German-Estonian co-production — dubbed by Finland Today as "the best Finnish film in a decade" — about a fencing instructor hiding from Soviet forces in Estonia in the years after the war. It's one of a number of critically-acclaimed titles in the program this year, alongside oddball Icelandic rom-com The Together Project which took home a screenplay prize at Cannes, and the excruciatingly tense Danish drama Land of Mine, which played in competition at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year. For the complete Scandinavian Film Festival program, go here.
LOU HELLIWELL AND ALEX DE BONIS know that they're awesome. They know, because they found "you're awesome" written on a brown paper bag they got from the aptly-titled Awesome Foundation. It was for their new Oxford Street Design Store which — like the Paper Mill before it — is taking one of the City of Sydney's empty spaces and turning it into a den of art, design and cool, printed stuff. Out back, they're planning for talks, a convention, workspace and even a little education. To get a closer look, Concrete Playground sat down to chat with Alex and Lou, and checked out a typical day in their new shopfront. One of the first nights Lou Haliwell tried to close up the new Design Store, she found herself locked in. The big, heavy roller door out front popped off its runners and fell down loose onto the floor, too heavy for her to lift back up again. There's no back door. I'm stuck. she thought, I have to sleep here. Working it open a little, using a chair, she got outside and began contemplating how on earth she was going to finish locking up. Just then, a young tradie walked by. He demanded, exasperated: "What've you done now?" Lou was bewildered. But, with his help, she got the door lifted back onto its runners. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek and wandered away into the night. She never saw him again, but thanks to him she was able to go home. The weirdest thing in this story is not that he turned up out of nowhere to help out. It's how normal these unsolicited offers of aid have become since Lou and Alex started up the Store. Everybody comes in wanting to do something. And meeting this pair of professional designers in person, it's easy to understand why. Their excitement and enthusiasm about the Store is palpable. You hear them talk about the designers who've turned up to sell things here, or the events they have planned for the venue space out back. You start wanting to help out yourself. Normally the door goes up at midday. Customers wander in, a designer might wander out the back to sketch in the venue space, which is full of desks this time of day (a chair is rented out at $3 an hour, including WiFi). Lou or Alex settle behind the counter. Today it's Alex. Both of them came from the quieter end of town. Alex from Campbelltown and Lou from Leeds, near Manchester, in the UK. They met while they both worked as designers in a well-respected Sydney studio. They found themselves complaining to each other that women's design work here didn't get the respect it deserved. So they decided to do something about it. Starting the blog Tough Titties, they highlighted Australian women's work in art and design. Only last year, they were nervously hosting the blog's first exhibition. Now they have a store. The Store had a similarly casual start. Originally a Secret Garden proposal that got turned down, they read about submissions for the City of Sydney's empty spaces on Oxford Street and decided to send in a submission along the same lines. The City of Sydney loved the idea. It's a first for both. Neither had done blogs before, nor an exhibition, nor retail. This, Alex reckons, is a recurring motif. "Most of the things we've done are a first-time thing." You'd never know that from the quality of their range. T-shirts, posters, jewellery, zines and even local ice-cream fill the showroom. The shop sells things for up to $20, funding its essentially non-profit operation with a 25% commission. The two halves of the shop are divided by a sturdy, see-through cardboard partition. Next to it, a louvred chalkboard along the Store's side wall will soon fill up with the week's upcoming events. At the time of writing, the program was still on the verge of starting. However, there's already talk of getting together a skating film night, Jess Scully from Vivid Ideas is planning to organise fortnightly how-to talks and a Sydney chapter Melbourne's 'un-conference conference', Trampoline, is imminent in April. The idea is to bring the disparate elements of Sydney's art and design communities together, without getting cliquey. Alex puts it more succinctly: "We're like a dating service." While there's already a rush to do and sell things at the Store, getting the practical side of the Store together was a bit harder. The City of Sydney offers a peppercorn rent, a kettle and a little publicity. Their fridge comes from Freecycle, the furniture mostly via Reverse Garbage. Since the Store's not residential, there's no regular garbage pickup. By chance, Alex's boyfriend owns a ute, and takes it to a sympathetic family member's business' commercial allowance. It's not clear how they'd afford it, otherwise. The only grant money they've had was the Awesome Foundation's $1000. All the rest so far is out of their own pockets. It's a precarious existence. By three, a volunteer settles behind the counter. She's Lucinda, a visual communications student. Just then, a guy walks in with arms full of colourful and interesting-looking comics. He wants to sell them here. Alex checks out the comics. The guy turns out to be Leigh Rigozzi, part of Paper Mill poster-workshoppers, the (currently printerless) Rizzeria collective. What does he find most appealing about this kind of store? "That they would actually take my stuff." This afternoon is quiet. Saturdays are the busiest, says Lucinda. Around six, Alex brings down the roller door and gets to work on the day's admin. When she was little, Alex says, she always redrew, in place, the characters and words in her books. Grown up, she wondered: "How can I can I actually make money doing this?" It's a question Alex and Lou both answered with careers in design. Here, they're making it easier for the coming generation to do the same thing.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's currently lighting up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which has just kicked off the event's fourth and most expansive annual program. Running until Sunday, April 14, it's a shift from the fest previous timeslot, moving from spring to autumn. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima may have moved its dates, but it is still filled with dazzling light installations. As part of, the free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling, seven luminous displays are gracing both the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct and the Alice Springs Todd Mall. [caption id="attachment_715716" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Language of Kin, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 5/4/2019. Image courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC.[/caption] While Alice Spring's CBD is being lit up with new installations and events, just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park has come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork has transformed a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival — and featuring an audio track voiced by Aussie acting legend Aaron Pedersen. Visitors can also immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of the returning Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. While Parrtjima's returning slate is strong, new additions to this year's lineup include an illuminated tunnel that greets attendees as they enter the festival space, called Angkentye Anpernirrentye-kerte – The Language of Kin; an array of over-sized sculptures that relay the social history of First Nations station workers and their language of the land, dubbed Angkentye Stockmen Mape-kenhe – The Language of Stockmen; and a series of sculptured large-scale moths, badged The Language of Moths, which are brightening up Todd Mall. There's also a huge maze for kids and a set-up of three bush taxis displaying works by First Nations artists. [caption id="attachment_715717" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 6/4/2019. Image courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] As 2019 is the UN's Year of Indigenous Languages, the festival also has a linguistic edge — as many of the light installations' names make plain. With a theme of 'Language Expressions', the full program features talks and workshops focused on Central Australia's many Indigenous languages. Also on the bill is jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until April 14, 2019 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Your local takeaway spot might be convenient when you've been stuck at work all day, but it's far from kind on the environment — or your wallet, for that matter. With the right know-how, you can spice up your midweek meals without too much hassle. We've partnered with Glad and its Glad to be Green range to bring you six simple, eco-conscious dinner ideas that'll not only keep more cash in your bank account, but also see fewer takeaway containers ending up in landfill. Roll up those sleeves and get ready to whip up feasts every night of the week. ADD MEAT-FREE MONDAYS TO THE DIARY After an indulgent weekend, you'll want to put your best foot forward when the new week comes. Regardless of whether you're consciously looking to go full vegan, starting the week off a plant-based dinner means you're cutting back on one of climate change's biggest contributors: the meat industry. If you're someone who likes numbers, according to this study beef has a carbon dioxide equivalent of 59.6 kilograms. To compare, tofu has an equivalent of three kilograms. These days, about 12.1 percent of Aussies eat a fully or mostly vegetarian diet. Don't know where to start? Treat yourself to a couple of cookbooks. Some go-tos include Hetty McKinnon's To Asia, With Love and Neighbourhood; Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez's cookbook Vegan with Bite; and, of course, Ottolenghi's newest title Flavour (or any from his Plenty series). Once you've cooked up your veg-packed feast, simply cover any leftovers with Glad to be Green cling wrap — made from 50 percent sugarcane and with a smaller carbon footprint — and consider tomorrow's lunch sorted. HAVE POTLUCK DINNERS WITH MATES Next time you're having mates round, organise a potluck dinner rather than hitting up the local pizza shop for a mediocre slice (and subsequent greasy box that can't be recycled). First up, it's a gamble as to what everyone will bring and, therefore, you'll be tucking into all sorts of delicious dishes. Plus, it's likely to save everyone some cash and your friends get to flex their kitchen skills. With everyone bringing a plate — and some quality stories — to share, this is a great way to add some more home-style cooking and community to your life, too. And, there'll be a lot of food going around the table, which means no one will go hungry. SLOW ROAST AS YOU WFH Many of us have come to know the pros and cons of WFH life. But one undeniable benefit of working from your home office (or couch) is that you can slink away from the computer to prepare a glorious dinner. Whether you're cooking for your partner who has to go into the office or prepping a feast for your friends, slow roasting is super easy — when you actually have the time to do it. So, as time is on your side when you're commute-less, you can try out new roast dinners each week. Whether you prefer sticky pork, rosemary-covered lamb shoulder or bourbon- and honey-glazed brisket, these slow-roasted meats are heartwarming meals for when the cold weather hits. Just be sure to layer your roasting pan with Glad to be Green compostable baking paper to cut down on the messy cleanup. It's certified home compostable, and it even breaks down in a worm farm. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE WITH ONE-POT WONDERS Replace the convenience of takeaway with an even more practical one-pot dinner. Although your meal might not get delivered straight to your door, there's not much cleaning involved when you throw all the ingredients into the same cauldron. Which, let's be honest, is a big reason why we often turn to delivery apps in the first place. From quick 'n' easy stir-fries and soups to veggie laksas and casseroles, there are plenty of one-pot wonders out there. Plus, you can put any leftovers in Glad's new plant-based resealable sandwich bags, which are made with 50 percent sugarcane (a renewable resource). These bags are also freezer safe, so you can store leftovers for longer, ensuring you have a quick, fuss-free dinner for the next time cooking from scratch is too much of a chore. MAKE A HOUSEMATE ROSTER Coming up with homecooked dinner ideas doesn't have to be harder than picking something on Uber Eats. But, sometimes inspiration is lacking after a day at your nine-to-five, we get it. If you live with others, why not come up with a roster? That way, it's easy to plan for, everyone gets a night off the pots and pans, and you don't have to cook those sad dinner-for-one meals. After all, food is better when shared, right? To make your new schedule a success, it's a good idea to liven up each night of the week with some broad themes, too. It'll also help ensure no one is stuck for ideas. Of course, you'll want to take into account your housemates' culinary and dietary preferences to avoid encountering any awkward dinner conversations. COME TO LOVE LEFTOVERS Leftovers are a godsend when you've got an itch for cheeky takeaways. Instead of having to dip into your savings (and even possibly impact your chances of a future homeloan), you can swing open your fridge or freezer and pull out a tasty creation cooked by yours truly. Not to mention, you're doing your bit for the planet, too. In fact, you can store your leftovers in Glad's plant-based snack and sandwich size resealable bags if you want to divvy them up into perfect portions. So, when you CBF to cook next week, you've already got yourself covered. Go green and visit the Glad website for more tips and tricks.
