With Outpost running in parallel with this year's Bondi to Tamarama coastal art fest, the idea of art by the waves has become a Sydney institution. This is Sculpture by the Sea's fifteenth year, after its inaugural one day show in 1997. This year's exhibition is bringing back some past glories, overseas artists and local entrants for its anniversary, and it's even shifted the whole thing a week later to allow a viewing by our local Danish royals. Which just means you can check it all the better, as later sunsets drag further and further in the realm of a doable after work adventure. This year's artists include Chinese stars Chen Wenling and Wang Shugang, locals like Tomas Misura and Ken Unsworth, along with most of the artists from the inaugural 1997 show. Programs on sale benefit the ongoings of the festival, or you can choose to wander among the art in ignorance. Seeing it all splayed against the skyline, amongst mysterious names and the tide of fellow art lovers, it'll be hard not to find yourself lost in the art with all the extra feeling that comes with an infinity of sea. Photo of Tomas Musura's 2010 sculpture 'Splash' by RD Souza.
If you can find a better date than hearing talks and seeing live music over cheeky vinos in an art gallery, we'd love to hear about it. For one lunar month, the Art Gallery of New South Wales's Art After Hours program is bringing their mega exhibition Tang: Treasures from the Silk Road Capital to life with a series of talks and live performances. Each Wednesday night, the Gallery will be brimming with free after-hours shenanigans that celebrate and explore Chinese history and culture. During June, a different lineup of Chinese art-inspired happenings will take place in the Gallery, from comedy to talks and music. Want to learn up on your Chinese art history? Be sure to get there from 5.30pm for a series of exhibition talks from the curator and other experts. For something more 'Tang in cheek', you don't want to miss Benjamin Law's segment from 6.30pm. He'll be chatting with other prominent Chinese Australians — including SBS's Lee Lin Chin and chef Adam Liaw — about what it's like to move to and live in Australian as someone with Chinese heritage. Then, from 7.30pm, Sydney producer and musician Rainbow Chan will be belting out tracks in the Gallery's entrance court. As the winner of FBi's 2011 Northern Lights Competition, she's the perfect artist to complete your sensory experience as you explore the exhibition. Art After Hours runs until 10pm every Wednesday night. By Shannon Connellan, Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
The rumours are true. Daft Punk has teamed up with Nile Rodgers for their upcoming album, said to be released in June this year. Apart from his own band, Chic, Rodgers has worked with many established artists in his time, including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran. Award-winning producer Paul Williams confirmed this week at SXSW that he has also collaborated on some of the duo's new songs. The French electro pair are known for keeping things a secret until the very last minute, so it will be interesting to see what they have planned. Williams said "I feel like I don't want to talk about the stuff that I'm doing with them, because they want a press blackout on the album until it's out, so I should basically not be talking about it." While no one is giving away much information around the new album, just the fact that they are working on some amazing new tracks has been enough to send the internet into overdrive. It goes without saying that this is a much anticipated album after their last original release, Human After All, way back in 2006. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mj9AYdsb5Kg [Via Idolator]
Operating under the motto "Marriage equality for everyone, no matter the flavour.", the Ice Cream Truck of Love is set to travel Australia's eastern seaboard, handing out free scoops and spreading its message of marriage equality. Launched by Adrian Fernand, Aussie tastemaker and etiquette blogger, the Truck of Love was initially inspired by a truck with opposite intentions. Earlier in March, an anti-gay-marriage truck took to the streets of Queensland, opposing homosexual marriage on its "Queensland Election Prayer Rally Tour". In order to complete its trek down the coast, and hopefully through the rest of the country, the Truck of Love is in need of donors and volunteers who are willing to share some of their sweet time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rWDhM1YzdtU
When you make an album that lasts the test of time, that feat is worth celebrating. Moon Safari isn't the only record from French electro-pop duo Air that's as stellar now as it was when it first met the world, but the dreamy 1998 release is the album that Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have been celebrating in 2024. To mark its 25th anniversary, which arrived last year, the pair have been touring the globe to play Moon Safari in full live — starting in France, of course, but also heading everywhere from Switzerland, Italy, Germany and the UK to the US and Australia. For Vivid 2024, Air brought their current show to Sydney midyear — before the entire planet's eyes were on them during August's Paris Olympics closing ceremony, where they were part of Phoenix's set alongside Kavinsky, Angèle, Vannda and Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend. One trip Down Under this year isn't enough, however, so Air have now joined the Always Live lineup. From 'La femme d'argent' to 'Le voyage de Pénélope', the entire record will be performed live — 'Sexy Boy', 'All I Need', 'Kelly Watch the Stars' and 'You Make It Easy' included, of course. From there, Air's sets usually feature equally excellent tracks from across their career, such as 'Playground Love' from Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides soundtrack, plus 'Venus' and 'Cherry Blossom Girl' from the duo's 2004 album Talkie Walkie. For Always Live, Air are playing a one-night-only gig under the stars at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, adding to an already jam-packed program that's bringing Jack White, The Offspring and St Vincent to Victoria as well for Australian-exclusive shows. [caption id="attachment_978773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mathieu Rainaud[/caption] "We were a duo doing some electronic thing, dreaming of selling 10,000 copies and being recognised by other musicians as cool. Then suddenly, we met the world," explains Dunckel about Moon Safari, calling the album "a deep, universal spell, full of love and mystery". If you missed Air in Sydney, here's your second chance to catch them in Australia this year. And if you need any more encouragement, the Moon Safari set was captured live at London's Royal Albert Hall earlier in 2024, which you can stream below: Air Play Moon Safari heads to Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, with tickets on sale from 10am local time on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Always Live 2024 runs from Friday, November 22–Sunday, December 8. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Live images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Making progress in the field of stem cell-inspired organ production is notoriously difficult. So, recent developments at Yokohama City University, Japan, which have seen baby human livers growing inside mice, have taken the scientific world by storm. As far as we know (after all, who knows what's going on in underground labs in the more obscure corners of the world?), this is the first time that stem cells have been used to create functional organs. The livers, 4-5mm in length (a little like those found in human foetuses), are able to generate human proteins, clear toxins from the blood and go through the processes necessary to metabolising drugs. At this stage, it looks like they could be used to mend damaged livers by up to 30%. The team behind the research is hopeful that the transplant of thousands of tiny 'liver buds' might prove to be a way of preventing liver failure. Professor Takanori Takebe told the BBC that he was 'completely gobsmacked' and 'absolutely surprised' by the breakthrough. 'We just simply mixed three cell types and found that they unexpectedly self-organise to form a three-dimensional liver bud - this is a rudimentary liver. And finally we proved that liver bud transplantation could offer therapeutic potential against liver failure'. Even though the growth of adult-sized organs is not yet on the horizon, this development certainly promises to bring us a step closer to coping with organ shortages. If your scientific jargon is up to speed (i.e. words like 'endothelial' and 'mesenchymal' mean something to you), you can read the official story here. [via PSFK]
Fancy warming up your winter by watching Lizzo hit the stage? Don't we all. That's this July's hottest ticket Down Under, at both 2023's Splendour in the Grass — where the rapper, singer and flautist is the only announced headliner so far — and on her own arena tour of the country. And the latter is proving such a hit that more dates have already been added. General ticket sales for Lizzo's Aussie tour only start on Wednesday, March 29, but the pre-sale period has seen her Sydney and Melbourne gigs sell out already via pre-sales. Cue two new concerts — one in each city — although, in sad news for Brisbanites, there's still no sign of a stint in the Sunshine State. Still, if you're keen to see the 'Tempo', 'Juice', 'Truth Hurts' and 'Rumors' singer doing her own shows in New South Wales and Victoria, this news is as good as hell. Lizzo's solo gigs are tied to her 2022 album Special, including, of course, Grammy Record of the Year-winning single 'About Damn Time'. But attendees can expect to hear hits from 2019's CUZ I LOVE YOU as well — and an overall set filled with dance-ready beats. Joining Lizzo on all dates as a special guest is Tkay Maidza, which means two must-see talents for the price of one. While a Lizzo tour is always a welcome announcement, fans in Brisbane will still note the usual Splendour setup — that is, when someone plays the fest and does their own gigs around it, Brissie is considered close enough to Byron to not warrant a separate stop. The Live Nation pre-sale for the new Sydney and Melbourne gigs runs until 10am local time on Wednesday, March 29, with general sales for all shows kicking off at 11am local time also on Wednesday, March 29. LIZZO — THE SPECIAL TOUR 2023: Friday, July 14 — RAC Arena, Perth Monday, July 17–Tuesday, July 18 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, July 23–Monday, July 24 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Lizzo will tour Australia and New Zealand in July 2023. The Live Nation presale runs until 10am on Wednesday, March 29, with general sales from 11am Wednesday, March 29 — with all times local. For further details, head to the tour website.
