Art plus bar. This almost universal gallery opening deal is a pretty tasty mix already. But the MCA adds extras to this time-honoured tradition with its now SMAC-winning series ARTBAR. They’re evenings of strange and interesting things at play among the art, recurring monthly and curated by a rotating cast of local artists. This month, outsider art lover Tully Arnot takes the reins at this multi-storey, late night gallery romp. Silent opera, strange sculpture and unusual visual and aural manifestations are all said to be on the agenda.
With the weather getting warmer, the evenings getting lighter and the slightest suggestion of summer in the air, it is definitely time to crawl out from behind duvet and get out on the town. And with The Standard opening this week, you now have your first port of call. The Standard, Sydney's newest multi-purpose performance space, is officially opening its doors to the public this Thursday and warming up the space with the sounds of Bluejuice, Millions, Step-Panther and Splash Mountain DJs. This will be backed up with an impressive roster of shows in the coming weeks, including Custard's first Sydney gig since 1999. Located on level three of Kinselas, one of Sydney's landmark drinking establishments, The Standard will be dedicated to live music, visual art, theatre, comedy and burlesque. In its former life it played host to the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and The Lemonheads, and now it is set to make a comeback and breathe some new life into Sydney's live music scene. Definitely an incentive to get off the couch. To win one of five double passes to The Standard's Official Public Launch this Thursday September 15, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Entries close on Wednesday at 5pm.
It just might be Australia's most famous man-made structure, and it'll soon be home to the Australian Aboriginal flag on a permanent basis. That'd be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which only flies the Aboriginal flag for 19 days each year at present — for Australia Day, Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week — but will do so every day "as soon as possible", as New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has just announced. The Sydney Harbour Bridge currently has two flag poles, with one flying the Australian flag and, when the Aboriginal flag isn't on display on its allocated days, the other flying the NSW state flag. To display the Aboriginal flag permanently, the bridge will gain a third flag pole — with the Premier advising that the government has "been working through this for some time." Speaking at NSW's daily COVID-19 press conference on Saturday, February 5, Perrottet said that "the first advice I received is that it would take two years. Two years. I mean, in the 1920s, it took nine years to build the Harbour Bridge, but apparently today it takes two years to put a flag pole on top of the Harbour Bridge. I'll climb up there myself to put it up if I need to". He continued: "I can't see why it would take that long. The new advice that I've received is that it can be expedited — I think it went down to two years, and then to six months — so as soon as possible". A 5 year struggle worth while. WE BLOODY DID IT 🎉 Thank you to everyone who participated. The @ChangeAus petition & @gofundme won't stop until the flag is flying proud. Let's see it to the end.@AIA_SydneyCBD @MayorDarcy @david4wyong @GaryNunn1https://t.co/Xbqhunc8m7 — Cheree Toka (@Chereetoka) February 4, 2022 The announcement follows a five-year-long campaign by Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka, who also launched a Change.org campaign in 2020 to continue to call on the NSW government to make this exact move. "The Aboriginal flag is a reminder that the country has a history before European arrival," Toka said two years ago. "I think it's really important to have a symbolic gesture on the bridge that identifies the true history of Australia, which is a starting point for conversation around greater issues affecting the Indigenous population." After the first three years of Toka's campaign, she had amassed more than 157,000 digital signatures and the required 10,000 paper-based signatures to bring the issue to NSW parliament. However, when it was debated in the final NSW parliamentary session of 2019, the result then was that it would cost too much to construct a third flagpole to see the Aboriginal flag flying daily — which was what sparked her crowdfunding campaign to raise the $300,000 quoted by the government to 'fund the flag'. [caption id="attachment_841962" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vakrieger via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Announcing the change of policy on the weekend, the NSW Premier said that "we can't truly be proud of our country unless we are working together to achieve true reconciliation. That's a combination of both symbolic reconciliation and practical reconciliation." The move to permanently display the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge comes just weeks after 2022's other big flag news, with the Australian Government unveiling a copyright deal at the end of January with Luritja artist Harold Thomas, who designed the symbol, to make it freely available for public use, Exactly when the Aboriginal flag will start flying permanently on the Sydney Harbour Bridge hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: Mary and Andrew via Flickr.
Hoping that 2022 proves brighter than the last couple of years? Aren't we all — and, in Sydney, it's set to do exactly that in one particularly eye-catching way. After cancelling its 2020 and 2021 events due to the pandemic, Vivid will be back with its citywide celebration of creativity, innovation and technology (and luminous lights) from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18, and the festival has just revealed the first must-sees on its lineup. Words like dazzling, glowing, radiant and vibrant get thrown around a lot when describing Vivid, but there's a great reason for that: its installations and events — and especially its art displays and light projections — really are spectacular. 2022's bill looks to live up to the hype, too, based on the four inclusions revealed from first-time Festival Director Gill Minervini's program so far. Get ready to see plenty of Sydney in a whole new light, naturally. At The Goods Line at Central Station, Convergence will surround Sydneysiders in an immersive light-and-sound experience — all in the disused Goods Line railway tunnel, which'll be used for the first time ever. It'll actually be Vivid's largest-scale laser exhibition ever, too, if you need any more convincing. Next, over at Customs House at Circular Quay, none other than famed Aussie artist Ken Done will be joining forces with Sydney-based projection specialists Spinifex Group to deliver a work called For Sydney With Love. Yes, it's a love letter to the city, and it spans everything from Sydney's landmarks to its natural environment, which Done will bring to life. Also a highlight: Earth Deities, which'll set up at Hickson Road Reserve in The Rocks. It's the work of Western Sydney-raised artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, who is known for making large-scale sculptural forms out of compacted earth, steel and paint. Here, Nithiyendran will craft what's been dubbed as a "multi-limbed avatar", which'll come complete with animated fire and electricity. And, spanning an eight-kilometre continuous stretch from Sydney Opera House to Central Station, Future Natives will guide folks along Vivid's Light Walk. You'll find your way along thanks to sculptures along the route, including a flock of 200 Sydney bird species created by Sydney artist Chris Daniel. [caption id="attachment_843269" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Future Natives, Chris Daniel[/caption] The full Vivid 2022 lineup will be announced mid-March, but you can also look forward to spending time elsewhere in the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour, and at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, MCA and Customs House. Can't wait? You have to, sorry, but because Wednesday, February 16 marked 100 days till Vivid 2022 kicks off, the event has also stationed countdown clocks designed by artist Elliott Routledge — who'll also feature in the full festival program — outside the Queen Victoria Building at Town Hall and at Gateway Plaza at Circular Quay. So, you'll always know how many days are left until Sydney gets brighter for a few wintry weeks. [caption id="attachment_843267" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dallas Kilponen / DestinationNSW[/caption] Vivid Sydney 2022 will run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. We'll update you with the full lineup when it's announced in mid-March — and for further information in the interim, visit the event's website. Top images: Convergence, Mandylands / Earth Deities, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Jessica Maurer, Kane-Sullivan.
The meat pie is often described as humble, but I think it’s about time we gave it the respect it deserved. Any meal that’s bold enough to rely solely on the pairing of meat and carbs is a dish we should be honouring through meat-themed parades in the street at the very least. Over the decades, crafting the perfect pie has become an art form. The meats are slow cooked for hours, the gravy is complex, and the pastry is impossibly buttery but still manages to retain its structural integrity. As it’s a well documented fact that the mighty meat pie should form a large part of any balanced diet, we've created the failsafe list of go-to places to get your affordable pie fix. PIE TIN Tucked away under a tree on Brown Street in Newtown, the Pie Tin is located in a heritage building, the interior is flanked with glass cabinets brimming with pastry delights and a communal dining table where friends and strangers alike can bond over their mutual love of pies. It’s worth mentioning that their sweet pies are off the chain and most slices are adorned with whipped cream and are as big as your forearm. As for the savoury pies, there are a plethora of options to satiate both carnivores and vegetarians alike. They serve their pies on old timey silver tin plates which make you feel like a extra in a film about the gold rush. If by any chance you have enough stomach space to opt for one of the sides, the sweet potato fries are the bee's knees. 1a Brown Street, Newtown INFINITY BAKERY Each of the pies on offer at Infinity Bakery are tenderly crafted with hand-layered puff pastry and meats that have been cooking for hours, which is definitely the recipe for success. A pie isn’t worth eating unless its contents have been bubbling away on a stovetop for at least six hours. We recommend grabbing a few pies to go and sitting on the wall overlooking Manly Beach with your legs slightly apart so any rogue pie bits land in the hair of unsuspecting sunbathers. Shop 3, 15a Market Lane, Manly HARRY'S CAFE DE WHEELS You can’t write a list about the best pies in Sydney without giving a mention to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels. Believe me, I’ve tried. But Mr. de Wheels is a particularly persuasive man, and his Tiger Pies are even more so. The crisp pastry and peppery filling, topped with a precarious tower of creamy mash and mushy peas is a tourist attraction in its own right. The pool of the gravy on top can come dangerously close to breaking its little mash moat and running down unsuspecting forearms. Harry’s is an old favourite that stays open until 4am on weekends — a feature that should be rolled out across all pie depositories worth their weight in pastry. Various locations BLACK STAR PASTRY The lamb shank and red wine pie at Black Star pie is hands-down turn-around touch-the-ground the best pie Sydney has to offer. The pastry somehow manages to defy physics and stays crispy and intact despite the fact that there are no less than nine teaspoons of butter in each delicious bite. The red wine gravy is rich and robust, and the lamb is so impossibly tender it’s bordering on liquid. Black Star in Newtown is cosy and only seats a handful of lucky patrons, and due to the legendary nature of the pies, it’s frequently packed out, so we recommend getting a few pies to take away, picking up some copper ales such as James Squire's The Constable and heading down Australia Street to Camperdown Memorial Park to spend an afternoon watching dogs play in the sun. 277 Australia Street, Newtown BOURKE STREET BAKERY There’s a reason why there’s a line around the block every minute of every day to purchase the foods at Bourke Street Bakery, and that’s because the pastries really are next level. There’s three different variations on the classic beef number, and then the particularly adventurous chicken pie with sweet potato, pea and lime pickle. We recommend going with a group of friends so you can sample all four, or failing that, coming armed with a particularly empty stomach. Various locations
The Hayden Orpheum is about to become the most magical place in Sydney, as all eight movies in the Harry Potter franchise light up the screen over two spectacular days. Split into two parts — so you won't need a time turner to stay awake — the marathon kicks off at 11am on Saturday, November 25 with Harry's first four years at Hogwarts. They'll pick back up again at the same time the next day, when the battle against You Know Who begins in earnest. With no new Potter-related films due until the Fantastic Beasts sequel next year, this should help you get your big screen spellbinding fix — and, let's face it, you've already watched your DVDs hundreds of times. Accio popcorn! By Sarah Ward and Tom Clift
The fourth wall is an essential part of any story, but it's become more of a curtain in recent years. Performers and characters across media have made a habit of breaking it regularly to engage on a new level with the audience. Theatres have always led this charge, but a new show is coming to town that breaks the fourth wall so hard that it was practically never there. From the talents at the Australian Theatre for Young People and Kip Chapman — creator of Destination Mars and APOLLO 13: Mission Control — comes The Resistance, a story about young Aussies trying to make a collective change amid a massive climate action protest. Each cast member has their own perspective and goal, and you're actively invited to add yours to the mix. The creators are veterans of interactive theatre, and this is their most engaging title yet. You're encouraged to get as involved as you like, whether it's enjoying the show traditionally or going onstage with the cast – it's totally up to you. It's more than just a comedian asking what you do for work to warm up the crowd. No matter how engaged you are, it'll be a show to remember. If you're passionate about climate action or young people making a difference, you're in for a treat. The young performers are telling a relevant and emotionally-charged story very near and dear to the hearts of people everywhere, so anyone can get behind it. It's all happening in the brand-new Rebel Theatre, which is located in picture-perfect Dawes Point. The Resistance is a co-production with the Auckland Theatre Company, opening at The Rebel Theatre on Thursday, February 16 and running until Saturday, March 11. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the website.
