A good night's sleep is one of life's pure joys — and what better way is there to enhance your year than with a new set of bed sheets or a new mattress. Melbourne-designed Eva Mattress is here to help up your comfort level with its Easter sale. It's doing $50 off sheets and more than $100 off mattresses — and that's just the start. Up until 10am on Tuesday, April 6, the local Aussie retailer is offering big discounts so you can ensure you're nice and cosy each night before winter rolls around. Expect $125 off its Eva mattress, $50 off the Eva pillow, $50 off Eva hemp linen and $50 off timber bed frames. The brand's award-winning mattress-in-a-box has been engineered as a hybrid, which means it combines the comfort of memory foam with the support of pocket springs. The memory foam pillow uses activated charcoal to keep you cool and dry throughout the night. The timber bed frame, winner of a 2020 Good Design Award, has been certified by the Forrest Stewardship Council, meaning it's made from sustainably sourced timber. If you do spring for the mattress, sheets, pillow or bed frame, they come with a 120-night free trial, so you can be sure they'll help you get a good night sleep before you commit. Also, all mattress orders come with a 12-year warranty, ensuring you'll be sleeping pretty for years to come. Browse the store and pick up a discount. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Australia's most sinister festival, Dark Mofo, is back for its seventh year and is set to be as boundary-pushing as ever, with its initial lineup announced today. As always, the festival will take place in the lead up to the winter solstice, exploring connections between old and contemporary mythology through art installations, performance, talks and music — all taking place in the darkness of Tasmanian winter. Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Dark Mofo will takeover most of Hobart between June 3–23, showcasing a melting pot of artists, creatives and thinkers who dwell in the shadows of mainstream culture. Kicking things off is the festival's ideas symposium Dark + Dangerous Thoughts, running from June 6 to 9, which will present varied perspectives on issues of identity and politics from writers, commentators and thinkers such as homegrown talent Stan Grant, Yumi Stynes, Nakkiah Lui and Ginger Gorman alongside international guests Jennifer Boylan, Frederic Martel, and Coleman Hughes, among many others. Talks will navigate controversial topics such as Australia Day, average sex and priests in the closet. On site at MONA, installations by Ai Weiwei, Alfredo Jaar, Oliver Beer and Chris Townsend will be exhibited as well as MONA's own Kirsha Kaechele, who'll bring her book Eat the Problem to life with a series of immersive feasts (expect cane toads, starfish and camel), and an exhibition featuring one of the world's largest glockenspiels. Sharon Van Etten – the American musician and composer, who's appeared in David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return and Netflix's OA – is set to perform a night of disjointed, wistful and at times menacing folk-rock-pop with her new album Remind Me Tomorrow at the Odean on Sunday, June 9. [caption id="attachment_619495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo's Winter Feast, shot by Rémi Chauvin.[/caption] And back again for another extravagant performance is Mike Parr with Towards a Black Square – a lengthy blindfolded performance in an undisclosed location, shown through live video feed – while over at DarkLab's deconsecrated church, controversial Australian artist Paul Yore will transform the space into a technicolour shrine for Dolly Parton, Justin Bieber and other icons of sex, love and the excessive with It's All Wrong But It's Alright. The full lineup is yet to be announced, but we're expecting all the regular winter feasts, nude swims and warehouse parties will return, too. We'll update you when it drops on Friday, April 12. Dark Mofo returns to Hobart from June 6 and 23. The full lineup will be announced Friday April 12. Pre-sale tickets are available from 6pm on Monday, April 15 with general tickets on sale from 11pm on Tuesday, April 16. For more information, visit the festival website.
If you're a wannabe wizard or witch looking for more Harry Potter magic in your life, the last few years have provided plenty of ways to accio up some enchanting fun. Harry Potter-themed potions bars have popped up across Australia and New Zealand, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hit the stage in Melbourne, and screenings, parties, escape rooms, scavenger hunts and other HP-centric events have been common everywhere, really. You can also play Pokemon Go-style game Wizards Unite or browse your way through the online Harry Potter at Home portal whenever you like, too. Soon, all of above will pale in comparison to the kind of space HP fans can really lose themselves in — and one that, hopefully, visitors will need a Marauder's Map to get around. That'd be a dedicated Harry Potter theme park, which is set to open in Japan in the first half of 2023. Fingers (or wands) crossed that international travel is back to normal by then. As first reported earlier this year, the new park will take over part of the existing Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo's Nerima ward. That site has been up and running for 94 years, but will close at the end of August 2020 — so Warner Bros Studio Tours, Warner Bros Japan, Seibu Railway Co Ltd, ITOCHU Corporation and Fuyo General Lease Co Ltd are teaming up, waving a few magic wands about and turning a section of it into a Harry Potter-theme park. [caption id="attachment_761496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toshimaen. Image: Rsa via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Called Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter, the new venture will take more than a few cues from the existing Harry Potter attraction in London, which spans costumes, props, exhibitions and special events. That means there'll be a focus on sets that fans can tour, rather than rides. If you were hoping to play quidditch, travel by portkey or ride the floo network, that doesn't seem to be on the agenda, sorry. Instead, visitors will be taken "on a fascinating behind the scenes tour of the Wizarding World series," according to the statement officially announcing the Tokyo park. Over a space of about 30,000 square metres that'll include a soundstage and backlot area, there'll be movie sets that were designed and built by the creators of the Harry Potter series, as well as original outfits and items from the films. Overall, it's expected to take patrons about half a day to wander through it all. [caption id="attachment_761499" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Warner Bros Studio Tour London[/caption] Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter will be ticketed, unsurprisingly, but outside the entrance it'll also feature a landscaped area filled with sculptures of Harry Potter figures — and that'll be accessible to both park visitors and local residents. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will be turning the rest of Toshimaen Amusement Park's grounds into a public park, with the Harry Potter tour and the rest of site coordinating their development plans. Japan is already home to a Harry Potter theme park zone at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka — so diehard devotees just might have to visit two of the country's cities. When it comes to fruition, add the dedicated Harry Potter theme park to Japan's hefty range of pop culture-themed attractions. A Super Nintendo amusement park zone is due to open at the aforementioned Universal Studios Japan in Osaka this year, a forthcoming Godzilla attraction will let you zipline into the monster's mouth, and a Studio Ghibli theme park is in the works — and Tokyo already boasts huge Godzilla and Gundam statues, as well as the Studio Ghibli Museum just outside the city. Top image: Warner Bros Studio Tour London.
Tanks have featured in countless war movies yet rarely been the focus of those films. Slow, hulking and claustrophobic, they lack the 'glamour' of planes, the scale of battleships and the vulnerability of the lone soldier. Two rare exceptions are 1943's Sahara and 1988's The Beast of War, both of which centred on lone tank crews bravely engaging the enemy against seemingly impossible odds. In that vein, Fury is a fitting new addition. In the closing stages of the Second World War, a single US tank (baring the nickname from which the film takes its title), is tasked with holding a vital crossroads deep behind German lines. Its crew (Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal) is a hardened bunch of veterans dutifully falling under the command of 'Wardaddy' (Brad Pitt), and none of them take kindly to their new, fresh-faced draftee Norman (Logan Lerman), whose mobile armoured experience consists of knowing how to operate a typewriter. Norman's initiation is quick and uncompromising. His first job is to wipe down the tank's interior and scrub away the fleshy remains of his predecessor. Then its straight into action, where the true horrors of the conflict are seen, felt and heard all around. One thing Fury does exceptionally well is demonstrating precisely how devastating a tank was to anything less than another one (unless that other one was the German 'Tiger', whose forward-facing armour made it invulnerable to all US counterparts). "Ideals are peaceful", explains Wardaddy, "history is violent", and the sound of enemy shells tearing holes through the sky as they blaze past or into the American units is a terrifyingly violent experience. Indeed, all the combat scenes in Fury are brutally graphic, offering a Saving Private Ryan level of gruesome reality to the war experience. Bodies are burned, shredded and liquified, yet what truly confronts is the matter-of-factness with which the other soldiers regard it all. This is the final stage of the conflict, remember, by which time most troops had experienced years of dehumanising savagery. "It's just war!" one of them explains to Norman, whose revulsion to the death around him is neatly reflective of the audience's. If there's a problem with Fury, it's Pitt's character, Wardaddy. It's not just that he's unlikeable and almost impossibly calm under pressure, he's also a war criminal. The Hague Conventions are blatantly ignored as he periodically executes POWs, including one particularly sadistic sequence used to familiarise Norman with killing. 'Ideals are peaceful', yes, but they're also binding, and in what may well have been the last war fought for noble reasons, robbing your hero of his morality has a flow-on effect to the rest of the film. Corny jingoism has no place in the post-Private Ryan universe, and it's good to see the darker side of the Allied war effort not being overlooked, but as the credits roll it's hard not the feel like director David Ayer ultimately retreated from that position and allowed his star to reclaim a little bit of the Hollywood treatment. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WYm2Jru6Wzc
Fried chicken fiends, this one's for you. It's no secret that Morgan McGlone does some dangerously good things with fried poultry, and he's pulling out all the stops for this special five-course feast for Good Food Month. The chef will be tapping into the creative energies of Belles Hot Chicken's famous late-night chicken parties, plating up dishes like chicken and waffles, Chongqing chicken wings (inspired by the ones at Mission Chinese Food), and of course, his own signature fried chook. Fork out a little extra to have each course matched with wine.
Since 2018, television has had an Atlanta-shaped hole where one of the best shows of the past decade should've sat. The Donald Glover-created, -starring, -co-written and -sometimes-directed series made a huge splash when it first arrived in 2016, then followed up its stellar first season with a phenomenal second batch of episodes — but, as fans have seen happen for Earnest 'Earn' Marks on-screen, too, life got in the way of the program's third season. Glover has been busy over the past four years, of course. Since we've last seen him play Earn, he's cancelled and rescheduled Australian tours, played Coachella, voiced Simba in the photorealistic remake of The Lion King, dropped albums and made Guava Island with Rihanna, and that was all before the pandemic. Thankfully, making more Atlanta also found its way onto his to-do list — and Australians will be able to start watching the results via SBS and SBS On Demand from Friday, March 25. To tide you over until then, the full trailer for Atlanta's third season has just dropped — and Earn and his pals are busy here, too. His cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong), aka Paper Boi, is touring Europe, with Earn along for the ride alongside Alfred's righthand man Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah). As this latest sneak peek shows, eerie Santas, gushing fans and strange parties are all involved, in a trailer that sports a surreal vibe from start to finish. If you're new to the show, it dropped into Earn's life after he'd quit Princeton, returned home to the titular city, then began managing his Alfred's rap career — but little has ever gone as planned for him since. The 30-something also has an on-again-off-again relationship with Van (Zazie Beetz, The Harder They Fall), with the pair sharing a daughter, which throws up complications on a regular basis. Tackling the ins and outs of Earn and co's lives — including the daily reality of being Black in America today — while examining race, money, relationships, parenthood, art, music and simply trying to get by: that's Atlanta on paper, and it hits all of those marks devastatingly well. But, as the marvel that was season two's Teddy Perkins episode demonstrated, this series always bobs and weaves in its own unexpected directions. And yes, as well as being one of the best things on TV, it boasts one of the best casts on television, too. Atlanta will end after its fourth season, which is set to also air in 2022, arriving sometime during spring Down Under — but for now, season three's March 25 premiere date can't come soon enough. Check out the full trailer for Atlanta's third season below: Atlanta season three will start screening via SBS and streaming via SBS On Demand from Friday, March 25.