As your parents undoubtedly used to tell you, all you really need is the great outdoors and your own two legs to amuse yourself. And being able to bring your dog along doesn't hurt either. Now that travelling around rural Victoria is back on the docket, it's time for you and your pooch to get back to the outside world. To help you get started, we've put together this list of camping, hiking and swimming spots in Victoria to journey to with your pup. We bet your doggo has been missing being in nature even more than you have. So plan your holiday, hop in the car and tell your doggo it's W-A-L-K time. CAMPING: HORSESHOE LAGOON On the banks of the Goulburn River between Trawool and Kerrisdale, Horseshoe Lagoon is as much of a go-to for water-based activities as it is for settling down for a long weekend of relaxed camping. A flora and fauna reserve, the lagoon is home to many a fine feathered (and furred) friend — so go gently with your doggo. Get ready to see the full shebang of Australiana fauna including kangaroos, koalas and wombats — and if you're lucky, you may even spot a platypus. Camping is dog-friendly and free along eight kilometres of the bank, with no bookings required. CAMPING: JOHANNA BEACH Three hours southwest of Melbourne, the campsite at Johanna Beach in the Otways is a triple threat; it has plenty of walks, it's not too busy and it has a beaut surf beach to boot. Off Old Coach Road and set among the dunes, the site only has 25 spots for people to set up camp, so there will never be too many people at one time. But make sure you book in advance book in advance to avoid any disappointment. There are non-flush toilets in the area, but fires are not allowed and you'll need to BYO drinking water, so this is for human and furry campers who are prepped for a more rugged experience. But the stellar views and the sound of the ocean to wake you in the morning make this trek well worth it. [caption id="attachment_669768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Takver via Flickr.[/caption] CAMPING: HEPBURN REGIONAL PARK Sitting in Victoria's northwest around 1.5 hours from Melbourne, Hepburn Regional Park is a top-notch camping option near the city. Surrounded by picturesque place names like Porcupine Ridge, Wombat Hill and Musk Vale, the Daylesford region already beckons to you on the page. Plus there's the additional draw-card of the spectacular scenery, including natural mineral springs, an extinct volcanic crater and relics from the gold rush set among the bush. During the day, enjoy a walk or two with your pup. In the evening, settle in by the provided fire pits at the Lalgambook (Mount Franklin) Reserve campsite with your doggo by your side. SWIMMING: FOSSIL BEACH The Mornington Peninsula offers heaps of scenic beaches easily accessible in an hour or so from Melbourne — and Fossil Beach should be at the top of your list. It's lovely, dog-friendly and educational; the rocky beach gets its name from all of the fossils found on its shores. Dating back over ten million years, these Australian sea-life fossils were first discovered in the 1800s, but you can still find plenty to this day. Along with the relics of past aquatic flora and fauna, plenty of present-day wildlife visits the shore, including the yellow wattlebird. Whether you're a rock lover or nature fan — and perhaps keen for a little dip — stroll along the shore and see what you and your clever pooch might dig up. . SWIMMING: LILLYDALE LAKE It isn't just beaches that have the goods when it comes to finding a swimming hole that suits both humans and their fur babies. Don't forget about Victoria's many lakes, and in particular, Lillydale Lake. In the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, the lake reflects the type of green beauty that can still be found in spades out in Melbourne's hilly east. The man-made body of water is perfect for walking around — it spans 28 hectares, with an additional ten kilometres of shared trails surrounding the area too. Though the lake may not the best of the best for people swimming, your dog will be raring for a dip along with the other pooches. Afterward, enjoy a picnic in the barbecue area and be sure to bring along snacks for your pup. [caption id="attachment_703431" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] SWIMMING: BLUE POOL, BRIAGOLONG STATE FOREST If you've been hankering for something a little special, it might be time to make the pilgrimage to Briagolong State Forest. Three hours east of the CBD, Blue Pool in Briagolong is worth any distance of travel, and it's a great stop during a coastal road trip or weekend getaway. Here, the water is clear as glass and tends to stay relatively warm all year round. You and your pooch are sure to have a splendid time frolicking and splashing about all day. Plus, there are several nice walk options around the peaceful billabong surroundings, as well as a free campsite nearby with fire pits, picnic tables and toilets. There's no reason not to make a whole weekend of it. Be sure to come prepared with sandals or water shoes to help you reach the water, as the terrain is very rocky. HIKING: KURTH KILN REGIONAL PARK Set in the Dandenong Ranges, Kurth Kiln Regional Park in Gembrook is mostly known for its kiln, used in WWII to make charcoal. It's also home to a water wheel, lots of ferns and the occasional koala. Popular with a whole range of active sorts — hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers — it's a particularly good day trip spot for you and your dog to take. The lush park has a number of walks, varying in length and difficulty, as well as some more Aussie animals such as sugar gliders, wombats, swamp wallabies and the aforementioned koala if you're lucky. There'll be lots of fun new smells for your dog to discover, so just make sure they're on a lead. HIKING: YOU YANGS REGIONAL PARK The peaks of the You Yangs mountain range can be seen from quite a distance, protruding from the otherwise flat landscape surrounding them. So, set your sights on the mountains and head southeast. The regional park that makes up part of the area is ideal for hikes and shorter walks, as well as rock climbing for the especially adventurous. Plus there are barbecues and picnic areas dotted throughout to keep you refreshed and truckin' along. For those looking to get their legs burning, climb up to Flinders Peak and have a baby Simba moment with your pooch as you survey everything the light touches. Or for something less intensive, take the longer, undulating Branding Yard Trail. Just make sure you bring enough water for both you and your furry pal. HIKING: MACEDON REGIONAL PARK The Macedon Ranges are a hallmark of Victoria's native forestry, and the region's fame is in part due to the mysterious Hanging Rock — plus the immense natural beauty (and many wineries) found nearby. The Macedon Regional Park boasts a hefty 2380 hectares and is chockablock with hiking trails that make up the Macedon Ranges Walking Track. With a variety of activities, the Macedon Ranges prove to be a destination, rather than a one-day pit stop. For the best views, make tracks to the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, the second most significant war memorial in the state. Take your pooch along and keep your eyes peeled — there are over 150 different varieties of bird residing within the park. Just tell your pup to play nice.
Gonna get 90s-style comedic pop tunes stuck in your head forever, again — or five-ever, to be precise. After proving one of the best new shows of 2021, Tina Fey-executive produced sitcom Girls5eva returns in May with a new season of sitcom antics about a former one-hit-wonder girl group who get back together to chase stardom again decades later. You know, that ol' situation. Fingers crossed that a whole heap of catchy songs are in the returning show's future, too. Its first season was filled with them, and wonderfully so. If you quickly binged its initial eight episodes, you instantly got its tracks lodged in your brain. In fact, even just reading the show's name now will have brought them all back. And, odds are there'll be more gems on the way given that Girls5eva's second season sees the group recording a new album. The setup, if you're a newcomer: more than 20 years after they split up, the four remaining members of a late 90s girl group decide that it's time to get the band back together. Now in their forties, they're all at different points in their lives, but rekindling their dreams is too enticing to ignore. Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio) play Girls5eva's reunited members, while Fey pops up as a fantasy version of Dolly Parton — and yes, the latter is as glorious as it sounds. Also, the comic takes on 90s pop tunes are all 100-percent spot on. Just as pitch-perfect: everything about this immensely funny take on stardom, fame and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. In season two, which hits Stan in Australia on Friday, May 6, the Girls5eva crew are still chasing their comeback — but they're determined to make their new album on their own terms. As the just-dropped trailer shows, that's an eventful quest, even spanning knee replacements. Even just from the brief sneak peek so far, expect more wannabe popstar chaos, more gags about the entertainment industry and more thoughtful jokes about the way both the music scene and the world in general regard women. Of course, Tina Fey hasn't starred in, created or executive produced a bad sitcom yet — and when the first season of Girls5eva arrived last year, it continued that trend. In its own way, it's another workplace comedy like 30 Rock, Great News and Mr Mayor, after all. And, albeit in a completely different manner to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it also follows a group of women trying to navigate new lives years after they were thrust together under extreme circumstances. Check out the trailer for Girls5eva season two below: Girls5eva's second season will be available to stream via Stan on Friday, May 6. Read our full review of season one.
