It's Easter. Time to stuff yourself with baby animal-shaped chocolates and cross-covered pastries while feeling absolutely zero shame. To help you make the most of it, here are the best holiday treats making up your Easter hunt this year. HOT X BUN ZUMBARONS AT ADRIANO ZUMBO Adriano Zumbo Patissier has to win the award for the most creative and varied range of Easter treats in Sydney. Alongside Easter Bunny Pause tarts and fish, bunny and chicken couverture dioramas, a favourite for pure simplicity is the Hot X Bun Zumbarons. They lend an Easter touch to the patissier's year-round mouthwatering macarons. Check the Zumbo website for locations. FRANKINCENSE COATED HOT CROSS BUNS AT BLACK STAR PASTRY For a pleasant old-world feel with your Easter treats, have a try of Black Star Pastry's traditional hot cross buns. Famous for their strawberry and watermelon cake, this patisserie coats all of their hot cross buns in Frankincense glaze to truly take over all your senses with the spirit of the season. At $4.50 each, get in quick — they usually cap the amount each customer can order because the demand is so high. 277 Australia Street, Newtown and corner of Dunning Avenue and Hays Road, Rosebery GELATO MESSINA'S CHICK MAGNET Easter gelato? Yep, it's a thing. Every year, those frozen wonder wizards at Gelato Messina whip up a specific dish that'll make you think they've grown their very own pair of rabbit ears. In 2016, none other than the Chick Magnet is on the menu, offering up milk chocolate ganache and white choc hazelnut gelato inside a milk and white chocolate shell. DARK EASTER BEERS AT KEG & BREW Keg & Brew, along with their big sister venue the Dove & Olive and new family member The Dog in Randwick, is turning your 'traditional' Easter celebrations on their head with a special craft beer offering. Look for Willie the Boatman's Black Bunny Dark Ale on tap, with hints of chocolate, vanilla, cream, caramel and toffee. There'll also be a selection of 'hot cross burgers' at the K&B, D&O and The Dog, in two versions: tempura soft shell crab and Ohio turkey hot cross burgers. BABUSHKA EGG FROM KAKAWA + SORRY THANKS I LOVE YOU This could be the most grown-up Easter egg/piece of chocolate art we've found this year. Purveyors of lovely things Sorry Thanks I Love You have worked with Sydney chocolate wizards Kawawa Chocolates to create this gem. Painstakingly constructed by hand by master chocolatier Jin Sun Kim over a few days, these limited edition Babushka eggs are three layers of delicate, chocolatey goodness. Hand-painted 'quail' eggs are encased within a fine milk chocolate shell, within a thick, single origin dark chocolate outer shell. It's about 20cm long and will set you back $60, available from Sorry Thanks I Love You's Martin Place store. [caption id="attachment_564065" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: @brickfieldsbakery.[/caption] SOURDOUGH HOT CROSS BUNS AT BRICKFIELDS Brickfields offer you a different take on the traditional hot cross bun with their own signature sourdough version. Made with whey and mixed with cranberries, currents and sultanas, they're denser then the traditional Easter bun, and somehow extra delicious. SOURDOUGH HOT CROSS BUNS AT SONOMA Ok, so we're including two sourdough hot cross buns. But Sonoma's buns are worth including too. Balancing that tricky ratio of moisture to fluffiness, Sonoma's sourdough delights come with just right amount of juicy fruit bits. Whack a big dollop of local butter on them, we're done. CLASSY PRALINE EGG INSIDE A REAL EGGSHELL FROM WINNOW CHOCOLATES For some a bit of whimsy and a touch of "how the hell did they get that in there?" look no further than Winnow Chocolates' praline eggs. Sealed inside a real eggshell that you have to crack and peel yourself to reach the sweet hazelnut praline inside, they're a completely reasonable $4.50 each. The perfect treat to hide through your garden for a natural egg hunt look. HOT CROSS BUN BRITTLE BY WINNOW CHOCOLATE When sweet things pose as other sweet things, we're always on board. Dark couverture chocolate, decorated with edible 23 carat gold leaf, lemon rind, candied orange and sultanas, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, Winnow Chocolate's signature Easter treat is one decadent slab. While this one's a little exxy for one slab of brittle at $22 each, we reckon it's worth every bite. HOT CROSS BEN TRUFFLES AT HAIGH'S In a precious little crossover of your favourite Easter treats, Haigh's is offering hot cross bun chocolates ($23.75 for six). Filled with fruit and spice fudge, covered in dark chocolate and finished with a white cross, they'll go perfectly with the traditional Haigh's chocolate bilby. HOT CROSS LOAVES AT BOURKE STREET BAKERY A big favourite around Easter time, the Bourke Street Bakery hot cross loaves skip the part where you eat a whole bag of hot cross buns and just give you the loaf-sized portion you know you want. They're perfect to share around at Easter family gatherings and are great to toast up for breakfast all throughout the Easter season. DRAGON EGG AT SAKE Taking three days to make, the signature Dragon Egg dessert at Saké Double Bay has a bit of a cult following (around 400 are made each week at the Double Bay venue). It's a Valrhona chocolate shell filled with toasted chocolate crumble, edible soil, passionfruit yoghurt crispy chips, chocolate mousse, passionfruit curd, and mango caramel, A light gold dust finishes everything off and the egg comes served with passionfruit ice cream, under a pouring of liquid nitrogen — so it can be broken open with a mere spoon. Over Easter, you'll be able to order the Dragon Egg at Sake in The Rocks (Sydney), Hamer Hall (in Melbourne) and Eagle Street Pier (Brisbane) too. Only 50 will be available at each venue and for a limited period — Friday, March 25 to Monday, March 28. Spotted any other inventive and tasty Easter treats around town? Let us know in the comments below. By Elise Newton, Sarah Ward, Shannon Connellan and Gemma Mollenhauer.
A George Lambert-style self portrait by Yvette Coppersmith has nabbed the 97th annual Archibald Prize — her work Self-portrait, after George Lambert was chosen from a talented bunch of 58 finalists. The prestigious portrait competition pulls a compelling lineup of artworks each year, portraying an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, politicians, sports heroes and other notable Aussies. This year's $100,000 prize attracted a whopping 794 entries from across the country and New Zealand, their works depicting homegrown icons ranging from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to actor Guy Pearce and musician Courtney Barnett. Coppersmith's winning piece pays homage to the stylings of acclaimed fellow artist George Lambert, who himself took out the 1927 Archibald Prize. The win's been a long time coming for Coppersmith, who has been a finalist five times. She's also only the tenth female artist in history to have taken out the top prize. As is custom, all the winning portraits and finalists will be on display at the Art Gallery of NSW. The finalists for the Wynne and Sir John Sulman prizes will also be on display at the gallery — and, this year, both winners are Indigenous women. Pintupi artist Yukultji Napangati took out the former — which awards the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture — for her depiction of a scene among sandhills west of Kiwirrkura in Western Australia. The Sir John Sulman Prize goes to the best mural, subject or genre painting, and was this year awarded to Kaylene Whiskey's work of Cher and Dolly Parton. The exhibition will be on display from May 12 until September 9. And if you do't agree with the judges' pick for the Archibald, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice at the gallery. Image: Self portrait after George Lambert, Yvette Coppersmith. Photo shot by Jenni Carter courtesy of AGNSW.
Humans have made a pastime of staring up at the night sky for as long as history can tell us. Unfortunately, the amount of excess light that our city leaks into the sky makes for pretty poor stargazing conditions on an average night in the inner city. With that in mind, we've scoped out the top spots in and around Sydney where you can take part in this time-honoured tradition. At these locations, all it takes is a telescope — and, in some cases, just looking up — to feel engulfed by the vast night sky above. Whether you're headed to Australia's only accredited Dark Sky Park or to one of our many impressive observatories, this list has you covered. OBSERVATORIES SYDNEY OBSERVATORY, CBD In terms of physical proximity to the night sky, Sydney Observatory is a pretty good starting point. One of the highest points overlooking Sydney Harbour, its building houses three telescopes — including the oldest working telescope in Australia, which was built for the 1874 transit of Venus. The other two are a 40-centimetre computer-controlled lens and, for those of you who prefer gazing at the star closest to us, a telescope that lets you look at the sun. The Observatory runs night and day tours, workshops exploring early Indigenous astronomy and a range of short courses. This is definitely the first step for every would-be Galileo. LINDEN OBSERVATORY, BLUE MOUNTAINS Situated in the Blue Mountains, Linden Observatory was the work of a single brilliant amateur astronomer, Ken Beames. He finished the site's 61-centimetre telescope during World War II, while also building the dome that houses it and the direction control system himself. Access to Linden's heritage-listed building is by appointment only, but you can easily fill out the form here to get in touch. If you're happy enough to check out Beames' handiwork from the outside, Reverend Bob Evans runs monthly beginners astronomy courses on Saturdays in the nearby viewing field — and you can join in with a small donation. PENRITH OBSERVATORY, PENRITH Penrith Observatory is part of Western Sydney University, run by a team of maths and engineering boffins dedicated to cracking the universe open to see what makes it tick. They pause occasionally in this quest to host programs for the public, ranging from paper rocket construction to exploring the life cycles of stars. Volunteers from the Western Sydney Cosmic Data Lab also hold astronomy nights on most Saturdays of the year, regardless of the weather. For the less nocturnal, there are various day programs that give visitors the chance to safely observe the flaming gas giant that supports life on this planet. And it's less than an hour from the CBD. MUDGEE OBSERVATORY, MUDGEE Located just a 15-minute drive from the town centre, Mudgee Observatory is located within some seriously dark skies — so there's zero chance of confusing Jupiter with your neighbour's bug zapper. It's also where, in 1999, Steve Lee discovered Comet Lee. In the past, the facilities have been used by staff of the Sydney Observatory, members of the Sutherland Astronomical Society and by UNSW. This prestigious space is also open to the public, with regular daytime sun tours and night sky tours on offer — and heaps of telescopes and binoculars available to guests. The theatre and flat screen planetarium features a space mission program too. But be sure to booking ahead and expect a $15 entry fee. CRAGO OBSERVATORY, BOWEN MOUNTAIN Just out past Richmond, the Astronomical Society of New South Wales has established one of their "dark sky" observing sites in the middle of the Blue Mountains National Park. The observatory is old-school, comprised of an olive brick building with a basic kitchen on the ground floor and a camping area nearby. The dome itself is made from corrugated iron. Beginners will need to be accompanied by an accredited ASNSW member, but there's also a viewing space that has been cleared so amateurs can wander along and watch galaxies collide and stars implode at a time that suits them. TEBBUTT'S OBSERVATORY, WINDSOR This observatory was hand-built by 19th century astronomy nut John Tebbutt. If the name sounds familiar, it could be because you were flush in the '80s and '90s — his face graced the $100 note until '96. Tebbutt's Observatory in Windsor was rebuilt a number of times as he updated his telescopes, but the building that remains dates to 1879. Tebbutt, it was said, couldn't look up without discovering a comet. So make no mistake — if astronomical greatness is going to find you, it will find you here. DARK SKY SITES If you're feeling more intrepid and would prefer an astronomical experience that doesn't take place through the roof of a building, try a dark sky site instead. Observatories aren't the only place to look up, with these secluded fields and lookouts also offering a great vantage point to take in heavenly bodies. [caption id="attachment_730730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] WARRUMBUNGLE NATIONAL PARK, COONABARABRAN Located a six-hour drive from Sydney, Warrumbungle National Park is one of the top three places on the planet to revel in galactic goings-on. That's thanks to the State Government, which has dedicated funds to limit light pollution in and around the park, making it Australia's only official Dark Sky Park — it's just one-of-three in the world, sitting alongside Death Valley National Park in the US and Galloway Forest Park in Scotland. Warrumbungle does have its own observatory, but scientists and astronomers have the run of the place after sundown. Amateur astronomy in Warrumbungle is best performed the old-fashioned way, with the humble eyeball. At the moment, all campsites in the area require booking, so make sure to organise it ahead of time here. [caption id="attachment_730726" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Great Orion Nebula as viewed from Wiruna; Photographer: Marc Aragnou; supplied by ASNSW[/caption] WIRUNA, BLUE MOUNTAINS Wiruna is the Astronomical Society of NSW's best kept secret. Located on the outskirts of Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains, Wiruna is 107 acres of astronomy lovers' bliss. But there is one catch — this top-notch dark sky facility is for ASNSW members and their guests only. If you don't happen to have any ASNSW mates on hand, you can get in touch and organise a visit that way. Otherwise, simply book into an overnight campsite at Wollemi and enjoy your stargazing the old fashion way — equipment isn't necessary here, it'll be a breathtaking view either way. TERREY HILLS, NORTHERN BEACHES Another patch of unadulterated sky can be found in Sydney's Terrey Hills, near the northern beaches. This is one of the Northern Sydney Astronomical Society's new haunts, where observing nights are run on weekends for novices and experienced sky captains alike. As with most of these astro society hangouts, they've got telescopes to share and keen eyes with which to point out the myriad phenomena taking place in the universal void. If you're a lonely wanderer through the vast wash of space, this may well be the place to enter the orbit of some like-minds.