Anyone in the mood for a night that’s less about appreciating fine art and more about going crazy? If so you are in luck because Brisbane’s own unpredictable band The Belligerents are kicking off their national tour at Woodland to promote their first EP Less Arty More Party. If bragging rights are your thing then you can claim them by being one of the first to witness the band’s newest performance and fresh onstage antics before they take their show around the country, playing all the main cities and winning hearts along the way. Supporting them in Brisbane will be fellow local upstarts Young Men Dead and Millions. As The Belligerents spent 2010 supporting and playing alongside a ridiculous amount of house hold names including Metronomy (UK), Neon Indian (USA), Breakbot (France), Yacht Club DJS, The Paper Scissors and DZ, you can trust these kids to put on a good show. They also signed with Major Label, who released The Belligerents debut single 'These Hands' into the world, where it achieved global reviews and attention. Fresh from recording a film clip for their latest single, 2011 has already started off with a bang for the five-piece band and with their new single 'Such a Crime' frequenting the airwaves over at 107.7. ‘Less Arty More Party’ has already won over Triple J. See then at Woodland and they'll win you over too.
Cult favourite Ariel Pink is bringing his gritty lo-fi band - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - back to Australia for a string of shows this month. With a sound that spans across the obscurest of genres including freak folk, noise pop and lite FM, Ariel Pink still manage to draw in the masses with his totally danceable sound. Starting out as a solo artist, Ariel Pink is the perfect example of a completely unique yet successful DIY musician. Not only does he record, produce and play almost all of this own music, he also creates his own recorded drum sounds using his mouth and sometimes armpits. Not to mention that he’s recorded over 500 songs on cassette and released 11 albums. This approach to creating music as well as his huge range of influences leaves you with songs that could be mistakenly taken from another era. Having been featured by Pitchfork music in their “Best New Music” category for his latest album and being the only non-member of Animal Collective to be release on their record label Paw Tracks, it’s quite clear that we could name drop about him all day. Instead, check out Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at The Zoo for an entertaining and intriguing night of music.
National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all people of Australia to learn and acknowledge the nation's shared history, to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to reflect on how we can each contribute to reconciliation. Reconciliation requires more than listening, learning and reflecting, which is powerfully summarised in this year's theme: More than a word. Reconciliation takes action. So, from Thursday, May 27 to Thursday, June 3, heaps of events will take place across the country to promote discussion and a commitment to reconciliation. We've handpicked 11 events to attend IRL and online during NRW 2021 — but keep in mind that there's a huge lineup of unique events, panel discussions and workshops to explore, no matter where you are in Australia. For the full calendar of events, check out the National Reconciliation Week website. WARRANE (SYDNEY) POLITICS AND ACTIVISM: THE FIGHT FOR ONGOING CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM Professor Larissa Behrendt AO (Eualeyai and Gamillaroi) and Australia's first Aboriginal Senior Counsel, Tony McAvoy (Wirdi) will discuss the history and legacy of activism in Australia, as well as the need for ongoing constitutional reform at the Australian Museum Theatre. The discussion will cover the 1967 Referendum, and key achievements of activist and educator, Dr Evelyn Scott AO (Warrgamay), who was pivotal to Australia's reconciliation journey through the 1960s and 70s. WEAVING WORKSHOPS For the arty people in the room, come and sit with Lee Carr (Wiradjuri) to learn about Aboriginal weaving practices. Under the guidance of Carr, participants will create their own raffia fibre basket or bracelet using traditional weaving styles, while learning about the significance of weaving techniques and practices. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, with Carr hosting workshops every second day from Thursday, May 27 through Saturday, June 5 at The Bankstown Arts Centre. NAARM (MELBOURNE) RECONCILIATION GATHERING Hear, watch and participate in the living culture of Wurundjeri peoples on a site of ongoing significance for the community. The event begins with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony from Wurundjeri Elders, and is followed by a Djirri Djirri Dancers sharing ceremony, and talks by Elders and leaders of the Wurundjeri community in Coburg. Update: New restrictions for Victoria were announced on Thursday, May 27, but you can check out the online events below. MEANJIN (BRISBANE) MURRI TRIVIA Test your knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander facts at Murri Trivia at Saint Lucy Caffe e Cucina, hosted by author Professor Anita Heiss (Wiradjuri). Open to all, this is a fun way to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander topics, plus you can try to win some prizes along the way. BOORLOO (PERTH) NYIN, NI, KOORLINY: SIT, LISTEN AND WALK For those on Noongar Boodja (Noongar Country) — this event is a great opportunity for reflection and a chance to revisit your personal commitment to reconciliation. The event starts with a Welcome to Country by Noongar Elder Aunty Marie Taylor, followed by a discussion with Shaun Nannup (Whadjuk Noongar) about reconciliation. Visitors will also be invited to take a reflective walk on Noongar Boodja, starting from Dyoondalup (Point Walter Reserve). TARNDANYA (ADELAIDE) RECONCILIATION WEEK PLANTING Roll up your sleeves, grab your trowel and get ready to get your hands dirty. Suitable for all ages, you're invited to help Kaunra Elder, Uncle Tamaru, plant some bush tucker back while learning about Aboriginal culture. Plus, everyone gets their own bush tucker plant to take home. KAMBERRA (CANBERRA) AUSTRALIAN NATION UNIVERSITY'S NRW PANEL Hosting a panel discussion on this year's theme, More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, Australian National University is bringing together both First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians for a vibrant chat that welcomes all, as reconciliation is the responsibility of all peoples. Guests include Hon Linda Burney MP (Gunni and Gunditjmara), Geraldine Chin Moody and Professor Rae Frances, led by ABC Radio National Breakfast host Fran Kelly at ANU. NIPALUNA (HOBART) LUNCHTIME TOWN HALL FORUM WITH PROFESSOR MARCIA LANGTON AO Professor Marcia Langton (Yiman and Bidjara) is speaking at a number of locations in lutruwita/Trouwunna (Tasmania) about the National Reconciliation Week theme More than a word. Reconciliation takes action. Come along early to this free event to enjoy a complimentary light lunch with tea or coffee at Hobart Town Hall. GARRMALANG (DARWIN) NRW AT CITY OF DARWIN LIBRARIES City of Darwin Libraries are hosting a number of events across their branches to celebrate the week. Along with film screenings including Storm Boy and Charlie's Country, there will be special storytime and toddler time sessions with guests. ONLINE YOU CAN'T ASK THAT: MORE THAN A WORD. RECONCILIATION TAKES ACTION Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit Academic Director, Professor Tracey Bunda (Ngugi Wakka Wakka); Anthropology Museum Director, Michael Aird; and artist Gordon Hookey (Waanyi) come together for a special Q&A to confront stereotypes, prejudices, bias and discrimination during this online panel. THE JOURNEY HOME: RECONCILIATION THROUGH REPATRIATION Hosted by the University of Sydney online, join host Professor Larissa Behrendt AO (Eualeyai and Kamillaroi) and panellists Laura McBride (Wailwan and Kooma), Matt Poll, and Dr Lyndon Ormond-Parker (Alyawarra) for a deep-dive discussion on the significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage material. As part of the online chat, the panel will also explore the importance of returning Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestral remains back to Australia—outlining how this forms a meaningful step towards reconciliation. National Reconciliation Week runs from Thursday, May 27–Thursday, June 3 nationwide. You can find an event near you — or register your own — via the National Reconciliation Week website. Top image: Celine Cheung.
Australia is currently cruising through a pretty steamy winter (well, comparatively). Which means we don't need to stick to the standard soul-warming stouts and mulled wines that are our normal winter fodder. Instead, we can keep drinking spritzes and other equally refreshing concoctions — like this brand new sweet yuzu vermouth. The tasty child of Adelaide Hills winery Unico Zelo and sister distillery Applewood, it's made from a combination of Adelaide Hills nebbiolo grapes, some native Australian botanicals (usually used to make Applewood's Okar bitter amaro) and yuzu from Mountain Yuzu — a 20-acre farm located in northeast Victoria, on the foothills of the Australian Alps. As you can see, its an all-Australian affair, unlike a lot of traditional vermouths, which are made in Italy and France. Eco-minded founders and winemakers Laura and Brendan Carter are committed to using native botanicals and sustainably produced grapes in their entire range of wines and spirits, aiming to create products that truly taste Aussie as. As it's not a traditional sweet vermouth — it's really quite far from it — we forgive you for not knowing exactly how to drink it. But, thankfully, we've done some testing for you. On the rocks? Yep. Instead of Aperol in a spritz? Do it. With a splash of soda? Definitely. If you want something a little fancier, the Unico team has a couple of cocktail suggestions for you (handily printed on the back of the bottle, no less). Try your hand at the Ultimate Spritz — made with with Unico Yuzu, blackcurrant-flavoured liqueur from Australian distiller Marrionette and soda — or the Opal Miner: Unico Yuzu, gin, green chartreuse and orange bitters. Unico (the parent company of Unico Zelo and Applewood) has also been steadily dropping a line of limited-edition gins throughout the year, all of which use Australian botanicals, of course. Those include flavours like pepperberry, wattleseed and desert lime. Even more of these unusual drops are headed our way in 2019, too, so keep an eye on this space. All of Unico's limited releases only available in very small batches, so if you want it, don't wait on it. Unico's Yuzu Vermouth is now available to purchase via the website. Priced at $34.99 per bottle.