The Eveleigh Works blacksmithing school is celebrating its one-year anniversary with an anything-but-average crafting party on Good Friday. It'll swing its doors wide open for a day of free forging demonstrations, sculpting workshops and competitions, with a sausage sizzle to boot. Located in the Australia Technology Park, the school goes back to the building's 130-year-old roots as a traditional craft school, running weekly short courses in metal sculpture, hand forging, knife-making and traditional tool making. These courses are on the pricey side, so the event is a rare chance to getting involved without dropping lots of cash. Joining the festivities are renowned Italian sculptures Roberto and Niko Giordani, who have just completing a month-long residency at Eveleigh Works and will unveil a new three-metre sculpture, created with the school's founder Matt Mewburn. Throughout the day, competitions and raffles will be up for grabs, with some legit prizes for the winners. Entry and all demonstrations are free — the only thing you'll be out of pocket for is the by-donation barbecue lunch of sausages, burgers and a veg option. Proceeds from the food will go toward refurbishing one of the school's old industrial machines, so, all-in-all, it's a few bucks well spent.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will never stop being a gothic-horror masterpiece, or inspiring stories across the page, stage and screen as well. The latest: Poor Things, the next film from acclaimed Greek Weird Wave director Yorgos Lanthimos, and his long-awaited first release since 2018's excellent The Favourite. Also back: that regal drama's Oscar-nominated supporting player Emma Stone. The Cruella star didn't end up clutching an Academy Award for her past performance under Lanthimos' guidance, and nor did her co-star Rachel Weisz (Dead Ringers) or the filmmaker himself; instead, they watched on as Olivia Colman (Empire of Light) emerged victorious for her leading part. But Stone and Lanthimos made a winning pair anyway, in what was one of the former's very best performances of her career. It's no wonder that they're teaming up again — or that the just-dropped first Poor Things trailer looks mesmerising, eerie and stunning. Poor Things adapts Alasdair Grey's 1992 award-winning novel, but the parallels with Shelley's mother-of-all horror greats are as obvious as a bolt of lightning. The focus: Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, distinctive in her mannerisms afterwards and eager to learn about a world that isn't quite sure how to react. Continuing the movie's top-notch casting — and Lanthimos' in general, as seen in everything from Dogtooth and Alps to The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer as well — Poor Things features Willem Dafoe (The Northman) as the tinkering Dr Godwin Baxter; Mark Ruffalo (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) as Duncan Wedderburn, a slick lawyer that Bella runs off with; and also Ramy's Ramy Youssef, plus On the Count of Three co-stars Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott. The film will hit cinemas in the US on September 8, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under. Poor Things jolts Stone's career back onto the screen a few years away, too — Cruella released in 2021, and only The Croods: A New Age, Zombieland: Double Tap and TV's Maniac sit on her resume since The Favourite. Check out the first teaser trailer for Poor Things below: Poor Things doesn't currently have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when one is confirmed. Image: Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Effortless multitasker Joss Whedon has taken time off between letting Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents clean up the scum to unveil a fan-friendly surprise: his brand new film In Your Eyes available to rent online for just $5. The Avengers director high-fived his fans worldwide by releasing the film online as it was premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Currently filming the next instalment of the Avengers: Age of Ultron, Whedon made $1.5 billion from the first ‘gang’s all here’ Marvel superhero romp. The Buffy creator has seen shifts in the industry over the years and wanted to explore options to satisfy both fans and his bottom line. "It's exciting for us because we get to explore yet another new form of distribution — and we get $5," he said. Whedon recorded a video message to introduce the release, played before the Tribeca screening and seemingly recorded on the Avengers set. In Your Eyes will mark the second release from Bellwether Pictures, Whedon’s pet project and “micro studio” that released the playful, black and white rom-com version of Much Ado About Nothing in 2013. Whedon and his wife Kai Cole founded the LA studio as a means to bypass "the classic studio structure" that Whedon receives millions of dollars yet limited creative distribution control to work in. Starring newcomers Zoe Kazan (writer and star of Ruby Sparks) and Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield, NBC’s The Black Donnellys), In Your Eyes is a so-called paranormal romance, following two strangers who find themselves linked by supernatural means. Whedon wrote and produced the film, looked at his laughable schedule, then handed the director hat over to buddy Brin Hill (writer and director of 2008’s Ball Don’t Lie). Whedon has been pretty busy of late being King of Marvel Errrrthang, divvying up his directorial time on the Avengers sequel Age of Ultron to serve as creative consultant on Any Marvel Film Anyone is Making Right Now. Whedon penned dialogue for Thor: The Dark World as well as directing the mid-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier — Whedon’s Marvel input cameos might soon rival the onscreen pop-ins of legendary creator Stan Lee. “This is the most prolific title we’ve had on the platform, definitely,” Vimeo spokesman Greg Clayman told Gigaom. Stealthy, unannounced releases are becoming more used by major players as a means of distributing directly to fanbases. “It's a non-traditional way, for sure. But hey, it works for Beyonce." Due to Whedon being an absolute legend, In Your Eyes is available to rent on Vimeo right now. Via BBC and Gigaom.
The lofty title of the ‘World Wide Web’ implies that we can access the internet, well, all over the world. However, with 71 percent of the Earth’s surface covered by oceanic bodies, the web is more limited than you think. Researchers at the University of Buffalo may have found a way to cross the digital gap between land and sea. Their ‘deep sea Internet’ is a sunken wireless network that will provide instant communication from beneath the surface to any device on land. Since wireless access has expanded everywhere, from subways to third world countries, why hasn’t this been thought of before? Although the internet feels like an omnipresent force that floats invisibly above our heads like the particles of a broadcast chocolate bar in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, it’s a little more complicated. Wireless communication on land relies on radio waves from satellites and antennas, which don’t work well out in the middle of the ocean. Deep-sea communication technologies function on sound waves, which are converted above the surface and transmitted to our devices. This interaction is a bit dodgy, given that it’s nearly impossible to communicate in real time because of the various methods and standards involved when it comes to communicating with underwater sensors. To make things easier, the masterminds in New York are developing a framework that would create a singular way to collect and send data from an underwater sensor to any computer in the world. The possibilities are endless with this superpower technology. Tsunamis and hurricanes could be detected and warned of earlier, oil and gas could be detected more efficiently, pollution could be better monitored, and law enforcement agencies could track down drug-smuggling pirates. The underwater modem seems to be well on its way to doing these things; it is currently being tested at the bottom of America’s Lake Erie and will be presented at the International Conference on Underwater Networks & Systems in Taiwan this November. So on your next deep-sea dive or fishing trip, check your smartphone for Wi-Fi: BIG BLUE, password: n3m0. Via Fast.CoExist.com.
Oh, Vivid. You beautiful beacon of light. You bring us out into the streets to dance to your music and marvel at your colours, and you inspire us to connect and create. But you're long gone, as if you were only a dream, and now we're left still looking longingly at boring old buildings that don't even shimmer and shimmy along to electronic dance music. But here's the thing. Like a fourteen-year-old girl suddenly seeing clearly again after her first major crush, we have come to realise that there's a whole world out there of LED-studded, neon-framed possibilities. We'll always love you, Vivid. We can't wait to see you again. But now we have other shining lights to brighten our nights, too. [caption id="attachment_627580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud.[/caption] BADU GILI CURATED BY RHODA ROBERTS Badu Gili, a new sound and light show in celebration of Australia's First Nations culture, is making Sydney's sunsets a whole lot more dramatic. No longer do you have to wait for Vivid to come around to see the Opera House transform into an ever-changing, illuminated canvas. As the sun goes down each day — and then again at 7pm — the House's iconic sails beam with a vibrant, seven-minute projected animation exploring ancient Indigenous stories, First Nations artworks and stunning soundscapes from Damian Robinson of Wicked Beat Sound System. The name Badu Gili translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people. Find Badu Gili on the Opera House sails. CIRCLE/S IN THE ROUND FOR (MILES AND MILES +1) BY NEWELL HARRY Hidden away in a dark back alley charmingly called Temperance Lane, concentric neon circles brighten the path of all those who pass beneath them. The installation by Newell Harry pays homage to Miles Davis' 'Circle in the Round', aiming to capture and reflect the "entwined order and chaos" of the very best in jazz. The pulsing circles and accompanying textual wordplay (a brightly lit, palindromic NEVERODDOREVEN) are meant to evoke the beats and structures of Davis' "electronic period," which began with 'Circle in the Round' and continued through to his final musical contribution, the album Doo-Bop. Find Circles in the Round in Temperance Lane in the CBD. ASPIRE BY WARREN LANGLEY Glowing golden trees reach their branches upwards, seeming to bear the spectacular weight of the Western Distributor overhead. Their heroic effort pays tribute to the nearby Fig Street community's teamwork, which succeeded in preserving local housing slated for demolition. The work by Warren Langley is both utilitarian, lighting the way for pedestrians and motorists passing by, and aspirational, reflecting the immense progress we can make as individuals and communities when we unite towards a common goal. Combining these elements, the installation "acknowledges the growth and perpetuation of neighbourhoods within the city landscape." Find Aspire in Ultimo underneath the Western Distributor. HEAVEN AND THE DIXON STREET LIGHT SCREENS BY PETER MCGREGOR We've found Heaven, and it's at the intersection of Dixon and Hay Streets in Chinatown. A luminescent, colour-changing maze of fibre optics suspended mid-air, the installation at once evokes Mordor's Eye of Soron and the intersecting curves and edges of a Chinese lantern. Heaven is set against the backdrop of the Dixon Street Light Screens. This set of installations glow fire hues, deepening gradually in colour from 6pm until midnight, as Heaven's larger fibre lights change colour every hour on the hour until then. The creator of both works, Peter McGregor, drew inspiration from his Chinatown surroundings: "drawing on Chinese architecture, mythology and philosophy, the work is colour coded based on feng shui diagrams, which place the work at the symbolic centre of Chinatown." Find Heaven and the Dixon Street Light Screens at the intersection of Dixon and Hay Streets in Chinatown.