UPDATE, JULY 17, 2020: Mov'In Car's Sydney season wraps up on Sunday, July 18 with screenings of the Dev Patel-starring Slumdog Millionaire (at 5.30pm) and the original Paranormal Activity (at 8.30pm) — and with free ice creams and bottomless popcorn for everyone who attends. The snacks are included in the ticket price for these two films only, and can be obtained from the bar on the night. It has been more than five years since Australia's most ambitious outdoor cinema held its first Sydney pop-up, letting movie lovers catch a flick under the stars while getting cosy in one of its beds (yes, beds). Of course, that's not a setup that suits these COVID-19 times, so Mov'In is adapting. Sydneysiders, meet Mov'In Car — a pop-up drive-in coming to Entertainment Quarter. This new version of Mov'In will make its debut on Friday, May 28, then run right through until Sunday, July 18 — all on Entertainment Quarter's carpark rooftop. Films will screen from Wednesday–Sunday weekly, with one movie on Wednesdays (at 6.30pm, with gates open at 5.30pm) and two showing on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (at 5.30pm, with gates at 4.45pm; and at 8.30pm, with gates at 7.40pm). You know how a drive-in works, of course, so all you need to do is grab a few friends, jump in the car and prepare to get comfy while catching some flicks. Lineup-wise, it all kicks off with a retro session of Grease — and from there you can choose from recent movies like Joker, Knives Out and Jojo Rabbit, or opt old favourites such as Dirty Dancing, The Notebook, both parts of Kill Bill, Scream and multiple Harry Potter movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGqiHJTsRkQ There'll also be snacks, food and beverages available to buy. It's not BYO so you'll have to purchase all food and drinks inside. And, if you're wondering how much it'll set you back, tickets for a car with one or two people cost $49.90, while you can bring up to five people for a cost of $59.90. Also, Mov'In Car is dog-friendly, although your pet pooch will need to stay in your car.
When you think 'patron of the arts' your local council probably doesn't spring to mind. Thanks to our Art/Work interview series, we're fully aware of the extra work our local artists put in to keep themselves in canvas and oils, and perhaps Blacktown Council could help. Now in its sixteenth year, the Blacktown City Art Prize has grown in popularity and reputation to become one of the most popular art competitions in Western Sydney. There's a grand total of $24,000 available in prize money and acquisition funds across several categories. Entries are invited for four official sections: painting, watercolour, works on paper and sculpture. There are also open prizes for Aboriginal artists, youth artists, environmental art, and local artists. Don't worry if you don't actually live in Western Sydney, that last category is the only one restricted to Blacktown city residents. Entry forms must be submitted by Tuesday August 23, and selected works will be displayed at Blacktown Arts Centre from 24 September – 22 October, admission free.
Professor Robert Baines: artist, goldsmith, scholar, gentleman, and now Living Treasure. As one of Australia's most internationally acclaimed and exhibited jewelers, Baines' work is being honoured as part of the Living Treasures: Master of Australian Craft series at Object Gallery. Baines is a professor of Gold and Silversmithing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and his accolades include the prestigious International Friedrich Becker Prize for jewellery. The works of this extraordinarily gifted and prolific artist are held in a number of the world's most prestigious galleries including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer (France), the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, USA) and the National Gallery of Australia. As the title suggests, Baines works his magic using precious metals and wire to construct his beautiful and complex pieces. Object Gallery has released a stunning 120-page monograph of Baines' work, which is available to purchase at the gallery or in bookstores. Baines will present a floor talk at 11am on 23rd October and will be available for Q&A time afterwards, along with co-author of the monograph Ruediger Joppien.
Ici et la have been sourcing antique French objets de charme since they started out as a stall at the Sydney Antique Centre in 2001. Stepping into their current Surry Hills showroom is like entering a Gallic wonderland from bygone days — it's full of items sure to add un peu de je ne sais quoi to your home decoration. Imagine sunning yourself in one of their classic primary-hued deckchairs on the white sands of the Cote d'Azur circa 1950, or swanning around a Parisian apartment decked out in their gilded mirrors and elegant writing desks, champagne flute in hand and sense of existential ennui impending. Allons-y!
Vampires can be slain by staking them in the heart. Werewolves aren't fond of silver bullets. But Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's addition to the undead world can't and won't be killed — not that anyone would want that outcome. First, What We Do in the Shadows jumped from a short film to a hilarious feature-length comedy. Next, it not only inspired a US television remake, which has been renewed for a season season, but New Zealand television spinoff Wellington Paranormal. And in the latter's case, following an exceptionally amusing six-episode first season, it's returning to Australian screens for its 13-episode second season this month. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. The Cops-style spinoff follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — including not only bloodsuckers and lycanthropes, but ghosts, aliens and more. Wellington Paranormal's second season once again explores the spate of paranormal phenomena popping up in the city, with a whole heap of new spooky occurrences attracting O'Leary, Minogue and Maaka's attention. The season starts with sea monsters — and a very high-profile cameo from Clarke Gaylord, partner of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern — and stays in strange but funny and silly territory from there. In Australia, Wellington Paranormal's first batch of episodes screened on SBS Viceland and was available to stream on SBS On Demand, and that's the case again this year. Episodes will drop weekly on both the free-to-air channel and the online platform from Thursday, November 28. For those following What We Do in the Shadows' continued evolution, Wellington Paranormal's success shouldn't come as a surprise. When the show was first revealed, Waititi described it as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, after all. Wellington Paranormal's second season starts screening on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand from Thursday, November 28.
Last time you spent a couple of days hanging out in Surfers Paradise, enjoying the beach and bars, and listening to live tunes by the shore, you might've been attending Schoolies. Your next excuse: Springtime, the brand new music fest that's heading to the Gold Coast this year. Obviously, thanks to the name, you know which season will be in bloom. Between Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5, the new event will take over both beachside and streetside spaces around Surfers, with over 40 acts on the bill. There'll be multiple stages, including in outside spots and at sideshow venues. And, in fantastic news for your wallet, entry to all of the outdoor shows is completely free. If you're planning to make a weekend of it, the lack of entry fee means you'll have more cash to splash on a hotel room. With Australia's tourism industry taking a hit over the past year or so, enticing music lovers to the Goldie for a three-day getaway is obviously one of the fest's aims. Some sideshows might be ticketed, though — the details haven't been announced yet, but you might want to factor that into your plans. As for who you'll be seeing, headliners include Ball Park Music on the Friday, Hermitude and Sneaky Sound System on Saturday, and Ruel on Sunday. The Gold Coast Music Awards will be part of the fest as well — as will celebrating spring's arrival just by soaking in the location, obviously. [caption id="attachment_815054" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Derek Henderson[/caption] SPRINGTIME MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021 LINEUP: FRIDAY: Ball Park Music Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Ali Barter Radolescent Vices SATURDAY: Hermitude Sneaky Sound System Gold Coast Music Awards JK-47 Ninajiraci Mia Rodriguez Ebony Boadu Mollie Rose Garrett Kato Lili Papas Daste Gratis Minds Akurei Jake Carmody Strex Happy Hour Live with Lucy & Nikki SUNDAY: Ruel Sycco May-A Budjerah Ivey Peach Fur DVNA Saint Lane Pink Matter Kye Pure Milk Tom West Chutney Sh#t Shirt Disco Nina Sinclair Veople Springtime Music Festival will take place across the weekend of Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5. For further information — and to RSVP — head to the festival website.