There's plenty to look at in Yves Saint Laurent, a new biopic of the legendary fashion designer. As well as giving the world the iconic Le Smoking women's tuxedo, he is credited with making ready-to-wear reputable in world of haute couture. His fashion journey — and personal one — is brought to life by director Jalil Lespert and gangly actor Pierre Niney in this French-language biopic. This film opens in 1953, as the 18-year-old Laurent wins a major fashion prize, which leads him to take over the Christian Dior legacy. Here he meets Pierre Berge, patron of the arts, future business partner and the love of his life. Three years later, they create the Yves Saint Laurent company and revolutionise the world of fashion. The film was made with the support of the Foundation of Yves Saint Laurent. The upshot of this is that the filmmakers were able to use all the original YSL designs. Get ready to feast your eyes. Read our full review here. Yves Saint Laurent is in cinemas on June 26, and thanks to Entertainment One, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=-ec-DQ_7EUM
What happens when two cousins played by Kieran Culkin (Succession) and Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) honour their grandmother and explore their family's past by heading to Poland? Eisenberg himself asked that question, then turned the answer into the Sundance-premiering and now Jewish International Film Festival-bound A Real Pain. The actor not only co-stars but writes and directs the dramedy, his second feature behind the lens — and Australian audiences can see the results when JIFF returns for 2024. This year's festival is back to finish out the year, screening in seven cities — Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Canberra — across various dates between Sunday, October 27–Sunday, December 22. Just like its fellow major cultural film fests, such as its French, Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian and Japanese counterparts, JIFF's 2024 slate is jam-packed. Movie lovers can choose between 41 features, two TV shows and a showcase of short films, with the festival's titles hailing from 17 countries. Eisenberg and Culkin aren't the only big names on the lineup. Closing night's Berlin-set The Performance, which is adapted from an Arthur Miller short story and tells of a Jewish American tap dancer, stars Jeremy Piven (Sweetwater). The fest's centrepiece pick Between the Temples features Jason Schwartzman (Megalopolis) as a cantor and Carol Kane (Dinner with Parents) as his former elementary school music teacher. And in White Bird, which hails from a book by the author of fellow page-to-screen effort Wonder, Helen Mirren (Barbie) and Gillian Anderson (Scoop) pop up. In Sydney and Melbourne only — it's playing the Brisbane International Film Festival in the Queensland capital instead — The Brutalist is on the JIFF bill as well. It shows Down Under after winning Venice's Silver Lion-winner for Best Director for actor-turned-filmmaker Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux). Starring on-screen: Adrien Brody (Asteroid City), Felicity Jones (Dead Shot) and Guy Pearce (Inside), in a flick that follows architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet to America from Europe after the Second World War. Well-known folks are also in the spotlight in documentaries Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, Diane Warren: Relentless and How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer — and acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, The Trip movies) is on the lineup via British Mandatory Palestine-set historical thriller Shoshana. Then, there's TV series Kafka, arriving a century after the death of its namesake. Highlights across the rest of the program include documentary The Commandant's Shadow, about The Zone of Interest-featured Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss' son Hans Jürgen Höss meeting with survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch; Tatami, following a female Iranian judo athlete played by Arienne Mandi (The L Word: Generation Q), with Guy Nattiv (Golda) and Zar Amir Ebrahimi (last seen on-screen in Shayda, and also co-starring here) co-directing; television's Auckland-set Kid Sister; and Aussie doco Pita with Vegemite: An Israeli Australian Story. "Our 2024 program showcases stars and change makers, offering audiences a rich tapestry of stories that explore the depth and diversity of Jewish life," explains JIFF Artistic Director Eddie Tamir. "We are excited to present films that span thousands of years of history and culture, reflecting on both the ancient traditions that have shaped our world and the contemporary challenges we face today." Jewish International Film Festival 2024 Dates and Locations Sunday, October 27–Wednesday, December 4 — Classic Cinemas (full dates), Lido Cinemas (Monday, October 28–Tuesday, December 3) and Cameo Cinemas (Saturday, November 9–Wednesday, November 13), Melbourne Monday, October 28–Thursday, December 5 — Ritz Cinemas (full dates) and Roseville Cinemas (Thursday, November 7–Wednesday, November 20), Sydney Thursday, November 7–Sunday, November 17 — New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane Thursday, November 7–Sunday, November 17 — The Piccadilly, Adelaide Thursday, November 7–Sunday, November 17 — State Cinema, Hobart Saturday, December 7–Sunday, December 8 — Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Saturday, December 14–Sunday, December 22 — Luna Leederville, Perth The 2024 Jewish International Film Festival runs from October–December. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
Christmas lunch is arguably the most important meal of the year. Get it right, with a beautiful ham as the centrepiece, and it is almost guaranteed that the day will run smoothly, ending with everyone in food comas whilst watching Miracle on 34th Street. Get it wrong, though, and it is likely that you will have a host of cranky family members ready to divulge some vindictive secrets and burn down the Christmas tree. Ensure that this year's festivities populate the family albums for all the right reasons by purchasing a Christmas ham of the highest quality from Victor Churchill and marinading it in the ham glaze you'll get as a gift when paying with your MasterCard® card. Victor Churchill's Christmas ham legs range from $95 for a half leg to $185 for a full leg. The delicious deal with complimentary glaze is all thanks to MasterCard's Priceless Sydney program and should be taken advantage of given the cut the butcher is using this season. Their Kurobuta Christmas hams are some of the most delicious and succulent cuts ever tasted, combining the very best European haute cuisine and Aussie character. So if you want to be the toast of the family and make this Christmas one to remember, head down to 132 Queen Street, Woollahra and order your Victor Churchill ham as soon as possible. This offer is strictly subject to availability while stocks last, so pay now and save Christmas Eve for that last-minute gift shopping instead. Visit the Priceless Sydney website to see more locally famous offers.
DesignEx is Australia's leading design exhibition, and this year the Office for Good Design has curated a unique seminar series called 7 Kinds of Happiness to open an otherwise industry-focused event to the general, design-loving public. Seven seminars with major industry heavyweights explore how happiness impacts the practice of leading local and international designers. Each seminar is held within the 'Happy Place', an area created specifically for this seminar series constructed entirely of doonas. Sounds like our sort of lecture. Concrete Playground has a double pass to giveaway to each of the seven seminars. To win, just make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your preference of seminar from the list below. Happiness 1: Alice Rawsthorn, Monday 14th 12.30pm Happiness 2: Ilse Crawford (UK), Monday 14th 5pm (digital) Happiness 3: Stefan Sagmeister (USA), Tuesday 15th 10am (digital) Happiness 4: Broached Commissions, Tuesday 15th 12.30pm Happiness 5: Rotor (Brussels), Tuesday 15th May 5pm (digital) Happiness 6: Work AC (USA), Wed 16th 10am (digital) Happiness 7: Australian Creative Directors of the Venice Architecture Biennale Anthony Burke and Gerard Reinmuth with TOKO (Panel Discussion) Wed 16th 12.30pm
Fleabag fans, rejoice — because Phoebe Waller-Bridge is back on our screens, and back working with playwright and screenwriter Vicky Jones, too. The latter is the driving force behind comedy-thriller Run, and Waller-Bridge only plays a supporting part, but that's more than enough reason to binge your way through its seven instantly moreish episodes. The setup: college sweethearts Ruby (Merritt Wever) and Billy (Domhnall Gleeson) always promised each other that, if one of them texted the word 'run' to the other and received the same back in reply, they'd drop everything, hightail it to New York's Grand Central Station and catch a train across America together. And, that's exactly what happens. As for why, and what this means to the two central characters, that's all part of the fun of watching. So is enjoying the rapport between the always-great Wever and Gleeson.
The best joke in The Boss is the one that no one talks about. Whatever Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) is wearing, her outfit includes a turtleneck jumper pulled up over her chin. Whether it's meant to be slimming or is simply an eccentric style option, it looks as ridiculous as it sounds — and while there's no avoiding the silly sartorial sight that greets viewers every time the protagonist graces the screen, the unusual clothing choice is actually among the film's most subtle elements. The fact that it remains hilarious while never earning a mention or explanation is refreshing, particularly in a movie that takes every other chance it can to either state or rely upon the obvious. At the beginning of the film, which McCarthy co-wrote with her director husband Ben Falcone, Darnell is a self-made titan of business. After wheeling and dealing her way to the top, she's the 47th wealthiest woman in America, and at the filling stadiums, splashing cash around and dispensing self-help advice stage of her career. Alas, all it takes is an insider trading charge and a stint in prison for her fame and fortune to disappear. With nowhere to go upon her release, Darnell turns to her former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell) to help get her life back on track — and seizes upon a brownie-selling opportunity inspired by Claire's young daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). The Boss is an awkward film, and not just because it pairs a predictable storyline with clumsily inserted scenes of outlandish behaviour. It's the kind of movie in which school girls brawl with their mothers in the street, and swearing and physical antics are presented as the height of comedy. Yet the bulk of the awkwardness stems from McCarthy herself. Arguably The Boss ranks alongside The Heat and Spy as one of the actresses better starring roles, but with Identity Thief and Tammy also on her resume, that's not saying much. As committed as she remains to doing whatever it takes to garner laughs, there's no escaping the feeling that she's done it all before. The fact is, audiences may well be getting tired of watching McCarthy bear the brunt of violence, become the butt of jokes and deliver expletive-filled dialogue. Showcasing rather than stretching the energetic performer's many talents is the movie's main aim, however it actually fares best in quieter, less exaggerated moments. There's an astuteness and understanding in the ever-changing dynamic between McCarthy and Bell, even if the latter frequently threatens to steal the show from the former. Dissecting the ways women can both come together and tear each other apart, their exchanges provide The Boss with its much-needed heart. Of course, such moments of depth are few and far between, as is demonstrated by McCarthy's other main adversarial relationship with an over-the-top Peter Dinklage as her ex-boyfriend turned rival. That the end result proves a jumble of earnest sentiment, too-easy gags, one-dimensional characters and inconsistent absurdity is hardly surprising. But at least there's always those unexplained turtlenecks to keep you chuckling.