Talk about dreams coming true, or ideas that you've probably fantasised about over a few glasses of vino actually becoming a reality. A town in Italy has installed what's certain to become a tourist attraction, at least with those fond of a grape-centric boozy beverage: a free, 24-hour wine fountain. Because you're probably already booking a trip to the European country, then Abruzzo is the place you want to head to. There, designed to provide refreshments to folks following the Cammino di San Tommaso pilgrimage from Rome to Ortona, inspired by a similar setup on the Camino de Santiago route in Spain, located at the Dora Sarchese vineyard and open to anyone who walks by, you'll find the fontana del vino dripping with the good stuff. Red wine that is, not white. Yes, this is a real thing. No, we'd never joke about something like this. It's better than anything Art vs Science could ever sing about, and up there with the cascade of youth-giving liquid spoken about in legends and nodded to in Darren Aronofsky's Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz-starring 2006 film. Forget bubblers spurting H20 — this is the true holy grail of public drink dispensers. You might recall similar concepts popping up around Italy in the past; however they were once-off affairs. This is permanent: no gimmicks, no time limit, just an all-day-round spring of vino that you can enjoy for zilch. The vineyard does warn that it's not for drunkards, though, so behave yourselves. Via Travel and Leisure.
While face masks were first mandated in Melbourne back in mid-July, the Queensland Government spent 2020 encouraging its citizens to cover up, rather than making face coverings compulsory. From 6pm on Friday, January 8, however, that changed — and masks aren't going away in Queensland any time soon. At the moment, until 6pm on Monday, January 11 as part of the Greater Brisbane lockdown (in the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas), masks are mandatory unless you're at home. When 6pm hits, the rules will loosen, but masks will still be compulsory in a number of circumstances, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today. These new rules will be in place for the next ten days, so until at least 1am on Friday, January 22, in line with other venue and gathering caps that will come into effect when lockdown ends. If you're spending time indoors somewhere other than your house, you'll need to wear a mask. That specifically applies at shopping centres, supermarkets, gyms, entertainment venues such as cinemas, libraries and places of worship, as well as workplaces where people can't socially distance. You'll also need to don a mask on public transport, and in taxis and ride share vehicles — and if you can't maintain social distancing outdoors, you'll need to wear one too. This means you will always have to carry a mask with you, even if you're somewhere that doesn't require you to pop one on at that very moment. For instance, you don't have to wear a mask if you're outside at a safe distance from other people, exercising strenuously or in your own car — but you have to have one on you in case you come to a crowded area outside, for when you stop working out or for when you hop out of your vehicle if you're going to an indoor premises. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1348405629535219712 Discussing the new mask rules, Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young noted that mandating face coverings meant that other restrictions didn't need to be quite as strict. "Masks are quite a game changer. We didn't have masks in March went we did all of those restrictions then. We do have masks [now], so we can be more confident about our other strategies," she said. As has proven the case during Greater Brisbane's lockdown, $200 fines are in effect for folks who don't comply with the mask rules. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. More details about the lockdown, masks and associated restrictions can also be found on the Queensland Health website.
They have toured extensively throughout the US, Canada and Europe, now Australia will again be able to revel in the sonic bliss that is The Black Keys. The 2-piece garage rock heroes have rocked festivals all over the world on the back of some massive success with their latest albums, Brothers and El Camino, which have firmly set the duo at the top of the rock music heap. This will sure to be a highlight on the live music calendar, be sure to get your tickets before they go. The Black Keys will be supported by Australian garage-soul rock upstarts, Royal Headache, who are quickly gaining a massive following of their own.
Your weekly grocery shopping adventures (or misadventures) could soon be given a shake up, with Amazon set to launch a series of bricks-and-mortar stores and an online supermarket within the next two years right here in Australia, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. The retail giant has been flirting plenty with the grocery sector of late; its most recent global initiatives include the Prime Now program — an impressive US service where you can get everything from groceries to restaurant food to clothes and household items delivered in less than two hours — and Amazon Fresh, an online grocery delivery service that recently entered the UK market. Both of these programs now look set to land in Singapore, Southeast Asia, and on our own shores — a move that could see Amazon snap up between $3.5 and 4 billion in Aussie sales within five years, according to Citi's Australian retail analysts. Each of these new multi-function stores would be about the same size as an Aldi supermarket, but stock only items like meat, dairy, alcohol, fruit and veggies — all the bits and pieces you like to have a proper squiz at before buying. Tens of thousands of other items would be stored offsite in fulfilment centres and available to order via a mobile app or in-store kiosk for delivery to your doorstep. Word is, the stores will even have drive-through lanes, where you can pick up groceries you've ordered online, without leaving your car. Not quite as exciting as those Macca's runs, but pretty darn convenient nonetheless. The shift from online to bricks-and-mortar stores is a stupefying one, but not new for Amazon — last year they opened their first physical bookstore. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Open Frame presented by Room40 is on this week at the Brisbane Powerhouse and is about to stretch the boundaries of sound design. The event will explore and reveal esoteric music, soundscapes, tectonic tones, and concepts that will blow your freaking mind. The show features New York turntablist and conceptual artist icon Marina Rosenfeld, who has developed a new style of turntable use that is completely her own and completely cutting edge. Also on show will be melodic minimalists Minamo from Tokyo, as well as post-pop artist Miskitoo, the fantastic Fourcolor with their new album 'As Pleat', and Australian audio-visualist Scott Morrison who will be launching his new DVD edition ‘Ballads’, a collection of individual landscape deconstructions. If this all sounds amazing and crazy to you too, you should definitely get to the Powerhouse and hear it for yourself this Wednesday or Thursday.
When it comes to choosing a type of wine, we've got our decision-making process down. If it's a lunch wine, we'll make it a white. Steak for dinner? Red it is. Hot days may call for a rosé. But now a group of Spanish entrepreneurs are set to throw a spanner in the works and disrupt the clear wine colour scheme we've grown accustomed to as the natural way of things. They've created a wine that's bright blue. We were so over rosé anyway. This futuristic new wine is called Gik, and it's been created by six young Spanish go-getters in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country and Azti Tecnalia (the food research department of the Basque Government). The wine's electric blue colour looks a lot like regret (aka Blue Curacao cocktails of the 00s), but, according to Eater, is actually made from an undisclosed blend of red and white grapes sourced from vineyards in Spain's Basque region. It gets its bright blue colour from the addition of anthocyanin (a pigment found in grape skin) and indigo (a dye extracted from the Isatis tinctoria plant). The wine is a sweet, easy to drink drop, and is evidently trying to shake up the traditional wine game. "Try to forget everything you know about wine," says a statement on the Gik website. "Try to unlearn the hundreds of protected wine designations of origin, the complex and demanding service standards and everything that sommelier said at a tasting course to which you were invited." The wine was launched in Spain last year and will be stocked in retailers in France, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany over the next few months. It may be a while until we see blue wine on our dinner tables yet though. Via Eater.
Pencil in this one for a future getaway: a sprawling 100-acre spot in the Yarra Valley that's home to a 300-bed hotel, an outdoor concert venue, three restaurants, lakes and gardens to roam around, and an arts and craft village. Come 2024, that's set to become a new place to add to your holiday itineraries, all on the Maroondah Highway just over an hour's drive from Melbourne. Here, you'll be able to see a gig, then not only bunker down for the night but truly make a weekend of it. It's envisaged that the new site will play host to big names, spanning both local and international acts — and also showcase local growers, artisans, winemakers, distillers and brewers. Specifics such as who'll run the hotel and what the restaurants will offer haven't yet been revealed, however, and development plans are still to be lodged. That said, helping boost the state's tourism and live entertainment industries after the past couple of tough years is one of the project's big aims. The just-announced $200-million precinct springs from Cedar Mill Group, which is owned by Newcastle-based property development firm Winarch Capital, and has just snapped up the land to bring this plan to fruition. It's the company's third such development in the works, and the first in Victoria — following Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie, which is revamping a golf course and adding a 30,000-person concert venue, cafes, restaurants, accommodation and a huge aquatic park; and Cedar Mill Hunter Valley, a 40-hectare spot in in Pokolbin that's set to open in late 2023 with a 22,000-person amphitheatre, a 100-room hotel and a wine museum. Cedar Mill Group is also still looking for other sites around Australia — so that list might grow in the near future. And, yes, adding new spots for Aussies holidays to your getaway bucket list is becoming easy of late. There's also the in-the-works new hotel in the Barossa, smack bang in the middle of a vineyard; the about-to-open QT Newcastle, which includes a rooftop bar and a suite in a clock tower; and Sydney's Porter House Hotel, which'll launch in July with a five-story restaurant and bar hub next door. And, there's the just-opened first Down Under outpost for Ace Hotels, the soon-to-open The Langham on the Gold Coast, design-driven Marriott chain AC Hotels' first Aussie site and the 2025 local debut of The Waldorf Astoria, too. The Cedar Mill Group's Yarra Valley site is expected to open in 2024. For more information about its plans, head to the company's website.