When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2019, this year began in a familiar fashion. All around Australia, beverages were raised in cheers to the next 12 months. But as we all know by now, 2020 hasn't delivered what anyone hoped for. If there has been a silver lining to this tough year, however, it has been the renewed focus on supporting local businesses. As well as spending more time at home, shopping local, eating local and sipping local have all been on the agenda. And that has been essential for two Queensland drinks companies, Brisbane's Aether Brewing and Far North Queensland's Mt Uncle Distillery. They've been forging ahead and doing what they do best — and what their local fans love — even under the most trying of circumstances. Queenslanders have certainly shown them both affection, with Aether and Mt Uncle picked as the Sunshine State's favourite tipples during the BWS Local Luvvas initiative. Aether's brews and Mt Uncle's Botanic Australis Gin will now receive an extra helping hand with getting both products stocked in more BWS stores. And we've spoken to the masterminds behind the two drops about their dream jobs, their love of making top-notch drinks and the importance of homegrown support. WHEN YOUR PASSION BECOMES YOUR JOB With Mt Uncle Distillery based on a farm in the Atherton Tablelands, head distiller and director Mark Watkins doesn't just spend his days making the most of FNQ's sultry weather — he also makes drinks perfect for those tropical climes, too. Indeed, his love of the region's climate is one of the reasons he is doing what he does today. "Given the inability to grow grapes up here, I decided to put my wine science degree to use and make rum," he explains. Watkins started his distilling journey before his studies, as a teenager. "Needless to say, I was popular with my mates," he notes. But when he dived into the botany side of his degree, he "fell in love with Australian native plants, and had the drive to pursue the production of the quintessential Australian gin" — which is where the concept of Botanic Australis began. For Aether's Dave Ward, his move into brewing arose out of a completely different field — fly-in fly-out jobs building gas plants. Meeting and working alongside his now-former business partner, they both realised that "FIFO wasn't exactly the life we wanted to live forever, and the thought of owning a brewery really just fit with what we wanted," he advises. The fact that Ward already had a lifelong passion for brewing and beer helped, unsurprisingly. Ward credits that affection for yeasty beverages, and for making them, to his father. "It is one of my earliest memories as a child, brewing with dad and his friends — the exploding bottles in the laundry, the dodgy stouts from extract and some pretty awful beer," he explains. "Those memories have stuck with me my whole life, and fuelled my love of brewing and great beer. I home-brewed on and off for most of my adult life, and eventually I found my life in a position where I was able to live my dream." GETTING CREATIVE — AND LOCAL Obviously, it takes more than just a fondness for a frothy beverage to make it in the drinks industry. As Ward advises, "brewing for me is an expression of creativity". He's now at the point where, when he's "on the brew floor or designing new beers, it comes naturally" — but he admits that getting to that point required hard work. "The real challenge started when I started studying and I realised that I knew nothing about beer. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to know, and the more I realised that my lifetime wasn't going to be enough for me to learn everything I need to be the brewer I want to be," he says. Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that when asked to describe a great beer, Ward notes that it "isn't a style, or a flavour, or even a taste". Rather, he sees it as "the ability to make a beer for everyone". At Mt Uncle, Watkins has a firm view of what makes a standout spirit, too. For him — like much of his approach to his work — it reflects his location. While it'd be hard not to love distilling gin in such scenic, relaxed and leafy surroundings, Watkins can't separate his tipples from his home base. "A great spirit should reflect the environment that creates it," he tells us. In practical terms, that means that Mt Uncle sources or grows all of its ingredients locally. It's a great source of pride to the distillery, with everything in its products either stemming from around the distillery or from a stone's throw away. ADAPTING TO TOUGH TIMES WITH HOMEGROWN SUPPORT In Mt Uncle's case, you could say that what goes around comes around — in a positive manner, of course. "We are a very small business and times recently have been quite trying," Watkins says, referring to this pandemic-afflicted year. "Local support is essential and a massive part of our business' DNA. If it wasn't for our local fan base we would not be here." For Ward, the embrace of Brisbane's beer community has been just as pivotal. "Honestly, if it wasn't for the amazing support that locals gave — whether they are in our neighbourhood or we are stocked in theirs — we would more than likely have gone under when COVID-19 hit," he admits. "Over the past few years, we have seen a shift towards local; people want to know who makes their beer, food or products," Ward observes, "and the last 12 months have pushed this further into the spotlight". To find these or other Queensland drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva's initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
Mardi Gras isn’t just a month-long party it’s also a brilliant opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting queer cultural work from around the world. Alexi Kaye Campbell’s Olivier Award-winning play The Pride centres on the challenges facing homosexual relationships in the late fifties and the 2000s. Flitting from 1958, where Oliver and Phillip must hide their love both from society and themselves, to the present day, where anonymous sex and empty style collide with the human heart, Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production is a poignant and powerful exploration of our turbulent times, our restrictive society, and our troubled past.
Red Bull's artist development program Sound Select is about uncovering and supporting the very best of local talent by pairing them up with established acts. The result is a monthly gig that's both emblematic of the sonic culture of our cities, and pushes the boundaries of the music we know and love. This month's incarnation of the sonic celebration is curated by Sydney's own FBi Radio — because if anyone's qualified to comment on the music culture in this town, it's them. Taking over the Chippendale Hotel on Friday, February 24, the gig will bring two of Melbourne's best new duos, Habits and Kllo, up to Sydney to feature alongside the frenetic rhymes laid over jagged beats from local pop culture critic and poet-rapper Kimchi Princi. While this one has been curated by outgoing FBi music director Stephen Goodhew, the rest of 2017's Sound Select events will be put together his successor Amelia Jenner alongside local music flag-fliers I OH YOU's Johann Ponniah and Travis Banko of Laneway Festival. Since launching in the States in 2012, Red Bull Sound Select spread to Canada and New Zealand before launching in Sydney in April last year. They hold monthly live gigs in Sydney to support upcoming artists and allow us to discover them. Image: Jam on Your Collar, Alexandra Anderson.
Ever since 1922, every movie that's been made about vampires owes a debt to Nosferatu. On the Malthouse Theatre stage in 2023, so does Australia's latest world-premiere theatre production. The Melbourne theatre company is taking inspiration from the cinematic masterpiece in a new drama that shares its name — but, giving the tale an Aussie twist, it's setting its horror story in a Tasmanian mining town. Hailing from writer Keziah Warner, and starring Jacob Collins Levy (The White Princess), this take on Nosferatu heads to a locale that residents are keen to restore, hoping that its glory days can return. To achieve that feat, they embrace a mysterious investor. If you've seen the film, however, you'll now that its central figure always has quite the taste for blood — no matter the other narrative details around him. People disappearing, questions no one wants to ask, getting more than one bargains for: that's how Malthouse's Nosferatu goes from there, as theatre attendees can see during its debut season from Friday, February 10–Sunday, February 16. And yes, Nosferatu has always owed its own debt, too, given that the OG version has quite the similarities to Bram Stoker's Dracula. There's a long story behind that connection between the 1922 film and Stoker's iconic novel, but it all comes down to making an unauthorised adaptation of a popular book. Dracula has inspired a wealth of movies, TV shows and stage productions itself, of course — and Nosferatu has been remade, turned into an opera and more before Malthouse's new production. (Also in the works for cinemas: a new big-screen version by The Northman filmmaker Robert Eggers, reportedly starring Barbarian and IT's Bill Skarsgård.) Malthouse's date with the influential story marks its latest page-to-stage show, after adapting classic Aussie book Looking for Alibrandi in 2022. At present, anyone wanting to see the end result for Nosferatu will need to rush to the Melbourne season — but cross your stake-holding fingers that audiences elsewhere in the country will get to sink their fangs into the production in the future. Check out a trailer for Malthouse's Nosferatu below: Nosferatu's world-premiere season runs from Friday, February 10–Sunday, February 16 at the Merlyn Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank, Melbourne. Head to the Malthouse Theatre website for tickets and further details. Top image: Kristian Gehradte.
Two Sydney institutions have come together for a collaboration that just makes sense. Black Star Pastry, creators of the world's most Instagrammed cake, and sleek CBD cocktail bar PS40 have combined forces to make a new range of bottled cocktails, each paired with one of Black Star's famous cakes. The three boozy creations all come in 250-millilitre bottles and are available for delivery throughout Sydney right now, with or without their cake counterparts. The obvious star of the show is the cocktail version of the bakery's strawberry watermelon cake. In order to create an alcoholic beverage reminiscent of this sought-after dessert, PS40's Michael Chiem combined gin with fresh strawberry, rose petal tea and clarified rose-scented cream. Chiem describes the drink as "what we imagine it would taste like if we threw Black Star Pastry's iconic strawberry watermelon cake into a gin still". The other two cocktails are inspired by Black Star's more underrated favourites — the Japanese forest cake and the pistachio lemon zen cake. The Japanese forest cocktail is a take on an old fashion adding red miso caramel, Mr Black coffee liqueur and Hojicha tea, while the zen creation is a red grapefruit and lemon version of a paloma. The cocktails are available in a sample pack with 250-millilitres of each cocktail for $80, or accompanied by Black Star Pastry's three cakes for $125. PS40 and Black Star's collab is part of the launch of the new Sydney-wide Black Star Pastry delivery service. To ensure you can indulge in cakes even if you don't live within five kilometres of a brick-and-mortar outpost, you can now order next-day delivery from Black Star Pastry's website to anywhere in Sydney. Alongside the classic cakes and PS40 cocktails, the delivery service also offers Rare Hare wine and St Ali coffee. Delivery is free on orders over $100. The Black Star Pastry x PS40 cake and cocktail pairings are available now via Black Star Pastry's new Sydney-wide delivery service.
Illustration and photography collide to unlock new perspectives in a stunning series by Belgian-based artist Ben Heine. Heine's Pencil vs. Camera project began in 2010. Recent new additions displayed here were created for Art Official Concept, an art gallery in Cape Verde, West Africa. Heine portrays an overwhelming sense of hope in these pictures of daily life in the Republic of Cape Verde. Vibrant colours from the real world unite with inspirational ideas flowing from Heine's pencil. [Via Flavorwire]
Wine-lovers will have the chance to experience the Royal Botanic Gardens' incredible venue The Calyx and be one of the first to try a new range of wines from Clare Valley winery Taylors. The local winemaker is launching its new Family Flagship Release and to celebrate the release and get wine into the hands of Taylors' fans, it's hosting a dinner party at one of Sydney's most picturesque venues. The one-night tasting event will feature samples of the new collection alongside a showcase of Taylors' finest spanning vintages and ranges. The tasting will be led by the winery's third-generation winemaker and the Managing Director Mitchell Taylor, accompanied by Chief Winemaker Adam Eggins. "It's inspiring to see how far our winery has come since my grandfather first stepped foot in the Clare Valley to set our family on this incredible journey," Taylor said. "From our first Estate wines in the early 70s to now releasing a stunning collection of wines that showcase the depth and diversity of our winemaking skill — it's a humbling and exciting experience." A meticulously designed four-course meal will also be part of the experience, with each dish matched to the wines. Tickets include all your food and drink for the night and will set you back $197. [caption id="attachment_623893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Calyx[/caption]
A year filled with catastrophic bushfires, seemingly never-ending Brexit negotiations and a US President that Tweets this, 2019 doesn't particularly inspire the phrase "dependable and stable". But Pantone is hoping 2020 will. Its colour experts have just announced the 2020 Colour of the Year and they're saying (or hoping) it'll signal a "new era" that's a little less shaky. Classic Blue (Pantone 19-4052) is the elegant, simple and enduring colour Pantone has chosen for the turn of the decade. As well as highlighting "our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era", the cooling shade makes us think of summer — well, all those beaches, ocean pools and rivers we'll be jumping into during the warmer months. Speaking of water, hopefully Classic Blue also inspires some more of it to fall down on Australia, parts of which are pushing through a two-year drought. [caption id="attachment_663542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bilgola Beach by Paros Huckstepp[/caption] According to the Pantone experts, Classic Blue can also do a lot for you mentally — including bringing "a sense of peace and tranquility" and helping concentration, clarity and reflection. So paint your room in it, cover your body in it or just buy some snazzy blue socks — it might help you get through this crazy messed up world in 2020. You can check out all the previous Colours of the Year, head to the Pantone website.