UK sunglassmakers Tens have put those "I wish I could Instagram my life" whines into reality. Creating "the real life photo filter", the team's debut pair of sunglasses attempt to place an Instagram filter over your day. People look more attractive, crappy bus stops look more romantic, your homecooked breakfast disaster looks a million bucks. Wait. But isn't that... uh... how all sunglasses function? "Tens is a sunglasses brand with a simple ambition; to make your day look ten times better," the group stated. Tens raised £138,498 ($249,562 AUS) via crowdfunding site Indiegogo to make the sunglasses, with backers directly buying pairs from the project page. The team spent three years perfecting the custom lens tint, with solid UV400 protection to boot. Made from a CR-39 plastic polymer, the lens is scratch resistant so your Instagrammed life won't be shattered by pesky flecks from your pocket keys. Co-founding director Marty Bell, also one of the creative minds behind summer-charged online radio project Poolside FM, explained to Vice: "We asked ourselves: What if we could skip the cameras and computers altogether? What if there was a way we could filter everything that we see whilst disconnected from technology?" Vice called the sunglasses "Instagram to the second power," after featuring them as part of The Creators Project. The debut frame for Tens, 'The Classic' is available to nab from their Indiegogo site for $60 with free worldwide postage until June 6. Unisex frames come in black, navy, teal and deep red and are bought directly as 'perks' on the Indiegogo site. While you can't switch between filters, the whole outcome looks pretty X-Pro II meets Nashville, with a Hefe twinge. It remains to be seen how differently the glasses make things 'grammy to regular polarised glasses, but for 60 beans the gamble's not too highly staked. Via Fubiz and Vice.
After 11 years as our accommodation go-to, Airbnb is now trying its hand at playing travel agent. The booking platform has just launched Airbnb Adventures, a series of all-inclusive, multi-day adventures available around the globe. The experiences act as a one-stop-shop for your next trip, with accommodation, meals and activities all part of the tours. Over 200 of these adventures are already up on the site. You can take a nine-day trek through the Amazon for around $270 per night, a five-day trip through the Oman desert for $300 per night or go on a culinary kayaking trip through Swedish islands for $360 per night. There's also a seven-day accessible experience on Easter Island, an overnight campsite on a cliffside in Colorado, island hopping around the Galapagos and, for something closer to home, an adventure around New Zealand subtropical islands, too. Prices range from a reasonable overnight trip for $115 all the way up to a rather exy 10-day trek for $7200. On average, the adventure packages cost around $850 for a three-dayer. The new platform, while having a different name, is part of Airbnb Experiences: the app's existing range of locally hosted events, such as cooking classes and hikes. And it runs in a similar way, as in all 'adventures' are 100 percent hosted and planned by locals — Airbnb is simply the mediator between the two. Each adventure is also kept quite small and set at groups of 12 max. To launch the new platform, Airbnb is offering an around the world in 80 days adventure to eight travellers for just $7214 per person, which comes down to about $90 per night. The trip will leave from London on September 1 and bring travellers through 18 countries across six continents — including to Bhutan, Iceland, Egypt, Romania, Japan and Ecuador. Bookings for this one will be available on June 20 and it'll likely book out in a minute, so you best get yourself prepped if you want a spot on this trip. Airbnb Adventures are now live and can be booked through the website or via the Airbnb app (available for Android and iPhones). Images: Tara Rice, Mason Trinca, Ryan Tuttle, Oivind Haug
The Hyde Park Barracks, built in 1819 to house male convicts and now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed museum, will close on Tuesday, January 29 for an $18 million dollar makeover. When it reopens in late 2019, the site's current exhibitions will be replaced with state-of-the-art immersive experiences. Prepare to step back into convict history and discover its impacts on First Nations people. Behind the revamp is Local Projects, a New York-based design studio, who'll be working with Sydney Living Museums, to breathe new life into the Barracks' 4000 strong-collection of objects. They'll be drawing on powerful stories, adding interactive elements and creating installations that surround you with visuals and sound. "This $18 million renewal project reflects the best in contemporary museum design. It will bring the personal stories to life in a truly authentic, emotional way that is relevant to people's lives today,"said Sydney Living Museums' Executive Director Mark Goggin in a statement. [caption id="attachment_705380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyde Park Barracks during Vivid Festival, via Flickr.[/caption] For tens of thousands of years, the land on which the museum stands was home to Gadigal People, who remain the land's traditional custodians. The new, immersive Museum will explore their connection to the area, as well as the impact on their lives by the Barracks' construction and colonisation. Commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie and designed by convict-turned-architect Francis Greenway, the building served as a convict prison from 1819–1848, when it transformed into temporary accommodation for female immigrants, mainly Irish orphans escaping the Great Famine. More than 100,000 people lived in the building between 1819 and 1887. But it wasn't until the early 1980s that archaeologists dug up the 120,000 objects – from coins and soup bones to clothing and bottles – left behind. Hyde Park Barracks Museum will close on January 29 and will unveil its new-look in late-2019. We'll update you as soon as we know more. Top image: Andy Mitchell via Flickr.
Swing into London's Tate Modern until April 2018, and you'll literally be swinging thanks to their latest large-scale installation. Teaming up with Danish artists' collective SUPERFLEX, the gallery's Turbine Hall now boasts playground equipment as part of its newest commission, which comes with the apt title of One Two Three Swing! The numbers in the piece's moniker don't just refer to the countdown everyone does in their head before they set a swing in motion. They also indicate that each of the installation's pieces has been built for three. That means gathering up two pals and heading for a swinging good time is on the agenda, with the work designed to get audiences to be more social through collaboration — the coordination it takes to get a three-person swing to do its thing, for example. 22 swings feature in total, all connected by their orange frames and all conceived "as an assembly line for collective movement," according to the exhibition's press release. They comprise of the movement section of the work, which also features apathy and production components. In the former, attendees can lie on a 770-square-metre carpet — in a colour scheme inspired by British currency — and view a a large pendulum suspended from the ceiling by a 20 metre cable. In the latter, a factory station assembles swing seats, storing them for later use. During the installation's six-month run, One Two Three Swing! will also expand beyond the Tate Modern, with plans to spread the swings throughout London and even possibly further afield. If that sounds like an ambitious project, it's just the latest for SUPERFLEX, who were formed in 1993 by Jakob Fenger, Bjørnstjerne Christiansen and Rasmus Nielsen, and helped designed Copenhagen's 30,000-square-metre Superkilen park. One Two Three Swing! runs at the Tate Modern, London until April 2, 2018. For more information, head to the gallery's website. Via The Guardian. Images: Tate Modern.