With the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's major 2023 winter exhibition Goddess, the Melbourne cultural institution is going big on an essential topic: how women are represented on-screen. For six months from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, the venue's new world-premiere showcase will pay tribute to formidable ladies in cinema, femininity across screen history, and what female talents have represented — and been forced to deal with — about the society around them. And, thanks to a new one-day conference with Geena Davis as its headline speaker, all that musing on representation, equality and diversity won't just be gracing ACMI's gallery spaces. Announced to celebrate International Women's Day, Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Representation will run on Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion's opening day. Davis will take to the stage to speak as part of a range of discussions, on behalf of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media — which the Academy Award-winning actor founded in 2004, and has been working to create gender balance in the industry for almost two decades now — and as the exhibition's lead ambassador. [caption id="attachment_891918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] GabboT via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] In addition to the rare opportunity to hear from Thelma & Louise, Beetlejuice, The Fly and A League of Their Own star Davis herself live in Australia, the Melbourne conference will also feature Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media President and CEO Madeline Di Nonno and a heap of Aussie talent. The latter includes 52 Tuesdays and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande filmmaker Sophie Hyde, journalist and TV presenter Jan Fran, actor Pallavi Sharda and casting director Anousha Zarkesh, as well as 2023 Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt. Goddess itself is quite the drawcard, of course, whether or not you head along on opening day. Both a massive and a landmark exhibition, it's set to display more than 150 original objects, artworks, props and sketches, all championing oh-so-many talented women and their impact upon cinema. [caption id="attachment_882193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 2020, Margot Robbie, © Warner Bros. Image courtesy of LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] That lineup covers costumes that've never been displayed before, various cinematic treasures, large-scale projections and other interactive experiences. Silent-era sirens, classic Hollywood heroines, unforgettable femme fatales and villains, Bollywood stars, women in China and Japan's cinematic histories: they're all being given the spotlight. Goddess will also dive into provocative on-screen moments from Hollywood's silent days through to today that've not only left an imprint, but also played a part in defining (and altering) what's considered the feminine ideal. Think: Marlene Dietrich in 1930's Morocco, Pam Grier's spectacular Blaxploitation career, Tilda Swinton in 1992's Orlando and Margot Robbie via 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Plus, Mae West's sky-high heels from 1934's Belle of the Nineties, costumes worn by Davis and Susan Sarandon in 1991's aforementioned Thelma & Louise and Michelle Yeoh's fight-ready silks from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will also feature. [caption id="attachment_882194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blonde Venus, 1932, Marlene Dietrich. Image courtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] The list goes on, clearly, spanning Anna May Wong, Marilyn Monroe, Laverne Cox and Zendaya as well. And, expect everything from Glenn Close's Cruella de Vil in 102 Dalmatians to the Carey Mulligan-starring Promising Young Woman to get time to shine. Goddess will pair its wide-ranging display with soundscapes by Melbourne-based composer Chiara Kickdrum, and also feature a sprawling events program complete with late-night parties, performances and talks — and film screenings, of course. ACMI has also just revealed further details about those other activities, including in-depth monthly curator tours of the exhibition, which'll take place after hours and dive deep into the showcase. [caption id="attachment_882188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Britt Romstad, 2022, photo by Phoebe Powell. Costume: Kitty (Elaine Crombie) costume, Kiki and Kitty, Australia, 2017, designed by Amelia Gebler, courtesy of Jetty Distribution Pty Limited. Backdrop: Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, photo by Don Ornitz, © Globe Photos / ZUMAPRESS.com. Image courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] There's also a music program called Goddess Nights from late May, which'll focus on three femme-centric live music lineups with performances by DJ JNETT, CD, POOKIE and Ayebatonye — and a curated range of food and booze put together just for each evening. For film buffs, movie series Divine Trailblazers will focus on contemporary actors at the height of their powers, while the Goddess Sundays is all about on-screen personas. So, the first includes Angela Bassett's Oscar-nominated performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fellow Academy Award contenders Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Cate Blanchett also earning that description for Tár, Viola Davis in warrior mode in The Woman King, Filipino actor Dolly De Leon stealing every scene she's in in Triangle of Sadness, and Leah Purcell writing, directing, producing and starring in The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. And, the weekly Sunday afternoon lineup includes Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, Pam Grier in Jackie Brown, Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman and more. After showing in Melbourne for its premiere season, Goddess will then tour internationally, taking ACMI's celebration of women on-screen to the world. Goddess will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, 2023. For more information — including about Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Representation on Wednesday, April 5 — head to the ACMI website. Top image: Thelma and Louise, 1991, L-R Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, © MGM. Image courtesy of Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.
Jasmine van den Bogaerde, also known as Birdy, has taken the world by storm following the huge success of her debut album. The English singer and songwriter has topped the ARIA chart and reached double platinum sales figures thanks to her successful singles ‘Skinny Love’ and ‘People Help the People’. Her soulful delivery, enchanting stage presence and focused approach to live performance have made her a hit everywhere she visits. She is playing at the Tivoli for a special all-ages, alcohol-free show, encouraging fans of any ages to come and witness the young phenom before she hits bigger stages. Birdy will be supported by UK singer Lewis Watson and Australian performer Lakyn Haperi.
When one thinks about puppets, one tends to think Muppets. But if you haven’t seen a Dead Puppet Society production in the past and you plan to head along to The Harbinger at La Boite this month then you should switch your thinking about puppets pre-show. This enthralling production features a plethora of multilayered, complex characters that just happen to be puppet in form. The Harbinger, which means an ‘omen’ or a ‘herald’ of future goings on, explores storytelling and history-making in a gothic style. Combining puppets, digital projections and live performance the Dead Puppet Society will immerse their audience in this gothic world through music, colours, sounds and movement, to both shock and delight at the same time Each puppet has been handcrafted for the production and the cast features 17 puppet characters, including a lead puppet that stands 10 feet tall. The Dead Puppet Society is one of the truly exciting theatre companies around, and after their successful 2010 production, The Timely Death of Victor Blott, The Harbinger is certain to cement this reputation.
Last month, Douwe Egberts surprised weary air travellers with their yawn-activated coffee machine. Before that, Pepsi set up a vending machine that exchanged drinks for Facebook likes, rather than cash. Now, Amstel Bulgaria has taken the concept to a new level, with a vending machine that gives a beer to anyone who can stand still for three minutes. As you can see from the video, it's not necessarily as easy as it looks. Checking your mobile phone, for example, can prove to be something of a thirst-prolonging distraction. Despite our modern propensity for restlessness, however, Amstel did manage to give away 1,344 beers over the course of 16 days, which equates to a daily average of 84 giveaways and a total of 67 hours of rest time. The machine was placed in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, where drinking in public is still legal. The promo is a collaboration with creative agency NEXT-DC, whose goal is 'to keep the conversation between brands and their customers alive and inspiring'. [via PSFK]
The Queensland Music Festival may not be totally encompassing of the music currently being made in Queensland; perhaps its more of a celebration of music, which is something we can certainly get behind. Regardless, if you aren’t into the big swing of jazz or the soaring sounds of orchestral music, you might think this isn’t for you. Think again! Here are a couple of our favourite events. Esperanto is a series of shows bringing together differing styles of music, creating a blend of worldly sounds that are as exotic as they come, but with a flavour that everyone can enjoy. Check out Mzaza, The Mouldy Lovers and more at the Esperanto series at The Powerhouse. If you are a fan of Pitch Perfect-style a capella and smooth RnB rhythm, listen to Take 6. These cool cats are a multiplatinum-selling, Gammy Award-winning, universally praised group of singers who can make any song come to life with just their voices. This is probably the coolest event of the QMF calendar. It’s so smooth, so cool, so worth seeing. There are a lot of hidden gems at this years Queensland Music Festival. Have a look at their calendar — there might be something for you.
It’s always good to do something a little different every now and then to shift from the traditional norms society feeds us. It’s all the added frills of a venue attempting to embellish an experience that often hinders the good time that could be had. The Anywhere Theatre Festival appeals to a more logical and simplistic notion. You don’t need a big expensive stage to have a big performance. They maintain an any time, anywhere type of experience for anyone who wants it. This not-for-profit vision is to propel a trend of theatre outside its traditional theatre space. Showcasing thirty-two different acts from a range of national and international theatre companies, The Anywhere Theatre Festival is arriving at random locations and streets around Brisbane, bringing the best of a performance with out the effort and extra expense of the theatre. Be emailed the location of a secret show hours before it begins or gather in a public toilet for a discussion forum with out professional façade. With many performance mediums to appeal to almost anyone, there is sure to be a performance and location that fits you. All you have to do is be there. Coming to a street near you soon!
We’ve all heard of ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ but that pales in comparison to the tangle that’s about to happen in the Brisbane jungle this Friday night. Presented by community cultural development organisation Contact Inc., Tangle in the Jungle is a celebration of the performance-based work Contact Inc. has done with diverse communities throughout 2011. The event features the cutting-edge dance crew *ALL STARS* who recently brought the house down when they performed at the Brisbane Powerhouse. There is also the Contact’s own Unison Choir, Southside Education’s dance/vogue crew Red Roses, Causus Circle Ensemble (with performers from Circa and Polytoxic) and the beautiful but edgy sounds of all-girl music act Beauty and the Beats. Hosted by the notorious Candy B (Poetry Slam 2011/ Australian Booty/ Who’s that Chik? /Sista She) and very special guest DJ Busty Beatz. Contact Inc. is an incredible Brisbane community organisation that works with people of diverse ages, and from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Through creative practice (from hip hop to visual arts to choirs) they support communities, particularly working with people affected by violence, vulnerability and marginalisation. Tangle in the Jungle is a chance to see some of the outcomes of their amazing work, and to celebrate some of the amazingly talented people in this jungle.
Driverless transport. Everyone's doing it (well, trying to) — but while Washington D.C. got their own self-driving mini bus earlier this year and Uber has started trialling driverless cabs, Australia is yet to ditch humans in favour of computers in the driver's seat. Until now. Yesterday Australia's first fully driverless bus was released onto the roads of Perth. The RAC Intellibus™ has been a joint venture between French electric company NAVYA and Western Australia's motoring body RAC WA. The 11-seat shuttle bus — which is adorable, by the way — is a level four vehicle, which basically means it's fully autonomous. The bus is fitted with ultraviolet light detectors, front and back cameras, a GPS, motion sensors and autonomous emergency braking to drive around town without causing absolute mayhem. This allows it weave its way through traffic, dodge parked cars and interact with pedestrians and cyclists. At the moment it's in the on-road trial stage, which will see the bus travel a pre-programmed route up and down South Perth Esplanade. However, if you're planning on getting anywhere fast, it might be better to get on yer bike — the bus will only travel at an average speed of 25 kilometres per hour. "This trial is an Australian-first, and will be a real trial incorporating members of the public travelling on public roads," RAC Group Chief Executive Officer Terry Agnew said in a statement of the RAC website yesterday. "We anticipate this first step in exploring driverless technology will start a conversation on further trials, research and collaboration, which will increase WA's understanding of how driverless vehicles can integrate into our transport system." Can we have one? Pleeeaaase?