Like many a great singer-songwriter before her (cue Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), Kate Tempest began as a dealer in words. In 2013, she became the first ever person under 40 to win the Ted Hughes Award for innovation in poetry. In 2014, she attracted a Mercury Prize nomination for her hip hop-driven debut album, Everybody Down. Now she's published a novel. Billy Bragg loves her. Chuck D is a fan. Check out her fresh, authentic freestyling for yourself. Kate Tempest plays the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on January 21 at 7.30pm and January 22 at 11.45pm. This is just one of our ten picks for Sydney Festival's best gigs. Check out the whole list.
Phil Ferguson, aka Chili Philly, is a Melbourne-based artist proving that crochet is not just for nannas. Creating wearable crochet art in the form of just about anything — from burgers to beer bottles, goon sacks to pea pods, tea bags to sushi rolls — Ferguson has become an Instagram wunderkind, clocking up a casual 140,000 followers to @chiliphilly in a flash. Ferguson's cheeky craftwork is now the subject of a new exhibition at Australian Design Centre, titled Crochet Social. It's his first major solo exhibition and features his crochet art alongside the quirky and slightly awkward self-portraits that have gained him so much popularity on social media. As part of the exhibition, ADC is also presenting a series of events and workshops to incite audiences to jump aboard the crochet bandwagon. There's a 'Cocktails and Crochet' night, a makers market, talks and panel discussions. Images courtesy the artist. Installation images by Simon Cardwell.
It's easy to look at abstract art with an air of confusion, yet it is this initial reaction that strikes at the core of the discipline. The very soul of the principle of abstraction is to challenge a point of view, a way of thinking, or an entire mindset. Superposition of three types gathers brand new and specially commissioned works from 13 Australian artists who have spent their careers experimenting and pushing the boundaries of their craft. The exhibition focuses on challenging conceptions of colour and form in art by displaying works that use varying media to create new and unique ways of expressing dissent from traditionalist art. The exhibition takes place at Artspace, one of Sydney's leaders in contemporary art, from February to April, and will combine not only the colourist work by Sydney Ball, Rebecca Baumann, live-artist Huseyin Sami and a host of others, it will also incorporate audiovisual performances, including a choreographed experience from Shelley Lasica. Image: Brendan Van Hek, Colour Comp.
Why make one drink when you can make ten? Batched cocktails have grown significantly in popularity across the cocktail world. They're a great, easy option for the amateur bartender — particularly useful when you're hosting a party, because you're not going to be stuck behind the bar all night mixing drinks if you plan ahead. You'd expect that bartenders would turn up their nose at a pre-mixed cocktail, but the trend has caught on in multiple Australasian venues — it turns out they love pre-mixing too. One of the main reasons why is that it's much more practical for bartender and consumer. They don't have to spend 15 minutes mixing and muddling up a complex cocktail, and you don't have to wait. Cocktail ingredients are pre-prepared (bars usually pre-mix cocktails two to three hours before opening), and the ingredients in the drink are left to infuse. When you're using gin, this means there's enough time for botanicals to infuse with the other ingredients, and richer, bolder flavours appear. In partnership with Bombay Sapphire, we asked Sean Forsyth (the Bombay Sapphire Australian ambassador) to show us how to mix up a big batch of Coffee Negronis — literally just the Negroni cocktail you know and love with cold-drip coffee added. Like a Negroni, coffee is sweet, bitter and complex — so it's the perfect ingredient to complement and spice up this famous gin cocktail. Get your hands on some cold-drip and you've got yourself a breakfast-appropriate cocktail. "If you walk into a bar and they don't know how to make a Negroni, leave," Forsyth says. He's right. To make a Negroni you just need to know how to mix gin, vermouth and Campari — it's easy. To make a batch of Coffee Negronis, you need water, a one-litre measuring jug, a funnel and a one-litre glass bottle instead of a shaker. It's getting much, much easier to make good cocktails. THE COFFEE NEGRONI (Serves 10) Ingredients: 250ml Bombay Sapphire 200ml Martini Rosso 200ml Campari 100ml cold drip espresso 250ml water 1 litre sealable glass bottle Method: Using a funnel and a one-litre measuring jug, build ingredients into a clean one-litre glass bottle Shake and add into the freezer one hour before service Pour into rocks glass filled with cubed ice Garnish with an orange slice Images: Kimberley Low.
Sydney Harbour's Pullman Quay Grand has opened a new bar — and it looks tremendously luxe. Located within the Circular Quay hotel, Hacienda is a brand new "vista bar", taking inspiration from Cuba's grandiose, plantation-style architecture and the vintage hotels of 1950's Miami. Applejack Hospitality — whose venues include Bondi Hardware, The Butler and Della Hyde — have teamed up with AccorHotels to pull off this stylish throw-back "botanical oasis" of a space. And it's stunning. The harbourside space is filled with luxurious, pastel lounge furniture, brass details and lush roof greenery, all surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows which showcase panoramic views of the city, the bridge and Sydney Harbour. Plus, they can all open to create a terrace-like feel. The drink menus mimics the venue design by using Cuban flavours, slinging cocktails which include classic ingredients like banana, guava and custard apple. The Tropical Sour – banana-infused Encanto pisco, Tío Pepe sherry, lime and honey — sounds especially tasty, as is the Old Smoked Presidente: a concoction of aged rum, orange curacao, dry vermouth, house-spiced raspberry syrup and Angostura bitters. The bar also has an impressive stock of rum and American whiskey for those looking for something neat. The food offering, curated by Executive Chef Stefan Brademann, will complement the drinks and have a Cuban-American flare. Fusion dishes like the yuka fries, buttermilk fried chicken and a pork neck mojo will sit on the menu alongside a Cubano-Reuben hybrid and burgers galore. The menu will be balanced between bar snacks and more substantial dishes to accommodate for anything from nibbling patrons to hangry ones. This little slice of Cuban culture may play to cliches but we're not fussed — especially considering the iconic views that come with it. Hacienda is now open inside the Pullman Quay Grand, 61 Macquarie Street, Sydney Harbour, from noon till late seven days a week. For more information, visit their website.
It's time to make the pilgrimage to the Supernatural Amphitheatre once again, Golden Plains has opened the ballot for 2017. Taking place over a long weekend under a full moon, Meredith's other beloved festival returns for March 11-13, 2017. And they've announced on heck of a legend to top the bill: Neil Finn. As always, the lineup will appear on one stage in the Supernatural Amphitheatre, fronted by one of history's greatest songwriters. Crowded House legend Neil Finn will play a special career-spanning set under the full moon. It's been seven years since Finn played The Sup', so this should be pretty special. The full lineup will drop soon. Meanwhile, Golden Plains is set to be the same festival you know and love — no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no commercial sponsors — but with a new sound system, new campaground, new foods and kids under 12 can attend the festival free. The ballot for GPXI is open now until 10pm on Monday, October 17. Visit www.goldenplains.com.au for details.
Summer is coming to Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel. The recently revamped luxury lodgings opened for business a few months back, wowing us with their stylish interior and food offerings so good they border on offensive. To be honest, we didn't really need another reason to want to pay them a visit. But then who are we to say no to a high altitude pool and bar? Officially open as of Friday, November 20, The Old Clare Rooftop Pool and Bar is located on the fourth floor of the boutique hotel, which occupies the site that formerly housed the Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building. Visitors will be able to enjoy killer views of the city while lounging around on deckchairs in the sun, before cooling off with a dip in the proverbial drink. As for literal drinks, you can expect summer cocktails a plenty courtesy of Matt Fairhurst, who is also the beverage manager at the yet-to-be-opened Kensington Street Social downstairs. The Miami Vice, for example, is part pina colada, part frozen strawberry daiquiri, and seems like basically the most perfect poolside beverage that anyone could possibly imagine. They'll also have beers, ciders, spirits and gin & tonics with a twist, as well as fresh juice and non-alcoholic spritzers. Get a preview of the rooftop #Clarepoolbar at the Clare bottle shop this Sat 14th and Sun 15th Nov from 3-7pm. Expect tastes of the outrageous Miami Vice frozen cocktail, Strawberry Daiquiri layered with Pina Colada. Bring down the heat with chilled Murray's Fred beers and live music from Cory Jackson. P.S. Chances to win bar tabs for the Rooftop Pool and Bar opening (next) weekend for the best guests. -- #TheOldClareHotel #Clarebottleshop #unlistedcollection A photo posted by The Old Clare Hotel (@theoldclare) on Nov 10, 2015 at 10:06pm PST The Old Clare will also use the rooftop space for group fitness sessions that will be open to both hotel guests and the general public. Classes will include yoga, cardio boxing, circuit and personal training. The Old Clare Hotel can be found at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale. The poolside bar will be open from 3pm Wednesday through Friday, and from 11am on weekends. Images: Nikki To.