Forget partying like it’s 1999. When only futuristic chic will do, boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith recommend these ten space-age stays around the world. 1. Wanderlust Where: No 2 Dickson Road, SingaporeWhat: Witty wonderland in Little India When you fancy your own pocket rocket, book a stay in a sultry, space-themed Whimsical Loft room at Wanderlust boutique hotel in Singapore. Each comes with a kooky storage rocket and cute alien soft toys; climb the ladder to the mezzanine bed where sparkly ‘stars’ light up the ceiling. All of the 29 boudoirs are fairly otherworldly, with themes ranging from monster typewriters to treehouses and ultra-bright Pantone-hued chambers. Not sure where you’ve landed? It’s not surprising, given there’s a cool French bistro downstairs, you’re in the vibrant Little India quarter and this is central Singapore. 2. The Standard High Line Where: 848 Washington Street, New York, USAWhat: Hip Hudson riverside hang-out Bestriding an elevated park in the Meatpacking District, The Standard High Line hotel in New York is a modernist high-rise perched on concrete stilts. Clamber aboard and you’ll hit the space-chic black-and-white lobbyside Living Room, where you’d expect to see Han Solo and Chewie sinking cocktails with bounty hunters. Keep going up and the views from the 337 bedrooms just get ridiculous (cue Hudson River and Statue of Liberty perving on upper levels). Enjoy on-trend grazing at the Standard Grill, the German Biergarten and the 18th-floor Top of the Standard bar, then bag black-and-gold guest bikes for gadding around (who needs a space cruiser?). 3. MONA Pavilions Where: 655 Main Road, Berriedale, Tasmania, AustraliaWhat: Avant-garde art hotel on the banks of the Derwent The eight cutting-edge dwellings at MONA Pavilions hotel in Hobart are inspired by iconic Australian artists and architects, and come with original paintings, cool coffee-table books and rad river views. Bag three-storey pavilion Roy, and you’ll be master and commander of your own faceted-metal penthouse-come-spaceship, with two bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen/living area and a balcony spa bath. Beyond your designer den, the hotel’s Source restaurant is a must for dining, wine tastings and microbrewed beer. Make time to visit MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) next door, an awe-inspiring subterranean gallery stocked with controversial modern art, a bar, café and wine bar. 4. Alila Villas Uluwatu Where: Jl. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak, Desa Pecatu, Bali, IndonesiaWhat: Minimalist eco-glam eyrie Ready for lift off? You’ll feel like you’re about to shoot into space when you settle back in the cabana lounge bar at Alila Villas Uluwatu boutique hotel in Bali, a sleek, wooden-slatted cube which centilevers over the Bukit Peninsula’s cliffs with va-va voom ocean vistas. The 61 light, white pool villas here are just as contemporary and crisp, embracing the outdoors. A superb spa, sexy infinity pool and serious surfing will tempt you to play, with dreamy dining areas for fuelling up afterwards. Be warned: this hip haven attracts the beautiful people, so get ready to waft around like a model from Mars. 5. Mandarin Oriental Barcelona Where: Passeig de Gràcia, 38, Barcelona, SpainWhat: Luxe Catalan lair As if the Catalan capital isn’t stylish enough, Spanish hotel Mandarin Oriental Barcelona will fulfill all your interior design fantasies. Nestle in informal, all-white brasserie Blanc, with its origami-style ceiling sculptures and hanging plants, and you’re on Planet Chic. Rooftop Terrat’s poolside loungers seduce with crazy-beautiful skyline views or get every more chilled-out at the so-sleek-it’s-space-age spa. The 98 rooms sport furniture by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, whose graphic shapes and patterns across chairs, rugs and cushions are out of this world. You’re on the city’s premier avenue, too, so Gaudi buildings, hot shopping and foodie pit-stops await. 6. Saffire Where: 2352 Coles Bay Road, Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, AustraliaWhat: Sci-fi sanctuary Shaped like a sinuous stingray, Saffire boutique hotel in East Coast Tasmania brings futuristic style to the jaw-dropping Frecinet Peninsula. It may look like a metallic silver spaceship swooping towards curvy Coles Bay, but don’t worry this is no alien abduction scenario. Inside, you’ll find the lofty lobby, and ultra-contemporary dining and drinking areas, clad in an undulating roof and wall-to-wall windows giving onto the Hazards peaks. Pop to rated Palate restaurant for fab local fish and seafood, then relax in the retro-chic Saffire Lounge for booze and boardgames. Outside, 20 sleek suites, with views out to the beach and sea, beckon. 7. Capella Singapore Where: 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, SingaporeWhat: Clash of the centuries retreat Lording it over Singapore’s southern Sentosa Island, 112-room Capella Singapore hotel is a luxe blend of colonial and 21st-century design, with a future-forward extension by architects Foster + Partners bringing this historic haven bang up to date. Take in views of the South China Sea from the three-tiered pool or sweeping Bob’s Bar terrace (ideal for that Singapore Sling), which borders on intergalactic glam; then hit Auriga Spa for treatments inspired by the lunar cycles. Chinese fine-diner Cassia is great for a date; all-day diner the Knolls is your go-to spot for breakfast, lunch or a wow-worthy selection of teas. 8. Amangiri Where: 1 Kayenta Road, Canyon Point, Utah, USAWhat: Modernist marvel in southern Utah Expect close encounters of the third kind in the lunar landscape of Lake Powell hotel Amangiri, a swish sanctuary surrounded by the wind-carved Utah desert. This sleek sandstone sanctuary in the heart of Navajo country offers just 34 spacious suites, some toting their own private plunge pools. Curving around a striking escarpment, the main pool is a head-turner, too, with views out over the wilderness. Bring walking shoes and 40+ sunscreen for hiking over dunes and up rocks; Jackie O sunglasses and kaftans for poolside lounging or dining alfresco. 9. Maison Moschino Where: Viale Monte Grappa, 12, Milan, ItalyWhat: Fanciful fashion house near cosmopolitan Corso Como Clouds indoors? With sheep and illuminated mannequins? You’re in Italy, darlings, where stylish Milan hotel Maison Moschino, housed in the city’s first railway station, brings surreally spacey touches to any stay. Fairytale themes from Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood create enchantment in the 65 rooms, from outsize frocks above beds to forests and golden glam. Maison Moschino’s kookily irreverent philosophy continues in the starkly sleek restaurant, where the masterful chef whips up colourful ‘susci’ (Italian sushi) creations, alongside pasta and meat mains. At the Culti Spa, treatments are based around beauty-aiding Brittany sea water. Ditch the spacesuits, though; Moschino threads will do. 10. Hotel on Rivington Where: 107 Rivington Street, New York, USAWhat: Lower East Side high-rise With 21 floors of cool rearing over the Lower East Side, glassy-glam Hotel on Rivington in New York is very 2001: A Space Odyssey. This modern missy ain’t for vertigo sufferers though, so be sure you have a head for heights before booking into one of the 108 rooms; boudoirs offer panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling windows, and some boast showers with vistas, or a two-person Japanese soaking tub. LES hipster style rules at cosmopolitan eatery CO-OP Restaurant, where sushi and sashimi are served alongside smart American concoctions. Decor-wise, the influence is Seventies California, with photographs of US icons (Neil Armstrong should be one of them!).
In what's set to be a lively discussion on a current political hot-topic, four international authors will be debating the pros and cons of gay marriage at the Sydney Writers' Festival event, Why Get Married When You Could Be Happy?. Thrashing out controversial and thought-provoking insights into the civil rights issue will be Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit author Jeanette Winterson, champion of gay liberation Dennis Altman, author of The Family Law and senior frankie contributor Benjamin Law, and Russian-American journalist and author Masha Gessen. Taking place at Sydney's Town Hall on Saturday, May 19 from 6pm, the debate is part of this year's Sydney Writers' Festival and will be facilitated by writer and broadcaster Annette Shun Wah. For more info, read CP's round-up of the Sydney Writers' Festival highlights and the announced programme for 2012. Concrete Playground has three double passes to give away for this highly anticipated event. To be in for a chance to win a pair of tickets, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
It all sounded like an elaborate prank. Then it sounded just too good to be true. But it's actually been confirmed. Daft Punk are launching their new album, Random Access Memories, to 4000 insanely lucky ticket holders in the NSW country town of Wee Waa. While I have a sneaking suspicion that the helmeted Frenchmen only chose Wee Waa because they giggled at the ridiculousness of its name, those opportunistic Wee Waa-ians (Wee Wains, maybe?) are making the most of this incredible event by throwing the biggest afterparty in Wee Waa history. Weekend Vines is converting the idyllic Seplin Estate Winery, 1.5km outside of Wee Waa, into a two-night camping festival. After Daft Punk have left you feeling harder, better, faster and stronger, head straight out to the Wee Waa Camping Festival where a host of electro artists and Daft Punk disciples will be rockin' out into the wee (waa) small hours of the morning. The event is fully licensed, decked out with a festival sound system and only has 2500 available tickets, so keep an eye on the Weekend Vibes website to make sure you snap one up when they are released early next week. Featuring local and international stars Olibusta (France), Marvin Roland (UK), Mr Pyz (Melbourne), Crease (UK) and Pablo J and the Lobsterettes (Sydney) wee waa beyond excited for an unforgettable weekend of awesome music and late night parties. And that's the last Wee Waa pun we'll make you read.