Two hundred years ago, New York City expected a flood about once a century. These days, however, it’s looking more like one every three to five years. That’s largely because a significant sea level rise has reduced lower Manhattan’s seawall to a height of just 1.75 metres. So a design team by the name of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has dreamed up a possible solution. Titled Big U, it’s a 16 kilometre-long frontier of parks that would wrap around Manhattan. Not only would it provide protection from flooding, it would also create more spaces for community interaction and art. “In the history of New York with the legacy of Robert Moses, most of the infrastructure — whether that’s highways or parks — have generally been imposed without a lot of regard for existing community fabric,” Big U head honcho Jeremy Siegel told Fast Co.Exist. “If you’re going to be investing so much money into an infrastructure for resiliency — that’s going to be sitting along one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world — there’s a huge opportunity there to also improve civic infrastructure, so it can protect the city, but also become a platform for civic life.” Beginning at West 57th Street and stretching as far as East 42nd street, Big U would create a series of independent flood protection zones. So the sections could be constructed one-by-one, in response to resource availability. It also means that, were flooding to occur in one area, it could be locally managed. “It’s a little bit like the hull of a ship,” Siegel explains, “where you’ve got different segments, and breaching one area doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole system fails.” The design would involve raising the land, which would then double-up as extra park space, and building ‘flippable walls’. If water were to rush in, they would flip down, creating a barrier; on the other hand, when flipped up, they would showcase murals. There’s also a possible plan to transform a Coast Guard admin building into a combo museum and school, including an educational “reverse aquarium”, which would protrude into New York Harbor, affording views of rising water levels. Big U is a finalist in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Rebuild by Design Competition, created in response to structural and environmental vulnerabilities exposed by Hurricane Sandy. Via Fast Company.
You’ve heard about The Beards right? The four men from Adelaide whose lives are solely dedicated to the preservation, care and upkeep of their fabulous facial hair. They love those beards so fondly they have recorded three studio albums in their honour. The hairy men have just embarked on their 100 Beards Tour with the aim of their musical travels to convince 100 beardless people, (the clean chins) to grow and keep a beard throughout their tour around the country. That said, don't think you female-types will be spared of this expectation. Girls, I would consider take a falsey if you are attending this show. If you already have a beard, you must offer a clean chin to commit to the beard revolution and if you dare show your face with a moustache, shit just may hit the fan. Whatever excuse you have, it won't surpass their dedication. The mission's progress will be tracked on the 100 Beards Tour Facebook page, with devotees signing up and posting a picture of their brand new beard. Come join the hairy, razorless revolution. Be brave and be bearded. Get growing.
It's the huge exhibition that took the world by storm, sending David Bowie's lightning bolt-adorned face everywhere from London and Berlin to Tokyo and Melbourne. His Ziggy Stardust costumes, various handwritten lyrics, an assortment of album artwork, rare photographs and even the magic orb he fondled as Jareth in Labyrinth, too. Organised by London's Victoria and Albert Museum, David Bowie is showcased hundreds objects from the David Bowie Archive, visiting 12 cities over six years and attracting more than two million visitors — and while it finished its final run in Brooklyn earlier in 2018, it's coming back in a new format. From Tuesday, January 8 — aka what would've been the music icon's 72nd birthday — David Bowie is will exist as a digital recreation that you can access on your phone. As first announced back in July, fans can expect to tour the Bowie bonanza as an augmented reality (AR) experience, which will feature a sequence of audio-visual spaces highlighting artifacts from Bowie's life. In total, there'll be more than 500 high-resolution images of Bowie-related items, including 60 new objects that weren't included in the touring exhibition. Available on iOs and Android platforms, David Bowie is' AR version won't just involve looking at 2D representations, either, with 3D scans used to preserve and present the artist's costumes and objects in detail. And, there's more to come, with a virtual reality version still in the works. Here's hoping that Bowie obsessives will be able to virtually step into one of his out-of-sight outfits and see themselves in one — yes, this might be your chance to turn and face the strange or experience some ch-ch-changes. A collaboration between Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc, the David Bowie Archive and the V&A, "the augmented reality adaptation of David Bowie is enables you to explore the entire exhibition in the intimacy of your own environment, without glass barriers, vitrines or throngs of visitors," according to the exhibition website. How much it will cost is yet to be announced, but a portion of the profits will be donated the V&A and Brooklyn Museum. David Bowie is will become available on iOs and Android platforms on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. For further information and to sign up for updates, head to davidbowieisreal.com.
"Sadder than destitution, sadder than a beggar, is the man who eats alone in public," Jean Baudrillard famously wrote in his 1986 book, America. "Nothing more contradicts the laws of man or beast, for animals always do each the honour of sharing or disputing each other's food." Marina van Goor, the founder and designer of Eenmaal, a pop-up that made a lightning-quick, 48 hour appearance in Amsterdam last week, begs to differ. 'Here, you can dine in pleasant solitude,' she explains. 'Eenmaal is an exciting experiment for those who never go out dining alone, as well as an appealing opportunity for those who often eat alone at restaurants.' In fact, the only tables available at the restaurant were those for one. It was the first establishment of its kind in the world. Working in conjunction with Dutch branding agency, Vandejong, van Goor was hoping to lessen the negative stigma associated with spending time alone in public spaces. Even though we know that more and more people are now living on their own, many individuals still feel insecure about making a solo trip to a cinema, theatre or restaurant. The name Eenmaal translates (loosely) to 'One Meal' or 'One Time', with the sign pictured below reading, 'You come with one, You sit with one, You eat with one.' [via PSFK]
Summer might be over, but the New South Wales art world is already looking forward to the next, following the announcement of two major exhibitions to launch this October as part of the 2018–19 Sydney International Art Series. The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will host an extensive retrospective by renowned South African photographer David Goldblatt, while the Art Gallery of New South Wales will feature artworks from Russia's State Hermitage Museum — considered to have one of the world's most important collections of modernist European paintings. Running until March 2019, David Goldblatt will dive deep into the life and work of one of recent history's most legendary photographers, covering a career of more than sixty years. Goldblatt is best known for his portrayal of South Africa's tumultuous history, especially surrounding apartheid. As the photographer's first major retrospective in the southern hemisphere, the exhibition will feature Goldblatt's most famous photo series, along with early vintage prints, never-before-seen footage from his personal collection and a new feature-length documentary. As MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE explained, "visitors will discover an extraordinary artist whose documentary eye has not strayed from the complexities of his country of birth, but resonates with other global histories (including Australia's own) through narratives of race and racism, and industry and the land." David Goldblatt will run at the MCA from October 19, 2018, until March 3, 2019. Modern masters from the Hermitage is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 13, 2018, until March 3, 2019. Image: David Goldblatt, A plot-holder, his wife and their eldest son at lunch, Wheatlands, Randfontein. September 1962 (3_4907), 1962. Image courtesy the artist and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg © the artist.
Last week we discovered a new site called Posse. Posse pitches itself as a social search engine that'll help you find the favourite places of your friends and friends of friends, no matter where you are in the world. Imagine if you're travelling to Berlin, for example; you'd normally have to think through which friends have been there before and email or call them to ask for recommendations for the best bars, restaurants, clubs, shops and places to hangout. Posse is really useful because it guides you via social network on the fly without actually having to ask anyone. I used it on Saturday to find a breakfast spot in Manly, and ended up going to In Situ on Sydney Road. I hadn't heard of it before, but they did great coffee and was a real find. Posse is pretty creative in the way it works. When you join, you get your own 'street' to list your five favourite places in the world. The site creates a hand-drawn depiction of your favourite shops, then if you zoom out, you discover a whole town that's made up of the streets of your Facebook friends. When you comment on your friends' places, you earn bonus spots to add more favourite places to your street. We also like Posse because it's such a positive community. People only add places that they really love so the recommendations are top notch. The retailers that you add are notified; sometimes, they send little gifts through the site to thank people for listing them. So you never know, you might end up with a bottle of wine, or a dinner from one of your favourite restaurants. We think Posse is an awesome idea and here at Concrete Playground we've all made our ultimate streets. Check out our CP editor Rima's street here, our music editor Hannah's street here, and some of my favourite hangouts on my street here. Posse are giving you the chance to win a $300 night out for you and your posse at The Victoria Room. To enter the competition, login at www.posse.com and nominate your 4 favourite restaurants, bars, spas or shops.
In his groundbreaking 1900 study, The Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud wrote, 'The virtuous man contents himself with dreaming that which the wicked man does in actual life.' According to the rather unyielding Austrian psychiatrist, we can only come to a complete understanding of an individual via the unconscious, as revealed through a study of dreams. Freud would have had a field day with the 'Sleep Talk Recorder' app. Launched in 2011 by Mad in Sweden, it has the capacity to record what we say when we are fast asleep, deep inside the realm of our inner psychological recesses and unguarded by inhibitions. The prospect of having it planted in your room on the sly isn't too appealing. However, thousands of individuals, all too happy to have their midnight ramblings go public, have uploaded their recordings to the Mad in Sweden site. With many expressing their elation that the app has 'changed their lives', a crew from the company jetted to the US to find out more. They met a lady who'd discovered she was an inveterate sleepwalker, and a man who'd revealed a talent for singing in Yiddish. A documentary, featuring these and a wealth of other stories, is in the making. The Sleep Talk Recorder, which has seen more than one-and-a-half-million downloads, is available online for $0.99. [Via Lost at E Minor]
As so many excellent documentaries have before it, Baby God tells a tale so astonishing it can only be true. It also steps through a story that's harrowing, horrifying and downright nightmarish. For more than three decades, couples eager to start a family went to Dr Quincy Fortier, seeking his help to have children when they couldn't conceive. Alas, the Las Vegas-based fertility specialist assisted them in a thoroughly unwanted way: by secretly inseminating women hoping to become mothers with his own sperm. Directed and produced by documentarian Hannah Olson (whose next project is about the Diamond Princess cruise ship and its COVID-19 outbreak), Baby God really has to be seen to be believed. It dives into shocking circumstances, and isn't always easy to watch as a result, but it's gripping from start to finish. Olson explores her subject's history and the details of his crimes, and also surveys the aftermath through his biological children.