Hitting the indoor mini-golf course for a few holes of pop culture-themed fun and a few rounds of delightfully named beverages isn't just something Brisbanites should enjoy, or Sydney residents either. After launching in Queensland in late 2016, and announcing their first New South Wales venture, Holey Moley Golf Club officially opens in Melbourne today, Thursday, April 20. From noon, 590 Little Bourke Street will be home to 27 holes of club-swinging antics across two levels. It's Holey Moley's biggest venue yet, which means that there's plenty of room for the three nine-hole courses. The Brisbane bar is known for its creativity when it comes to creating courses, and this venue is no exception. Melburnians will be able to tap, tap, tap their way through rooms dedicated to The Simpsons and Game of Thrones and throwbacks to Pacman and Barbie dolls. Plus, everyone will be able to break out into song at the same time, with karaoke part of the antics. If you choose to work your way through the Happy Gilmore soundtrack, no one will stop you (at least not any of the staff). Drinks-wise, expect cocktails. The Caddyshack Bar boasts a pun-laden drinks list that includes the The Sugar Caddy, the Teeyonce Knowles and a Long Island Iced Tee (just what it sounds like, but with an appropriate name). Beer, cider and wine will also be available, but when you're aiming for a hole-in-one, it seems appropriate to be drinking from one (made from Pampero white rum, cinnamon whisky, half a banana, sugar syrup and a doughnut — yep, a doughnut) at the same time. Holey Moley Golf Club is now open at 590 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. It will be open noon till late Monday to Friday, and 10am till late on weekends. For more info, check out their website. Images: Lucas Dawson.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, or quit your desk job and start that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of some of the country's boldest characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Having dabbled in his fair share of pulse-quickening activities as a youngster, Sydney street artist and skateboarder Sid Tapia is no stranger to the concept of overcoming big fears. In a career that started at age ten, he's hung out of train doors to tag them, skateboarded at a pro level and even founded his own label, Crown St. rediscover a passion he thought he'd lost forever. FUEL THAT FIRE IN YOUR BELLY Sid got cracking on his creative pursuits pretty early on, recalling being captivated by his mother's old handwriting textbooks at the age of four. Soon after that, Sid began recreating the characters in his life: the faces of friends and family. "I'd spend ages trying to do what I saw," he says. "I would see someone or something that I thought was beautiful and be like, 'I want to do that on paper'." It's an interest that would eventually lead him into the graff scene, swapping out paper and pens for trains, walls and spray paint. Meanwhile, Sid's older brother Walker was offering his own brand of influence, introducing him to alternative music genres, hip-hop culture and, ultimately, the street art movement. "He was like my mentor-slash-father figure growing up," Sid explains. "He really taught me a massive step in being able to overcome not just challenges, but confrontations as well." NEVER STOP LEARNIN' At around age ten, Sid discovered the world of graffiti, and he was instantly hooked on this risky, yet exhilarating form of creative expression — especially the risky sport of train tagging. The fact that he could lean out of a train, paint his name up and others would see it was both scary and adrenaline-pumping (not to mention highly illegal). But just a few years later, Sid's flirtation with locomotive art was rattled, after his friend was injured in a serious train accident, reminding him (very bluntly) of the elephant in the room: mortality. "Graffiti was never the same after that," Sid says. "It was nerve-wracking — it was scary." And so he gave up graff. Having come so close to paying the ultimate price for his passion, Sid diverted his attentions to skateboarding — and despite being discouraged from the sport by his family, it was clear he had some serious skills. "My grades were really bad, but I knew that my skating was really good," he says. "And I was like, 'I'm gonna do this thing.'" Skating was a passion that continued well into his twenties, landing him sponsorship deals and a heap of recognition on the Sydney scene. He was even profiled in the awesome 1997 short film by Warrick Thornton for SBS's Eat Carpet. Like many twenty-somethings, at the time it looked as though Sid had, in his own words, "everything sorted" — but he was really "a wreck". So he turned to an old friend to navigate through it: books. "To understand what it is to overcome, what it is to get through a challenge, what's needed — and a lot of the time what's needed is knowledge." TACKLE THE CHALLENGES AND GET BACK IN THE DAMN GAME 23 years later, Sid was still shaken by that train accident — and his own decision to run away. "I had to live with that for a long time," he admits. "I knew I ran away from something massive that could have helped her out. I was just too scared. But about a year ago, I thought: 'I have to face up to this'." So he located his former friend and reached out to her on social media, laying down the emotional apology that had been such a long time coming. "I was in tears…it was heavy," Sid says. "That was a fear I had to overcome by literally confronting it…having to just man-up and be emotional and apologise." Like the big cats he spray paints on his walls, Sid was finally fierce in approaching the situation, and moved forward regardless of harboured fears. And in doing so, he not only opened up a positive new relationship with his old friend, but a newfound positive relationship with his art. Sid's back doing the graffiti thing again — only this time around, it's in a much more holistic (and completely legal) capacity. Working on both commissions and his own pieces, his striking large-scale murals grace walls across Sydney, from the skate park at Bondi Beach to countless buildings in Stanmore, Camperdown, Newtown and the inner west. His lettering and illustration work is equal parts mind-blowing and mindful. He's a highly sought-after, full-time working artist now, running the odd class with Work-Shop and the Museum of Contemporary Art, and working with Marrickville Council's 'Perfect Match' program pairing residents with street artists. All those setbacks? Turns out he didn't let them set him back at all. "I love that I'm able to get what I do and bless people with it. I want to put something out that's going to inspire, or encourage… spark a little bit of wow in someone's life." Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website. Images: Sid Tapia.
Looking for holiday accommodation with a little more oomph? Ever considered staying on a raft? With a sauna? In the town of Joensuu in eastern Finland, a bunch of mates have put their considerable DIY skills to good use. They've built a lake-worthy, multi-level raft with a sauna, named 'Saunalautta'. And next time you're in the mood for a floating holiday, you're welcome to rent it. This vessel is the ultimate year-round destination. Come winter (which, in Finland, means -20 degree temperatures), hang out in the sauna. Up to 15 people can warm up in there at once. Come summer, sprawl out on the upper deck. There's even a few hammocks, so you can get comfy with a book, and a viewing booth, affording 360 degree views. Not interested in lying around? Spend your break perfecting your 2 1/2 front flip from the dedicated, 5.7-metre high diving tower. Wondering how this Huckleberry Finn-esque contraption stays afloat? It's built on top of a series of recycled plastic drums. And what about going somewhere? A small outboard motor gets you moving. Both seasons, there's bunk space for five passengers to stay the night, a barbecue, a hot shower, a refrigerator and a sound system: basically everything you need to turn pirate for life. Hire isn't as expensive as you might think, starting at $410 a day. Head over here for more info, after you check out a few more snappies: Via Inhabitat.
Packing well for holidays is one of the vastly underrated artforms of our time. Knowing exactly what to bring and what to spend your dimes on before the actual trip takes a long-practiced, realistic ability to predict the weather, activities and highly Instagrammable moments of your future vacation. But not everyone's got the coin to drop on exxy designer threads before they land. So we've taken it upon ourselves to pack your suitcase with affordable goods, whether you're headed for a riotous camping adventure to your chosen annual music festival, hitting art galleries and destination restaurants on a cultural endeavour, or opting for the classic ol' beach holiday. Best bit? It's all from the one place — ASOS. And because they know some of the world's most keen travellers are penny-pinching students, they're offering a 20 percent discount just for students from Wednesday, February 23. THE MUSIC FESTIVAL CAMPING WEEKEND You've loaded up your rental (or pa-rental) car with tents, tarps and tinnies. You've pored over the festival timetable and listened up to the lineup. You're in full-on camping festival mode, and the trick here is to pack light, but pack smart. You've got to toe the line between statement pieces and everyday essentials — you'll need both for this adventure. Word to the wise? Leave the exxy cocktail dresses and dress shirts at home, but remember to bring pieces that make you happy; you'll be in them all day in the hot sun, pouring rain and occasional mud-slips. And bring more undies than you think you'll need. WOMENS ESSENTIALS Reclaimed Vintage Pull Over Hooded Festival Jacket $95 Cheap Monday Denim Short Dungarees $99 Pimkie Wellie Boot $34 MENS ESSENTIALS Nike Court T-Shirt 739479-100 $51 ASOS Check Shirt in Viscose With Long Sleeves $53 ASOS 5 Panel Cap In Black Canvas With Contrast Patch $26 THE ARTY CULTURE ADVENTURE Whether you're scooting between galleries, tasting All The Wine or sauntering through some serious shopping districts, culture adventures can be the trickiest for packing light. You'll want to bring every last pair of kickass shoes in your closet. You'll have plans to debut every new outfit you've recently impulse bought. But here's the thing, you're carrying your wardrobe with you. So choose a couple of pieces you can wear day-to-night and one pair of all-purpose, super fly shoes. That way you can throw more dosh on new pieces on your holiday shopping sprees. WOMENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Oversize T-Shirt Dress With Curved Hem $47 Glamorous Bell Sleeve Smock Dress With Festival Embroidery $51 ASOS OTTAWA Heels $74 MENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Super Longline Long Sleeve T-Shirt With Hooded Drape Neck $38 Reclaimed Vintage Drapey Duster Jacket $138 River Island Chukka Boots In Brown Faux Leather $95 THE CLASSIC BEACH HOLIDAY Towel, sunnies, bathers, sunscreen, book, beer. So begins the checklist for the age old beach holiday, the classic retreat for city slickers. This vacation's the easiest to pack light for, but that doesn't mean you have scrimp on style. Invest in a few new beachy staples and you'll be staging your own magazine shoots on your next ocean-bound road trip. Just remember to slip, slop, slap, wrap etc. WOMENS ESSENTIALS South Beach Mix and Match Wrap Cut Out Bikini Top $30 ASOS Stripe Rope Belted Beach Shirt Dress $60 ASOS Strappy Maxi Dress $38 MENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Mid Length Swim Shorts With Turtle Print $38 Base London Tiberius Leather Sandals $74 River Island Round Sunglasses In Silver $43
In Patricia Piccinini's mind, bulbous creatures float through the sky. In her imagination, automobiles may as well be animals, and the line between humans and other critters is razor thin. It all sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie (or several), but the Australian artist's output isn't just confined to a screen. Across a variety of media, Piccinini explores the way that nature and technology, people and animals, and the unusual and the sublime all combine — and, more than that, she finds ways to make their weird and wonderful blend appear, feel and seem real. With Piccinini's body of work spanning from figures that look so naturalistic you'll expect them to start moving, to looping short film installations that bring strange beings to life, to paintings and sculptures made with actual human hair, wandering through her creations is like wandering into another realm. At Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art until August 5, that's exactly what's on offer. Taking over the entire ground floor of the building — and filling the place with more than 70 sculptures, photographs, videos, drawings and large-scale installations, including both exisiting favourites and newly commissioned pieces — Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection transforms GOMA into a pleasingly intriguing playground. Indeed, if Piccinini's famous animal-shaped hot air balloon, The Skywhale, literally unleashed her unique sensibilities out into the world, then Curious Affection does the opposite: it invites everyone into the acclaimed artist's mind and lets them roam around. Inside, visitors get a peek at not-quite-human lovers cosying up in a caravan, walls filled with alien-like mushrooms, and a vast array of peculiar yet beautiful creatures. And, in an exhibition designed to make you ponder what it means to be human, that's just a fraction of its treasures. In short: entering the otherworldly showcase is an experience like few others, crafted by an artist who has taken her visibly distinctive sensibilities everywhere from the Venice Biennale to Japan's skies to galleries around the world over the past two decades. Discovering exactly what her imagination has brought forth is part of the fun, but here are five things to look out for along the way — and, whether you're a Brisbanite keen on an arty staycation or you're travelling from interstate to see the exhibition, we've found you somewhere to stay as well. [caption id="attachment_667357" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018, featuring The Field 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] WANDER THROUGH A FIELD OF OTHERWORLDLY FLOWERS The Field isn't the first thing you'll see at Curious Affection, but this darkened room will stay with you long after you've left GOMA. It's the exhibition's main attraction for a very good reason: there's nothing quite like walking into a cavernous hall filled with more than 3000 flower-like sculptures, lightly bouncing along the spring-loaded floors and finding out that nothing's really as it seems. Each individual stem is a feat of astonishing artistry that'll make you think about the real meaning of beauty, not to mention the kind of creations that sci-fi filmmakers like Ridley Scott (Alien) and David Cronenberg (The Fly) would be proud of. When you're not staring into their hypnotic expanse, the four larger-scale sculptures — two of mothers with children, two of curious creatures — scattered around the gallery are just entrancing, not to mention perfectly on-theme. [caption id="attachment_667360" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Patricia Piccinini, Australia VIC. b.1965. Pneutopia 2018. Ripstop nylon, shed, air. Courtesy the artist, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney; and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.