Disneyland might have called dibs on being the happiest place on earth, but New York is certainly one of the tastiest. The city's culinary spread has long drawn visitors from far and wide, and it's now amassing a hefty collection of food museums. First came the Museum of Food and Drink. Then, the Museum of Ice Cream joined the mix. The only thing that could come close to topping that is a place dedicated to chocolate, right? French-born, US-based chocolatier Jacques Torres certainly thinks so, expanding his chocolate-making empire to include New York's first museum dedicated to everyone's favourite sweet treat. The 5000-square-foot Lower Manhattan establishment takes visitors through the entire choc experience. Yes, that involves learning about its history — and, it also includes eating the tasty, tasty substance in question. On the educational side of things, Choco-Story New York: The Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres details the origins of all things chocolate dating back to Mayan and Aztec civilisations, and explains the method behind turning cacao beans into the delectable morsels we know and love. As for snacking — aka the reason everyone wants to stop by — nine premium tastings, other samples, hand-ground hot chocolate, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles and chocolate-making workshops are all on offer. This isn't the world's first-ever chocolate museum, however. Among the array of weird and wonderful odes to edible delights (yes, a currywurst museum really exists), plenty of others have done the same thing. Basically, Homer Simpson's dream of a land of chocolate is slowly becoming a reality, with other choc havens found in Canada, London, Bruges, Hamburg, Vienna, Spain, the Netherlands, New Zealand and even Tasmania. Unsurprisingly, it's a long list.
Sometimes, enjoying the music festival experience involves gumboots, picking the best outfit with the most pockets and dancing in huge crowds. At other times, it spans making shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing. Yes, the latter has become familiar during the pandemic, but it's also been a way to live the Coachella life without heading to Indio, California for a decade now. And, with the fest returning in 2022, so is its YouTube livestream. Boasting a lineup headlined by Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd — as announced back in January, albeit with the latter pair now taking over Ye's slot — Coachella is finally back for its first fest since 2019. It'll unleash its impressive bill over the weekends of April 15–17 and April 22–24, which is Saturday, April 16–Monday, April 18 and Saturday, April 23–Monday, April 25 Down Under. So, if you haven't been fortunate enough to make the trip to America, that's your long weekend sorted for two weeks in a row. Wondering who to watch when? Coachella has just dropped its setlists if you're wondering which acts will be hitting the livestream on which days. Styles headlines the first day, Eilish does the second and Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd are now leading the charge on the third — on both weekends. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) And, they're joined by a bonafide metric fucktonne of squealworthy acts, including Australia's own Flume, The Avalanches and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, plus Phoebe Bridgers, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Jamie xx, Run the Jewels, Fatboy Slim, Finneas and Joji, just to name a few. Also, when it dropped its set times overnight, Coachella just casually added Arcade Fire to the lineup. Of course, livestreaming music fests is no longer a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's roster, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend or two. And, YouTube will be adding live chats and artist interviews, aka the kinds of experiences that you wouldn't get if you were at the fest IRL. Coachella's return is a 'nature is healing' moment for the music industry, after a tough few years for festivals in general — and this one in particular. Coachella's 2020 event was postponed less than a month out, and later cancelled completely. And, plans to make a comeback in 2021 unsurprisingly didn't happen either. Coachella runs from April 15–17 and April 22–24 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST / 11am NZST on Saturday, April 16 and Saturday, April 23. Top image: Roger Ho.
Ricky Gervais isn't one to do things by any ol' book, especially advertising endorsements. The creator of award-winning, shame tingle-inducing comedy The Office, professional Golden Globe crasher and 'World President of Entertainment' has created two videos to advertise the new partnership with Netflix, available in Australia today. The global communications giant has recruited Ricky Gervais to star in a Netflix advertising campaign that unveils the tie-up. In classic zero phucks Gervaisian style, the comedian has provided his own take on Optus's 'Yes' campaign, which is more like an 'Okay' campaign. Here he is accepting the sweet, sweet cash from a company he's "never heard of". With Netflix launching in Australia today, Optus customers can get among the streaming service filling your news feed right now — for free. Whut? Yep, new and returning Optus customers get a six-month subscription for free when they sign up to one of several eligible packages (before July 5). You'll be able to catch up on House of Cards in commute on your smartphone, sick out on the back verandah with some Orange Is the New Black on your laptop, and then retreat for some quality Derek time in bed on your tablet. For more information on how to get the free Netflix hook-up happening for you, visit the Optus website.
2020 has been a big year for Gelato Messina in a number of different ways. To help us all while we were spending more time at home, the ice cream chain has served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies, 40 of its best gelato flavours and a heap of one-off desserts. It also launched a new range of gelato bars in supermarkets, its own line of candles and a new clothing range as well. And, it came up with boozy cocktail packs that you can make at home, too. Next up: a curated present range called Gifting by Messina, which'll deliver everything from Messina condiments to ceramic bowls to your door — or to someone you love. Haven't had time to go Christmas shopping? Don't fancy the hustle and bustle of trawling the mall? These packages will let you nab something special for someone special, with five types available. If you've ever tucked into a scoop of Messina's frosty wares, savoured not just the taste but the scent and wished you could soak in the latter for longer, the dessert fiends have very good news. That aforementioned candle range is included, because it was mighty popular when it launched in collaboration with perfumed candle outfit Maison Balzac earlier this year. For $75, you'll receive two mini candles, both inspired by honey. The 'Miel d'Hiver' candle (which means 'winter honey' in French) is designed to conjure up the scent of plants pollinated by bees in winter, and features notes of smoke, thyme, lemon, cedarleaf, frankincense, nutmeg, tonka bean, palo santo and peru balsam. Or, you can opt for the 'Miel d'Ete' ('summer honey'), which combines bergamot, galbanum, hyacinth, jasmine, orris, lily of the valley and musk patchouli. The kit also comes with a jar of Rosebery Honey's signature spring nectar and a voucher for 10-percent off a booking at Messina's Creative Department restaurant. After something edible? Two packs are available, including a $24 offering with Messina's dulce de leche, choc hazelnut and waffle cone spreads. Or, you can gift someone a range of seven condiments from local chefs and restaurants beloved by the ice creamery — with a $120 kit spanning everything from Dino's hot sauce and Firedoor smoked salt to Made in Yass green tomato pickles. Rounding up the Gifting by Messina lineup is a Lucy Folk beach towel ($190), which comes with a $50 Messina voucher — and a set of two gelato cups ($150) made by Sydney ceramicist Milly Dent, as paired with two gold-plated teaspoons by designer Cristina Re and a $20 Messina voucher. The entire range comes delivered in Messina gift boxes, and is available to order from Monday, November 30. They'll also be delivered Australia-wide. Some kits are only available in limited numbers, though, including 50 candle sets, 200 batches of condiments, 50 towels and 75 bowls. Gifting by Messina opens for orders on Monday, November 30. For more information, visit the Gelato Messina website.