Uncut, unreleased and unseen movie footage provides fans with a unique and fascinating insight into the creative process of cinema's great artists. By taking a trip behind-the-scenes, the viewer is transported into the magical world of film, revealing the true genius of an actor's performance, a white-knuckled chase scene or a director's creative vision. Whether it be peeking into Francis Ford Coppola's famously meticulous nature or into the technical trickery that made it possible for Michael J. Fox to ride a hoverboard in Back To The Future II these astounding pieces of footage lift the veil on some of the mysteries of movie-making and demonstrate how some of the most iconic scenes in movie history became a reality. The Seven Year Itch While not all of us can claim to have seen Marilyn Munroe's 1955 rom-com about the perils of monogamous relationships, just about everyone with access to a television has seen that iconic scene where Marilyn coos and caws seductively as her dress billows around her waist. At only 17-seconds this footage of Marilyn and director Billy Munroe creating one of cinema's most iconic images is simply mesmerising. The Godfather Voted by the International Movie Database as the greatest film of all time, The Godfather is a melange of spectacular performances and sublime scriptwriting all brought together by Francis Ford Coppola's uniquely sympathetic vision of the Italian-American mafia. This collection of completed scenes, interviews with the stars and crew commentary takes us on a fascinating tour of this 1970s masterpiece. Frenzy The macabre and majestic character of Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most mysterious figures in film history. This behind-the-scenes footage from the making of his 53rd film Frenzy shows Hitchcock in his element: watching his production with keen intensity and directing his lead actress Barbara Leigh-Hunt moment-by-moment through her death scene. It is a remarkable insight into the man who more than any other has shaped the direction of modern cinema. Avatar James Cameron has created an unthinkably successful career out of pushing the technical possibilities of film and writing some of the cheesiest, most cringe-inducing dialogue ever to grace the silver screen. With his 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar, Cameron launched a 3D revolution with his green screen wizardry and original use of motion-capture technology. This B-roll footage clearly shows why Cameron is seen as the most innovative technical director working in the industry today with his giant action sequences particularly demonstrative of the immense amount of work required in post-production to create his bombastic epic. The Exorcist Often seen as the scariest film of the 20th Century, The Exorcist combined innovative production techniques, a frightening-as-all-hell soundtrack and an incredibly daring performance by child actor, Linda Blair, to bring the world this terrifying story of a young girl possessed by a demon. This eerie behind-the-scenes footage, taken by cinematographer Owen Roiza for his personal collection, is a compelling vision of the film, showing how the make-up artists were able to transform a cute 12-year old into a demonic monster and how a small country cottage was transformed into a veritable hell-on-earth. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Here is one for every pock-marked teenager who ever dreamed of owning a lightsaber: a backstage look at George Lucas' final chapter of the Star Wars trilogy (the original one, not those god-awful, cash-grabbing prequels). All the gang are here: Luke Skywalker, R2D2, Jabba the Hutt, C3PO and, of course, Princess Leia in her infamous and oft-parodied slave outfit. If you have ever wondered how Lucas was able to create those thrilling lightsaber battles and wow the world with his intricate sets of spacecrafts and flying bounty hunters then this seven minutes of grainy Super 8 footage is a perfect starting point. Back To The Future II For every kid growing up in the 1980s, Michael J. Fox riding a hoverboard was the coolest thing since flared jeans and Huey Lewis. This footage demonstrates how Steven Spielberg's sci-fi protege, Robert Zemekis was able to use skateboards, wooden props and cable suspension to transform Fox into an unlikely teen idol. Set in 2015, we still have our fingers crossed that these hoverboards will be available in your local Toys-R-Us in the years to come. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Mullets, male eyeliner and fishnet stockings abound in this behind-the-scenes look at the camp, cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Interviews with the stars, creators and writers behind this risque rock musical reveal a host of characters that are as weird and wonderful as their on-screen counterpoints. If you've ever wondered what prancing around in drag singing 'Time Walk' for three months feels like then watch out for the interview with Tim Curry, the man who made Dr. Frank-N-Furter into a household name.
From the Grounds of Alexandria's resident pig, the postcard-happy sands of Surfers Paradise and the hallowed turf of Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia's a genuinely Instagrammable place. Inevitably, there's a few prime snap-happy spots that get a little more filtered love than others; for obvious tourism reasons but also for kickass food on the table reasons. Sydney dominated the list, with seven in the top ten — a number it clearly can thank Vivid Sydney for. Using geotag data, the Daily Telegraph has revealed the ten most Instagrammed places in Australia for 2014. The results were taken from the geotags added by 'grammers (if you glazed over before, that's the latitude and longitude of your current location with your photo) and compiled into a top ten list. Here's the places you whacked a sweet filter on this year. Australia's Ten Most Instagrammed Places For 2014 10. Coogee Beach, Sydney The Pool in Coogee. #coogee #coogeebeach #aussie #australia #aussieadventure #australiansummer #summer #december #beachtime #sydney #sydneycity A photo posted by Daniela Valencia (@danyvalencia88) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:55am PST 9. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Hallowed ground. A photo posted by @tonikchurch on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:31pm PST 8. Circular Quay, Sydney Lights on and crowds out at #vividsydney. A video posted by Concrete Playground Sydney (@concreteplayground) on May 5, 2014 at 4:12am PDT 7. St Kilda Beach, Melbourne A photo posted by Claudia (@claw_dear) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:27pm PST 6. The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney Thanks to all our 'grammers who tag #thegrounds as their location when they visit! @instagram has just named us the 6th most geo-tagged destination in the country alongside some big tourist icons. Thanks for the love. Keep tagging, you guys rock! (One of our fave images from @chriscourt) A photo posted by The Grounds of Alexandria (@thegroundsofalexandria) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:45pm PST 5. Surfers Paradise Beach Waking up to this isn't too bad #visitsurfersparadise #surferssnaps photo: @absolomphotography A photo posted by SurfersParadise (@visitsurfersparadise) on Oct 10, 2014 at 7:11pm PDT 4. Bondi Beach "Double trouble" - last night. Sydney is in for another run of storm and rolling clouds. If you decide to go out and shoot, be safe ! I might be out there again... #frothers #frothersgallery #franckgazzola #mynikonlife #d4s #amazing #weather #extreme #bolt #lightning #flash #clouds #cloudporn #sydney #australia #seeaustralia #crazy #ocean #sea #eclair #orage A photo posted by Franck Gazzola (@franckgazzola) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:15pm PST 3. Sydney Harbour Bridge spinal tap // #sydney #sydneyharbourbridge #architecture #architectureporn #bridge #bridgeporn #blue #colour #street #streetphotography #citylife #igerssydney #icu_aussies #tv_pointofview #rsa_streetview A photo posted by John Appleseed (@thateightieskid) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:04pm PST 2. Darling Harbour, Sydney #australia #sydney #darlingharbour#instaaustralia #instasydney #nightview #instatravel #instatrip #??????? #????#?????????#??#?? #?? A photo posted by @kumasuca on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:35am PST 1. Sydney Opera House VIVID Sydney 2014 #vivid #vividsydney A photo posted by Photos of VIVID (@photosofvivid) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:03pm PST Via Daily Telegraph.
The Judith Wright Centre has been transformed into the Lonely Hearts Club. A place were love is sought and where love is sometimes never found. The dance floor of the Lonely Hearts Club is the epicentre of a dance, the steps of which are ever explicitly explained but failure to perform them correctly can result is disastrous social consequences. Don’ts for Dancers is about dance floor etiquette – avoiding the traps and pitfalls of ‘looking for love on the dance floor’. Looks are everything, the way you move is everything, and if you haven’t got that down pat then you haven’t got anything. This is what happens when social cues are taken to their extremes. Choreographed and produced by Nerida Matthaei, Don’ts for Dancers is ‘a self-help session for the left-footed lonely heart’, head along and see if there is anything you can learn yourself.
If you've been spending your sudden abundance of couch time binging your way through your streaming queue, you've probably become acquainted with Joe Exotic over the past couple of weeks. Clearly, that isn't the name that he was born with. But given the mullet-wearing zoo owner's over-sized personality, love of big cats and line of work — founding and running The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, which was home to hundreds of tigers, lions and other large felines, between 1999–2016 — he obviously decided that the moniker fit. That's the story that Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness tells. Well, in a tale that spans lions, tigers, eccentricity, polygamy and killing-for-hire, that's really just the beginning. Joe Exotic's life has encompassed such a wild series of events that, thanks to the docuseries' success, a dramatised version is now in the works — but if you just can't get enough in the interim, you can also take part in Isolation Trivia's Tiger King-themed edition. For the online quiz night's next event, it's dedicating its focus to Joe Exotic, his rival Carole Baskin, and all the ups and downs that ensure their stories are so strange that they can only be true. Run by Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider's Aimon Clark — who'll be donning a mullet wig for the occasion — it'll live stream from 6.30pm AEST on Saturday, April 11. To play along like the cool cats and kittens you are, head to the event's Facebook page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is now streaming on Netflix. Images: Netflix
Reading that daily horoscope might be enough of a foray into astrology for some, but what about a whole hotel dedicated to the celestial study? If the moon positions itself correctly, true buffs might be compelled to start planning that weekend away now — because Sydney is set to get the world's first ever astrology hotel. The Ultimo officially launches next month with a collection of newly refurbished rooms, which include single, studio, trio, family and pet-friendly courtyard rooms. But keen astrologers will have to wait a bit longer to get the low-down, as the hotel has given next-to-no hints as to what's involved with this, er, innovative hotel concept. That said, if it's anything like Switzerland's Park Hotel Weggis, which has offered a 'Park and Stars' package in the past, guests can probably expect individual astrological readings and consultations, and perhaps even a dinner created with their astrological sign in mind. Located at 37 Ultimo Road in Sydney's CBD, The Ultimo is set to open next month — and their full set of offerings will be unveiled on Wednesday, February 8. We'll update this story once we know the details.