We've had silent yoga sessions and silent coastal roaming disco parties. And now Sydney is getting the world's first large-scale silent opera. From October 28 to November 5, the celebrated steps of the Sydney Opera House will be transformed into an opera stage for the first time for a special live performance of Sydney Opera House — The Opera (The Eighth Wonder). How can an opera be silent, you ask? Well, both the opera singers and the orchestra will perform live (both on the steps and inside the House), and will be transmitted to the audience through personal headphones for an immersive aural experience. As you're listening, you'll also witness visual art installations (think your nan's Hills Hoist) and a live chorus enact the story in front of your eyes. The narrative behind the opera is fascinating – and completely factual. Using the backdrop of the Opera House, the performance will retell the story of how the Australian cultural landmark came to be, and — navigating people, triumphs, dreams and failures of the time — how it sculpted our cultural landscape as a whole. The performance will be nestled amidst a backyard cricket set-up and five pop-up eateries serving Aussie-as food, like vegetable pasties, BBQ shrimps and steak sangas. There will also be an exhibition of Max Dupain's iconic photographs of the construction of the Sydney Opera House.
Think watching a movie under the stars is a summer activity? Think again. Braving the elements to catch a film in winter comes with its own rewards: snuggling up next to your nearest and dearest, enjoying the brisk night air and sipping hot mulled wine, for example. As part of the broader Bastille Festival, Cadmans Cottage will become a pop-up openair movie theatre again in 2024. That means settling in for a flick with a view not just of the screen, but vantages out over the Opera House and Sydney Harbour as well. Screening ten sessions over four days between Thursday, July 11–Sunday, July 14 for $2 a ticket, Le Mulled Wine Cinema lets attendees get cosy in chairs (with blankets, of course), and offers up a glass of mulled wine to complete the outdoor film-watching experience. As for what you'll be watching, if the movies aren't French, they have ties to France in some way. Think: Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, the Audrey Tatou-starring Amelie, more Tatou in Coco Before Chanel, Pixar's Ratatouille, Marion Cotillard's Oscar-winning performance in La Vie En Rose and 2024 standout The Taste of Things.
If you're starting to feel like a new season hasn't truly started until Finders Keepers has come to town, you're not alone. The ever-expanding art and design market has been bringing us face-to-face with some of the country's most quirky and creative designers for over a decade now — and it's set to do it all over again when it returns later this month. The focus remains, as ever, on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans. Expect to find debut collections from the likes of reclaimed timber furniture designer Common Wood and Graffiti Ore, which repurposes graffiti paint into vibrant accessories. Newtown-based The Social Outfit will also make its first market appearance — the conscious fashion label provides employment opportunities to refugees and migrants and reduces textile waste by using leftover fabrics from high-end designers. With the festive season fast approaching, the markets are also a great opportunity to get in the Christmas spirit. You can pick up a wreath, made with native Australian foliage, from Blume Flower School (or even sign up for a workshop if you're feeling particularly creative) and find plenty of left-of-centre gifts including Home by Harlequin ceramics, Peggy and Finn's quirky mens accessories and 'instant gardens' from The Little Veggie Patch Co. As usual, there'll be live music and other entertainment scattered across the weekend to keep the good vibes going. And you're covered when the inevitable shopping-induced hunger strikes, with Shortstop Coffee & Donuts, Mr Bao and Miss Lilly's Kitchen among the food vendors setting up shop. Tickets are $5, available at the door and valid for the entire weekend. So, if you can't stop thinking about that one thing you didn't buy, you can make a return visit. Start creating your shopping list now and head to the Finders Keepers directory to see the full scope of vendors. Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Sydney will run from November 30–December 2 at 12pm–9pm on Friday, 10am–7pm on Saturday and 10am–5pm on Sunday. Images: Samee Lapham.
As the creator and host of This American Life, one of modern radio's truly great story hours, Ira Glass needs little introduction. But now Ira is trying his hand as a film producer. Marcus Costello caught up with him ahead of the Australian release of Sleepwalk with Me, a comedy based on the life of, directed by and starring Ira's longtime friend and collaborator Mike Birbiglia. There's a sequence in Sleepwalk when Matt (Birbiglia) stays overnight in a hotel. For a guy who moonlights in a bar to support himself, this is the sign of making it — so he orders room service and dances on the bed. You also had a day job when you first started making radio: temping as a secretary. Was there a jump-on-the-bed-moment when it dawned on you that radio was going to work out? There were a few moments, but they were not early in my career! I took longer to figure out how to make a living making radio than anyone I've ever met. I was always a very good editor but all the other parts of making a radio story — being a solid interviewer, writer, knowing how to write something that could be read out loud — I was just so bad at these things. And I don't say that with false modesty. If you poke around you can find examples of my early stuff. I have. And, yeah, well, you only got better and better. [laughs] All through my twenties my parents kept telling me "you've got to get out of radio, you've got to get out of radio!" and I always thought they were being so unsupportive. But when I go back and listen to what I was producing, I completely understand where they were coming from. Did you ever turn to them and say, "look at me now"? Yes. Well, not in so many words. When they saw me on The David Letterman Show they stopped telling me I should go to medical school. Nice. Staying with the hotel experience, I have you as saying, "Just when did I get to the point when staying at a hotel wasn't fun?" I have a cousin who's a composer, Philip Glass, and when he was starting out his mother said to him, "You're just going to be travelling around staying in hotels", and he said, "Yeah, exactly!" But, you know, the novelty comes and goes. These days, I've come back around to embracing the escapism of hotels. In that scene, Matt looks around the hotel room sort of awestruck and I remember seeing it in the script and thinking "Well, that's going to look stupid" but it worked! It's a perfect example of something that's utterly convincing on film but if you think about it, 100 percent BS. And that was one of the key things I've learnt about filmmaking. And what about bumping into famous people at fancy hotels and thinking "I'm famous too, I can talk to them!" Is there still novelty in that? I mean, This American Life is a show about ordinary people's stories. Tell me, who's the most memorable person you've met? I can definitely answer this question but it's hard because if an interview is going well I fall in love with that person a little bit... Are you falling in love me with, Ira? Exactly. And after this interview, where are you taking me, Marcus? [laughs] I guess, be it with a man, woman or child, any age, I know an interview's going well, that we're both feeling good about it, when I start talking honestly about myself with them. Okay, here's something that really stands out in my memory. We did a show about babysitting and I interviewed a guy called Myron Jones. It was one of those stories that starts out light-hearted and funny but gets darker and sours. The deeper into it we went, I realised the story wasn't about what we thought it was about but actually about his mum; she was kind of crazy. At one point she actually followed through with her threats to send him away to an orphanage, like, who does that? It was the kind of complicated, emotional story that is so hard to come by. I mean, he was from another generation, another part of the world, there's no other way I would have had access to a story like his. And he really opened up to me. But the thing that touched me most was how graceful he was about his past. I mean, his mum did some terrible things, some really terrible things, and yet he had no bitterness about it. He was beyond bitterness and almost onside with his mum. I remember thinking to myself after that interview, when I get old I want to be like Myron. It's so touching and telling that people open up to you. I wonder, if you're asking someone who you've just met to talk about a traumatic period of their life, have you ever felt you've pushed too hard, gone too far? Hmm. Well, there have certainly been times when people have told me too much without having to push for it. I remember when I was a producer for the daily news back in the '80s when AIDS first hit, I was interviewing this couple and I asked them, "Do people still have sex when they have HIV?" And then they gave the most graphic, like, graphic, account of how they do it. I thought, wow, you are just so much less inhibited than I am. Well, journalists are compelled to get the truth out there in all its graphic detail. On the other hand, artists are compelled to create truths. As a sort of hybrid of these two, what compels you? Truthfully, I feel that my interests are really basic. I'm looking for something that is exciting or amusing. I like to be entertained. Balancing funny moments with emotional moments in the one story is always powerful. I like being told stories about people I don't know or places I haven't been but told in a way that I can relate to. I certainly relate to This American Life, and I'm an Australian. Have you ever thought about selling the concept to other countries? Say, This Russian Life? [laughs] The name of the show goes to show just how shortsighted we were! Back in the early '90s when we started out, we honestly never thought anyone outside of America would ever hear us. I don't know how we'd go in Russia, but we're on in Canada and they're such chauvinists up there we actually thought about inserting a little snippet into the intro so it's like, 'This North American Life'. I often reflect on what you have to say about starting out, "For the first couple of years you make stuff and it's just not that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. You gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work." (Read the full quote here.) I loved This American Life the TV series, but it was abandoned so early on! Yeah. Basically, for things to work in the This American Life format things have to unfold, somebody has to learn something, somebody to change. On radio, we get people to tell us what happened to them but on TV you want the cameras to be there rolling as the events transpire. So it becomes a really tall order to find something worth filming before it's happened. Look, I'm proud of what we produced and we even won some awards for it, but it was just so hard, like, really hard, and we had trouble meeting our deadlines. And it's so much more expensive to experiment with stories in TV than it is to run with something in radio then let it go if it's not working out. We asked to be taken off television and very graciously Showtime let us out of our contract. You seem to have a love-hate relationship with hard work. Speaking about your first time producing a film, you said, "It was a shocking amount of work — the despair-making sort of work where you aren't really sure if it's ever going to work." And yet your team is ploughing ahead with six more films. Something tells me it's all going to work out just fine. [laughs] Thank you. Ira's Sleepwalk with Me collaborator Mike Birbiglia is currently in Australia with his show My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, on at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 4 and at the Sydney Opera House on April 6. He'll also be appearing at a special Q&A session and Sleepwalk with Me screening at the Dendy Newtown on April 5. Read our review of Sleepwalk with Me here.