After being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular — better known as just GABS — returns for its tenth event over the weekend of Friday, May 21–Sunday, May 23. After humble beginnings right here in Melbourne, the festival has now expanded to cover four cities and two countries, and is rightfully considered by most as the best craft beer and cider festival in the Asia Pacific region. And, this year, Melburnians will be attending it at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Creators Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone (The Local Taphouse, Stomping Ground Brewing Co.) will again be wrangling up the best breweries from the region and are offering up hundreds of brews — which includes 120 exclusive festival beers and ciders. These exclusive and often wacky specialty brews are created just for the event and are generally the festival's main draw, giving attendees the rare chance to try brand-spanking new beers while meeting the brewers behind them. Expect collaborations with everyone from coffee roasters and tea houses to gin and whisky distillers. In previous years, brews have also been made with biscuit makers and even an American barbecue smokehouse — so expect plenty of experimental tastes, too. Apart from beer, the event also plays host to a silent disco, live tunes, cornhole, table tennis, giant Jenga and more. The much loved 18-metre-high beer Ferris wheel is always a fixture, as are wandering performances and local food stalls.
The National Gallery of Victoria has been displaying a plethora of Chinese masterpieces lately, and the opening of its new dual exhibitions — Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape — are two more unmissable additions. The most monumental part of the exhibition is undoubtedly the Terracotta Army: a collection of sculptures that were created for the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang's gigantic tomb back around 221–206 BCE but were only discovered in Shaanxi province in 1974. It's one of the 20th century's most significant archaeological finds. The NGV had displayed some of them before back in the 80s, but has managed to score eight (of the estimated 8000) terracotta warriors for its 2019 Winter Masterpieces exhibition. They're supported by a cast of two breathtaking life-size Imperial Army horses and two smaller replica bronze chariots, and complemented by a remarkable selection of gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date back a thousand years. Finding parallels with the terracotta warriors, Cai Guo-Qiang's exhibition provides a contemporary perspective on China's culture and ancient philosophies. Across installation, exhibition design and paintings forged with gunpowder, Cai's work illuminates his sincere commitment to the idea that history and ritual can inform great contemporary art. Below, we've picked out six artworks that highlight why this exhibition is one you have to catch — whether you live in Melbourne or interstate. It will be showing right up until October 13. CAI GUO-QIANG [caption id="attachment_722861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] TRANSIENCE (PEONY) From good fortune to compassion and romance, peonies have held an important significance within Chinese culture for centuries. This artwork is made up of two works, with Transience I (Peony) being a huge mound of porcelain, which has been singed with gunpowder. The second part, Transience II (Peony), is an immersive 360-degree painting where Cai Guo-Qiang showcases the peony throughout its four stages of life — from its emergence to its bloom, wilting and eventually its decay. Each colourful petal displayed across the work was created using colourful gunpowder (in a Williamstown warehouse) to scorch the silk underneath forming unique characteristics and shapes. Together, the two works explore the fragility of life and hint at the downfall of the Qin empire — it was the first dynasty of Imperial China and lasted only 14 years as advisors fought for control. [caption id="attachment_722859" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Titz[/caption] MURMURATION (LANDSCAPE) Featuring 10,000 porcelain starlings, this mind-bending installation seeks to recreate the bewildering phenomenon of 'murmuration', where large flocks of birds move effortlessly in harmony — something that scientists still haven't landed on a conclusive answer for. Simultaneously, Cai's intricate work also resembles the undulating slopes of Mount Li, a culturally and spiritually significant place that was chosen by Emperor Qin Shihuang to house his giant terracotta army. Meanwhile, each of the birds in the artwork were produced in Cai's hometown of Quanzhou, which has strong traditions of crafting high-quality white porcelain. However, Cai used gunpowder to ignite his flock into a dramatic shade of black. [caption id="attachment_723262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Titz[/caption] FLOW (CYPRESS) Like peonies, cypress trees have long been an important emblem in ancient Chinese history. Symbolising resilience and integrity in art and literature, this large-scale creation saw Cai draw with gunpowder and mimic what's known in Chinese as dimai, or 'veins of the earth'. According to feng shui, the Chinese study of energy forces, locations that feature distinct valleys and rivers represent the earth's most abundant settings and have been chosen throughout ancient history as the sites for tombs and other places of supreme importance. This work depicts China's Central Plains, which is considered to be the birthplace of the concepts of yin and yang, Taoism, and the starting point for 400 years of the Han Dynasty. TERRACOTTA WARRIORS [caption id="attachment_723265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] ARMOURED MILITARY OFFICER With an estimated 8000 terracotta warriors buried at the Xi'an excavation site, so far only about 2000 have managed to be successfully removed. However, what has astounded experts is that every figure they've managed to unearth has its own unique attributes, whether that be the uniforms they're wearing, the weapons they carry or the hairstyles of the people. This fact has led many to believe that each of the warriors could actually represent a real-life person from Emperor Qin's army of the time. [caption id="attachment_723264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] KNEELING ARCHER Discovered in one of the excavation site's enormous pits, the kneeling archers are some of the Terracotta Army's best-preserved items that have been discovered to date. Highly realistic with their armour and facial expressions crafted in stunning detail, on average, the kneeling archers stand at about 1.2-metres-tall and are considered absolute masterpieces of ancient Chinese sculpture. It's said that the craftspeople responsible for the Terracotta Warriors paid extra careful attention to the kneeling arches, which can be seen in the stitching on their shoes and the immaculately produced armour plating. [caption id="attachment_723263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] MYTHICAL CREATURE The huge cache of ancient marvels didn't just include thousands of soldiers. For his journey into the afterlife, Emperor Qin decided that he'd need a host of other possessions, people and creatures to help him on his way. So far, archaeologists who remain hard at work digging through the earth have found a wealth of civilian figurines, carriages and even animals, including this remarkably preserved pair of mythical creatures. From singers and acrobats to strongmen, other findings include bronze cranes, horses and suits of armour, plus a host of buildings from his own imperial palace such as halls, stables and offices. Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape will both be on display at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne until Sunday, October 13. Admission is $30 for adults and includes entry to both exhibitions. You can buy tickets at the gallery or in advance here. Images: courtesy NGV International.
UPDATE: MAY 28, 2020 — Since publication of the below article, the Japan Tourism Agency has clarified in a Tweet that the subsidy scheme, called the Go To Travel Campaign, is to "stimulate domestic travel demand within Japan after the COVID-19 pandemic and only cover a portion of domestic travel expenses". The scheme is still under consideration by the Japanese Government. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global tourism as we once knew it virtually disappeared overnight, with borders closing, flights grounded and overseas holidays off the cards for months now. But with Australia, New Zealand and other nations around the world gradually beginning to loosen their coronavirus restrictions, that might eventually change — and if you're wondering where to venture to first, the Japanese government wants to help fund your next getaway. As reported by The Japan Times, the Japan Tourism Agency has announced a tourism subsidy scheme that'll pay a portion of travel expenses for visitors coming into the country. If the idea sounds familiar, that's because the Mediterranean island of Sicily is doing the same thing, as it revealed a few weeks back. JTA's chief Hiroshi Tabata told a press conference that the program would come into effect when Japan's COVID-19 case numbers subside and the country subsequently reopens its borders — which he said could be as early as July. Few other details have been revealed as yet, including exactly what costs the scheme will reimburse (such as flights, accommodation and venue tickets). Still, if strolling across Shibuya's scramble crossing, visiting the Studio Ghibli museum, wandering through a kaleidoscopic maze of digital art, singing karaoke in a ferris wheel and eating Godzilla-themed desserts next to a building-sized Godzilla statue are all on your must-do travel list (and they all definitely should be), this is welcome news. The Japanese agency expects to spend a massive ¥1.35 trillion — approximately AU$19 billion — on the tourism initiative, a move designed to help revive the struggling sector. As The Japan Times also notes, Japan's visitor numbers for January–April 2020 are down 64.1 percent compared to the same period in 2019. And, with the Tokyo Olympics rescheduled from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19, there's no longer a guaranteed influx of travellers expected this year. Japan has been under a state of emergency since early April, but it was lifted on Monday, May 25 by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, with infection numbers — especially in Tokyo — continuing to fall. While lockdowns have been loosening in some regions around the country in recent weeks, the latest move also includes Tokyo, where restrictions on restaurants, bars, libraries and museums are also starting to ease. For further details about the Japan Tourism Agency tourism scheme, keep an eye on the agency's website. Via The Japan Times.
There is something about taking a venue and making it new again that we really respond to. Renovations, redesigns, makeovers: They are inviting, and anyone who has visited The Bridge Hotel or The Richmond Club pre- and post-renovations would have experienced this. The gents behind these incredible makeovers, Sand Hill Road, are at it again with the redesign of The Prahran Hotel. They have taken the much-loved Melbourne venue and added stunning architecture to its already long list of characteristics. With a complete wall of concrete pipes that you can sit in and enjoy your parma, this redesign is incredibly well played. We chat to Matt Mullins from Sand Hill Road about redesigning spaces, the perfect pub and where he goes to enjoy a beer. Tell us about Sand Hill Road and how it came about. Sand Hill Road is a group of four guys. The same four guys [Doug Maskiell, Andy Mullins, Matt Mullins and Tom Birch] that were here when it started. We were all twenty five years old, working different jobs and, at the same time, starting to think maybe this work life wasn't what we wanted. The only thing we knew about was pubs. We knew what we knew from spending our misspent years in pubs. We started with one venue. We renovated it, all ourselves. It was before designers and architects were really briefed to redo Melbourne pubs. After the first one we thought, that's fun, and did it again and again. Since then we've done eight or nine pubs, and we're having a really good time! We use the same architects, Techne Architects and Justin Northrop. We also work with the same builders, Visual Builders. You can't build a place like the new Prahran Hotel without good relationships with architects and builders. What would you say the key elements of a 'great pub' are? We've always said that design is one of the areas where we can push the boundaries. Our market seems happy and excited by this, they love coming and being in an exciting building. But, no doubt about it, we talk about what our market is going to want in terms of the actual product. We talk about the food offering being accessible and good value, and high-quality pub food. We talk about that first. People need to be able to eat in small groups and large groups in the entire venue. We talk about them having a public bar, where anyone can come in and not be judged. People want the barman to know them and know what they drink. In the end, the product offering is a good, simple, honest pub offering. Do you think these elements that make your venues work are specific to a Melbourne audience? We spend a lot of time thinking about it, about if these things we're tapping into are Melbourne things or inner Melbourne things, or if it would have all worked in other areas. The answer is we don't know, but it feels like there is something very Melbourne about our market. It's something about the Melbourne market that really responds to a good, honest pub — to a public bar, to a chicken parma and a pot of Carlton. Being able to watch the footy in the background. We built our pubs around that specific market. What do you think it is that keep people coming back? People come to our pubs once or twice for the design. They come back for things like karma kegs, and the public bar that has become part of their life. They come to know us and they can feel at home there. In many ways the design comes second or third or fifth even. Tell us a little about Karma Kegs? The guys and I have been donating money to different causes over the years. About a year or two ago we thought we might be able to involve our patrons more in this aspect of our lives. They are the business and therefore it made sense that they could be part of the charity process too. Doug came up with the idea of the karma keg, on a Friday, at every venue. We donate a keg of Carlton, and punters decide what they pay for it and the whole lot goes towards a local charity. They always choose to pay more than what's it worth. It's incredibly cool. It tells you a lot about our patrons and how they feel about the community. How did you go about redesigning The Prahran Hotel? We start with asking 'who is the market for us and what do they want?'. We start with the general offering and then we talk about how we can design the building around offering that. The architects always ask, 'who is this pub for boys?' The pipes at The Prahran Hotel are pretty wild, they look really cool, but more importantly you get to sit in one of these pipes with the street on the one side and the venue to the other. The design came out of the need for that community beer garden. The beer garden was stuck out the back and was hard to see and get to. It wasn't doing what it was meant to be doing. We needed to bring it right up to the front. Access it from the public bar, and bring light into the heart of it. The pipes now wrap it around the courtyard, an extension of it so to speak. Do you look to the history of the pub when redesigning? Was that an element of the Prahran Hotel redesigning? We absolutely look to the history of the pub. Design can be a great way to incorporate or evoke the history of a venue. The Prahran was rebuilt in the 1940s in the streamline style, the architectural style that came after art deco. They really added the cruise-ship style in the remodel. Everything was done in big long horizontal lines, with portholes and curved brickwork. With the part of the hotel that we left, we borrowed from that era, specifically the circular motif. They were one of the things that inspired the circular pipes. Essentially, they are porthole windows. Iconic of the era. We took that idea and built them on top of each other, creating the wall of concrete pipes. Aside from your own venues, where do you enjoy spending time in Melbourne? I tend to go to venues for one of two reasons. Firstly, it's for us to learn something architecturally, and a good example would be The Boat Builders Yard. What they did there in terms of inside and outside and making things waterproof inside was fascinating and really interesting. The other reason I go to certain venues is to visit places my friends own. I like to know the publican — The Great Northern for me is the number one beer pub in Melbourne and one of the best in the country. What they know and advise with beer and food is out of this world.