It has been 11 art-filled years since Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art first opened its doors, and the creative riverside hub just keeps going from strength to strength. Fresh from hosting a huge Yayoi Kusama exhibition, GOMA is preparing to unveil its illuminating new permanent work: a brand new light installation by artist James Turrell. You might be familiar with the Arizona-based artist's work if you've been to Mona or the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). He's the one behind the sky-centred installations at both galleries — at Mona, the gazebo-like Armana lights up at sunrise and sunset each day, and at the NGA in Canberra, Within without acts as an outdoor viewing chamber to enhance your view of the sky. All up, Turrell has created 80 'skyspaces' like these around the world. Brisbane's Turrell piece isn't a standalone structure like these other two Australian works. Instead, the work will light up GOMA's eastern and southern white façades from within the building with a pattern developed by Turrell especially for the location. It's been described as "an ever-evolving pattern of intensifying and diffusing coloured light" by GOMA director Chris Saines, and when lit, it will make the gallery visible from across the river and around South Bank's cultural precinct. The plan is to light up the gallery from dusk until midnight each evening — and while the tunnel was originally set to be installed by late last year, it'll officially start glowing from 7pm on April 20, with Turrell in attendance. And while it's a new addition to GOMA, it's also a feature that ties into the gallery's history. As Saines explains, "during the development of GOMA, lead architects Kerry Clare, Lindsay Clare and James Jones envisaged an artist-illuminated 'white box' on the gallery's main pedestrian approaches. More than a decade on, Turrell's architectural light installation realises the potential of GOMA's white box façade, and completes a major aspect of the architects' original design intention." By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
It is hard to deny that the UK is a pretty important part of our history. While the Poms like to lay it on thick with the sledging, saying that we are simply their former convicts and cast-offs, we have grown to become a stand-alone country in our own right, with our own culture and unique traits (as well as comparable sporting prowess, ha ha ha). Regardless, there are a lot of things the UK and Australia share, and the latest exhibition at Griffith University’s QCA Gallery examines how cultural, familial and artistic transplantation has taken place throughout the years. Bringing together artists from both sides of the pond, Transplantation, explores the nature of this bond and how it impacts each artists worldview. Each work is a piece of ‘narrative jewellery’, describing the personal interpretation of each artist. This exhibition is on until February, so you still have plenty of time to check out these interesting pieces of work.
If you're a Queenslander with a hankering to visit Adelaide — or vice versa — then you'll know that your plans have been out on hold for the past month. Back in mid-November, when 17 COVID-19 cases were identified in the South Australian capital in a 24-hour period as part of a new cluster, the Sunshine State declared the area a coronavirus hotspot. And, as a result, Queensland closed its borders to the SA city. Yesterday, Monday, December 7, the Queensland Government announced that it'll reopen to folks from the 20 Local Government Areas in Adelaide from 1am on Saturday, December 12 — but only if there are no new unlinked cases of COVID-19 between now and then. If that eventuates, Queensland will be open to the entire country, after letting folks from all of New South Wales and Victoria head north since December 1. As Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young explained, December 12 will mark 28 days since the first case in Adelaide's cluster — if you're wondering why the state is working towards that date. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1335840749888315392 At present, anyone visiting Queensland from Adelaide has to receive an exemption and then go into quarantine for 14 days. Queenslanders returning home from the SA city must self-isolate for a fortnight, too. The news came as the Sunshine State marked 83 days since its last community-acquired case of COVID-19. Still, the need to continue to be careful in these pandemic-afflicted times was stressed as part of the announcement. So, the usual rules regarding hygiene, social distancing and getting tested if you display any possible COVID-19 symptoms all still apply throughout the state — as restrictions keep easing, and with the new border restrictions with SA. For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Tucked away on a quiet street in Collingwood, Loose Leaf is the dream project of Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler. With a combined portfolio that includes backgrounds in horticulture, permaculture and design, the pair harmonise creativity with a deep-rooted connection to the natural environment in their multi-use space. Loose Leaf operates as a thoughtful retail space for flowers and plants, as well as a studio for Wona to bring to life her organic sculptural practice and teach seasonal workshop classes. “We want people to use the space in a non-retail sense as well," she explains. “If we could make it like an indoor park that people might want to hang out in, that would be pretty cool.” The minimal aesthetic of the white-walled, high-ceilinged warehouse space is balanced by an abundance of natural life. Plants thrive in every corner, hang from the ceiling (almost as though levitating) and climb the walls. An ever-changing offering of seasonal flora fills the front of the space, where Wona creates and sells her masterful bouquets and arrangements. While the botanical haven is certainly an aesthetic delight, Charlie and Wona believe strongly in the greater therapeutic benefits connecting with nature can provide. “There are physical health benefits of having plants in your house," Charlie explains. "They can filter the air by taking out gases and chemicals so it’s healthier to breathe, but there’s also research to show that they can improve mental health”. “I’ve always been interested in horticulture therapy,” Wona adds, “When something is dying and you can bring it back to life, it makes you feel so good. It’s beautiful to watch the life cycle of something.” You need only step off the street into their bright space to feel the benefits; it might even work its magic when you're standing across the road. Despite the location only a hop, skip and a jump away from the hubbub of Smith Street, the air feels cleaner upon entering Loose Leaf. The incredible internal landscape combined with Wona and Charlie’s genuine desire to share their passion for “reconnecting with nature” allows their space to feel warm and welcoming. Sharing a cup of tea with the pair amongst their plants seems to be the perfect antidote to the stress of the daily grind. As well as the physical environment, Loose Leaf will be releasing a publication as a continuation of the voice of the space. “For the first year we plan to do a series of single theme based publications,” Charlie tells me. “We like the idea of connecting creativity and nature together, and letting each one inspire themselves." After making more than one trip to Loose Leaf to hang out with the always helpful and humble couple, Concrete Playground asked Charlie and Wona for a few ideas on how to be the best plant owner you can be ahead of the indoor season. Know Your Ability to Commit As far as picking your perfect plant friends, like any relationship, a lot depends on how much you are willing to give. With both high and low maintenance options for any environment, there’s no need to fear keeping something alive other than yourself. In fact, some plants prefer to be left alone. “One plant we’ve got is called the Zanzibar Gem, and the marketing is that it ‘thrives on neglect’,” Wona assures me. “It can deal with low light conditions and not much water." The Zanzibar Gem is added to my mental greenhouse. “We’ve spent a few years researching what works and doesn’t for us from our perspective," she says. "A lot of our plants we’ve picked because they are easy to care for and have actual signs of when they need to be watered or when they need fertilising." Of the choices in their home, she says, “[the plants] will start to talk you in very obvious ways … for example with Devil’s Ivy, the leaves will start to get droopy when it needs water. They can deal with a little more neglect … although we don’t encourage people to neglect their plants!” Location, Location, Location Equally as important as choosing a level of care you’re willing to commit to is the area and conditions your plants will be living in. “It really depends on what room they’re in”, says Charlie. “If you think about it in an outside sense, you get plants growing in the canopy of a jungle with very low light, or you can get plants growing in the desert with lots of sun and not much water”. He adds, “We have microclimates all around our house … the north of your house might feel a bit like Spain, but on the southern side it might be a bit more like Hobart. You can pick the right plant for each microclimate." Give a Little Lovin' In terms of caring for your greenery, things like fertilising and repotting can help extend the life and size of your plant. It's important that you look after your little guy (or don't, if it's a Zanzibar Gem). “Potted plants need fertilising because they’re not getting the nutrients replenished like they do nature, like when it rains or when trees drop their leaves," Charlie told me. "Inside plants obviously don’t get that so you need to give them some plant food. “By growing the size of the pot you’ll allow the roots to get bigger, and … there’s normally a direct reflection with what’s above the soil from what’s below” I admitted I had never repotted a plant. “Massage at the edge of the pot to help the plant come out more easily," he says. "You can massage the roots a little bit to help loosen them, put the plant in the new pot with the new soil.” Charlie and Wona's excitement for sharing the Loose Leaf love is tangible and inspiring. And while I may not be ready to commit to maintaining the exotic indoor jungle I envision just yet, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to bring the pot plants in my bedroom back to life.
Imagine taking a photo with your fingers. A prototype for a new type of camera, known as the Ubi-camera, has been created by researchers at the IAMAS, allowing you to do just that with the help of a small device. By connecting the little device to your index finger the rectangle becomes the viewfinder. Then, by pressing down on the device with your thumb, you are able to take a photo. A built-in range sensor depicts the amount of space between the photographer's face and the camera. For example: if you put your face close to the camera you can create a wide angle shot and if you move your fingers further away this will give you a close up photo. The infrared technology range sensor still has a few glitches, such as the difficulty to detect faces, that developers hope to overcome in the near future. [via Mashable]
When you combine a heated performance about sex and cheating with a group of excitable 20 (ish) year old UQ students you get something very exciting. You can get your mind out of the gutter, it’s not an orgy. It’s the play production of Closer by Underground Productions. Starting their 2012 season with a highly sexual bang, Underground Productions lives up to their reputation with Closer, which was made infamous in it’s 2004 turn to the big screen. With both versions based on the play by Patrick Marber, you can be sure this is one student performance you won’t forget. As anyone who has seen Closer (the movie) will tell you, the play is based heavily around cheating, sexual urges, and the drama that surrounds relationships. Maybe keep in mind that this show is probably not one to see with your folks. The student run production is only showing for a limited season so get in quick. Experiencing a story like this told up close and personal in a play performance is only going to improve it. Note: Natalie Portman will not appear in this play production.