The 16 pieces of the BMW Art Car Collection have been individually displayed in museums across the world, most notably in famous art venues such as New York's Guggenheim Museum and Paris' Louvre. At least one piece of the collection, however, has always remained within the familiar walls of the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, where the collection began in 1975. The classic cars are painted by artists such as Calder, Warhol, Hockney and Lichtenstein. Each car is a canvas for uniquely vibrant interpretations of BMW's value of automotive performance and the pure joy that the company believes comes with driving. In 1979 Warhol even painted his entire BMW for the collection in only 23 minutes in order to convey a sense of speed, using quick brushstrokes and colors that appeared to blur together. Two of the cars have an Australian connection, with car seven painted by aboriginal artist Michael Jagamara Nelson, and car eight emblazoned in Ken Done's trademark bright colours. This year the Art Car Collection is celebrating 35 years of creating exquisite "rolling masterpieces" by welcoming home the entire set of painted cars to Munich. For the first time, all of the pieces are together under one roof in the BMW Museum for the special anniversary exhibition and are on display until September 30.
Last year saw a slew of announcements around new streaming platforms, including two dedicated to horror and another to the world of Disney. Now, Australia's ever-growing streaming landscape is being joined by a service spotlighting great storytelling. Landing at the beginning of March, the documentary-focused iWonder launched with more than 500 hours of on-demand content, and hopes to host over 1000 blockbuster and under-the-radar titles by the end of the month. Documentaries already available on the platform cover a huge range of topics, from fast food social experiment Super Size Me, to fly-on-the-wall spectacle Jesus Camp which follows an Evangelist summer camp, and Morgan Neville's Oscar-winning music doco 20 Feet from Stardom. Music doco series Rolling Stones: Stories From the Edge, which covers the last 50 years of music in the US, and timely political flick Alt-Right: Age of Rage are also available on the service. iWonder co-founder James Bridges says a key feature of the service is the curation of the home page, which will reflect current events through articles and relevant documentary recommendations. Subscriptions have been set at $6.99 per month or $69.90 for an annual subscription. New Aussie users will receive the first month free — you can sign up here. The service is available on iOS and Android and can be cast to the small screen via Apple TV and Chromecast. The platform previously launched with 15 million users via the iflix platform in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. iWonder debuted in Singapore and New Zealand at the same time as Australia. You can sign up for iWonder via the website. Top image: Alt-Right: Age of Rage.
While most soon-to-be uni grads take an exam or write a thesis destined for a few eyes only, the final projects of UTS's fashion and textiles students are on display for everyone to enjoy. And this year the program is commemorating its 25th anniversary with the student showcase The Future of Fashion. The event kicks off on October 31 with two live runway shows of designs by their newest graduates. The first show starts at 8pm, and the second, identical show at 9pm. The collection will then be exhibited for just over two weeks within Fashion Space, a pop-up exhibit at UTS. UTS has been reputed as one of Australia’s most highly regarded fashion programs, whose graduates have succeeded in starting their own brands such as Magdalena Velevska, Bec & Bridge, Lover and TOME. Other alumni have gone on to work for internationally renowned brands such as Alexander Wang, Kenzo and Helmut Lang. Their student showcase aims to expose budding designers to both industry leaders and the public. If you’re looking for some inspiration or are simply a fan of design, this event may inspire the future of your fashion.
With racially motivated discrimination, oppression and injustice in the global spotlight over the past few weeks, one confectionery company has taken the opportunity to rebrand two of its lollies that have names with racist overtones. Nestlé has announced it will rename its chewy red lollies, currently called Redskins, an antiquated and derogatory term for Native Americans, and its chocolate-flavoured, people-shaped Chicos, which means 'children' in Spanish and is considered offensive to people of Latin American descent. In a statement released today, on Tuesday, June 23, Nestlé said it will change the names of the two lollies and "acknowledges the need to ensure that nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues. These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestlé's values, which are rooted in respect," the statement said. New names have not yet been finalised, according to the company, but it is moving to change them "quickly". Race and discrimination is a subject that always demands action and attention, both worldwide and within Australia, however, it's been particularly thrust to the fore due to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, and protests over the death of American George Floyd at the hands of a police officer — as well as, at the local level, the ongoing fight to end the systemic mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori by law enforcement. A similar long-running debate about the offensiveness of the Washington Redskins NFL team has ramped up again in the US, too, with The Washington Post calling on the team's owner Daniel Snyder to change the name in an editorial published earlier this week. Calls for Nestlé to change the names of its two products, which are manufactured in New Zealand and Australia under the company's Allen's brand, also isn't new — with the debate raging when they were featured in a 2013 episode of MasterChef Australia — and they're not the only controversially named product on Australia supermarket shelves, either.
For the first time in Australia, music festival attendees will be able to check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients, with pill testing set to take place at this weekend's Groovin the Moo in Canberra. The ACT Government has approved the trial as a harm reduction strategy, aiming to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. It comes six months after a previous attempt to implement pill testing was scrapped — with approval given for the city's Spilt Milk festival last year, only for organisers to pull out before the event. At Groovin the Moo's Canberra leg on April 29, a mobile laboratory will be set up at the fest's University of Canberra site. Run by the Safety and Testing and Advisory Service at Festivals and Events (STA-SAFE) — a consortium of non-government organisations lead by Harm Reduction Australia — it'll be manned by volunteer medical staff and analytical chemists, who'll test small samples of each pill, interpret the results and give festival-goers the details. Advice and counselling about the risks involved in consuming the substances will also be given, and folks will have the option of disposing of their pills in a bleach-filled amnesty bin. Anyone using the service will remain anonymous, the ABC reports, but data will be collected about the number of patrons attending the service, how many tests are conducted, how many people discard their drugs and the chemical content detected in each sample, all to help shape any future pill-testing operations. Drug checking has been used overseas since the '90s, and is currently available in around 20 countries across Europe, the Americas and New Zealand, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Calls for Groovin the Moo to offer pill testing have been circulating for the past two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. Image: Jack Toohey.
To herald the coming of spring, Sydney's Dinosaur Designs – famous for its colourful, sculptural jewellery and homewares – is hosting an annual warehouse sale. Over three days, the Extinct Outlet in Redfern will be peddling one-off samples and seconds with hefty discounts of up to 90 percent. Once the sale is done and dusted, any leftover pieces will be sent to extinct land, never to be seen again. Established more than 30 years ago, Dinosaur Designs continues to produce all its resin products in its Strawberry Hills studio. Meanwhile, copper, brass and silver jewellery is handcrafted in India and Indonesia. To get your mitts on a bargain, show up at 585 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, on Friday, September 14, 8am–4pm; Saturday, September 15, 10am–4pm; or Sunday, September 16, 11am–3pm. Entry is via the main street, not the rear lane.
Feel like you already need a vacation to get over your yet-to-start Christmas vacation? As merry and jolly as the festive season is, all that fun, shopping, eating, drinking and partying in such a short space of time can have that impact. So, if that's your current vibe, you're not alone. And thanks to Jetstar, you can now make cheap post-Christmas holiday plans — as in $39 for domestic fares and $175 for international flights cheap, and to The Whitsundays, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Japan, Hawaii, Thailand, Bali and more. The Australian airline has just launched its 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale — and yes, technically it's a pre-Christmas post-Chrissy recovery' sale given the timing. Whatever you want to call it, it's an excuse to grab that suitcase and get excited about the getaway that'll help you recover from Christmas. Running from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if everything gets snapped up earlier — the sale's list of destinations is impressive just like the supremely affordable prices. Those starting fares cover Sydney to Byron Bay (from $39) and Sydney to Auckland (from $175), but the full list includes Brisbane to Proserpine from $59, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $49, Cairns to Osaka from $259 and the Gold Coast to Tokyo from $299. Also on offer: Melbourne to Bali from $199, Melbourne to Phuket from $219, Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City from $195 and Sydney to Honolulu from $229. Yes, the list goes on. You will need to be happy to wait till around mid-2023 for your post-Christmas vacation, however. Dates for sale flights vary depending on the departure and arrival points, but expect to travel between early May and mid-September. There are a few rules, as is always the case. All sale fares are one-way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. But, if you're a Club Jetstar member, you'll get the jump on the sale — with access from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 7 until midnight. Jetstar's 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if snapped up earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
As Greater Sydney's lockdown has continued, and locally acquired COVID-19 cases have concentrated in certain areas, the New South Wales Government has reacted by implementing stricter rules in places it has dubbed Local Government Areas of concern. Already, folks living in these spots are only required to travel five kilometres from their homes unless there are exceptional circumstances, and they must wear masks whenever they leave the house — and they'll be under addition restrictions, too, from 12.01am on Monday, August 23. Today, Friday, August 20, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed that Greater Sydney's now two-month-long lockdown will not be ending on Saturday, August 28 as previously announced the last time stay-at-home orders were extended. Instead, lockdown will now continue until the end of September, and it'll bring with it a nighttime curfew and a strict exercise limit for hotspot LGAs. Coming into effect on Monday: a 9pm–5am curfew for people who live in the Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield LGAs, as well as 12 suburbs in the Penrith. So, residents won't be able to leave their homes during those times except for authorised work or for emergencies. "Police will be stopping everybody who's leaving their home from 9pm to 5am, and again this is based on police feedback received in the last few days about the type of activity that's unfortunately being carried out by a small number of people — but as we said Delta doesn't leave any room for error," advised the Premier. "And I apologise deeply to the vast majority of people in those communities for so doing the right thing, but for our own health and safety moving forward we need to make these difficult decisions," she continued. In hotspot LGAs, exercising will also be limited to one hour per day. "Unfortunately too many people are using that for the wrong reasons," said the Premier. Plus, more businesses in these areas will also need to move to click-and-collect shopping — including garden centres, plant nurseries, office supplies, hardware and building supplies, rural supplies and pet supplies. Also, the NSW police have been given extra powers to direct anyone who isn't from a LGA of concern that's found inside one of the hotspot areas to self-quarantine for 14 days. And, there's a few new rules around workplaces and authorised workers, too. Childcare workers and disability support workers who live or work in an LGA of concern are required to have had their first vaccination dose by Monday, August 30 — and authorised workers who work outside their hotspot LGA can only go to work if their worksite has rapid antigen testing or they've had their first jab by the same date. Also, from Saturday, August 28, authorised workers from LGAs of concern will need to carry a Service NSW permit saying they're an authorised worker and can't work from home. The same will apply if you're an authorised worker heading into those hotspot LGAs — so you'll need to have a permit as well. In response to the evolving Delta outbreak, NSW will extend the current lockdown in Greater Sydney until the end of September, and introduce new rules targeting the local government areas of concern, where the vast majority of new cases are emerging. pic.twitter.com/KoKwl0GCin — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 20, 2021 Changing Sydney's lockdown approach — and extending the stay-at-home orders — isn't unexpected given that locally acquired COVID-19 case numbers have hovered above 600 for several days now. NSW reported 644 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, August 19. The Premier has been talking up the possibility of eased restrictions for vaccinated people once the state hits the six million jabs mark, and is set to provide more information on what that means in practical terms sometime next week. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Stricter rules will apply in Sydney's 12 LGAs of concern from 12.01am on Monday, August 23 — and Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong will remain in lockdown until at least the end of September. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: The Commercial Hotel.