It started back in 1956 as a singing contest between a mere seven nations. Now, more than six decades later, Eurovision is a glitter and spandex-fuelled global musical phenomenon. Forty-one countries not only in Europe but from elsewhere compete — hello Australia — and viewers tune in en masse each May to watch, sing along and add new pop tunes to their playlists. But with COVID-19 continuing to spread, the show won't go on in 2020. Due to take place in Rotterdam, this year's Eurovision Song Contest won't be delayed or rescheduled — it has completely been cancelled. In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union explained that it had explored other alternatives, such as postponing, staging it remotely and running it without an audience, but there was no other viable option. "The uncertainty created by the spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe — and the restrictions put in place by the governments of the participating broadcasters and the Dutch authorities — means the EBU has taken the difficult decision to not continue with the live event as planned," it announced. With big event cancellations and postponements coming through with frequency at the moment — including SXSW, Coachella, Dark Mofo, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Vivid Sydney and Glastonbury, to name a few — scrapping Eurovision 2020 is hardly surprising. It'll still come as a disappointment to fans, however, especially given the contest would've been perfect self-isolating viewing material. And, it's obviously disappointing for the artists already selected by their countries to try to sing their way to glory, such as Aussie talent Montaigne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-wWxu4974&feature=emb_logo While the EBU is still working through the ramifications of cancelling this year's Eurovision, it is in discussions with the City of Rotterdam about hosting the event next year. The Netherlands earned the right to stage Eurovision 2020 when Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence won the 2019 contest with the song 'Arcade' — as is Eurovision tradition, each year's winning country hosts the next year's event. Also under discussion is whether this year's selected artists can perform when the contest returns in 2021 and, if so, whether they can sing their 2020 songs. The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest will no longer be held in May 2020, or at all in 2020. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Port Macquarie's Festival of the Sun has been running for 15 years, and the boutique summer music festival is still bringing the goods. The lineup for this December has just been released and it looks like it'll be a doozy of a 15th birthday celebration. Vera Blue and Pond will headline the three-day fest, with Winston Surfshirt, Skegss, Tkay Maidza, Angie McMahon, Emily Wurramara and Remi lending their voices too. Didirri, Slowly Slowly and West Thebarton — among others — round out what looks like it'll be a big couple of days of music, with more acts still to be announced in September. The camping festival is also — excitingly — BYO, so you don't need to spend your hard-earned cash on overpriced UDLs. Alongside the lineup of live music, there will also be a heap of food trucks (serving everything from burgers to vegan fare), silent discos and silent comedy. On Thursday, dubbed 'Wabi Sabi Thursday', you'll also encounter a heap of crafty workshops, artist stalls and a glitter bar — to help you kick off the colourful weekend in style. The festival is themed each year, and this year it's the "Roll On Up" edition — looks like it's time to whip out your circus costumes and maybe start practising your stilt walking. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday, August 9. FESTIVAL OF THE SUN 2018 LINEUP Vera Blue Pond Winston Surfshirt Skegss Tkay Maidza Remi Angie McMahon West Thebarton Didirri Slowly Slowly Kwame Emily Wurramara Clowns Boat Show Pist Idiots Good Doogs Clews Jess Locke Body Type Triple One Clypso Halcyon Drive Grace Turner Unearthed
In Swiss Army Man, Daniel Radcliffe plays a dead guy with a rather particular set of skills. Manny is prone to excessive bouts of flatulence, and uses his explosive gift to assist his only friend. After he washes up on a deserted island, he's just what Paul Dano's stranded and suicidal Hank needs to help him find his way back to civilisation. Manny also comes in handy in a host of other ways: his erections act as a compass, he spits fresh water out of his mouth, and he simply gives Hank some much-needed company. You may have already heard about the so-called farting corpse movie, particularly after it reportedly prompted mass walk-outs at this year's Sundance Film Festival (where it also won the Best Directing award). In truth, there's a lot more to Swiss Army Man than the emphasis on bodily functions would suggest. The feature filmmaking debut of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as DANIELS), consider it the sweetest film you're likely to see about a deceased dude who looks like Harry Potter letting rip. Indeed, every burst of air expelled from Manny's buttocks provides a reminder of why everyone is so obsessed with the noisy but amusing phenomena. Put simply, to fart is to be human. Remembering what it is to be alive is just what Hank needs after much too long spent in isolation — and if it takes being forced to explain the ins and outs of love, family, masturbation and more to a cadaver whose chatter could simply be a figment of his imagination, then so be it. Sure, it's a rather absurd way for a film to address existential concerns, but hey, it works. As silly as it all appears, there's a careful balancing act at the heart of Swiss Army Man as it charts the unlikely duo's time together, including the stories Hank tells Manny about the girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) he had a crush on before his current predicament changed his life forever. Kwan and Scheinert might seem to spend a little too much time revelling in scatological humour, but after inspiring laughs, they also spin a story that contemplates plenty of hard truths. Actually, it's not just the toilet gags that may throw viewers off, but also the film's dream-like look and feel. Yet it's also why the end product isn't only insightful, but also so utterly disarming. It takes confidence to go from boy wizard-level fame to zipping around the ocean like a human jet ski. Radcliffe proves not just up to the challenge, but adept at bringing his dead character to life. While some sequences follow in the footsteps of '80s comedy Weekend at Bernie's, Manny is more than a prop — he's the film's not-quite-beating heart. Across from Radcliffe, Dano does what he does best, although he's much more effective when he has his co-star to bounce off of. With that in mind, you can add tender buddy comedy to Swiss Army Man's list of qualities. In short, this fart-filled flick will move you in more ways than one.
Turns out the Rumours were true — Fleetwood Mac are touring Australia and New Zealand in 2013. Founded in the late-'60s as a blues band, they became superstars in the 1970s (with the addition of Lindsay Buckingham and one Stevie Nicks to the lineup), when songs like 'Rhiannon', 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Dreams' became multimillion sellers and went on to dominate all the best karaoke nights for decades. The lineup from that golden period broke up in 1987 following years of divorce, drug abuse and an almost-complete breakdown of every relationship in the band, but they reunited this year for a North American (and now, Australian) tour. Reviews from the shows so far have been largely positive, so they might just keep it together through the rest of the year. If you don't know them, (a) seriously? and (b) just check your parents' record collection — they'll be there. Announced on the weekend, the tour currently stands at eight dates throughout November and December — but big gaps between shows have already led to speculation that more dates will be added if the shows sell out quickly. Tickets for the Australian concerts go on sale Thursday, June 13. Sunday, November 10 – Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Saturday, November 16 – Hope Estate, Hunter Valley Tuesday, November 19 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Friday, November 22 – Perth Arena, Perth Tuesday, November 26 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, November 30 – A Day On The Green, The Hill Winery, Geelong Monday, December 2 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, December 6 – Vector Arena, Auckland
Whether you're a green thumb or a total gardening novice, you'll score great tips and tricks for growing your own food when FareShare opens its Abbotsford kitchen garden to the public on Saturday, October 14. The food charity cooks as many as 5000 free meals across Australia each day using rescued surplus food, in addition to produce harvested from its own collection of urban kitchen gardens. That includes this lush, 70-bed veggie patch by Victoria Park railway station, a one-time dumping ground that's been given new life thanks to a tribe of volunteers and support from the RACV, Gandel Philanthropy and urban food-growing initiative 3000 Acres. The Open Garden day invites locals along to have a sticky-beak and discover how FareShare is transforming disused urban plots like these into vibrant, veggie-growing wonderlands. There'll be guided tours of the gardens as well as a program of guest speakers covering topics from bee keeping and composting, through to urban agriculture. And if it all leaves you inspired to do some gardening of your own, a range of seedlings will be available to purchase for a gold coin donation. FareShare's kitchen garden Open Garden runs from 10am till 1pm on Saturday, October 14. Find the garden at Lulie Street, Abbotsford. For more info, visit fareshare.net.au.
The Makers and Shakers Market will visit Melbourne again on Sunday, November 10, bringing with it the whole kit and caboodle of bespoke ceramics, homewares and jewellery (as well as tasty food to rejuvenate you when you get the oh-no-I-just-spent-all-my-money sweats). Kick things off at 10am with a coffee, spend a few hours browsing, and then chow down on a toastie or perhaps a gluten-free vegan doughnut. The market gives space to local makers to sell their handmade wares, with everything from ceramic keep cups to floral tote bags to be found. Stallholders change with each market, but you can expect everything from bright art, flowers and designer soaps to whimsical lamps and jars of sticky caramel based on previous lineups. And that's just the crust of the pie — there are many more to choose from when you take a full bite. Images: Alana Dimou.