[/caption] ENTER A GARDEN SHED — AND LOOK UP Maybe you saw The Skywhale float through the sky back earlier this decade. Maybe you just wished you did. Either way, if you ever wondered what it looked like inside, then inflatable installation Pneutopia almost has the answer. It's not Skywhale 2.0, but this custom-built blow-up creation comes close — just confined within GOMA's huge two-storey hallway rather than roving free on the wind. Roam around either the ground or second level, and you can feast your eyes on the outside of this billowing orange and pink structure. Enter the ordinary-looking garden shed underneath, however, and you'll peer through a window into the heart of the balloon. [caption id="attachment_664391" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018, featuring The Young Family 2002. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH CURIOUS CREATURES In one corner, a girl sits with an owl flapping over her shoulder. At several other points around the exhibition's first few rooms, kids reach out to strange critters, or cradle them in their arms, or find them laying on their backs. On a leather platform, a pig-human chimera feedings her suckling offspring. In a life-sized bed, a toddler stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a creature that could've stepped out of her dreams (or nightmares). There's more where they came from, representing some of Piccinini's best-known sculptures, and they really are the best introduction to the artist's work that you can get. Each attention-grabbing piece makes a statement, whether about natural evolution, genetic experimentation, the open mind that comes with child-like wonder, or the fine line between horror and empathy. As the exhibition's explanatory text describes, it's a collection that's "startling but rarely fearsome". [caption id="attachment_664396" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] MOSEY THROUGH A STRANGE PATCH OF GREENERY In the last corner of the exhibition, GOMA becomes a forest — but you don't usually see creatures called 'tyre lions' and 'butthole penguins' in a standard patch of greenery. Yes, that's their actual name, and they're bizarre but delightful, like figures from an offbeat animation you now definitely wish existed. Piccinini arranges these pieces as if she's arranging a display in a natural history museum, which only adds to their uncanny allure. It's the final piece in a gallery-wide puzzle that presents an assortment of seemingly familiar figures, animals, scenes and objects, but shows that they really couldn't be less ordinary. [caption id="attachment_667355" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SCREENS As well as Piccinini's eye-catching sculptures, installations and other pieces, GOMA's walls are lined with multiple screens playing her video works. Each runs on a loop, ranging from 90 seconds to a couple of minutes in duration — and if you're keen to dive even deeper in the artist's mind, they're all well worth your time. Gaze at Ghost, aka a hairy chicken-like creation hanging from the ceiling, for example, then watch In Bocca Al Lupo, a mesmerising short film filled with similar critters. If you only make time for one, however, then head to an adorably odd effort called The Seedling's Dance. It runs for less than three minutes, and it's playing on a cinema-sized screen that you you really won't be able to miss. COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN OR INTERSTATE? Can't get enough art? Not quite ready to re-enter reality after wandering through Piccinini's intriguing creations? Heading in from out-of-town and looking for a suitably creative place to stay? Brisbane's Art Series Hotel The Johnson fills its walls, halls, rooms and suites with abstract works from its namesake artist, Michael Johnson, offering the closest thing you'll find to sleeping in a gallery. And, for the duration of Curious Affection, the boutique hotel has a stay-and-see deal that includes one night's accommodation and two tickets to the GOMA exhibition. When you're not marvelling at Piccinini's work, you can look through the in-house art library, watch the dedicated in-room art channel, or get a dose of outdoor splendour while you're taking a splash with a view in the 50-metre pool or lazing around on the luxe deck. Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection exhibits at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art until August 5, and includes a film screening series and Friday night art parties throughout June and July. For more information, head to the gallery website. Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection images: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.
Words like 'sustainable' and 'eco-friendly' are bandied about left, right and centre these days, but few restaurants really take them on as unswervable principles. After all, going green isn't easy — it means all kinds of adjustments, from making friends with organic farmers to working out what to do with food waste, to installing solar panels and revamping your larder (so it's stocked full of nasty-free ingredients). Ahead of this weekend's massive FOOD FIGHT event, raising awareness about food security in Liverpool and South Western Sydney (part of the Museum of Contemporary Art's C3West program), we looked beyond hollow, bandwagon-jumping buzzwords and found the real sustainable foodies in the city. Here are ten Sydney restaurants and bars that are actually walking the walk. THREE BLUE DUCKS This Bronte-based cafe is evidence that sustainability doesn't have to involve compromising on taste. In fact, Three Blue Ducks serves up one of Sydney's best breakfasts, which is why you'll be queueing, should you swing by on a weekend. Chef/owner trio Darren Robertson, Mark LeBrooy and Shannon Debreceny maximise the business's eco-friendliness by sourcing produce from their farm in Byron Bay, generating power from rooftop solar panels, sending all organic waste straight to local residents and community gardens, and serving takeaway in biodegradable containers. What's more, Three Blue Ducks is famous for its support of Grow It Local, an initiative that promotes and celebrates urban farming. 143 Macpherson Street, Bronte; (02) 9389 0010. NOMAD Another water-conscious eatery is Nomad. To avoid wasting thousands of plastic bottles, owners Al Yazbek and Rebecca Littlemore use a Vestal system for filtering, chilling and carbonating. 10 percent of the cash made from water sales goes to the Whole World Water Fund. What's more, Nomad gets its charcoal from Aussie sawdust mills that process plantation pine and recycles all paper, cardboard and plastic. If you're tucking into a wood-roasted suckling pig or half-smoked Holmbrae chicken, you can have peace of mind in the knowledge that it free-ranged before hitting your plate, while every fish on the menu is line-caught. 16 Foster Street, Surry Hills; (02) 9280 3395. RED LANTERN Given that Australia is the driest continent in the world (after Antarctica, where most humans can't live comfortably for long anyway), conserving our water supplies is crucial to our sustainable future. And that's why Red Lantern, the most awarded Vietnamese restaurant on the planet, has installed its own rain tanks, as well as a wok cooking system that works without a drop of water. The majority of produce comes from organic farms and used-up cooking oil heads to Cookers, where it's turned into bio fuel. Red Lantern head chef Mark Jensen is so passionate about sustainability, he's written a book about it. 60 Riley Street, Darlinghurst; (02) 9698 4355. THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA The Grounds' green efforts start at the most fundamental (and important) of levels: by offering you significant rewards for car pooling and cycling. After all, vehicle emissions are among the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases. So, should you rock up with four or more people in your car, you score valet parking and one free coffee. And, should you and your mates turn up on bikes, you ALL get free coffees. In addition, there's an onsite composter, which means that scraps go directly to The Grounds' organic garden, which supplies bucket loads of produce to the kitchen. It's also a lovely spot to sit. 7A, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria; (02) 9699 2225. SEAN'S PANORAMA Way before sustainability was the new trend on the block, chef/owner Sean Moran was hanging out on his farm in Bilpin (near the Blue Mountains), nurturing crops and tending to livestock. He brings his creations to his Bondi Beach restaurant, where he turns them into seasonal, hat-worthy dishes, like free-range chook roasted with thyme, parsnip puree and mushrooms, and dark chocolate pudding with cumquats and hazelnuts. Once the feasting is over, all scraps return to the farm, where they go towards growing next season's deliciousness. 270 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach; (02) 9365 4924. BILLY KWONG Winner of the Good Food Guide's inaugural Sustainability Award, which arrived in 2009, Billy Kwong has been been going green since 2004. In 2007, it became the first restaurant in New South Wales to go 100 percent climate neutral. Owner/chef Kylie Kwong puts as much emphasis on the small details as the big picture. So, in the pantry, you'll find a plethora of organic and biodynamic sauces, while, on your plate, the ingredients come from 30 small producers, with whom Kwong has developed close working relationships. The restaurant also takes part in a renewable energy credits program, through a wind farm in Hebei, China, and supports a stack of community projects — from The Wayside Chapel's rooftop community garden to Urban Beehive. 1/28 Macleay Street, Elizabeth Bay; (02) 9332 3300. YOUNG HENRYS For a start, Young Henrys keeps travel miles down, down, down by brewing all its goodness in Newtown. Second up, those famous growlers are not only there to help you keep your fridge stocked up, but also to minimise glass production. Thirdly, every day, local chicken farmers receive one tonne of grain left over from the brewing process — which is way better than chucking it all out. Finally, in November last year, Young Henrys added to its already impressive efforts with the announcement that community energy group Pingala would build a solar farm on the roof. Knocking back a cold one has never been so good for the environment. 76 Wilford Street, Newtown; (02) 9519 0048. SINGLE ORIGIN ROASTERS Another joint harnessing the mighty power of the sun is Single Origin Roasters. Every time you sip on one of their coffees or grab a packet of their beans to take home, you can rejoice in the fact that all roasting was done by solar power, at Single O's headquarters in Alexandria. Plus, most beans come from small, environmentally-friendly and ethically-sound growers. And, more recently, the team played a role in developing a brand new invention: The Juggler Cafe Milk Tap System, which makes sure that not a single drop of milk is wasted during coffee-making. 60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills; (02) 9211 0665. BONDI'S BEST Been wondering how Bondi's Best consistently churns out some of the best fish 'n' chips in Sydney? It's largely in the catch. Since this hole-in-the-wall opened in 2011, owner Joel Best has focused on serving up sustainably-caught seafood. Whether you're chowing down on tuna bruschetta with tomatoes, mushrooms and basil or Skull Island banana prawn linguini with chilli and garlic, you can rest assured that your feast has come from a responsible fisher. The Bondi Best team goes to market every morning to track down the freshest of the fresh. 39-53 Campbell Parade, North Bondi; (02) 9300 9886. LOVE.FISH When you order a dish at this Rozelle-based restaurant, you'll know exactly where it comes from. The origin of every fish is listed on the menu — whether it's wild-caught flat head from Ulladulla on the South Coast or yellowtail kingfish from South Australia. Yes, it's exactly like that Portlandia pilot. But it's a genuinely good-for-the-planet business. Love.fish works only with environmentally-respectful fishers in Australia and New Zealand. Whatever's left over after dinner — from food scraps to napkins — is transformed into green power or organic fertiliser and every inch of packaging is recycled or reused. According to love.fish's website, "As a family of two small children we are increasingly aware of how accountable we are for their future." 580 Darling Street, Rozelle; (02) 9818 7777. Want to truly celebrate Sydney's sustainable foodie scene? A huge artist-led food fight and celebration is coming to Liverpool's Bigge Park on Saturday, April 30. Part of the MCA's C3West program, FOOD FIGHT aims to raise awareness about food security in Liverpool and Greater Western Sydney. There'll be artist-led workshops, cooking demonstrations and food stalls such as Knafeh (with those insanely good Middle Eastern desserts), alongside Ukrainian, Laotian, Vietnamese and more culturally diverse foods, cooked by locals. Plus live roaming art and performances starting from 5pm and 'Food Warriors' dressed in costume heading into a giant inflatable dome for a food fight. There's more info right here. Top image: Young Henrys.