Not that you need one, but you've now got a fresh excuse to bring your pup along on that next holiday or staycation. Already pet-friendly hotel group Ovolo is upping the ante this September, with a slew of extra goodies in store for its four-legged guests. In honour of International Dog Day (August 26), Ovolo is beefing up its usual V.I.Pooch packages for stays between Thursday, September 1–Friday, September 30, at all of its Aussie hotels. It's teamed up with pet treat subscription service Waggly Club to offer furry travellers additional goody packs, filled with edible treats and toys to really get that tail wagging. Waggly's signature boxes are usually packed with a range of all-natural, Australian-made dog snacks, plus a chew treat, and a new toy or two for the collection. The popular V.I.Pooch package already includes a comfy dog bed for premium holiday snoozing, a special food and drink mat to help keep in-room mess to a minimum, and access to Ovolo's expert team of doggy support staff. The offer has been a hit since the hotel group introduced it back in 2020, helping to kick off a new wave of dog-friendly luxury hotel experiences here in Australia. The elevated V.I.Pooch package is available this September at Ovolo hotels nationwide — you'll find them in Melbourne (Laneways and Ovolo South Yarra), Sydney (The Woolstore 1888 and Woolloomooloo), Brisbane (The Valley and The Inchcolm) and Canberra (Nishi). [caption id="attachment_867004" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ovolo South Yarra[/caption] The V.I.Pooch x Waggly Club package is available at all Aussie Ovolo hotels throughout September, clocking in at $80 per pet. Has your pooch got the travel bug? Check out these other great dog-friendly stays.
London's iconic Ministry of Sound Club is bringing its beats down under with the launch of a brand new EDM night in the Sydney CBD. Lighting up ivy on George Street each and every Saturday night, Ministry of Sound Club Australia will feature four rooms of music, a state of the art sound system, and a carefully crafted lineup of killer acts. They're calling it a "new era of clubbing in Australia", and at the risk of over-hyping it, they might just be right. MOS' Australian excursion will kick off with a bang, with an opening night set by Peking Duk. They'll be joined in the ivy Courtyard by local favourites Kinder, while US house legend Sandy Rivera, aka Kings of Tomorrow, takes over the Pool Club. "Ministry of Sound in London is a world-renowned venue and has been the destination for lovers of dance music for over 25 years," said Ministry of Sound Australia CEO Tim McGee. "We are now going to bring that same experience and ethos to Sydney...Ministry of Sound Club will be the ultimate destination for true lovers of dance music." For more information about Ministry of Sound Clubs Australia visit www.ministryofsoundclub.com.au. Image: Nathan Doran Photography
Ever wanted to own an artwork from Nicholas Hardin in your home? What about Abdul Abdullah, Ben Quilty, Laura Jones or Reg Mombassa? Artworks from all these artists and hundreds more are on sale this weekend for just $100 as part of a new art auction raising money for Studio A, a Sydney-based arts company assisting with the professional development of artists with learning disabilities. The Incognito Art Show is presenting more than 1000 A5-sized artworks from artists big and small on this Saturday, June 5. The twist is, the identity of each artwork's artist is hidden until the piece is purchased. From former Archibald Prize winners to amateur painters, each artist's work is presented without credit and every single one is available for $100. You can examine the collection online and hone in which artwork you have your eye on before the day. Then all you have to do is head to Verona Studio #1 and pick up your favourite piece. All art will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis, so while the art show is on all day Saturday, and Sunday morning pending stock, it's highly recommended you get down early to ensure you get your hands on any pieces you have in mind. The auction opens at 8am and each buyer is limited to three pieces per person. Browse the artworks and head along to support a great cause. [caption id="attachment_814771" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Studio A[/caption]
A country so fond of singing other people's tunes in public, it invented the machine that revolutionised the concept, Japan has long been known for its karaoke obsession. Throw a stone in Tokyo, and you'll find a bar dedicated to crooning tunes — and now, you'll find a ferris wheel as well. Located in Bunkyo, Tokyo Dome City has been operating as an amusement park for decades, and has boasted the Big-O Ferris Wheel for the bulk of this century. Letting patrons sing within eight of gondolas is a new addition for the ride, however. In 15-minute bursts, theme park attendees with a song in their heart can gather with up to three friends and choose from up to 50 tracks. With the Big-O already considered the world's first hubless version, aka there's no spokes in the middle, joining forces with karaoke company Joysound really was the next logical way to up the ante (and eclipse Japan's other recent mashup, a hot tub amusement park). Tickets cost ¥820 (or around AU$9.40) per person for a single ride, or ¥3,900 (AU$44.90) for an unlimited day pass — because who wants to sing and spin just once? Via Travel + Leisure. Image: calbeeb.
Don't fancy sitting in cattle class for 18 hours to Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo? Why not enjoy a little slice of South America in your own backyard? Barbecue is something they do very well in that part of the world and Redfern Asado at The Norfolk is bringing a taste of it to Sydney. Missing pork in your life? Fix it with a few hundred grams of lechon asado (Cuban roast pork). Need beef? Try some picanha (Brazilian rump cap with coffee and sugar). Not enough white meat? Beer can chicken is the solution. These meats are sold by weight and come with tostones (fried plantain slices), Coca Cola rice, beans and habanero corn. The flames are cranked up every Sunday at noon until sold out. Bring some friends, get there early and don't miss out. There are so many options you'll be left muttering ¡que fuerte!.
Every Thursday between November 30, 2023–January 11, 2024, the Ritz Cinema will become the dreamiest place in Sydney. Across a seven-week period, the picture palace is paying tribute to the filmography of Sofia Coppola — melancholic sisters, cake-eating monarchs and Los Angeles teens breaking into celebrity houses all included. It all kicks off exactly where the second-generation filmmaker's feature directorial career began, aka with The Virgin Suicides and its ethereal score by Air. From there, viewers will play tourist in Tokyo with the Oscar-winning Lost in Translation, head to 18th century France with Marie Antoinette and laze around an LA hotel with Venice Golden Lion recipient Somewhere. The real-life tale of The Bling Ring and the civil war drama of The Beguiled also get a run — and wrapping up the lineup is Coppola's brand-new Priscilla. Showcasing Coppola's films also means showcasing a fantastic array of performances — including Kirsten Dunst in three of Coppola's flicks, Bill Murray singing karaoke and befriending Scarlett Johansson, and everyone from Nicole Kidman to Colin Farrell proving a treat. Screenings start at 7pm each week.
Think you've seen all the beaches Australia has to offer? Maybe you have, but never like this (unless you're an Aquabumps fan). Shot from doorless helicopters, American photographer Gray Malin has captured your weekend days on the beach, from above. Feast your eyes upon the white sand dotted with colourful towels and big umbrellas. Malin has combined the beauty of Australian people, Australian beaches, culture and even ocean pools to make creative and interesting shots of a relatively ordinary day. These photos represent the perfect Australian summer day at the beach. Bondi Beach Swimmers Bondi Beach Bronte Beach Pool Gordons Bay Maroubra Beach Surfers
It’s no secret that Redfern has become a solid hot spot for the inner-city foodie, art lover and alcohol appreciator. From eateries like Scout's Honour to the runaway success of performance venues like Giant Dwarf, it’s been notched up as the culture-seeker’s suburb of choice. But stray a little further from the Surry Hills overflow, and you’ll find a spanking new creative space shaping up. Taking its name from the "unique songbird with death-metal facial markings", The Bearded Tit is a friendly neighbourhood bar with big plans. As you walk down Regent Street, look out for the crochet penises courtesy of Kirsten Fredericks, one of a number of rotating feature artists. Step inside and, just like its avian spirit animal, The Bearded Tit is a colourful and sociable place to be. It’s 6.30pm on a Monday night and there’s already a steady stream of customers milling around the bar and lounging in booths printed with naked ladies. In the courtyard out back there’s a little caravan, soon be turned into a snug sitting room. Three creative types are behind this operation — Joy Ng, Pete Manwaring and Emma Price. Fleshing out their vision has taken time. “We got the keys to the building two years ago and we’ve been under construction for one year,” says Ng. Soaking up the decor, it feels a little like your grandmother’s living room lovingly assembled inside a circus tent. “There are bits of all three of us here, we all have our own styles but there is a point at which they intersect." There's a strong promise of live music in the near future, but as Ng says, “We’re very open to what other creatives want to do. There’s no one particular theme, we just want things to be unexpected, whether it be a rock or a country gig or some beautiful soulful tunes on a Sunday afternoon. But we’re not a ‘venue’ and we’re not going to charge you door prices.” Although things are still evolving, it’s this laidback rationale of contributing to the local community that’s earned the space some quick success. “We’ve already seen the same faces pop in over the last week we’ve been open.” On the food side of things, the “Local Kitchens” menu is compiled of favourites from surrounding restaurants, including Wah Fung HK BBQ, Lorentto Pizzeria and an assortment of bar snacks from the neighbouring fruit shop. The cocktail list sticks to the classics, with a few seasonal stand-outs hovering around the $17 mark. As we’ve just seen the closure of Damien Minton Gallery, the included video wall, installation space and street art space are a timely addition to the local scene. “Compared to other artist run spaces, we are not just a gallery but a thriving bar as well, so it’s a very different vibe,” Ng says. Spicing up the space between Surry Hills and Newtown, The Bearded Tit offers a street level social hub for the high-rise residents of Waterloo and Alexandria. It’s a warm and versatile space that feels more like a debauched share house than a small bar. As for an official opening party, Ng says, “we were planning a spring festival but that’s still in the pipeline.”