On its face, Chicken People is about the cheery behind-the-scenes world of poultry competitions. It's a documentary about the people who live, breathe, and show (but generally do not eat) poultry, and is actually fairly educational for those who might not know much about our fair-feathered friends. More so than that though, it's a study of a small group of people who are just really, really passionate about what they do. Director Nicole Lucas Haimes takes viewers through a year in the life of some of the top competitors from the 2014 Ohio National Poultry Show, as they prep their prize birds for the same event 12 months later. There's Brian C, a singer and performer who has recently sacrificed his role in a stage show to devote more time to his obsession. There's Shari, a mum who has beaten alcoholism and now spends hours every week washing and blow-drying her prize silky breed chooks. And there's Brian K, an engineer who obsessively cross-breeds his chickens in the ultimate search for the perfect bird. What makes Chicken People such a charming portrait of something you probably have zero interest in is that it stays well and truly away from wtf territory. It doesn't condescend, patronise or alienate its subjects – it just follows them and provides the audience with handy pop-up facts about what makes the perfect chicken. Who knows when that information will come in handy. A touching aspect of the film is singer Brian C's parents, who have taken up the mantel of caring for his birds while he's away performing. They have no real interest in chickens and aren't particularly fond of the work, but they sure are fond of their son. His dad is a constant presence at the competitions with him, a sweet example of familial love and what you'll do for the ones you care about. Along the way, we also discover Shari's past battles with alcohol and mental health. When the 2015 Ohio competition is cancelled due to an outbreak of avian flu, she finds it hard to follow other competitors heading to a replacement comp in another state – being a greater distance away, she feels anxious being that far from her home. When she finally tells the camera that she's overcome her fears and has decided to head along, we realise just how invested in these chicken-mad folk we've become. If Chicken People has a problem, it's also kind of a strength: its subjects are just so damn lovely. There's no contrived drama, no bitchiness, and no bad words. The competitors all hug each other when the winners are announced, and even when Brian K sees his ex-girlfriend at the show, it results in a happy reunion. Perhaps viewers will yearn for a bit of swearing and stink eye. Then again, maybe we're better off with a nice doco about nice people to counteract all the nastiness in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ZShxa6wJ0
If there's a festive trend that everyone can get on board with, it's the emergence of luxury, adult-oriented advent calendars. The start of December now means ripping open the doors, day by day, on something other than cardboard and cheap chocolate. Booze, beauty products, candles, ties, toys, tea, fancier foods: they're all there for the taking in daily doses — and now, so is cheese. The cheese advent calendar is being called a world-first, and it started out as a home-made affair. London-based food blogger Annem Hobson set herself a challenge to come up with the dairy-lover's delight back in 2015, and had such fun making and eating it that she's now preparing to start selling them. Alas, you won't be able to get your cheese fix until 2017; however you can register your interest on the calendar's website. At the time of writing, more than 9,000 people had done just that — and that tally keeps climbing. Everyone's dreaming of a cheddar, brie or gouda filled Christmas, it seems. "But I want cheese now!" your stomach is probably screaming. Don't worry, there's a solution. Hobson has also shared a step-by-step guide to making your own. 'Tis the season for some cheese-inspired arts and crafts, perhaps? Image: So Wrong It's Nom.
Bundle your art-loving mates into the back of your car for this immersive audio piece from theatremaker Sam Routledge and sound artist Dylan Sheridan for the Festival of Live Art. Held at a secret carwash location that will be revealed when you book your tickets, Crush takes place inside your vehicle as it is being cleaned. Engulfed by this enormous machine, with Sheridan's rhythmic score filtering through your car radio, you'll be forced to ponder your relationship with technology, and where humanity may be headed. Not to mention, you also get a clean car out of the deal. Image: Lucy Parakhina.
We all love a good pictorial menu to help make those dish selections easier, but how about a menu that that lets you have a sneaky taste of everything before you order — including drinks? That's what the innovative minds at renowned Singaporean bar and restaurant, The Tippling Club, have created for their latest cocktail program, 'Dreams and Desires'. No, you won't sip each beverage before you make your pick. Rather, you'll eat them. The world's first edible cocktail menu, it's the brainchild of head bartender Joe Schofield and chef-owner Ryan Clift, realised with help from American company International Flavors and Fragrances Inc. Instead of a regular old written cocktail list to peruse, guests get one of those classic striped candy bags, filled with 12 different flavoured gummy bears. Each of these speaks to a specific dream or desire, flavoured to represent one of the bar's new signature cocktails. You might find yourself seduced by Lust's heady blend of Champagne, peach, tonka bean and vanilla; or loading up on good vibes with the honey, citrus and tequila creation called Happiness. There's a concoction dubbed Revenge, featuring a moody mix of vodka and umami bitters, and even one called Baby, which is served in a kid's bottle. Choose a favourite based on which flavours take your fancy, and you should end up with your ideal cocktail. The Tippling Club, which recently took out 31st position at the World's 50 Best Bars awards, is no stranger to thinking outside the box when it comes to drinks lists. Launched late last year, its experimental Sensorium cocktail menu used various scents to trigger memories of yesteryear. And, while enjoying their new tipples — and the tasty selection process — will usually require a trip to Singapore, Brisbanites are in for a special sneak peek on December 1 and 2. That's when The Tippling Club bartender Jonathan Lee will be stopping by Gerard's Bar for a two-day Tippling Club takeover in celebration of the new menu. Fancy an overseas cocktail adventure? Find The Tippling Club at 38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore.
Founded in 1998, the National Young Writers' Festival is this year celebrating its sweet sixteenth. Of course this doesn't mean they'll be spending the whole festival talking about blogs and feelings while chugging cheap champagne. Although, come to think of it, there is this panel on blogging and this thing all about feelings. And okay, sure, this fake formal is bound to have some Passion Pop on hand. But contrary to the testimony of anyone who's actually met a 16-year-old, being around for that long does give you a bit of wisdom. NYWF consistently delivers an appealing free program and offers amazing insight, advice and assistance to young creatives from all over the country. Like migration, hundreds of wide-eyed literary types descend on Newcastle for it each year — Moleskines in hand. From October 3-6, this year's festival will host 75 free events featuring over 100 young artists including the likes of Tom Ballard, Lorelei Vashti, Benjamin Law and Anna Krien. Over just three days, this can all be a bit overwhelming. NYWF offers frank and honest discussions with the best and most relatable voices in Australian writing, but how can we take it in with everybody talking at once? With the program just released and our fingers poised over Jetstar's 'confirm' button, here's a little of what you can expect from the blossoming festival — Passion Pop and all. Workshops and Panels First and foremost, NYWF is a time for the country's up-and-comers to get together and hone their craft. Ever feel like the lit nerd or the outsider? Don't worry. Everyone sitting next to you at this festival fawned over Vonnegut in high school; for these three days no one's going to give you shit for doing an arts degree. Writing can often be an arduous process so the best events are the ones that force you to put pen to paper. Get each morning started with the Everyday Flash Fiction workshop — breeze down from the seaside, pick up a coffee, and let Scum, The Lifted Brow, and Seizure put a (metaphorical) gun to your head to get you writing. You'll feel productive for the rest of the day, I promise. Plus, if you pen a really touching love poem you can head along to the Speed Writing event and share it. That's right, it's a mix between speed dating and writing — it should be fun because writers are really outgoing and not awkward at all. For the shier amongst us, there will also be a series of more introspective workshops: why do we write, why do we want awards — hell, why do we even go to these festivals? If those are a bit too Inception for you, there's also a handy session called How to not be a douche. Once that's covered, there's not too much else you'll need to know. Parties All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and the same goes for writers. Just look at Jack Kerouac. That's not a great example, but you get the idea. As much as NYWF is a great place to learn, it's also an excellent place to get loose. This isn't class. The panellists won't care if you slur a question over your pint of beer. Actually, I wouldn't take the chance of that at the douche workshop — you'd really be asking for it. But hey, it's spring, you're by the sea, and most events are held in licensed venues — you should take advantage of it. At last year's launch, The Lifted Brow put a naked man on the stage to welcome in their new edition; there was a big party at the Great Northern themed 'Hip Hop Safari'; and it was very much encouraged to bring longnecks and bottles of tequila to the Late Night Read. This year will offer similar opportunities with another mixed bag launch, a session of oddly specific '90s literary trivia, and the most excellent idea of all, a Paranormal Formal. Even with all the civilised panels and writing workshops, I promise the best chances you have of wooing your favourite writer or editor will be as they're dressed as a magician drinking goon punch out of a plastic cup. Readings What would a writers festival be without hearing some of these much-praised words spoken aloud? My highlight of last year's festival was the Late Night Read — an intimate event where writers came together to share their work with midnight beers and mayhem. Lawrence Leung read a story about touching his housemate's underwear, Ben Law talked about old penises, and Tom Walker told an animated story about time travel — it was pretty great. This year, the event is back, with each night having a designated theme: Closer Each Day, Home and Away, Hi, Heartbreak, and Everybody Needs Good Neighbours. I can't say for sure that all the works will be about primetime Australian drama, but I also can't say they won't be. Sydney group Penguin Plays Rough will also be bringing their readings event to the festival, taking a select audience into the tunnels of Fort Scratchley. Underground, you can hear seven writers tell stories of Australia's military history. If you like your entertainment a bit lighter, there will also be readings about first times, trolls and a three-part exploration of memory. The Great Unknown Most things at writers festivals are pretty straight forward. The panels usually oscillate somewhere between 'Who Even Are We?' and 'Where Are We Going?', and the parties often turn into cringe-worthy soirees designed for 'networking' — the single worst word in the world, perhaps only with the exception of 'moist'. NYWF is different. Maybe it's just the sea-air, but things are a little more weird and a lot more fun. The element of the unknown or unexpected is what makes the festival so great. There's the Paranormal Formal and the Speed Writing — there's the 90s literary trivia. But there's a whole host of odd things to look out for over your three-day stay. To start with, there's a real-life sleepover. Yep, you actually have the opportunity to don a onesie and play truth or dare with your favourite writers. You can even sleep alongside them if they're cool with it — seriously, please get their consent. If that's not weird enough, Freya Wright Brough is going to be making you feel guilty about your lack of productivity by writing for 24 hours straight, and there's a workshop dedicated to scribbling all over Gina Rinehart's biography. After all this, you'll find the best events by meeting some new friends and stumbling into something unexpected. NYWF is only one element of the This is Not Art Festival after all, so hold tight, you haven't even heard the half of it. Photographs: Lucien Alperstein and Lucy Parakhina
If, for the last 20 years or so, you've been hanging out for your acceptance letter to Hogwarts, well, sorry to say: it's not coming. But that's okay because The Colonial Hotel is determined to make it up to you by way of Wizard Fest. There won't be: George Weasley, flying brooms. There will be: fortune telling, wand selling and magic. Head into The Colonial on Friday, July 28 in your finest witch or wizard get-up (don't be a muggle, now – there's a best dressed prize) for the fest, and you can live out all your Hogwarty dreams for a night. There'll apparently be a DJ Snape spinning "cauldrons" all evening as well as a free photo booth. Look, Harry Potter may have been made for kids but, no, we're still not over it. As such, this is an 18+ event so don't bring your younger siblings (or your cats or toads) and there will be firey whisky and buttery brews on offer.