“People are realising that they’ve become pretty disconnected from their food — where it comes from, who grows it and what goes into it,” says Indira Naidoo. “And that’s why a lot of people are growing their own. They’re learning to grow organically, without pesticides, and discovering the taste is so much better because the food is grown fresh and picked as you need it, without storage or refrigeration or transportation.” Since transforming her inner-city balcony into a fresh feast, Indira has been promoting Australia's urban farming revolution. In her new book, The Edible City, she visits some of the nation’s most productive community gardens, including a rooftop retreat for Sydney's homeless, a bush-tucker patch connecting Indigenous school students with their heritage and a worm farm helping a Melbourne restaurant to reduce food waste. In the process, Indira gives readers inspiration and tips for starting their own projects, as well as 40 urban garden recipes. The Edible City follows her popular growers guide for beginners, The Edible Balcony. “More and more, our cities are becoming about concrete and steel,” she says. “There aren’t too many green spaces around. So starting a community garden is a beautiful way to connect with nature. And it’s also a place where you can make social connections. With iPhones, and travelling in cars, we are really isolated from our communities and disconnected from our neighbours. But gardens allow us to work towards something together.” Indira shared with us five of her top tips for starting an urban garden — be it your own project or a community venture. YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO POT BEFORE YOU LEARN HOW TO FARM “I think the first mistake that new gardeners make is that they can get a bit too enthusiastic. They go to their garden centre or hardware store and pick up lots and lots of seedlings and things – tomatoes and capsicums and chillis – and head back and plant a lot of stuff. And it gets overwhelming and a bit out of control. So, I recommend starting small. “Start with some woody herbs, like oregano, rosemary and thyme. They’re hardy. They don’t need as much water and they can take higher heat or higher cold. Then move onto soft-leafed, green herbs, like basil and parsley, and then lettuce. After that, try tomatoes and fruit, and then root vegetables.” FIND THE RIGHT SPACE — AND SIZE DOESN’T MATTER “The key thing is to find the right space to grow in. Make sure that it gets at least six to seven hours of sunlight per day. Vegetables love sunlight. You need a water source as well, whether that’s a watering can or hose. “If you don’t have much space, grow in pots and choose plants that you eat a lot of. I eat plenty of salads and greens and herbs. So, on my window sill, I have one long, thin, pot that fits nicely, and sits on a little tray, so it catches the water. I put all my lettuces in and just give them a bit of water every morning. It’s so easy. I pick the outer leaves and the plant keeps growing, so one can last me three or four months. It’s perfect. If you have more space, for a bigger pot on the ground, put in a tomato seedling – a cherry variety. They’re fun and delicious. Nothing tastes better than a home-grown tomato.” ONLY GROW WHAT YOU HAVE TIME FOR – AND STAY REGULAR “Think about how much time you have. I set aside about ten minutes a day for my plants. I’ve got about thirty pots and they keep me busy enough. Don’t put in too many if you don’t have much time. “Once you start planting, make sure you do things systematically. A garden needs regular attention. You can’t just look after things on a Wednesday and then ignore them for two weeks. You don’t need a lot of time, but you do have to be noticing changes daily or every second day, doing some watering, doing some weeding and checking for bugs or pests. It’s about putting in a little care over a period of time.” PROMOTE PLANT HEALTH TO KEEP THE BUGS AT BAY “Plants are just like humans. When you get run down, that’s when you get sick. So, if you keep your plants healthy – if you feed them well, make sure they’re in nutritious soil, fertilise them every two weeks – they’re less likely to get a bug problem. “I like using organic sprays, like Neem. They don’t harm the environment, so you still have good bugs in your pots, but they do put off an odour that moths and butterflies don’t like, so they don’t lay their eggs. And I also do a lot of companion planting. Bugs don’t like the smell of marigolds, so I put them around my basil. Sage and rosemary are good like that, too. “But you can always get bug problems, even if you’re the best gardener in the world. Insects are amazing colonisers and they find a way to get into everything. So, don’t get too despondent. I just say to myself, ‘Oh well I’m giving food to other creatures on the planet.’” GET THE TIMING RIGHT “As I explain in [Edible Balcony and Edible City], most vegetables are season-sensitive, so there’s only a few you could plant all through the year without any problem. It’s important to look at the seed packet or the little label on the seedling. “The beginning of spring is a really good time for planting across most of Australia. It’s perfect for greens, tomatoes, capsicum, chilli, eggplant ... You can put your seeds or seedlings directly into your beds or pots. I’ve a got a sunny windowsill, where I have a seed-growing tray, with a seed-growing mix which is lighter and sandier than normal potting mix. So I just pop in a few seeds and wait for them to germinate.” Tour Europe's urban gardens with Indira Naidoo in 2016 In 2016, Indira will travel to Europe to visit urban gardens in four cities – London, Amsterdam, Vienna and Berlin. And you’re invited. “It’s a way to show people that there are cities (unlike in Australia, sadly), where urban growing is taken very seriously. As the UN says, 20 percent of our food now comes from urban farms around the world, and there are lots of spaces we don’t think of that work – like underground tunnels for growing mushrooms and aquaponics systems. It’s just extraordinary, all the ways that we can grow food in cities, close to where we live.” Indira's book, The Edible City, is out now through Penguin Books.
Settling in for The Martian, you could be forgiven for feeling a little deja vu. Interstellar might be flooding your memory, given that Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon grapple with space again. Alien and Prometheus could also pop into your head, seeing that director Ridley Scott seemingly heads into familiar territory too. Thankfully, their resumes aside, the rehash largely stops there. That’s not to say that The Martian doesn’t recall many other intergalactic efforts such as Gravity, Moon, Sunshine, Contact and Apollo 13, nor that it doesn’t work with themes and narrative components recognisable to anyone who has seen a survivalist film like Castaway or All Is Lost. What this adaptation of Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same name does do, though, is soar forward with two things in mind: optimism and practicality. Botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is the key. He's residing among a group of astronauts manning the latest mission on Mars — until a storm strikes, he gets knocked out and blown away from his colleagues, and they head back home. When he wakes up to discover he's now the only human left on the planet, he focuses on attempting to remedy his predicament. Finding a way to grow food in the inhospitable environment is his first priority, followed by trying to communicate to NASA that he's alive and ready to return to Earth. Solving problems rather than wallowing in sentiment is the approach Watney takes, as does Scott and screenwriter Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods). As the repercussions of the Watney's situation ripple through those trying to rescue him — be they space agency head (Jeff Daniels), other members of the ground-based team (including Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong and Donald Glover), or Watney's departed crewmates (Chastain, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and Aksel Hennie) — action rather than emotion sits at the film's fore. Accordingly, The Martian favours procedure and process over psychology. It traces the steps needed to bring the stranded man home. It springs from a position of simply believing that resolution is possible. It presents characters using science (or sciencing the shit out of things, as the MacGyver-like Watney puts it in the video logs that comprise much of the storytelling) to make things happen. People, teamwork and ingenuity reign supreme, even over the capably rendered 3D spectacle. Anyone fearing a lack of wonder or feeling in the film can rest assured; they are there, and they spring from the way the cast subtly handle their roles (particularly an empathetic Damon) rather than the script hitting audiences over the head with horror or sappiness. A keen sense of humour is also evident in perhaps the most upbeat survivalist offering for some time, with Lord of the Rings fans likely to have the biggest laugh. There's also the endearing soundtrack, which includes moments of dancing along to disco hits or letting a classic, perfectly chosen David Bowie track (though not the one you think) play out in full. That it all adds up to one of the most enjoyably pragmatic sci-fi stints seen in the cinema is refreshing and perhaps surprising, even given its pedigree. In fact, The Martian doesn't just solidly engage from start to finish — it entertainingly and convincingly colonises its own patch of space movie territory.
After a string of applauded festival appearances, these Swedish sisters appear to have fallen in love with life in Australia. Johanna and Klara Soderberg, the angelic pair behind folk act First Aid Kit, are set to hit stages for shows along the east coast this week. Captivating fans with their dreamy, heartfelt harmonies, these two certainly know how to pull a crowd. First venturing to Australia in July last year for Splendour in the Grass, First Aid Kit are about to embark upon their largest Australian tour yet. Audiences can expect to be greeted with the duo's signature spine-tingling vocals and melodic arrangements. Featuring a fresh offering of tracks from their recent album Stay Gold (the pair's third released to date), these shows promise gorgeous acoustic storytelling, with a dash of classic country Americana. With dates in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney (supported by Melbourne indie duo Luluc), and after glowing reports of their sets at Golden Plains and WOMADelaide earlier this year, First Aid Kit will leave you wondering who wrote 'America' in the first place.
The fierce folk at For Film's Sake, Sydney's female-focused film festival, are cooking up a movie marathon to make your hair stand on end. Screening in the carpark at the Alaska Project in Elizabeth Bay (which could be a horror film location in and of itself), this six-hour frightfest will showcase three blood-curdling horror flicks that are most definitely not for the faint of heart. The marathon kicks off at 6pm with XX, a four part horror anthology directed entirely by women, including one segment made by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter St Vincent. That'll be followed by the provocative Bitch, about a put-upon woman who suddenly snaps and takes on the psyche of a violent dog. The marathon will come to a close with one of the all time great vampire flicks: Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark. The whole thing goes down on the evening of Saturday, April 29. Tickets are available here, if you've got the guts.
Wine lovers, raise your glasses: one of the best wine shops in Sydney is getting its very own bar. Prince Wine Store opened in Zetland a little over a year ago, and has been keeping the neighbourhood lubricated ever since. Cutting out the journey home and letting you knock back a few on site really was the next logical step. This won't be the first time Prince has stepped into the hospitality game, with their flagship store in South Melbourne operating the adjacent Bellota Wine Bar since April 2013. That venue's head chef, Danielle Rensonnet, will oversee the menu in Sydney, although manager Jacq Turner told Gourmet Traveller that the Zetland site would eschew the bistro-style dining of its Melbourne counterpart. Instead, you can expect "classic wine bar food," such as oysters and charcuterie, as well as a small selection of heartier meals that will rotate on a daily basis, with the chefs taking full advantage of quality NSW produce. The yet-to-be-named bar, which is expected to open in June, will also expand on the wine store's schedule of tastings and masterclasses, hosting regular wine dinners focused on different regions around the world. Prince Wine Store is located at 40 Hansard Street, Zetland. Via Gourmet Traveller. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
One of the biggest names in Japanese cuisine right now, Chase Kojima, has announced big plans to open a casual dining and takeaway restaurant in The Star Sydney (yes, that place but stay with us). Kojima's new deluxe burger venture (and first ever casual dining restaurant) will be setting up shop opposite Momofuku Seiobo, although, as construction has just started, the opening is slated for November of this year. The new restaurant will be called Gojima — a play on the chef's last name, and the Japanese word for rice, gohan — and will serve up gourmet bun-less rice burgers and sides as well as Japanese beer, wine and thickshakes (weird addition but we're always down). Having led kitchens for the iconic Nobu restaurant group for years, Kojima then nailed it with his Sokyo Ramen pop-up in the Star Cafe Court last year which ran over by five months thanks to popular demand. The San Francisco-raised dynamo has spent the last few years at the helm of some of Australia's most high profile Japanese restaurants: Sydney's Soyko and the Gold Coast's Kiyomi. For fans of Sydney's casual fine dining trend, this is great news. Don't we all deserve to try a gourmet, bun-less rice burger made by one of the world's most celebrated Japanese cuisine chefs? Kojima thinks so. Gojima will open later this year at The Star, in the space opposite Momofuku Seiobo.