A lighthearted tech agency, Aesthetec, is resurrecting the general concept of Tamagotchi — albeit updated for the 21st century — in the form of Little Robot Friends. That's right, soon the black pit of loneliness and despair occupying the centre of your existence could be filled by an 8-bit 32K Arduino-compatible microcontroller with eyes. The Kickstarter campaign for this magical initiative has been so popular, it's already far overshot its goal and is gaining more pledges as I type. Aesthetec has already created plenty of cute and pretty things, like their glowing, interactive SMILE cubes that have lit up both exhibitions and parties. What's so good about these new miniature robots Aesthetec have been developing for over a year? The little tykes respond to light, sound and touch, and even have programmable personalities, allowing their owners to get some early tech education. The ostensibly simple construction of each robot actually features touch-sensitive hair, RGB LED eyes, a sensor for ambient light, microcontroller, MEMs microphone and lrDA tranceiver. Watch the video below and you'll hear the cute noises they make when spoken to. Apparently their behaviour changes as well, depending on how you treat them — bringing back vivid memories of your plaintive Tamagotchi whining in the next room when you hadn't fed it for a whole day. These guys don't seem to complain, thankfully, but it's likely that with more development (and the inevitable sharing of new programming ideas as they enter the market), all manner of human-like personality traits will emerge, some good, some bad. As Aesthetec say on their website: "We know that most adults are really just kids in a grown up body. Everybody loves to play with blinking lights and musical toys. We create custom projects for events as well as bringing existing projects for temporary installations. Our projects are designed to inspire and bring out the smiles."
When RISING 2025 announced everything that'll fill Melbourne across 12 June days, it didn't skimp on details. A free installation by a teamLab alum, exclusive Suki Waterhouse gigs, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, an art exhibition that's also a nine-hole mini-golf course in Flinders Street Station Ballroom, Yasiin Bey with Talib Kweli, Portishead's Beth Gibbons, Aotearoa favourite Marlon Williams, Olivier-winning hip-hop dance work BLKDOG: they were just some of the standouts. What happens when you've already unveiled a huge 65 events featuring 327 artists, but you still have more fun to share with the Victorian capital? Enter a new round of additions to RISING's 2025 program. More music, more comedy, a fest-within-the-fest: that's where the latest batch of RISING events starts, jamming even more things to do into its Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 dates. If you didn't already feel spoiled for choice — whether you're a Melburnian kicking off winter in the best possible way at home or you're making plans to head to the festival from interstate — you will now. "This next chapter of the program expands RISING's reach across the city — with more artists, more public moments and more ways to encounter art in the everyday," explains RISING Co-Artistic Directors Hannah Fox and Gidoen Obarzanek. "From the full-scale Fed Square takeover led by some of Pakistan's most-vital contemporary musicians, to a new live variety show by the brilliant Zoë Coombs Marr, to an all-in community dance at Melbourne Town Hall with Country Struts, these works speak to the energy, humour and cultural depth that define RISING." Fox and Obarzanek have mentioned some of the new highlights, such as the lineup for BLOCKBUSTER, a free ode to South Asian culture in Federation Square — and also Zoë Coombs Marr's new variety show. The first features street food, Pakistani R&B, Punjabi rap, art trucks, workshops and more in general, and Faris Shafi, Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan aka Xulfi, Annural Khalid, Zain and Zohaib, Sherry Khattak and the Coke Studio Pakistan house band specifically. The second, Wrap It Up, takes its cues from Coombs Marr's love of late-night television. Also now part of RISING's program: Tropical Fuck Storm playing The Forum, in what'll be their last show in Melbourne before heading to Europe; a film retrospective dedicated to Miranda July, fittingly given that the Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Future and Kajillionaire filmmaker is among the artists curating Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf 's greens; and Matthew Barnes aka Forest Swords putting on his first Melbourne live show in a decade, blending electronic landscapes on ACMI's cinema screen with electronic tunes [caption id="attachment_1001603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Wdziekonsk[/caption] The Country Struts Winter Hoedown at Melbourne Town Hall also joins the lineup, if you're keen to make boot-scootin' shapes. Then there's the free roster of tunes and performances as part of the returning Night Trade between Capitol Arcade and Howey Place, with Kgomotso, LUNA, Zjoso and Nyege Nyege Collective all on the bill. Prefer a pop-up tiny rave? These little dance floors are also a Night Trade special, and will boast big-name DJs. That Melbourne Art Trams' latest iteration would roll around town during RISING was both expected and confirmed in the initial program drop, but now the artists doing the honours have been revealed. This year's talents include Kelly Koumalatsos, Maree Clarke, Jennifer Mullett and Patsy Smith, all creating works about the lived experience of First Nations women. One tram will sport a collaborative piece by Laurel Robinson, Amy Briggs, Cynthia Hardie and Rochelle Patten, while Beruk's Corroborree (Women in possum skin cloaks) from 1897 will also feature. [caption id="attachment_1001604" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tamarah Scott[/caption] There's still more from there — back from the March program drop and from the just-announced new additions. So, get ready for return of eight-hour music fest-meets-block party Day Tripper, spontaneous supergroups forming at The Toff in Town, septuagenarian grime stars Peter Bowditch and Basil Bellgrave, Black Star, RONA, Soccer Mommy, Japanese Breakfast, The Wrong Gods from Counting and Cracking's S Shakthidharan and a celebration of Divinyls legend Chrissy Amphlett via cabaret, too. Or, get excited about artists talks, food specials, sound artist Sara Retallick using The City Baths as a composition space, SHOUSE's Communitas making a comeback, a playful stage musing on heartbreak with the appropriate soundtrack, six performers working through 36 Shakespeare plays using household objects and Hamlet staged by a neurodiverse cast as well. [caption id="attachment_994702" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_994703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mathieu Bitton[/caption] [caption id="attachment_994693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ryan Cara[/caption] [caption id="attachment_994700" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Woopsyang[/caption] RISING 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 across Melbourne. Head to the event's website for further information. Top image: Tobias Titz.
In Surry Hills' new Italian quarter, home to Maurice Terzini's Dolphin Hotel, Flour Eggs Water by A Tavola and the family-owned Crown Street Grocer, is Caffe Bartolo. The just-opened all-day eatery — the first solo venture from co-owner of Lobo Plantation, Kittyhawk and Big Poppa's Jared Merlino — isn't itself family owned, but it certainly feels like it. Menus and wine glasses are engraved with the signature of Bartolo Marino, Merlino's great-grandfather, who migrated to Australia from Lipari; greyhounds, which guard the front door (both statues and sometimes real-life) and whose photos grace the walls, are a nod to Bartolo's daughter Rita, a greyhound breeder; and on the menu's endpaper is a eulogy to Merlino's grandmother, Mary. Mary's presence is felt throughout the menu, too; the bloody mary mix and the breakfast meatballs ($20), served atop a panini with sugo and smoky scamorza, are both made using her recipe. And if you're thinking that meatballs don't sound like a typical Sydney brunch meal, you're right. That was intentional. With Sydney breakfast institution Bills located just a few doors down, Merlino wanted to serve up something that Crown Street didn't already offer. For that, he called in chef Teofilo Nobrega, who's spent the past 13 years working at Potts Point's Fratelli Paradiso. When creating the food menu, Nobrego's aim was to create a lineup of dishes that you could happily spend 17 hours — how long the cafe's open for each day — eating. And you can. You could start with the Sicilian-style coffee granita ($12), piled high with cream and served with house-made brioche, then progress to the Bartolo ($20), an omelette stuffed with fontina, broccolini and bacon, and a bloody mary ($20) with Aussie-made Maidenii vermouth. [caption id="attachment_699523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The coffee granita, topped with cream and served with brioche.[/caption] Then, come lunch, it's suggested, by both Nobrega and Merlino, that you order Le Polpo ($21). Sous-vide for four hours, the octopus is then grilled and served with 'nduja powder and arrabiata sauce. Alternatively, you could order the saffron gnocchi ($25), made fresh daily like all the cafe's pasta, with zucchini flowers, bisque and wakame powder. Yep, dried seaweed powder. It may not be standard in Italian cooking, but Caffe Bartolo isn't quite serving up standard Italian. Its menu is scattered with Japanese ingredients and Australian produce, which is particularly prominent in the cocktail list. Designed by creative director Grazia Di Franco, who's worked with Merlino before at Lobo Plantation and Kittyhawk, the cocktails attempt to convey what summer tastes like. Quite literally. Filled with stunning illustrations by Simon O'Carrigan, the list features drinks such as the Sunscreen ($20), made with cocoa butter, mango and rum; a short and slightly bitter Summer Love ($20); and Breakfast on a Verandah ($20), which combines rockmelon, native mint tea, coffee and German cachaça (a spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice). There's also a dedicated spritz menu featuring lemon myrtle, Cynar, absinthe and sherry. The drinks are what Di Franco imagines Bartolo would see and taste if he were still here, sitting out the front of the cafe in summer. Which you could try to imagine for yourself, too. The outdoor seating is what drew Merlino to the space. Formerly home to Bills (before it moved metres down the road) it has been transformed by friend and designer Peter Harley, from Archery Rd Design. It has much more of a personality now, with photos of Bartolo on the walls, dark wood venetian blinds and floral wallpaper (not dissimilar to that at Lobo) covering the bathroom walls. You can sit on the comfy white banquettes that line the front window, grab a wicker-backed chair at one of the marble-topped tables inside, or snag one of the coveted suede seats at the turquoise marble bar. Or, if you're just passing by, stop at the takeaway window and grab a Gabriel coffee and a pastry from Concord's Pari Pasticceria to go. Find Caffe Bartolo at 359 Crown Street, Surry Hills. It's open from 7am till midnight daily. Images: Kitti Smallbone.