There have been many times in my life when I have wished I was born creative and artistic, so I would have the ability to design a super popular, top tier website full of memes and praise whilst flouncing around taking photos with a Holga. Alas I realised long ago that my dreams were fruitless (sad face). However for all of you out there with even a smidgen of talent, Design College Australia are holding an open day on 2 July to talk about potential career pathways for you. My impression upon perusing the invitation and site is that it sounds like a normal open day, except a million times better. Who cares what elderly Law lecturers have to say, if you can be hearing, seeing and enjoying firsthand Design College Australia’s campus. And what about bossy Business majors? Their course doesn’t involve anything fun like graphic design, multimedia or photography! With lecturers, as well as both current and past students on hand to show you sample work and portfolios from themselves and their industries, the day sounds like a great opportunity to narrow down your career path and maybe prove to your parents that there’s money in design after all.
Brash and irreverent rock outfit Future of the Left have announced that they will be playing a string of shows down under in January 2014. Formed following the dissolution of the beloved post-hardcore band Mclusky, Future of the Left is a Welsh quartet that emerged in 2005. They have since gained a sturdy reputation for the sprawling energy and raw power of their live sets. With a knack for fusing together melody and groove, the band will be sweeping up the eastern seaboard, rewarding their loyal Aussie fan base with raucous performances filled with biting wit and musical mayhem. From their wry song titles to lyrics such as, "I have seen into the future/ Everyone is slightly older" and "Civilised people don't fuck bears/ Civilised people don't play fair", Future of the Left showcase an offbeat, slightly cynical sense of humour armed with heavy riffs. Prepare for a meaty slice of rock 'n' roll and a welcome dose of cheeky laughs. Future of the Left’s forthcoming album, How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident, will be released on October 25, 2013. Tickets are available now through the Handsome Tours website. The tour dates are: Thursday, Janaury 2 The Corner Hotel, Melbourne Friday, January 3 The Annandale, Sydney Sunday, January 5 The Zoo, Brisbane
One of 2023's big blockbusters ended by leaving viewers wanting more, and by design: when Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One wrapped up its 163 minutes of espionage antics, everyone already knew that Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two was on its way. Originally, the latter was meant to arrive in June 2024, less than a year after the first film. But audiences will now need to wait until 2025 — including to see Tom Cruise's (Top Gun: Maverick) latest batch of death-defying stunts. Instead of hitting cinemas on June 28, 2024 in the US, the eighth flick in the spy franchise now has a May 23, 2025 release date. Down Under, that likely means a move from June 27, 2024 to May 22, 2025, given that movies release here on Thursdays rather than on Fridays in America. Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that the film's name may change as well. So, chaotically, it mightn't be called Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two, although it will still follow on from Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One. The change of dates comes amid Hollywood's ongoing actors' strike, adding a new big-name flick to the list of films moving back their releases. Another second part that's done the same: Dune: Part Two. Hollywood's on-screen talents are on strike to fight against diminishing residual payments for performers, and to establish firm rules about the future use of artificial intelligence in the industry, among other improvements to working conditions. When they took action in mid-July, SAG-AFTRA's members joined their counterparts in the Writers Guild of America, who were striking since May but have since resumed work. On Paramount's slate, the next Mission: Impossible isn't the only film that's shifting dates. A Quiet Place: Day One will also now release in June 2024, not March — and the next SpongeBob SquarePants movie will move from May 2025 to December 2025. As for what's in store Mission: Impossible-wise, you can bet that world-hopping intrigue, explosions, chases, fights and Cruise wearing masks all pops up when Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team return. So will a cast that also includes Simon Pegg (The Boys), Ving Rhames (Legacy) and Hayley Atwell (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). There's no trailer yet for the next Mission: Impossible, but you can check out the full sneak peek at Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One below instead: The next Mission: Impossible movie will release in cinemas Down Under on May 22, 2025. Read our review of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Via: Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Prepare for a serious rainbow chalk shortage in Sydney: DIY chalk rainbows are popping up across the city in Newtown, Paddington and Redfern following the State Government's removal of the rainbow crossing on Oxford Street. The movement started with a Facebook photo of radio presenter James 'Breko' Brechney colouring in a chalk rainbow outside his home. The photo soon led to Brechney creating the Facebook group DIY Rainbow Crossings and the #DIYRainbowCrossings hashtag going viral on Twitter. "I was pretty down like a lot of people when the Rainbow Crossing was ripped up," said Brechney. "The DIY chalk crossing idea really just came to me overnight ... I got my sister and housemate in on the act and when we finished our one in Surry Hills we took a few photos for Facebook and the whole thing went crazy. Everyone's now doing their own DIY Rainbow Crossings all over Sydney and I love that because it's less work for me!" The Oxford Street crossing was initially created by the City of Sydney Council as part of the 2013 Mardi Gras celebrations, and soon became a much-loved attraction, with people posing for photos while walking across it. Despite calls to make the crossing permanent from the community and local politicians such as Lord Mayor Clover Moore and State Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay made the decision to remove the crossing. Community radio station FBI Radio has decided to get in on the action as well, chalking up their own rainbow outside the front door of their station in Redfern. "It's just a fun, little nice thing, a sign of how Sydney people are joined together when they think a wrong has been done," said program director Caroline Gates, who was inspired to join Brechney's 'chalk revolution' after seeing his Facebook photo. "We've got a volunteer group, and I just said 'Hey, anyone want to make a rainbow?'" she says. "I think a nice thing about people getting out a bit of chalk and making their own is just saying 'Screw the government, this is what we feel and what our community is'." The removal of the crossing took many Sydneysiders by surprise after road workers in Ultimo were redirected to Oxford Street to perform 'emergency road works' late on Wednesday night, as passers by booed and shared photos of the disappearing rainbow on social media. "I think people really connected with some vibrancy in our city," said Brechney. "I think the State Government has really got themselves pigheaded about removing it when it was clear, even to people initially opposed, that it was truly a fabulous addition to Oxford Street." DIY rainbow crossing behind the Newtown Hotel. DIY rainbow crossing behind the Newtown Hotel. DIY rainbow crossing in front of FBi Radio. Photography by Anita Senaratna and Rima Sabina Aouf.
According to a popular Christmas song that you're about to get stuck in your head claims, the festive season is the most wonderful time of the year. We have an alternative proposal, because October has to give it a run for its money. Not only are all things spooky and scary on the agenda as the end of the month nears, but all things beverage-related every October day beforehand. Yes, that means one thing: Oktoberfest. At Green Beacon on Saturday, October 20, the brewery is showing just how to celebrate this adopted occasion the only way it knows how. That's right, it's once again time for GB's annual party — for the sixth time, actually. You'll eat, drink and... well, actually, that's all there is to it. German-style brews will be on offer, GB will deck out the joint like it's a German beer hall, and the food menu includes pretzels, gose-marinated pork knuckle, schnitzel, German sausages and German salads. Who needs Christmas?
Brisbane theatre, musical and fairytale fans, one of your wishes is about to come true — and yes, it involves a fairy godmother. Finally coming to Australia in 2022 after the pandemic delayed its planned 2021 run, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical version of Cinderella has just announced a Brisbane season. Get ready for glass slippers and pumpkin carriages to take over QPAC, with the show dancing its way into the Lyric Theatre from Friday, August 5. First premiering in New York in 2013, this version of the adored fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, with the Broadway production making the jump Down Under, it'll debut locally at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from May, then head to Brisbane — before later moving on to Sydney in October. The tour is a collaboration between Opera Australia and Crossroads Live, after the two organisations teamed up on The King and I, another Rodgers and Hammerstein hit — but this time they're all about gleaming footwear and masked balls. [caption id="attachment_832563" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carol Rosegg[/caption] Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. While she's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Shubshri Kandiah (Aladdin, Fangirls) will play Ella, Ainsley Melham (Merrily We Roll Along, Aladdin) has been cast Prince Topher and Silvie Paladino (Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables) will sparkle as Marie, the Fairy Godmother. Also set to feature in the Australian production: Tina Bursill (Doctor Doctor, Wentworth) as Madame, Ella's stepmother, as well as Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Shrek) as Sebastian, the Lord Chancellor. The cast will be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. If you're wondering how the musical works its magic, check out the trailer for the show below: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will hit the stage at Brisbane's QPAC, in the Lyric Theatre, from Friday, August 5. For further details, and to join the waitlist for tickets — with presales from Monday, March 21, and general tickets on sale on Friday, March 25 — head to the musical's website. Images: Carol Rosegg.
Gone are the days when travel restrictions, including on travel through both domestic and international borders, meant that making the most of your own backyard was the only way to get out of the house. If you're a Brisbanite, playing tourist in your own town shouldn't just be something you're doing because you have to, though — and if you need an extra incentive in August, a heap of $20 tourism deals are coming to help. When we say a heap, we mean it. More than 5000 deals will be on offer from Monday, August 1–Wednesday, August 31, covering the kinds of experiences that every Brissie resident should've had but mightn't have gotten around to yet. Always wanted to take a cocktail cruise along the river? Head to Moreton Island for a stint of quad biking? Climb and abseil your way around the city? They're some of the tourism activities covered. You don't need to be a local to take advantage of the deals, either, if you have a trip to the Sunshine State in your future — you just need to have Brisbane City Council's free Brisbane app. That's where the deals will be available, and you can download the app from Apple's app store and Google Play. Different $20 specials will drop every single day across August's 31-day span, giving you motivation to check in with what's up for grabs daily. The reason behind the deals? Like plenty of other efforts to get locals exploring their home turf during the pandemic — such as travel vouchers and staycation giveaways — the aim is to get Brisbane residents and visitors out and about to support local businesses. "Brisbane businesses and tourism operators have faced unprecedented times over the past two years with COVID and devastating floods having huge impacts on their livelihood," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, announcing the deal scheme, which has been badged 'Rediscover Brisbane'. "Rediscover Brisbane will give residents and visitors access to great deals to get out and about in our great city, while also injecting $370,000 into some our top tourism attractions," continued the Lord Mayor. "From Moreton Island adventure and river cruises to mini golf and food and wine tours, these $20 deals will be up for grabs at the click of a button." Rediscover Brisbane will feature more than 5000 $20 deals from Monday, August 1–Wednesday, August 31 on tourism experiences around Brisbane. To access the deals via the Brisbane app, head to the app's website.