For the past seven years, local legends and independent purveyors of fine Sydney music FBi Radio have been handing out awards to high achievers in Sydney music, arts and culture. The SMAC Awards have championed local musicians, venues, artists, creatives, restaurants and promoters — generally Sydney's best slam-dunkers from The Preatures to The Stinking Bishops — in a big ol' party in various Sydney locations, from the National Art School to Carriageworks. This year, in tandem with the actual awards ceremony, they're bringing the SMACs to the people — in a huge festival within Sydney Festival 2016. For the first time ever, the FBi SMACs Festival will be a public throwback event at Carriageworks. FBi has invited a huge Sydney lineup of past and present nominees and winners, from the various realms of music, art, performance and food, so you can consume the very best of Sydney over the last seven years. Sydney's best DJs and electronic artists will be creating casual beat odysseys in the dark confines of the FBi Click Rave Cave. There'll be a traditional Italian BBQ soundtracked by Sydney sophisticated lover and Italo disco king Donny Benet. You can play putt putt on a colourful golf course created by installation artist Rosie Deacon, or just generally lose your shit over one heck of a Sydney music lineup — Cosmo's Midnight, Tuka, Dustin Tebbutt, Vallis Alps, Black Vanilla, Dro Carey, Palms, Fishing, Shining Bird, Holy Balm, Gordi, Wordlife, B Wise, World Champion, Polish Club, Sampa the Great, Coda Conduct, Dreems, Adi Toohey and more. Obviously, FBi Supporters get discounts on tickets (max two tickets per supporter), and you'll have to present your supporter card at the entry gate on the day. If you are an FBi Supporter, but don't have a card, just email membership@fbiradio.com so they can send you a new one. FBi SMACs Festival is happening at Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh on January 10 from midday to 10pm. First release tickets are $49 and it's 18+ (sorry kids). Multipack Sydney Festival tickets go on sale October 22, and all tickets are on sale October 26 from the Sydney festival website. Image: Liam Cameron/FBi Radio.
The organisers of the Antenna Documentary Film Festival have revealed their latest program, including a timely opening night film about a group of Syrian refugees — and the attempts of Good Samaritans to help get them to safety. Sydney's annual documentary film festival will commence on October 13 with the Australian premiere of On the Bride's Side. An Italian/Palestinian co-production, the film follows a small team of Milanese journalists and activists who orchestrate a fake wedding party in order to smuggle their Syrian and Palestinian refugee friends thousands of kilometres across Europe – risking arrest and imprisonment in the process. The documentary has already screened at a number of festivals including the Venice International Film Festival and HotDocs in Toronto, where it received critical praise for bringing "a more personal perspective" to an ongoing humanitarian crisis. As the heartbreaking images of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi recently showed, putting a human face onto these kinds of tragedies can have a huge impact on public and political discourse. Perhaps we should be lobbying for certain members of the government to attend the screening. In addition to On the Bride's Side, this year's Antenna will include a number of high-profile and critically acclaimed documentaries. Made with the participation of legendary actor David Gulpilil, Molly Reynolds' Another Country explores the ongoing conflict between Indigenous communities and government policy, while Danish documentary Warriors from the North probes the growing trend of young Western Muslims joining jihadist groups overseas. Also from Denmark, albeit slightly less sombre, comes Michael Madsen's The Visit, which ponders the likely human response to a visit from extraterrestrial life. We're also particularly excited to check out B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin, about the eponymous city's vibrant music scene during the 1980s, as well as environmental activism doco Racing Extinction, from the Oscar-winning director of The Cove. The Antenna Documentary Film Festival runs from October 13-18 at Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema and the Museum of Contemporary Art. For the full program visit the festival website.
Rather than sitting home and mourning the death of Big Day Out this Australia Day, you can spend your time recovering from a brand new boutique festival. Titled Electric Gardens and channelling the park-based electronica popularised by Parklife and Listen Out, the event will take over Centennial Park on the first day of the Australia Day long weekend — Saturday, January 23. Electric Gardens' organisers have made the first lineup announcement this morning, with one Fatboy Slim leading the charge. Just lately the electro legend has been indulging in Random Acts of Smileyness. Fingers-crossed this smileyness continues at Electric Gardens. Joining the Weapon of Choice at the festival will be John Digweed and James Zabiela, so it’s all looking very much like a star-studded DJ affair. Gates will open at midday and stay that way until 10pm. To score the best possible ticket price, get in quick. By way of celebrating its inauguration, Electric Gardens is offering a super-limited, early-bird release. Sign up to the festival’s website and you’ll be able to nab a $99 ticket before general sales start on October 1. You’ll also get first notice as further lineup announcements are made. We’re being promised “many more international DJs”. Electric Gardens comes to Centennial Parklands on Saturday, January 23 from midday to 10pm. Head to the website for more info.
Remember all those promises you made to Facebook, about how when the winter chills let up you’re going to really knuckle down, get healthy, eat veggies and save a tonne of money? Well forget about it right now, you naïve fool, because Johnny Lobster and Young Henrys are throwing an all you can eat friend chicken night on Mondays during August. Yes, call your PT, call your bank, call your therapist and cackle maniacally at them to convey the futility of trying to be good when for $25, you can eat as much fried chicken as you can handle. Byeeee Felicia (Felicia is your will to resist). Every Monday night in August, Johnny Lobster will host an orgy of sensual delight (not a real orgy by the way, but a food one which is better). For $25 you will get all you can eat fried chicken and sides, while those chronic enablers from Young Henrys will be on hand to sell you $5 cans of the good stuff as well. While Johnny Lobster is technically a seafood joint, they handle chicken (the salmon of the land) with such tender loving care that they even admit the place could easily be called Johnny Rooster. While stuffing your face, make sure you quote Jessica Simpson’s “chicken or fish?” masterpiece at least once and snort-laugh at your own joke because that’s the way fried chicken is best enjoyed. If you’re down to clown with Johnny Lobster’s friend chicken fiesta, be sure to book ahead of time as word is spreading fast. Visit their Facebook page for more info.
If Wiz Khalifa has time to help the community out, you'd better find some time in that not-so-internationally-touring schedule of yours. The 28-year-old American rapper yesterday dropped by the Weave Skate Park Project Plan in Waterloo to do his bit for Optus RockCorps, a huge community service initiative and concert project running over the last eight weeks in Sydney. Khalifa was on the ground yesterday meeting volunteers like a boss and helping to paint and revitalise the skate park. What a dude. Now in its third year in Australia, Optus RockCorps is a global youth project that gives people the chance to get involved in volunteering to make a real difference in their communities — and in return, they earn sweet, sweet tickets. Over the past few weeks, over 3000 Sydneysiders have been volunteering just four hours of their time each (that's over 12,000 volunteered hours) at over 40 different community groups. It's all out of the goodness of their hearts — and quietly in return for a ticket to see an exclusive, live concert with some of the world’s biggest artists, including Khalifa, Peking Duk (who've been doing their own spot of volunteering), The Veronicas and Raury at Luna Park's Big Top on September 30. You couldn't buy tickets to this gig, only volunteer your time. Suffice to say, ticketholders will be feeling pretty chuffed tonight, both for helping their communities and finding themselves front and centre for Wiz Khalifa. Everyone wins. Image: Optus RockCorps.
Australia's obsession with Americana is going one step further, there's a brand new music festival on the New South Wales calendar. Wonderfully dubbed Dashville Skyline, the brand new camping festival is being touted as a two-day ode to American music — locked in for the October 3-4 long weekend, 2015. Who's behind this brand spanking new jaunt? The Dashville Skyline team are no spring chickens in the festival game; they're the brains behind hugely successfully niche festivals like The Gum Ball and PigSty in July. After finishing up The Gum Ball last year, the team are bringing the tunes back to the festival-ready Johnston family property in Dashville, Lower Belford in New South Wales — the bush-surrounded site of their previous festivals. Americana-influenced tunes will be the footstomping music of choice over the two days at Dashville — much like the recently successful Out on the Weekend festival. While the lineup has yet to be announced, the festival website describes the music as "born out of fondness for the Golden era that began in the USA in the late '60s, early '70s... a festival of Americana, psychedelia and alternative country music." Think contemporary music influenced by Bob Dylan, The Band, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and The Grateful Dead. There'll be both Australian and international artists on the bill, with each given a special project ahead of their Dashville set. To shake things up, the Dashville team are creating a shortlist of twenty of the era's greatest songs. Bands and artists will be asked to choose a song from this list and incorporate a cover version into their performance. The covers will be recorded live at the festival and gifted to all attendees at the conclusion of the weekend event as a super Dashville Skyline compilation. What a bloody great festival souvenir. There'll be Americana-themed food and booze on hand to complete the US-inspired sensory experience, and you'll be able to BYO in the campground (not inside the festival of course). It's all ages, and full weekend and individual day tickets with camption options for on either night will be available. Here's the site during The Gum Ball, to get an idea of your surrounds. Dashville Skyline runs over October 3 and 4 at Dashville, Lower Belford. For more information head over here.
If you didn't think a Sydney summer sunset could possibly get any better, that's okay — neither did we. But alas, it has. Now you can capitalise on those long summer evenings (thank you, daylight savings) by wining, dining and swaying to live music at Barangaroo Reserve, located in picturesque Gadigal Country. Enter: Sunset20°North. A celebration of music, food and culture set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, which will take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February. Inspired by Barangaroo's namesake, a strong female leader of north Sydney's Cammeraygal people, the event will showcase the best Australian female voices and chefs. The contemporary music lineup includes hip hop-artist Sampa The Great, folk singer Thelma Plum and Thandi Phoenix's electro beats. And the best part? It's all free. As is the interactive art, designed by Yuwaalaraay artist Lucy Simpson. Explore the large-scale Grandmother Tree as it changes with the sunset, reflecting colours and light across the harbour. The food on offer will change each week, with guest chefs Claire van Vuuren (Bloodwood), Thi Le (Anchovy), Jane Strode (Fred's) and Analiese Gregory (Franklin) each spending a weekend at the helm. The drinks list will also feature mostly female winemakers and producers, with cocktails crafted from native ingredients and award-winning wine. Overall, expect local, seasonal produce perfect for a harbourside picnic. Did someone say oysters? Sunset20°North will take place every weekend in February. Festivities kick off at 4pm on Fridays and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pop-up pros Street Food Circus are hitting Marrickville at the end of spring. And they'll be bringing with them three wild days of street food, craft beer, boutique wines, live music and DJs armed with vinyl. So blank out November 25 to 27 in your diary, for feasting at Fraser Park. The culinary extravaganza will showcase dishes from all over the world, with a particular focus on Italy and Vietnam. Representing the UN will be Big Papa's Food Truck with its multicultural menu, which includes the Korean (beef short ribs with cucumber kim chi on a bao gao bun) and the freaking enormous Americano (beef burger with pickle mayo sauce, cheddar and lettuce). Alternatively, for perfect arancini and whitebait fritto, swing by Italian street food experts Fritto + Co. Taking care of Vietnamese flavours will be Saigon Summer's outdoor barbecue pit, while Let's Do Yum Cha will be providing dim sim and duck pancakes. And, for health nuts, there'll be Agape Organic. Once the savouries are out of the way, it'll be time for dessert. Try out newbies Torch Me Creme Brulee and Donut Dealers, or go for established safe bet Over The Moo, who'll be serving up their next-level dairy-free ice cream (get the salted caramel) with waffles from Waffles and Dom. Keeping your thirst at bay throughout the day will be a bunch of craft beers and spirits, as well as fine wines, provided by Mountain Goat and Archie Rose distillers, among others. Meanwhile, in the Big Top, you'll be kicking back or getting down to a slew local DJ talent and, should you want to grab a vinyl or two of your own to take home, go rummaging at Rolling Records, a truck devoted to records. Street Food Circus is coming to Marrickville's Fraser Park from November 25-27. Tickets here.