Thinking of downsizing? Are you aware that you could be part of a movement? The tiny house movement, to be exact. Unenthused by mortgages, mopping and mountains of stuff, more and more people are shifting into Snugglepot-sized spaces. We're about to take a journey through some of the teeniest-tiniest houses in the whole world. Not only do they make you wish you could climb into a J.R.R. Tolkien novel, they're also the environment's new best friend. OTIS (Optimal Travelling Independent Space) Move over, Winnebago. This pod-on-wheels is the creation of a bunch of American REED (Renewable Energy and Ecological Design) students from Green Mountain College, Vermont. Not only is it mobile and ridiculously cute, it's also self-sufficient. A 300-watt solar powered system delivers electricity, a rain collection facility supplies water and the toilet is of the composting variety. Nearly all the construction materials are recycled. At just 2.4 x 3.6m, the OTIS can be easily towed via trailer. The Tiny Project American web designer Alek Lisefski and his partner Anjali were tired of paying through-the-roof rent. At the same time, though, they wanted a place to call home. So Lisefski took matters into his own hands by designing and building a portable miniature house. It's known as The Tiny Project and its motto is "Less House. More Life". Built-in, foldable furniture maximises the 2.4 x 6m of interior floor space. An elevated loft serves as a bedroom and there's even a 2.2 square metre outdoor verandah. "While living in such a small house, my space, and in turn each area of my life, will be simpler, less chaotic, and free from all but what is essential," Lisefski told Gizmag. APH80 Rome might not have been built in a day, but the APH80 can be. Created by Spanish design studio ABATON, it's an impeccably designed, portable micro-home. A double bedroom, lounge-kitchen and bedroom make up its 27 square metres, with a 3.5m gabled roof providing an airy, spacious feel. Sustainably sourced timber is used throughout. If there's no water between your place and Spain, have your very own APH80 delivered for US$42,000. Chico Tiny House A husband and wife team based in Chico, California, designed this 11.1 square metre home. On their Facebook page, Palm to Palm, they describe themselves as "dreamers ... who are holding the vision of bringing a community based sustainable into existence, one alternative dwelling at a time". They built the Chico Tiny House on a tight budget without any construction experience. Now, aspiring micro-dwelling owners are begging for a copy of the plans, soon to be made open source. The sustainable design includes south-facing windows, polyiso insulation, solar-powered hot water and a green house, where grey water can be recycled. The Hobbit Hutch No tiny house list would be complete without the mention of at least one gypsy caravan. This Texas-based, 5.2 square metre Hobbit Hutch features all the mod cons, including a faux wood stove, air-conditioning, coffee machine, chandelier, foldable dining table and bed. There's also a 1.8 square metre verandah. The owners — writers and artists by the names of James and Sidney Mangum — have plans to build an outdoor toilet and shower, to be stored inside a plywood cube and surrounded with curtains for privacy.
With its fantastic puppetry, tight choreography and more than a few damp-eye moments, the National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse is taking another canter across Australia's stages. After first touring Down Under in 2012–13, the Tony Award-winning play will return in 2020, with seasons currently planned for Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel of the same name, the boy-meets-horse tale was originally adapted for the stage by British playwright Nick Stafford, and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, way back in 2007. Opening shortly before the start of the First World War, War Horse is the love story of a Devonshire lad, Albert, and a young foal, Joey — who, once it has come of age, is sold into service for the British Army. Seeing the injustice in this, the play's boy hero fights against age restrictions and cartwheels to Calais to save Joey, at which point his youthful bravado is tear-gassed into the harsh reality of early modern warfare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMVKWxZyIZU After its first NT run, the play proved to be such a tremendous success that it relocated to the West End and Broadway, and has galloped across everywhere from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands to South Africa and China. Along the way, it has picked up two Olivier Awards and five Tonys, including for Best Play — and been seen by thousands of audiences. You might also remember the 2011 film adaptation of Morpurgo's novel, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, starred a long list of British talent including Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch, and was nominated for six Oscars. On the stage, War Horse owes its longevity to South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, which has created a stable of horses, some soon-to-die cavalry, crows, swallows and a very animated goose. Though surrounded by puppeteers and, in parts, constructed out of obviously mechanical pieces, these puppets realistically breathe and quickly pop out as the most genuine players in the show. War Horse plays Melbourne's Regent Theatre from January 10, 2020, then heads to the Sydney Lyric from February 15, before moving to Perth's Crown Theatre from March 24. For further details, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to warhorseonstage.com.au.
They're sticky, cinnamon scrolls, drenched in glaze and famous all across the USA. And now, at last, they'll be available Down Under. Yep, Seattle-born bakery chain Cinnabon will land in Australia imminently, with a Brisbane outpost ready to open before the year is out. The launch was first announced in January this year, when family-run Queensland company Bansal Foods scored the Aussie rights to Cinnabon. But, now, we finally have some details. Set to open on Saturday, December 14, the store will be located inside Toombul Shopping Centre in Brisbane's north. Cinnabon has been going strong in America since 1985 so it's already picked up plenty of Aussie fans along the way. But this will be the first time we're able to get our hands on those sticky, cinnamon-infused baked goods on home soil. The new Brisbane store be slinging a trio of Cinnabon cult classics, including the classic cream cheese cinnamon roll, the popular chocolate-drizzled Chocobon, and very extra Caramel Pecanbon. They'll be available in both mini and large sizes, along with packs featuring either four or nine 'minibons'. There will be coffee and lots of sugary drinks to pair with your snacks, too, including a cinnamon bun frappe. And, if you're yet to get acquainted with the decadent dessert creations, just know to expect aromatic, cinnamon-spiked dough made to a long-held recipe, decked out with stacks of signature cream cheese frosting and loaded with extras. They're notoriously tough to replicate. Toombul Shopping Centre recently opened a new neon-lit upstairs dining precinct, Cinnabon won't be a part of that. Instead, it'll be located on the ground floor near the Coles. And if you're not in Brisbane, it probably won't be too long until Cinnabon makes its way down south. The Toombul store is set to be the first of many. A second Brisbane store in Mt Gravatt is set to open in January 2020 and, going off plans announced earlier in the year, Cinnabon is looking to launch in Sydney and beyond in 2021. Cinnabon is slated to open its first Australian store on Saturday, December 14 on the ground level of Toombul Shopping Centre, 1015 Sandgate Road, Toombul. We'll keep you updated on an exact opening date.
If Vegemite can find its way into chocolate, milk shakes, icy poles, ice creams, burgers, pies and smoothies, then it can also be used as a popcorn flavour. In fact, compared to drinking it in milk or turning into dessert, Vegemite popcorn sounds positively reasonable — and it's now a thing that exists. The certain-to-be-polarising snack is available for a limited time at Village and Event cinemas across Australia, turning your next cinema visit into a culinary experiment. Seeing a movie isn't exciting enough for you? Why not pair it with something that you're either going to love or hate to eat — because, let's face it, when it comes to Vegemite they're the only two reactions. In a way, the food mashup makes sense. Everyone loves popcorn smothered in butter, or even just flavoured with butter, so why not throw in another kind of spread as well? And, why not throw in something else on top, too? Not content with simply serving up Vegemite-flavoured popcorn, the Chef's Gourmet Premium Popcorn flavour combines Vegemite and cheese. If you're after other kinds of unusual taste combinations, raspberry and white chocolate, rocky road and salted caramel popcorn is also available. And if you're fine with plain old popcorn — and eating your Vegemite in non-popcorn forms — that's perfectly okay. Via B and T.
Some words just look strange. 'Snooze', for example. Or 'rug'. The longer you stare at them, the more they seem to resemble that alien language. Yet, if our iPhones did not offer 'snooze' as an option each morning, we would be a most embittered human race. Indeed, weird can be good. 'agIdeas' is another strange-looking word. But don't be fooled. For the agIdeas International Design Week is one of the largest (and most illustrious) design festivals this planet has to offer. Developed and presented by the Design Foundation in Melbourne, agIdeas returns in 2013 with a lineup of workshops, competitions, exhibitions and forums sure to get the imaginative secretion overflowing. Bringing yet another 40 internationally acclaimed creatives to engage Melbourne this year (including Smart Design's Dan Formosa and Teague's John Barratt), agIdeas is the place to be from April 29 to May 3, whether you're hunting for aesthetic inspiration, a career in design or a hub of original individuals to call your own.
Where: Alfred Cresent, Fitzroy North Picnics are one of the wonderful things that summer brings. Finding the right combination of friends, food, sun and a cheeky drink or two is how we like to enjoy the warmer months. And the Edinburgh Gardens in the heart of Fitzroy - a stone's throw from Brunswick Street - is a go-to spot for many a local. The picturesque gardens date back to 1883 when sporting events were played on the surrounding ovals. With endless grassy lawns canopied by sheltering trees, Edinburgh Gardens caters to a diverse range of picnicgoers. Couples, families and groups alike flock in the warmer months to snag a prime patch of green. Rally your friends, grab your rug, basket, gourmet goodies, and a Frisbee, bocce or bowls, because you’re about to have yourself a damn good time.
Summer may be well and truly done and dusted, but spritz season is kicking on strong at Richmond's Baby Pizza. In fact, the venue's serving up a fresh series of daily aperitivo specials to see you happily sipping through winter. From 3–5pm each day, Baby is slinging serves of its latest fizzy seasonal sip, a sweet vermouth-infused Winter Spritz, for just $8.80 a pop. Otherwise, part with $6.50 and you can choose from a Peroni Rossa or glass of red instead. If you're also feeling peckish, you'll find plenty to love about the venue's new aperitivo food menu, featuring loaded salumi platters, pea and mint arancini and parmesan-crusted polenta chips. Walk-ins are welcome, though you can make a booking online if you want to be sure of nabbing a table.