So, you're one of the hordes of people who watched Squid Game. We all are. And, you watched it and thought that playing hopscotch and tug of war sounds like fun — and breaking out the sugar honeycombs and grabbing your bag of marbles, too — but obviously without the whole pesky compete-to-the-death angle. If that's you, then Netflix keeps dropping news that'll get you excited. Already, the streaming platform has confirmed that Squid Game will return for season two, and also revealed a few details with an extremely brief teaser trailer. Now, it's turning Squid Game into a reality — a reality competition TV show, that is. Squid Game: The Challenge won't include murder. It will feature 456 players, though — all ordinary people, and not actors. And, they will indeed compete to win $4.56 million. Plus, they'll play a series of games inspired by the South Korean thriller — the extremely fictional South Korean thriller, until now — as well as a few new additions. Also, competitors will be eliminated as the games go on, and forming strategies and alliances will play a huge part. So yes, Squid Game: The Challenge is designed to get as close to the OG Squid Game as possible, just without the body count. It'll all be overseen by a Front Man, too, because of course it will. As yet, there's no word if the Red Light, Green Light doll will be involved. Do you want to play a game? Enter to join Squid Game: The Challenge at https://t.co/MaXfZnqmvb pic.twitter.com/6gYLXlplDC — Netflix (@netflix) June 14, 2022 Netflix is calling Squid Game: The Challenge "the biggest reality competition series ever", and it'll certainly have the biggest cast. The results will unfurl over ten episodes, which don't yet have a release date — but the show is due to shoot sometime in early 2023, and the streaming platform does like to turn things around as quickly as possible If you're keen not only to watch but to play, casting — or recruitment, as Netflix has dubbed it — is currently open for English-language speakers from any part of the world. There are three sections: casting in the UK, casting in the US and casting elsewhere (including Down Under). You do need to be at least 21, though, and be available for four weeks at the beginning of next year. Also, you need to hold a valid passport. Making a gripping and brutal TV show that satirises capitalism, seeing it become a huge hit and one of the best new TV programs of 2021, then bringing its games into real life does sound like something that might happen in Squid Game itself if the show was getting meta. Announcing Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series Brandon Riegg said that "Squid Game took the world by storm with Director Hwang's captivating story and iconic imagery. We're grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment." He continued: "fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end." Squid Game: The Challenge recruitment is open now, with the show set to film in early 2023, and expected to air sometime later that year. We'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Squid Game's first season is available to stream via Netflix. We'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Images: Noh Juhan/Netflix.
When trying to navigate city streets on a bike, it's not exactly the safest move to pull out your phone to use the GPS. With new product Hammerhead Navigation though, riders no longer have to worry about losing focus to find directions on an unfamiliar route. The appropriately named device looks like a hammerhead and features LED lights that guide directional change and indicate hazards on a course. The Hammerhead is mounted right in the cyclist's peripheral vision, making it safer to ride on terrain they've never biked on before. The purpose of the simple design is to not distract bikers with complicated screens and graphics. Instead, it uses simple intuitive signals that are not distracting. The route comes from the user's smartphone, which syncs with Hammerhead using a system based on biking apps MapMyRide and Strava. In addition, their app will utilise crowdsourcing to gather information about the best routes (depending on user-set preferences) and potential road hazards. Hammerhead users will also be able to suggest routes to their fellow riders. Once a user chooses a route from their phone, Hammerhead can function from a locked and stored smartphone. No GPS information is stored in the Hammerhead device; rather, it uses location information from the smartphone to navigate the predetermined route. Hammerhead benefits from having a 14-hour single charge lifespan, so you can be sure it will stick with you on longer rides. Because users' smartphones connect to the device using Bluetooth, it will not drain phone batteries like other GPS devices. Like most innovative products these days, the team behind Hammerhead Navigation used crowdfunding to develop their product. Hammerhead is expected to ship to its first backers by September 2014. Go ahead, bike the path less travelled. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHtwvvKf65w Via Fast Company
Kids these days. What will they think of next? To find out, be sure to check out ARTEXPRESS at the AGNSW this month, showcasing the most outstanding works created by the 2015 Year 12 cohort for the HSC. One of the Gallery's most popular annual exhibitions, this is a show that never ceases to drop jaws, and also to incite inferiority complexes in everyone over the age of 18. From traditional painting, drawing and sculpture to photomedia, textiles and time-based forms, ARTEXPRESS this year will showcase 55 outstanding student artworks produced for the 2015 HSC Visual Arts examination (ugh, don't remind us). The selection process for the exhibition began in November after the practical component of the HSC was done. "Selection took days of careful consideration of 400 pre-selected bodies of work from the 9000 HSC Visual Arts students in 2015,"says Leeanne Carr, Art Gallery of NSW coordinator of education programs and curator of ARTEXPRESS 2016. "I am always struck by the passion of student artists, their ability to understand the world in unique ways, and to use the power of visual language to communicate." This is an annual favourite for all ages and remains open until May 15. By Roslyn Helper with Shannon Connellan. Image: Si Yuan Shelley Gu, Tempe High School What happened to I? (detail), ARTEXPRESS 2016.
Peak TV is here to stay, it seems — and that doesn't just describe what we're watching, but how we're viewing it. Sitting down on the couch to watch a television show as it airs has long gone the way of the dodo, and in these these DVR, online catch up and Netflix-heavy times, we have more options than ever. That isn't stopping the world's number one source of cat videos, aka YouTube, from getting in on the action. In fact, they're aiming to make improvements. Keen to stream whatever live television you want, whenever and wherever you want, and on whichever device you want? Record every minute of TV you possibly can, without worrying about storage space and data limits? Access all of those saved programs even if you're far from home? Enter YouTube TV, a live television service that aims to do all of that, offering YouTube's own alternative to cable TV and the growing number of online streaming options. For $35 a month, US customers can get their fix of more than 40 channels, spanning entertainment, reality, sports and news options. Six accounts are included with each membership, as is access to YouTube Red Originals; viewers can watch up to three concurrent streams at a time; and all recordings sits in the cloud, which is how you're able to tape as much as you want and then play it anywhere on any device. Everything can be viewed online, via Chromecast and on both Android and iOS. For anyone outside of America, there's a catch, unsurprisingly — as yet, YouTube hasn't announced any plans to make the service available beyond the U.S. If you don't already have enough TV to watch or are tempted by unlimited recording, add it to the "wait and see" list.
We're pretty lucky here in Australia. No matter what the time of year, even if it's the dead of winter, there are always at least a few days (often plenty more) that allow you to sit outside and say things like "what a pearler of a day". Also, one of the greatest things about Australia is our ability to work a barbecue into almost any occasion. Your birthday? Nothing feeds a crowd like a few snags and some fried onions. Christmas? Throw some prawns on that barbie. A weekend trip to Bunnings? Don't pretend that the sausage sizzle isn't your favourite part. We really know how to celebrate the barbecue, don't we? Pair whatever you're grilling up with a few cold ones, and you've got yourself a great day, no matter the occasion. In celebration of our ability to bring some good ol' B-B-Q into any situation, we've teamed up with Hahn to scout out some of the best parks in your city with barbecues at your disposal. Pick a spot, gather your mates, snag a case of beer and warm up the barbie for a great day out, Aussie style. [caption id="attachment_593135" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Emily Davies.[/caption] BRISBANE: PICNIC ISLAND IN SOUTH BANK PARKLANDS Picnic Island makes semi-good on what it promises: the whole place isn't a legitimate island, but a picnic haven it does provide. Located at South Bank, it's an A+ place to sit around sipping some beers (between the hours of 10am and 8pm) while hoping someone else will do something about cooking the food. The barbecues are under cover for fickle weather, plus you're surrounded by trees and foliage, so it feels pleasantly like a nature escape from the city. Bonus marks for nabbing the private picnic spot which is an actual tiny island, accessed by a wooden bridge. SYDNEY: CENTENNIAL PARK Centennial Park is one of Sydney's most popular outdoor picnic spots for a reason; with electric barbecues and 11 picnic sites (that are bookable), you're guaranteed a hassle-free day for that huge 50-person family reunion you've got coming up. It isn't all just picnic fare over here though, there's also ponds, sports grounds and even an equestrian centre. With Centennial Park being so huge, there's really no limit to the activities you can carry out here: a game of cricket, a walk through the Rose Garden, bird watching at the Botany Wetlands around the water or just, simply, a sit and a drink with mates in the sun. MELBOURNE: EDINBURGH GARDENS IN FITZROY NORTH Longtime favourite of northern locals, as well as a worthy place for southsiders to commute to for a lazy Sunday, Edi Gardens (as they're affectionately known) have more to offer than just a nice spot of grass to sit on. The huge gardens play host to a rotunda, barbecues, a bowls club and — perhaps most importantly — heaps of doggos on the weekend. There are even tennis courts and table tennis if you're feeling especially active. Head to Fitzroy North with a six-pack, bikkies and some cheese in tow, and you've got yourself a great day. (Make sure you get there between 9am and 9pm, though, if you're planning to crack open a few cold ones.) Our tip for the day, though? Have your barbecue goods on display to summon cute pup visitors and you'll keep yourself amused all day. [caption id="attachment_593132" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Emily Davies.[/caption] BRISBANE: ROMA STREET PARKLANDS IN THE CBD Combine your barbecue and drinks with a killer view at Roma Street Parklands, which was designed in celebration of Queensland's subtropical climate. Here you'll be firing up the grill surrounded by gardens, a fern gully, lake views — and all in the heart of the city. There are free electrical barbecues placed throughout the park, so you're sure to find a spot to set up your spread and crack open a few beers (between 10am and 8pm in the Lake and Celebration precincts). You'll be so relaxed watching the ducks swim by or enjoying the rainforest vibes, you'll forget that you're actually in the middle of the CBD. Now, that's the life. SYDNEY: PARRAMATTA PARK Parramatta Park is a heritage-listed park that consists of 85 hectares of gardens, pavilions, cottages and historic sites. Apart from that, it's a lovely place to crack open a stubby and start frying up some snags. And, there are 14 free barbecue areas where you (or the king or queen of the barbie) can do just that. The land of the Burramattagal people, Parra Park is an active person's dream park as well as a significant historical site; safe cycling tracks are in a sealed off-road area and there's a well-used circuit road for runners. You can opt to take a tour of the 18th-century dairy building or of the park's general area by its director. There's also a ranger-led tour for those who are keen to discover wildlife. MELBOURNE: BANKSIA PARK IN BULLEEN Banksia Park might be a little way out from Melbourne city, but it's worth the cruise down the Eastern Freeway. Adjacent to Heide Museum of Modern Art and on the banks of the Yarra River, it's easily one of Melbourne's most picturesque parks — and a top spot for sinking a few cold ones in the sun. Half the picnic tables are sheltered — so get in early if it's a scorcher — and the barbecues are wood fuelled. The area is rich in history and makes sure picnic-goers are aware; information boards are scattered throughout detailing the original occupants of the land (the Wurundjeri people). A walk along the Heritage Trail is also recommended so you can learn about the significance of the land as well as enjoy being on it. Pay a visit to the Japanese Cherry Tree Grove, or if you're feeling lucky, try to catch your dinner in the Yarra. Pick a park, grab some mates and head out for a barbecue in the sun, Hahn in hand.