Audiences have thrown spoons at Tommy Wiseau's The Room for over a decade, turning the film into a cult hit in the process. Alas, anyone hoping to gain a deeper insight into the cinema phenomenon at this year's Sydney Underground Film Festival might feel like lobbing cutlery in the filmmaker's direction instead. Unhappy about planned screenings of the documentary Room Full of Spoons, Wiseau threatened legal action, forcing organisers to remove the movie from the program. SUFF announced the news on their Facebook page, advising that they "tried everything in our power to move forward with the screening and have had many conversations with our own barristers and Wiseau's Australian-based legal team". In a move Wiseau could only approve of, the doco will be replaced by sessions of The Room itself. Amazingly for a festival that celebrates its tenth weird and wonderful year in 2016, this is the first time they've had to withdraw a film. Speaking to The Guardian, festival co-director Stefan Popescu delivered one heck of a burn: "This is the biggest censorship issue our festival has ever had, and it is not from the government — it's from the man who has delusions of cinematic adequacy." Ouch. Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 15 to 18. To view the full SUFF 2016 program, or to buy tickets, visit suff.com.au. Meanwhile, here are our top ten picks of SUFF. Go see 'em.
If you see one film over the next few months, make it Berlin Syndrome. Based on a novel of the same name, the film follows Australian photojournalist Clare (played by Teresa Palmer) as she embarks on her first solo trip to Berlin. While travelling, she meets and begins a passionate romance with charismatic local man Andi. Their relationship soon takes an unexpected and sinister turn—she wakes one morning to discover that Andi has left for work and locked her inside his apartment, with no intention of ever letting her leave. Filmed on location in Berlin and Melbourne, the film is a thoughtful, psychological thriller directed by Australian Cate Shortland (who also directed the critically acclaimed Somersault). It examines tough topics such as emotional manipulation, gaslighting and Stockholm syndrome in a provocative fashion, leaving the audience with a new outlook on the relationship that can occur between captor and captive. The film is released nationally on April 20. To celebrate, we're hosting an advanced screening of Berlin Syndrome at Palace Verona in Sydney on Thursday, April 13 at 6.30pm. Register your details below to go into the draw to win one of 50 double passes, and subscribe to Palace Cinemas if you're keen to receive session times in your inbox. [competition]615234[/competition]
Out in the middle of the California desert lies the city of Palm Springs. A long-time hangout of film stars known for its lavish hotels and mid-century modern architecture, it's the kind of quintessentially American locale that wouldn't look out of place on a postcard. But as picturesque as Palm Springs may look by day, it's even more incredible by night. On display at the Black Eye Gallery for Contemporary Photography, Midnight Modern is an ongoing project by Melbourne-based photographer Tom Blachford, who has travelled to Palm Springs five times over the past two years to shoot the city as it shines in the moonlight. Capturing bungalows, palm trees and vintage Cadillacs, Blachford's work offers a uniquely cinematic look at a place that is both lavish and desolate – a manicured slice of comfort in the wild.
Brought to you by the Black Dog Institute, the National Institute for Experimental Arts at UNSW and host Julie McCrossin, The BIG Anxiety Project explores one of society's greatest (and common) mental health issues: anxiety. According to Beyond Blue, approximately 45 percent of Australians will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. In any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety. How are we coping with the strains and stresses of city life? What does online connectivity mean for our levels of anxiety? Who does it effect, how does it feel and what can we do to address it? An interactive session blending health research with cutting-edge data visualisation tools, this Vivid Ideas event will let you see social media feeds transformed into live infographics that reveal the themes, thoughts and truth behind anxiety. This is one of our top picks for Vivid Ideas events. Read the whole list and reboot your brain.
When someone's nailing everything they set their mind to, it's not hard to feel just a tiny bit jealous. Good news, Vivid Ideas is inviting four of the creative world's cutting edge icons to reveal how they achieved such enviable success. The Game-changers talk series features filmmaker Spike Jonze on June 5 (Her, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich), House of Cards creator Beau Willimon on May 28, Orange is the New Black writer and creator Jenji Kohan on June 10 and Australian fashion influencer Margaret Zhang on May 28, all taking to the stage for what's tipped to be a fascinating insight into their lives and achievements. This is one of our top picks for Vivid Ideas events. Read the whole list and reboot your brain.
For 19 years, Sydney Design Festival has been putting you face-to-face with the latest developments in architecture, fashion, technology, food and art. Gear up for yet another nine mindblowing days, coming up on September 2. This time around, you'll be seeing the Goods Line in a whole new light, discovering the latest innovations from Indigenous designers, hearing from creatives about the fine line between success and failure, exploring artists' responses to the impact of digital manufacturing and cutting up bamboo bicycles. And that's just the beginning. So get your designer cap on and get amongst it.
One of inner city Sydney's favourite regular markets is bringing the magic to the south. As of Saturday, September 17, the locality will be getting a brand new market. To be held at Discovery Point and aptly named Discovery Markets, it's promising a fiesta of independently grown, baked, designed and made goodness — from local produce and tasty treats to fashion pieces and homewares. The brains behind this event are the same as those behind Chippendale's Brewery Yard Markets, Jacob Collier and Rupert Partridge. "Every stallholder has a unique story to tell," says Jacob and Rupert. "At Discovery Markets we want this to be recognised, by giving our visitors the opportunity to learn more about what they're buying and who they're buying it from." At the inaugural market, you can expect more than 40 stalls. Get set for sweet deliciousness from Donut Papi, super-fresh juices from Steve's Easy Squeeze, spicy feasts from Paella Del Mar, American burgers from East Coast Slider Shack and cracking caffeine hits from Black Market Roasters. Meanwhile, if it's gifts you're looking for, browse through Waja Creations' recycled flowerpots laden with cactii, hand-poured candles from Kandel, and designer dogwear from Haus of Harley. And it's not just shopping you'll be doing. Been meaning to pick up the ukulele ever since you saw Amanda Palmer in concert? Join Tom the Pom at 12pm and 1.30pm for a class presented by The Work-Shop. Alternatively, learn how to make pasta the Italian way at a session led by Steffen Achtmann, resident teacher at Vive Cooking School and head chef at Jamie's Italian. It's free, but you must be one of 20 quick people to register online, which you can do over here. After the launch, the Discovery Markets will be held on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Feel free to drive and load up your car with your loot — there's plenty of parking. Editor's note: This event was initially scheduled for Saturday, September 3 but has been postponed.
Some big things have been gracing the polished cement floors of Eveleigh's contemporary arts precinct, Carriageworks, this year. Off the back of the first major exhibition of El Anatsui's work for Sydney Festival in January comes the arrival of acclaimed Italian artist Francesco Clemente, as a part of the Schwartz Carriageworks project series. Taking over an enormous 30,000 square feet of exhibition space, Encampment brings six of Clemente's embellished large-scale tents to audiences for a two-month stint. Referencing the last three decades of his nomadic existence, living in transit between India and New York, this exhibition sees an epic culmination of his craft. In collaboration with a community of talented artisans from Rajasthan, India, each temporary dwelling is layered with intricate, bejewelled patterns and evocative imagery depicting physical love and bodily pleasure. Paired with Clemente's four altar-like sculptures Earth, Moon, Sun and Hunger, plus the inclusion of 19 erotically-charged paintings from the series No Mud, No Lotus (2013-2014), the space functions as a place of visceral introspection.
New local indie short film festival Freshflix is back for spring with more great films and food to ring in daylight savings. Created by budding entrepreneurs Jess Hamilton, Claudia Pickering and Laurs Guthrie, Freshflix started earlier this year in a backyard in Freshwater with the aim of showcasing local and international indie films, visual arts and live music. This week's inner west screening will take place in a secret warehouse location in Redfern — to be released to ticketholders 24 hours beforehand — and will feature music from Aly Stringfellow, Ross Henry and AuxJax, food from Shiso Fine food truck and drinks from your local bottle-o (it's BYO). Highlights from their spring film selection lineup include Spill, a film about power dynamics in the marble collecting craze of West Meadows Primary School (or, you know, every suburban Australian primary school ever), Big City, a film about a Melbourne taxi driver and his passenger, and The Plover, a cartoon about a plover standing in the way of Henry Arthur Henry achieving his hopes and dreams — namely, jumping on Angie Primarano's trampoline. And if all that isn't enough to convince you, your Freshflix ticket even comes with a free zine by local artists and free popcorn. Sold. Can't make it to Redfern? Don't worry, Freshflix will be coming to the Northern Beaches on Saturday night.
When charming animated odyssey Song of the Sea earned an Academy Award nomination in 2015, plenty of film folk were surprised. Not those hailing from Ireland, though. The nation's movie industry might not give Hollywood a run for its money — even if it did give US action flicks the gift that is Liam Neeson — but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in effort. Of course, the same could be said of the Irish Film Festival, which celebrates its second year in 2016. Taking over the Chauvel from April 7 – 10, the four-day-long event might boast just seven features and eleven shorts in its program, plus two shindigs; however here, it's quality, diversity and celebrating the latest and greatest of the country's contemporary film offerings that matters. That includes the aforementioned family-friendly gem, of course, as well as criminal underworld thriller Pursuit, Berlin-set drama Lost in the Living and a documentary about the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. And fittingly, it all kicks off with not just a gala party, but with a screening of the Toni Collette-starring addiction effort Glassland. Not only does this pot of cinema gold at the end of the movie-going rainbow showcase the best Ireland has to offer to Sydney audiences, but it also champions a collaboration between Irish filmmakers and Aussie talent.
Gallery-hopping after hours? Talk about a perfect Sydney date idea. Art Month Sydney's beloved Precinct Nights are back, offering you the golden opportunity to enjoy a spate of art venues open late, transforming your art viewing into an adventure trail after closing time. Art at Night | East Sydney in partnership with Concrete Playground and Cake Wines is the ultimate artventure, with over fifteen eastern Sydney galleries open from 6-8pm on Thursday, March 3. Galleries on the trail include Alaska Projects and Alaska Studios, Australian Design Centre, Black Eye Gallery, Chalk Horse, Creative Live Work Spaces, Firstdraft, Gallery 9, King Street Gallery on William, Michael Reid Sydney, STACKS Projects, Stanley Street Gallery, Tap Gallery, Watters Gallery, William Wright | Artists Projects, and Yuill | Crowley, who all have pretty damn great Art Month programs in store. But every great trail walk needs a solid watering hole at the end. Once you've perused enough art, make your way to the Cake Wines Art Bar at National Art School, Forbes and Burton Street, Darlinghurst (open from 7.30-10.30pm). There'll be plenty going on at the pop-up, including projections from NAS alumni and students, performances, an interactive drawing workshop, as well as Art Month presenting a series of performances including Liam Benson, Justin Shoulder and Wisteria Hysteria with FBi Radio's Sweetie on the decks. Download the map here.