UPDATE: MARCH 31, 2020 — Since publication, the NSW and Victorian Governments have both released detailed directions surrounding enforcement of the new public gathering and social distancing rules. Police in NSW and Victoria will start handing out on-the-spot fines from midnight tonight, Monday, March 30, for those disobeying the new rules surrounding public gatherings and social distancing. Announced last night by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, indoor and outdoor gatherings must now be limited to two people, excluding those in your household. If you're not with those you live with, you should only be with one other person. The previous gathering limit was ten people. It was also announced that public playgrounds, outdoor gyms and skateparks will close from today. The new two-person limit on public gatherings does not apply to weddings (which have a current limit of five people) and funerals (which have a limit of ten), but it does apply to group bootcamps. Also announced last night are new restrictions on social distancing. Outlined by the Prime Minister, and reiterated by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews this morning, Australians should only be leaving their homes for one of four reasons: shopping for what you need — such as food and other essential supplies — "as infrequently as possibly"; for medical care or compassionate reasons; to exercise, in-line with the new two-person limit; and for work or education if you cannot work or learn remotely. Both Premiers said that leaving your home for an unnecessary reason could also land you an on-the-spot fine. https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/posts/2970976326300217?__tn__=-R On-the-spot fines for individuals not following the new public gathering and social distancing rules are $1652 in Victoria and $1000 in NSW. Penalties are also in place for those not following self-isolation regulations. You can find out more about the new public gathering and social distancing rules at here, and find out how they're being enforced in Victoria and NSW via the State Government websites. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Whether you love 70s tunes, are obsessed with 80s tracks, live for the 90s or can't get enough 00s vibes, getting a musical blast from the past is rather easy in Australia at the moment. Every week or so, an iconic name seems to be dropping tour dates — from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elton John and Beck through to Blink-182, the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys, plus everyone from TISM to TLC. The latest to join the list: Sir Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper. They're teaming up and coming Down Under in 2023 for a string of dates across arenas and wineries. Yes, that means that 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?', 'Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright),' 'Time After Time' and 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' are all going to get a whirl at the same gig. Stewart is the headliner, with a huge focus on his hits, including 'You Wear It Well', 'You're In My Heart', 'Sailing', 'Rhythm Of My Heart' and 'Maggie May' as well across a massive two-hour set. But having Lauper onboard is a huge drawcard, whether you love 'True Colours' or appreciate her Tony Award-winning work on the Kinky Boots musical, where she became the first solo woman to win the acclaimed prize for Best Original Score (music and lyrics). She'll play for an hour before Stewart. The pair will be joined by Noiseworks and INXS' Jon Stevens — playing arena shows in Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and the Hunter Valley. If you're a wine-and-dance kind of gig-goer, all three are also gracing the stage in Geelong, Mount Cotton and Bowral as part of A Day on the Green, too. ROD STEWART'S THE HITS! AUSTRALIAN 2023 TOUR WITH CYNDI LAUPER DATES: Saturday, March 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Tuesday, March 14 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, March 21 — AEC Arena, Adelaide Wednesday, March 29 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, April 1 — Roche Estate, Hunter Valley A DAY ON THE GREEN DATES: Saturday, March 18 — Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong Saturday, March 25 — Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton Sunday, April 2 — Centennial Vineyards, Bowral Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper are touring Australia in March and April 2023. For more information about the arena shows, head to the Live Nation website. For the A Day on the Green shows, head to the festival's website. Tickets for all gigs go on sale at 1pm local time on Thursday, November 17.
Some of the best young comedians of the American stand-up circuit make up the docket on this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival Headliners stream. In fact, the lineup is so jam-packed that they've split it into two separate streams. From March 30 to April 9, ticketholders will enjoy the comedy stylings of Emily Heller, Jak Knight, Liza Treyger and Ryan Hamilton. Then from April 10 until April 23, they'll be replaced by Fortune Feimster, Janelle James, Joe DeRosa and Orlando Baxter. Between them, these guys have appeared in everything from Inside Amy Schumer to Horace and Pete to Late Night with Seth Meyers. USA!
This news isn't like rain on your wedding day. It doesn't resemble finding a black fly in your chardonnay. And it definitely isn't anything like hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, either. But, it will have you singing those lines — and it is news that you oughta know — because 15-time Tony Award-nominated musical Jagged Little Pill is heading to Melbourne. The Broadway show's debut trip Down Under was first announced back in April; however, its planned September launch in Sydney was then postponed due to lockdown. Now, it's locked in to make its Aussie premiere in December in the Harbour City, before hitting up Melbourne from January. The entire Aussie run marks the acclaimed production's first trip beyond Broadway, in fact — and it'll play the Comedy Theatre from Sunday, January 2, 2022. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the Musical weaves a story around songs from that iconic record. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Famed tracks 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. And, songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. [caption id="attachment_826864" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jagged Little Pill the Musical Broadway opening night curtain call, Bruce Glikas[/caption] At present, tickets are on sale for shows until Sunday, February 6, all starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She'll play Mary Jane Healey, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical telling the Healey family's tale as they struggle with their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a story about social issues relevant to today, but also with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Jagged Little Pill the Musical will play Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from Sunday, January 2, 2022. For further details and to buy tickets, head to the musical's website. Top image: Matthew Murphy.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Chris Sörman has a pretty enviable lifestyle. As a pro snowboarder and member of the Beautifully Swedish Collective, he travels the world's most dreamy alpine regions and makes them his playground. Here he lets us in on what it's like to live in a permanent winter wonderland and why he never gets tired of going home to Sweden. How did you get into snowboarding? I was, as a kid, into all kinds of sports. Skateboarding was my main thing and I was living the lifestyle with baggy pants and dreadlocks listening to Wutang. When I was eight snowboarding came into my life and I fell in love from the first moment. I decided shortly after that to become a professional in that area. It's worked out pretty good so far. What is the greatest thing about snowboarding for a living? To be able to wake up every single day and do what you like the most in life with your best friend. I wish that for every single person on this earth. Who or what inspires you? A bunch of people have been a big inspiration to me during my ten years as a professional, people both inside and outside of the snowboarding industry. They could be very good snowboarders or just a random person with a good way of looking at life. I am always trying to capture the best of people into myself to create the best possible me. What do you like to get up to most when there's no snow around? I like to do a lot of different things. I am actually a bit of a 'workaholic'. I always have my hands full with different business ideas and projects. I love the feeling of being busy! You've also had a huge hand in a number of Pirate Movie Production films. How did you get into that and how big a role do you play behind the camera versus in front of the camera? Definitely had a bigger role in front of the camera. I mean, I am a snowboarder, not a director. But I definitely always have my input when it comes to angles and stuff like that. But it's not up to me to make that final call. In the end my mission is to always deliver high-class riding. I have spent many seasons filming with Pirate Movie Productions. They are now the biggest snowboard movie company in Europe, so it's pretty cool to have been part of it pretty much since day one. Why do you think snowboarding and film go so well together? I just think people enjoy watching it. I mean it looks like a lot of fun, right? Sometimes it's crazy and people like to watch things that are a bit crazy. The sun is shining, snow is flying and we are doing big jumps — what's not to like. You seem to have boarded in some pretty amazing places. Where is your favourite place to hit the slopes or film and why? I always get this question, and it's always the same answer. Where my friends are, that's where I have the most fun riding. Doesn't matter if it's on the big mountains of Austria, a small hill in Sweden or somewhere in Japan. It's not about the surroundings; it's about the people you're with. Is the travel and the lifestyle of a professional snowboarder such as yourself as amazing as it seems? Most of the time I really enjoy it, but for sure it has its bad sides as well, like anything in life — being away from family, travelling alone, no time for relationships and your sleep and health can really be affected when you're travelling, you have no structure in your life. Everybody has a favourite travel memory that will live with them forever. What's yours? So many! But when I won the Burton European Open back in 2005, that is my biggest and best memory from my career. You get to travel a lot but your home country of Sweden is pretty beautiful. What are your favourite things about her? I will never move from Sweden. I don't really know why? I have been to many countries all over the world in my life and they all have their specialties. Away is good, but home is always the best! Sweden is my home. You know what I'm saying.
According to Toronto-based Richard Smith, 'I have a laptop. It needs a case. So I make laptop sleeves.' Although a simple idea at heart, Richard's computer sleeves are nothing short of unique. Made from vintage sweaters and shirts, Computerwear repurposes unused and unappreciated clothing into suave, handmade laptop and iPad cases, transforming your gadget from an inanimate piece of technology into a proper gentleman. If you never leave home without your laptop or iPad, Computerwear will save your gear from the unwanted and unavoidable bumps and scratches of everyday life. Available on Richard's Etsy store, Finders&Keepers, the cases are machine-washable (unless otherwise noted) and dryer friendly, and make for a pretty dapper tech accessory at US$65.
There's something meta about attending an acutely authentic Spanish feast at a venue whose name doesn't allude to the fact that it does anything of the sort. That is, the Robert Burns Hotel. But, all apprehensions are left at old Robbie's door (guaranteed), because this place is possibly Melbourne's best Spanish restaurant. And the best time to go? Their monthly 'Dine the Spanish Regions' dinners. Held on the last Tuesday of every month, these dinners uncover one region at a time. Past events have taken diners into Extramadura, Andalucia and La Rioja. These feasts have somewhat of a cult following. Actual Spanish nationals come here to get a taste of home; we once attended a dinner where two of the guests were actually from the region. It's legit. This month, the culinary tour of Spain continues on to Asturias — one of the regions that make up the north coast of the country. For $79 you'll be plated up with four courses of traditional fare, matched with wines that come sourced (if possible) straight from the place in question; everything is considered and culturally specific to the region. So don't come expecting paella — come ready to try specialties you will scarcely find outside of the villages of Spain.