Australia has always had a small but active community of specialist knife fiends and nowhere has this been more pronounced than in Melbourne. We've never really been spoilt for choice and true connoisseurs often have to travel abroad to add to their collections… until now. QT Melbourne has announced the opening of Tanto, a unbearably chic, high-end knife shop coming to the hotel's Russell Street residence this spring. Tanto is the embodiment of high-end Japanese design. No expense has been spared to deck out the functional but luxurious new Melbourne store. QT's group managing director and lead man on the project David Seargeant says the audience they had in mind for this project was a combination of the city's hospitality crowd, Melbourne foodies and all-round design lovers. "We wanted to attract chefs and restaurant workers and serve them up Asian, street-inspired food," he says. "But then we wanted to activate the laneway space, with a high-end Japanese knife shop. It's about offering a very authentic Japanese knife sharpening service. It's not just hospitality workers with an interest in high end knives; it's also foodies and home chefs too." Seargeant travelled all over Japan searching for the right family to liaise with on the project. His search led him to Sakai, a relatively small city in Osaka Prefecture that's home to many of Japan's shokunin, or master craftsmen. Shokunin specialise in many types of craftsmen but the Sakai branch David had in mind has been forging katanas for samurai since the fourteenth century. He linked up with the Aoki family, of the Aoki Knife Craft brand, who have been making fine knives for seven generations. In 1990 they adapted their traditional practices which more modern techniques and produce some of the most coveted knives on today's market. Their knives, the most famous of which are the Suisin collection, are sold around the world including in the Korin, arguably the most famous speciality knife shop on the planet (which is obviously located in New York City). The Aoki family have collaborated with QT to bring some of Japanese best knives to Australia for the first time. But they're importing more than just knives at Tanto. A shokunin (master) knife sharpener has been invited over from Sakai and is undergoing a three-month residency at Tanto. "Mr Takai is a very highly regarded sharpener," David says — implicitly meaning don't bring your budget IKEA three-pack knives into this workshop and expect to be taken seriously. Tanto is joined by Hot Sauce Laneway Bar, the complementary piece in the late-night puzzle. They're serving up street style Asian food paired with fancy cocktails, the perfect accompaniment to a satisfyingly sharp knife. Images: Jam on Your Collar, Alexandra Anderson. Tanto is open 10am – 6pm, Monday to Saturday, at QT, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne.
Chinatown prides itself on being one of the most vibrant destinations in Sydney; it's alive with colour, movement and, of course, mouthwatering smells. As you're welcomed by the somewhat iconic Golden Water Mouth sculpture, you'll see the buzzing Paddy's Markets to one side and the yum cha dens of Dixon Street to the other. In the heart of it all lies Sussex Centre. From the outset, it may seem like a simple food court — thanks to a slightly dated, no-frills facade — but step inside to find a veritable buffet of quality Asian cuisine, with price tags that will surely please the penny-pinchers among us.Whether you're after a rich seafood laksa from the ever-popular Happy Chef, fresh sashimi or a giant, steaming bowl of pho, your belly will be satisfied after a visit here. Work lunch or casual dinner, Sussex Centre has got you covered.
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty range of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's long-running pandemic motto. The gelato chain keeps spoiling our tastebuds with specials, with everything from decadent cookie pies to 40 of its best flavours and full tubs of its indulgent limited-edition desserts on offer over the past year or so. It has also whipped up its own take on that vanilla and chocolate-layered ice cream cake everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child, too — and now it's bringing that tasty take on Viennetta back for another round. If you've been indulging your sweet tooth as a coping mechanism lately — frozen desserts were subject to strict item limits last March, so plenty of folks clearly went big on sugary comfort food — then consider yourself primed for this super-fancy version of the nostalgic favourite. It's another of Messina's limited releases, with tubs of the rippled gelato creation available at all its stores for a very short period. There's a twist this time, however, with this Messinetta (as Messina calls its Viennetta) also inspired by its take on Golden Gaytimes. If you've tried a scoop of the brand's popular Have a Gay Old Time flavour, then imagine that, but turned into Viennetta. This limited-time-only dessert combines layers of caramel and milk gelato, then covers it with chocolate-covered biscuit crumbs, and finally tops it all with ripples of vanilla and caramel chantilly cream. And yes, the end result looks like the dessert you know and love, but in a caramel colour for a change. The latest release in Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, the Have a Gay Old Time Messinetta can only be ordered online at 9am on Monday, August 2, with a one-litre tub setting you back $35. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, August 6–Sunday, August 8. If you're in Sydney, just remember that you'll now need to be headed to a store within ten kilometres of your house. Gelato Messina's Have a Gay Old Time Messinetta tubs will be available to order at 9am on Monday, August 2, for pick up between Friday, August 6–Sunday, August 8 from all stores except The Star — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
While Messina's main jam is usually crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer. The cult gelateria has often teamed up with savoury-focused culinary heroes, throwing big ol' food parties. For the next Messina Eats at the brand's expansive new Marrickville HQ, the dessert specialists are teaming up with a viral sandwich shop from down in Melbourne. People have been known to travel from right across Melbourne to Richmond in order to get their hands on a sandwich at Hugo's Deli, with posts about the store garnering hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok and the venue itself sporting lines around the block. Now, these popular sambos will be available in Sydney for just two days, with the deli popping up in the Messina Marrickville carpark between Friday, November 17–Saturday, November 18. Expect the loaded steak frites baguette you may have seen on your social media feeds, alongside a pork and fennel sausage breakfast muffin, fried chicken sando on fluffy white bread, potato salad and ragu-loaded fries. Messina will be providing the dessert for all of those sweet tooths. Alongside all of the delectable goodies found inside the HQ, the team is also creating a milo gelato and hazelnut take on a Maxibon. If you want to get your hands on a steak and chips sanga and a next-level ice cream sandwich, the Messina Eats: Hugo's Deli collab is popping up at 1 Rich Street, Marrickville from midday until late across the two days.
Lead by Orange wine pioneer Philip Shaw himself, this family-owned and operated vineyard has been kicking goals and pouring wines since 1988. And over its 30 years, these wines have won a whole heap of awards. The cool-climate drops — including particularly tasty pinot noirs and chardonnays — are all sourced from the 47-hectare Koomooloo vineyard. A trip to the cellar door's bluestone barn is more akin to visiting a wealthy friend's country house than a bar. The building is distinguished by a stone exterior and interior, with large share tables for tastings and stunning mountain views. Nab a glass (or bottle) of the good stuff and sit by the fireplace, or out among the vines during warmer weather. For eats, there's the requisite nibbles like olives, and cheese and charcuterie boards ($30–35). For more substantial meals, book to come in during one of the cellar door's monthly woodfired pizza nights or regular chef dinners.
In 2009 Phoenix Keating, at the young age of 17, was immediately put into the fashion spotlight when his first collection caught the eye of music icon Lady Gaga. And he became a legend in 2011 when Lady Gaga wore two of Keating's outfits at her spontaneous show in Sydney. His designs are unique and striking, mixtures of classic and avant-garde with a touch of vintage flare. Since then, Keating has gathered quite the media following and his career has quickly developed into a successful label. His debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia without a doubt took Keating's label to the next level. Keating's sophisticated, dramatic and powerful designs contradict his age and the low-key, relaxed attitude of many other Australian designers. Keating has brought a new drama to the Australian fashion industry, similar to that of Europe's industry. Some fashion experts even say that the industry is looking much more promising because of Keating. His response to this? Surprise! And gratitude. We chat to Keating about fashion, success at a (absurdly) young age, the outer space/spaghetti western nexus and Lady Gaga. What was it like preparing for your first solo show? It was incredibly nerve-racking. I wasn't sure what people were going to think of the collection. I'm still not sure what people are going to think of the collection. And I was a big perfectionist, to my team's dismay for this collection. But it was so great to have the support of my team. What was your inspiration behind the collection shown today? The story from today's collection, well, it's about an alien who comes to Earth and is trying to blend in. She can only study humans through film so she studies a lot of films. She stumbles across spaghetti western films, like Clint Eastwood films. And she becomes obsessed, absolutely obsessed by these films. She also becomes obsessed with Clint Eastwood. So she does herself up in a western way, she's taken a bit from the '40s and a bit from the '50s, [but] she comes to Earth and she looks a bit off. She's trying to look human but she's not really looking too human. The collection develops and then it's about her journey to find Clint Eastwood. And when she finds Clint Eastwood, she is a little bit let down because he dismisses her. And when he does this she becomes completely evil. So the colour scheme of the collection goes from white to black and I've developed these big black shapes. So,what I did with this collection is take the western and really modernise it and I made it alien — so it's alien western I guess you could say. It's about how no matter which worlds we can travel to and no matter how advanced we've become we can still feel that deep pain and deep sorrow. That's so interesting. Does each collection have a background story like that? Every single collection I've done. How does it feel to be done with your debut? It's bittersweet and it's also lovely. What are your next steps now that the show is over? Next collection! I've started to design it but nothing too solid yet. So, you emerged as a designer in 2009. Do you feel your artistic style has changed or evolved since then? It's a lot more cohesive than before. I'm not doing things in a rushed fashion like I used to. And I think it's just me growing as a designer, I finish things now. How would you describe your signature look as a designer? I just feel like I juxtapose. I take opposites and make them work together. I love vintage and I love past eras. I love Lauren Bacall and I love Audrey Hepburn. I always get my inspiration from those types of women but I take it somewhere modern and quite new and fresh. You're only 21, but many fashion experts and writers say that you have the talent of a designer twice your age, what do you think about that? I'm very passionate about what I do and I think that reflects in my work. It hasn't just been a two-minute affair with fashion; it's been a prevalent thing for many, many, many, many years. In high school all I did was sit there and draw, and I guess I knew that I had something from that age on. Everything I designed from then on I look at now. I think it's just something that I really, really love to do. So, fashion has been prevalent in your life for quite some time. When did you know that you wanted to be a designer? At the age of 13. I wanted to be an actor before then and I don't know why but my dreams were dashed. And I don't know why I did it, but I made a dress for my year eight project and I just fell in love with the way it looked. It was like a '50s dress and it was pretty cool actually. I fell in love with it (designing clothes) then. Your career seemed to skyrocket after Lady Gaga was seen wearing your clothing in 2011. How has your career developed since Lady Gaga? Undoubtedly she has propelled me much faster then I would have on my own. I probably owe this to her right now. I probably owe this show to her right now. I have a great deal of respect for her helping me and helping other young designers around the world. It's priceless and it helps so much!