Redfern is getting its very own cellar door courtesy of the team at contemporary winery Cake Wines. Located in a renovated warehouse on Eveleigh Street, this inner-city venture from Cake Wines founders Glen Cassidy, Sarah Burvill and Mike Smith will host tastings, workshops and a number of other cultural events all built around the love of a good glass of wine. Opening Thursday, March 10, the cellar door will, according to the Cake Wines team, "be an absolute representation of everything we're about, bringing people together to enjoy great wine in a relaxed and unintimidating environment". Aside from the cellar door at Nomad, it looks to be the only one located in the confines of the inner-city. There are plans to run casual wine education classes, tasting, talks, low-key Thursdays, Friday dance parties and Saturday afternoon gigs, as well as various other events, with the view to incorporate other ideas across a number of different disciplines. They've already partnered with March's Art Month, and you can expect more collaborations with major cultural festivals, including Vivid in May. Visitors will be able to sample Cake Wines' 2014 and 2015 wines by the glass or the bottle, along with a number of other local small-batch wines. They'll also have a range of locally-made beers, ciders and spirits, along with a selection of meats and cheeses. For opening week, there's a big ol' lineup of beats, tastings and general tomfoolery locked in. Here's the rundown: Thursday, March 10 Opening night, 5pm till late Residents Adi Toohey and BoogieMonster Friday, March 11 Acid / Tannins / Dance, 5pm - late Residents Mike Who / Anno / Preacha Saturday, March 12 Doors at 12pm, kicks off 1.30pm Retiree DJ's / James McInnes / + guests Sunday, March 13 Tastings, doors at 12pm Tasting on the hour, every hour For more information visit cakewines.com/cellardoor.
It's been a whole year since the lads at Surry Hills' craft beer-loving pub Keg & Brew opened their doors, so of course they're going to bloody celebrate. Raising a glass to a year of weird and wonderful niche lagers, ales and pilsners, K&B are one of the best craft beer pubs in Sydney. They've invited their mates at Young Henrys and Batch Brewing for a tap takeover. The brewers and brewery reps will be hanging about the pub for you to grill about different beers — maybe they'll even sign a growler for you. To really get the most out of the K&B bar on their birthday, you can opt for the $5 Thirsty Thursday schooner specials — choose from the Batch American Pale Ale or Young Henrys Natural Lager. There'll be plenty of nosh going around at the party, with two special dishes created for the night. First, the lobster nachos (such decadence, much wow), which features Young Henrys lager-poached lobster tail, five bean mix, mozzarella cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa and chives for $19. Alternatively, there's the lamb hot dogs, featuring lamb and rosemary sausages served with cucumber, Batch American Pale Ale braised soft onions, smoke paprika yoghurt and shoestring fries for $16.50. Importantly, and most adorably, there'll be complimentary Keg & Brew birthday cupcakes. And even though it's the pub's birthday, they're giving out the pressies and prizes — you and three mates could win a personalised tour of both Batch Brewing Co and Young Henrys breweries. Just enter the comp while you're sinking a few Natural Lagers in the pub. HB K&B. We reckon the Keg & Brew is one of the ten best craft beer bars and pubs in Sydney. Check out the whole list here.
More than a decade after the series finale of Friends, a replica of the show's iconic Central Perk cafe is coming to Sydney's Hyde Park. Located on the corner of College and Liverpool Streets, the pop-up coffee shop complete with famous orange couch will be open for two weeks, selling merchandise, serving free coffee and providing ideal selfie opportunities for flocks of diehard fans. The cafe is part of a promotion by streaming service Stan, who have just inked a deal with Warner Brothers to put all 236 episodes of the sitcom online in HD. That comes to roughly 86.5 hours of television, for anyone planning a marathon-length binge. The same pop-up attracted nearly 50,000 people when it appeared in New York last year. In Sydney it'll be open 8am to 5pm Sundays through Wednesdays and 8am to 7pm Thursdays through Saturdays.
The team at Cuckoo Callay know what people like. Earlier this year, the Newtown cafe hit a homerun with their first ever bacon festival, a three-month celebration of that most versatile of pork products complete with bacon burgers, bacon ice cream and even bacon Bloody Marys. Now, they're doubling down with an event dedicated to the only thing in the world that people get more excited about than bacon. We're talking, of course, about puppies. Set to take place on November 14-15 in support of the legends at the RSPCA, Cuckoo's Dog Day Afternoon will be a weekend-long party for our favourite four-legged friends (sorry, cats). Cuckoo Callay will transform its outdoor space into a veritable pooch's paradise with toys, treats and a full-blown doggy day spa. Those of us without tails, meanwhile, will enjoy gourmet dawgz, wine and a lineup of live music and entertainment. Each day will also see Newtown's best dressed dogs compete for gold and glory in Cuckoo's Doggy Dress Up Parade. 15 pooches (and their owners) will compete for up to $1500 worth of prizes, judged by an eclectic panel that includes ex-Big Brother champ Tim Dormer, TV presenter Lynette Bolton and state member for Newtown Jenny Leong. Anyone wanting to sign up their dog for the contest can do so via the Cuckoo Callay Facebook page. And now, enjoy this: Cuckoo Callay's Dog Day Afternoon is happening November 14-15 at Newtown Railway station, 324A King Street, Newtown.
Some of Sydney's best bars will become classrooms for one night this October, as 20 academics from the University of Sydney take over 20 of the city's best bars with free talks. Coming to Sydney for the first time, it's called Raising the Bar, a bloody great idea and worldwide initiative that's previously run in New York, Hong Kong and London. Raising the Bar was dreamt up by, of course, a group of students from Columbia University and New York University, keen to get those new, thought-leading ideas they'd heard in class to the general public — for free. People are already ranting, debating and discussing in bars and pubs, why not take things back to the '70s and drop a tweed jacketed academic in the mix to open minds? Locked in for October 20, Raising the Bar will see 20 of Sydney Uni's top academics speaking on a huge range of topics, from Western assumptions of veiling to what's happening at the Paris climate summit, to medicinal cannabinoids. Want to get fired up about Taylor Swift with an academic backing you up? Dr Rebecca Sheehan (United States Studies Centre) is heading for The Record Crate in Glebe to unpack 'Bad blood: Women, danger and popular music'. Professor Sahar Amer (School of Languages and Cultures) will head to Knox Street Bar for 'To veil or not to veil?', discussing the Islamic fashion industry and the many, many reasons why Muslim women choose to veil. Probably the most 'classic university' of the talks, Dr David Allsop (Faculty of Science) will stay on campus at Manning Bar for 'Weeding out the myths about cannabis' to weigh up both sides of the legalised medical marijuana debate. If you're keen for a pint and a climate change adventure, Professor Tim Stephens (Sydney Law School) will head for The Bristol Arms Hotel for 'What’s hot at the Paris Climate Talks?', delving into December's summit and how global decisions are being made in the realm of global warming. That's just five of the talks happening across Sydney bars on the night, with 15 more set to stir up debate — check out the whole program here. Image: Victoria Baldwin.
Find yourself washed up on a tropical island with two spoiled kidults and their long-suffering assistants in a new, bizarre and disturbingly colourful play Great Island, "with a lot more sex, violence and Heart of Darkness than your average island getaway." Showing at Redfern's 107 Projects, Great Island marks the debut of new Sydney theatre group Beside Ourselves Collective, who've improvised, developed and birthed an "utterly disrepectful" (their words) new adaptation of Pierre de Marivaux's 1725 farce L'Ile des esclaves. When the island's mysterious ruler submits our washed up protagonists to a subversive experiment, the servants become the masters in a crazy, coconutty class war. Expect to laugh when least appropriate. Steered by director Pierce Wilcox (of the Australian Chamber Opera, but believe us, this ain't no opera), Beside Ourselves take de Marivaux's play to new levels of weird with an ensemble of glorious fools: theatresports champions Harry Milas and Rob Johnson (Mantaur), Anna Chase (TV’s The Checkout), Eleni Schumacher (Dead Time at 107 Projects) and Nicholas Starte (Black Swan State Theatre Company’s Dust).
Want to see Seekae's Alex Cameron, surrounded by art, playing live for free? Want to be seduced by the smooth sounds of Donny Benet beside Australia's famous faces? Over the month of August, the Art Gallery of New South Wales's Art After Hours program is extending the Archibald Prize love to live music. Each Wednesday from August 5-26, AGNSW will see some of Australia's best musicians playing for free in the Gallery's entrance court in 'Faces in the Crowd'. Yep, for free. On August 5, Alex Cameron returns to the Gallery to take you on a journey through time and space with his eclectic brand of electronica. James will be teaming up with saxophonist Roy Molloy to showcase his debut album Jumping the Shark, which documents tales of shame and humiliation in the most crisp, breezy way possible. On August 12, Austinmer band Shining Bird will bring their hypnotic melodies, Crosby, Stills and Nash-like harmonies and debut album Leisure Coast tunes to the Gallery. A crew of buds who initially bonded over their love of the sea, Australian cinema, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue LP and the great Australian poet Henry Lawson, this crew has a sound you can't pin down until you hear it live. On August 19, drummer for The Drones, frontman for The Gentlemen of Fortune and solo artist in his own right Mike Nogo brings his stripped-back folk-rock to the Gallery. He'll be performing a solo sneak peak of his highly anticipated third album, due out later this year. Then last (but in no way, shape or form least) immortal synthmaster and 'Sophisticated Lover' Donny Benet will be gracing the gallery on August 26. Breaking hearts and taking names since his 2011 debut album The Touch, Benet's signature blend of Italo-disco and synth-laden pop has entranced audiences from Goodgod Small Club to Sydney Festival to the Opera House. Each artist will play twice in the evening (you lucky things), once at 6pm and again at 7.30pm. ART AFTER HOURS — FACES IN THE CROWD SERIES LINEUP: AUGUST 5 — ALEX CAMERON (SEEKAE) AUGUST 12 — SHINING BIRD AUGUST 19 — MIKE NOGA AUGUST 26 — DONNY BENET While you're there, why not see the Archibald Prize?
As the year winds up, and party season enters into full swing, it’s time to give yourself a little treat. Aced that job interview? Nailed a new dinner party recipe? Or maybe it’s just been one of those weeks you’d rather forget? Whatever the reason, a spot of retail therapy is sure to be in order. Buyers remorse be gone, iconic Aussie designer Alice McCall is throwing a sample sale like never before. And this year’s edition is made for the bargain hunters among us, with items starting at just $10. Yes, we’re hyperventilating too. Since the debut of the label back at the 2004 Australian Fashion Week, Alice has channeled her stylish London-bred sensibilities into creating garments that are equal parts feminine and cool. Snatch up a playsuit or two from McCall’s stellar selection, or pick up the perfect frock for those looming office Christmas parties. You can thank us later. Open Thursday, November 19 (8am to 7pm) and Friday, November 20 (8am to 4pm).