Despite the smorgasbord of events, activities and experiences Melbourne serves up on the daily, sometimes you can still find yourself stuck in a big ol' rut, sticking to the same game plan week in, week out. Well, we're here to remind you that there are plenty of ways to shake up your routine, and all sorts of adventures and explorations that can easily be squeezed in around your usual nine-to-five. To help you discover even more of your city, we've teamed up with our mates at Mitsubishi, in celebration of the new Eclipse Cross, to round up seven great calendar additions for the week ahead. From kicking off the week with some wholesome morning exercise and eats to creating a unique piece of designer jewellery to loading up on Mother Nature at Melbourne's own tree museum, here are seven discoveries you can make this week. [caption id="attachment_622412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James.[/caption] MONDAY, AUGUST 27: FRESH AIR AND A VEGGIE BREAKFAST Start your week with a walk (or run) along the Merri Creek Trail. Mondays are always a little grim, so put some pep in your step with some early morning exercise and a wholesome vego brekkie. Wake up early and walk, run or ride south along Merri Creek to get your fix of fresh air. When you hit Abbotsford, stop by the convent for a touch of tranquillity before the week begins. Here, Lentil as Anything offers up a hearty vegetarian breakfast, and, if you arrive a bit later in the day, grab a plate and tuck into the Middle Eastern-style lunch buffet. TUESDAY, AUGUST 28: TACO TUESDAY No better way to celebrate a Tuesday. Forget about that moody Melbourne weather and transport yourself somewhere sunnier with a midweek Mexican fiesta at Hotel Jesus. Collingwood's bright and breezy tostaderia is doing the 'Taco Tuesday' concept proud, offering a whole range of clever taco treats for just $2 a pop from 5.30pm until sold out. And these beauties are miles better than anything you could knock together at home, with varieties like lamb barbacoa, marinated spit-roasted pork and smoked cauliflower. We'd recommend skipping lunch if you really want to give them a workout. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29: ISLAND LIFE IMMERSION Experience Caribbean culture, music and food during Melbourne Writers Festival. Swap your reality for a taste of island life, and take a deep dive into immersive installation Crawl Me Blood, at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Pulling inspiration from Jean Rhys' 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea, this Melbourne Writers Festival production explores the parallels between the Caribbean's colonial history and our own, served up as a sort of interactive documentary-meets-radio play. Catch captivating performances by local artists each with their own Caribbean connection, discover long-held family secrets and legacies, and fire up your senses with traditional Caribbean music and food. [caption id="attachment_658995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stano Murrin.[/caption] THURSDAY, AUGUST 30: END-OF-WEEK CULTURE Get a double serving of theatre, then an epic pork roll. The Butterfly Club's diverse program of comedy, cabaret, theatre and music is a surefire remedy for those midweek blues, no matter what your style. This Thursday, the intimate theatre venue is dishing up a couple of pretty memorable performances — I See Me and Meryl Streep celebrates a legendary actress from the point of view of her biggest fan, while What Country Friends Is This? delivers a modern take on Shakespeare, as imagined by four of Melbourne's hottest emerging talents. After the show, duck around the corner and brave the likely queues to get your hands on one of Mr Crackles' next-level pork rolls. FRIDAY, AUGUST 31: ACCESSORIES DESIGNED BY YOU Become a designer and see your creations come to life before your eyes. Nab a covetable new addition to your wardrobe from Alpha60 piece, designed by you. For a one-night-only Melbourne Fashion Week event, the iconic label is giving fans the chance to design their own one-off piece of jewellery using special software that will then bring your piece to life (for free) with Monash University's 3D printer. And what better place to show off your new designer bling, than at a special MFW edition of ACMI's Wonderland sessions? Head in from 6pm for a curated program of circus, burlesque and drag performances; a tinsel takeover by artist Rachel Burke; and plenty of sparkly live tunes and dazzling costumes courtesy of The Huxleys. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: A TREE MUSEUM Escape the city hustle for some fresh air among a veritable museum of trees. This weekend, let Mother Nature work her magic when you venture out to the Mount Dandenong Arboretum. Effectively a tree museum, this lush pocket of Melbourne is the ideal spot to ring in the first day of spring among its 16-hectares of gorgeous greenery and mature deciduous trees. Crunch your way through the aromatic bed of pine needles, soak up those views of the Great Dividing Range, kick back with a picnic lunch, and then walk it off with a trek along one of the many trails winding through the Dandenong Ranges National Park. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: ART, GARDENS AND PICNICS Inject some high brow, cultural activity into your usual weekend routine. If a cruisy, yet culture-filled Sunday session is on the cards, ditch the big smoke and head out to Heide Museum of Modern Art. A celebrated public gallery and museum set on gorgeous grounds in Bulleen, this spot's the perfect antidote to your fast-paced city life. Right now, you can experience the iconic art of Dana Harris, swoon over the works of Grant and Mary Featherston at the Design For Life exhibition and take a glimpse at eras past with House Of Ideas. Afterwards, take a wander around the heritage-listed gardens, explore the 30 works dotted through the sculpture park and settle in for a picnic surrounded by stunning art. Where to next? Make the most of every week with Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and navigate to your next destination here.
Before donning a face covering became a regular part of life for everyone during the pandemic, one of the most famous mask-wearing figures in popular culture was doing it first. And, the fictional character will be doing so again in September at the Sydney Opera House, with the venue set to play host to The Phantom of the Opera. Yes, the music of the night will soon be crooning its way into the Joan Sutherland Theatre, thanks to a new season of the acclaimed Tony-winner. It's being staged by Opera Australia, who is bringing Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit to the city. If you're fond of big anniversaries, the show will kick off just a month before the popular musical will mark 35 years since it first opened in London's West End back in 1986. The current production of The Phantom of the Opera comes to Sydney after breaking records in the UK and touring the US for seven years, with Australia becoming just the third country to witness its take on the tale. Yes, all of the familiar songs are part of it, such as 'All I Ask of You', 'Masquerade' and the titular number (obviously). You'll also be lapping up Maria Björnson's original costumes, too. But, if you've seen the show before, expect the chandelier to look a little different. Exactly when in September the musical will premiere hasn't been revealed, but Australian musical theatre performer Josh Piterman will be playing the Phantom, after first wearing the character's mask in London pre-pandemic. He'll be joined by a cast and orchestra of 65 people, which'll make The Phantom of the Opera one of the largest musical productions in Australia. If you need a refresher on the musical's story, it follows soprano Christine Daaé and the masked musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House — and the latter's obsession with the former. Although first turned into a stage musical in the 80s, it's based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. And yes, you might've seen the 2004 movie, which starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom. [caption id="attachment_803896" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Earl Carpenter and Katie Hall in The Phantom of the Opera. Photo by Alastair Muir[/caption] The Phantom of the Opera will hit the stage at the Sydney Opera House's Joan Sutherland Theatre in September 2021, with exact dates yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale in April — to keep an eye out for further details, or to join the waitlist, head to the musical's website. Top image: John Owen-Jones as the Phantom and Katie Hall as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera — UK Tour. Photo: Michael Le Poer Trench.
If you've ever had a sneaky little go with some small person's Lego blocks once they're all tucked up in bed, Legoland sees you, tips you their hat… and raises you an adults-only night at its Melbourne Discovery Centre. And, because it's the time of year for it, the venue is throwing in some Halloween shenanigans as well. With no children to get in the way (or outdo your creations), you'll be able to have free rein of Legoland to check out the 4D cinema and rides, take a factory tour and build to your heart's content in the brick pits. Challenge yourself by taking on the master builder or a speed build, and vie for the prizes up for grabs — there'll even be a scavenger hunt so you can go full inner child mode. This adults-only evening will be getting spooky, too, with a Duplo Farm scary adventure, plenty of chances to take terrifying pics, and a quest to spot skeleton, ghost, zombie and mummy mini-figures in a city made out of 1.5 million Lego bricks. Wear a frightful costume to win prizes, and take part in a silent auction — with ex-display sets up for grabs. It all takes place from 6.30pm on Friday, November 1 — and BYO shameless excitement, taste for glory, and creativity to enter the model of the month competition. It'll be a fierce one.
The first phase of Gippsland's new destination winery spot will be unveiled this Friday, March 31, encompassing a restaurant with a focus on seasonality, newly renovated accommodation and a cellar door. The Carrajung Estate team have taken over as custodians of Tom's Cap winery, which will reopen this week with a makeover across its hefty 40 hectares of land. Carrajung Estate's ambitious Modern Australian restaurant is helmed by head chef Patrick Haney (Opera Bar, The Growers) and boasts a menu fuelled by locally-grown ingredients. Contemporary dishes are driven by sustainable and ethical sourcing practices, including seasonal heirloom vegetables, pasture-raised meat and Gippsland cheeses. "With an emphasis on seasonality and sustainability, our dishes feature fresh ingredients sourced directly from nearby farms that celebrate the natural beauty and culinary richness of Gippsland. Through our food, we want to share these growers' stories," co-founder Ivy Huang says. Entrees run to the likes of garlic bay bugs with black butter and king prawns with lime and chilli jam, while larger plates include a duck breast with twice-baked parsnip, blackberries and jus. Ricotta gnocchi comes laden with snow peas, goat's cheese and tendrils, while a beef short rib served with crispy onions and celeriac croquette is set to be a favourite among guests. Gippsland cheeses, blackberry tart taten and a pear cake with saffron mousse rounds out the current menu. Carrajung Estate's first-ever wine release will also coincide with the restaurant opening, with wine tasting at the onsite cellar door open for guests to peruse the winery's selection of shiraz, chardonnay, sauv blanc and more. Venture further and you'll find the first of five onsite accommodation offerings, dubbed The Nest. A luxuriously appointed interior includes an outdoor bath, a traditional wood fireplace and a comprehensive kitchen. All five cabins are expected to be completed by the summer of 2023/2024. Carrajung Estate's restaurant and cellar door will open on Friday, March 31 at 322 Lays Road, Willung South, Victoria. The restaurant is open for lunch Friday–Sunday, 11am-2.30pm and dinner Thursday–Sunday 11am-3pm. The cellar door is open by appointment via the website. The Nest will be open for bookings via the Carrrajung Estate website from April 7.
Maybe you just like hanging out in Byron Bay. Perhaps you can't get enough of every music festival there is. Or, you could love seeing music legends take to the stage. The experience that is Bluesfest ticks all of the above boxes — and more — and will notch up its 35th anniversary with a couple of stone-cold icons behind the microphone: Tom Jones and Elvis Costello. Jones is no stranger to the event, last playing in 2016. What's new pussycat? Not the Welsh 'It's Not Unusual', 'Delilah' and 'Sex Bomb' singer spending Easter performing to a crowd of thousands in Australia. Costello and his band The Imposters were on the fest's 2023 bill, but had to drop out. So, they'll make the trip in 2024 instead. If you're now making long weekend plans, Bluesfest will take over Byron Events Farm in Tyagarah from Thursday, March 28–Monday, April 1. So far, the festival has named 23 acts and events on its lineup, ranging from Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos through to RocKwiz Live. Among the big names, Jack Johnson will play an Australian-exclusive set, in what's set to be his only Aussie show in 2024. Johnson has a history with the fest as well, first taking to its stages in 2001 when his career was just starting — long before he was a household name. [caption id="attachment_913223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kizzy O'Neal[/caption] Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: The Teskey Brothers, Matt Corby, L.A.B, Tommy Emmanuel, The Dead South and The Paper Kites. Although the list already goes on, this is just the first 2024 announcement. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Byron Bay mainstay. 2023's fest lost a number of acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great, after Sticky Fingers were added to the bill. The fest ultimately dropped the controversial band. And while the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. BLUESFEST 2024 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: Jack Johnson Tom Jones The Teskey Brothers Matt Corby L.A.B Elvis Costello & The Imposters Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos Tommy Emmanuel The Dead South The Paper Kites Drive-by Truckers Newton Faulkner Steve Poltz 19-Twenty Taj Farrant Erja Lyytinen Harry Manx Here Come The Mummies Clayton Doley's Bayou Billabong Little Quirks Hussy Hicks Blues Arcadia RocKwiz Live Bluesfest 2024 will run from Thursday, March 28–Monday, April 1 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Season passes are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
This year is flying by at rapid pace and that means summer is just around the corner — and we all need to get our warm weather wardrobes in order. Ready-to-wear and swimwear label Tigerlily is offering something very relevant to your interests: a big 29-hour online clothing sale to get you some much-welcome bargains. There's never a bad time to treat yourself to some new clothes, especially when you're saving a heap of money in the process. The Aussie brand is known and loved for its timeless prints and unique patterns, so getting your mitts on some of the goods at up to 80 percent off is a major win. You'll be able to get a brand new threads for a steal, including dresses, shorts, kaftans and sample pieces to help you prep for the summer months. The sale starts at 7pm on Tuesday, November 12 and ends at 11.59pm on Wednesday, November 13, so you'll have to get in quick. To check out what's up for grabs, head here. The Tigerlily click frenzy sale will kick off at 7pm on Tuesday, November 12 and end at 11.59pm on Wednesday, November 13.