Former NADIOC Artist of the Year, A.Professor Wayne Quilliam is celebrating the 2019 NAIDOC week theme of 'Voice. Treaty. Truth.' with his exciting new installation at Darling Quarter. The installation, dubbed Instaculture, consists of four huge display cubes with 16 artworks, each measuring over two square metres. Looking at the co-existence of nature and culture, Quilliam uses photographs and text to take the audience deep into the hypnotic graphics of the Australian landscape. Textures found in nature are emphasised in the works, exploring the six seasons of the Aboriginal Australian culture through the digital imagery of earth, sky and water. When walking around these vibrant installations take time to look at the decals in front of each image, they contain a traditional piece of text with its English translation and the Aboriginal language it comes from. In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be a bunch of free family-friendly workshops held in the foyer of the Monkey Baa Theatre from July 8 to July 11. These will include a didgeridoo show, face painting and storytelling, you can find more info on the workshops and installations here. Instaculture will be on display 24 hours a day.
Sure you can smell the dust on an old vinyl, but can you stare into it and zoom out like the planets but also zoom into the atoms and in that way aesthetically sympathise with sound and how sound moves and physics of sound and how notes in a room behave? And how they bounce off walls and between objects and its kind of more similar to how planets and microscopic things work? Well you can if you have a) DMT or b) an Apple iOS device. Björk’s Biophilia album/multimedia project/educational program has been available for a few months now on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but those operating on Android or Windows 8 platforms have been left out of this brave new digital world. That's about to change if Björk has her way, with the musician turning to Kickstarter to make the app more accessible to kids in low-income households and schools with underfunded art budgets (ie reprogramming it for those who, to sound like a massive douche, can’t afford iPhones). The app is being used as part of the Biophilia Educational Program, developed by Björk to teach children about making music and finding out about natural phenomena. Comprising an album, a series of apps housed in one mother app, a live show, and an educational program for children from all backgrounds, it's about exploring the areas where music, nature, and technology meet. Ten in-app experiences are accessed as you fly through a three-dimensional galaxy, with all the album’s songs available for purchase as interactive experiences. At $13.99 on iTunes, it’s a truly phenomenal way to experience an album for around the same price as a physical CD. The Kickstarter's funding goal is £375,000 and pledging ends on February 27. Those who pledge will receive rewards including the app itself, T-shirts picture discs, lithographic prints, and DVDs. Those who pledge £800 or more will get a VIP pass to Björk’s live Biophilia experience in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, or Paris. Plus the reward of, you know, helping people.
To sail the seas, or to peer under the sea? For those keen to explore the ocean, that has long been the question. If you're on a boat cruising along the surface, you can't really get up close and personal with the world swimming below — until now. French cruise line Ponant have announced the "Blue Eye", the world's first underwater cruise ship lounge, which will be part of its new fleet of ships. In total, four vessels will boast multi-sensory spaces that allow guests to view the wonders of the deep. The first, Le Laperouse, is due to make its maiden journey in mid-2018. In an effort that pays tribute to great French ocean obsessives such as Jules Verne and Jacques Cousteau, the unique rooms were designed by architect Jacques Rougerie, who aimed "to enable PONANT guests to perceive and feel the underwater universe that has never ceased to amaze and inspire him." The end result features furniture, fittings and windows intended to evoke the shapes of cetaceans (aka whales and dolphins) and jellyfish, integrated screens that project images filmed live outside by three underwater cameras, and a sound experience that vibrates through the onboard sofas in unison with the sea. Basically, you'll peer through whale eye-esque portals and sit in chairs that ebb and flow like the water, all while you're headed to destinations such as Iceland, the Mediterranean, the Maldives and Asia. If you're going to fork out for a cruise, that's the way to do it, although trips start from AU$3,3400 for a seven-night stint in the North Sea. Via Travel and Leisure. Image: Ponant.
Though Dove & Olive's Craft Beer Fight Club is always epic, there's no beating the Sydney Craft Beer Week version. This year, Two Birds, Wayward Brewing and 4 Pines are teaming up with Dove & Olive, Keg & Brew and The Dog Randwick, respectively, to bring you a fight club people will definitely break the rule to talk about. The three breweries will split the taps, with brewers in attendance, and one collaboration beer will be crowned the victor by patrons.
It's starting to feel like every weekend one of our favourite inner-west music havens, Vic on the Park, is hosting one must-attend event or another. Not that we're complaining. On Saturday, October 4 it's the Junkyard Festival at the Vic. The Junkyard Festival is held bimonthly in Sydney's inner west, showcasing some pretty sweet local music. The lineup sees a string of local favourites such as Deep Sea Arcade, Chicks Who Love Guns, The Upskirts, Doc Holiday Takes the Shotgun and Grease Arrestor playing in the Vic's beloved carpark. Supplementing all this live music goodness, the crew have also got some solid DJ action going on in the form of Palms, Tsars, Zero Likes, Ok Cocaine, Bachelor Pad, Bust Lip and Simbles. Doors open at 1pm and runs till late. Entry is completely free, however RSVPs are encouraged. Drinks are recommended. https://youtube.com/watch?v=o-ptmVMRGlY
Based on acclaimed author Jo Nesbo's novel, and from the producers of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Headhunters tells the story of Roger Brown (Askel Henni), a charming villain whose life is turned upside down through greed. Introduced as Norway's most successful headhunter, Roger seems to have it all, married to gorgeous gallery owner Diana (Synnøve Macody Lund) and living lavishly. However, his penchant for art theft leaves him in a dangerous position. At a gallery opening Roger is introduced to Dutchman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a former mercenary who is in possession of one of the most sought-after paintings in modern art history. As Roger starts planning his biggest hit ever in order to become financially independent, he uncovers a secret which which takes him on a whirlwind series of events from society's financial and industrial elite to an underworld of contract killers and swindlers. Summit recently obtained the rights to make a US version of Headhunters, and Mark Wahlberg recently gave the film a huge tick of approval on internet site ShortList. We recommend you watch this Norwegian original before it falls in the hands of Hollywood. To win one of ten double passes to see Headhunters, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
While the haters may declare it a corporate conspiracy and serial bachelor/ettes may describe it as an excuse for gross displays of schmaltz, if you flee from the typical pratfalls of heart-shaped chocolates and plush animals, Sydney actually has a lot of awesome date opportunities on offer this Valentine's Day. From moonlight cinemas to swanky art exhibitions to kick-ass concerts, our top five ways to spend Valentine's Day will not only help you avoid all manner of cliches and teenage insipidity but actually provide you with the recipe for a genuinely romantic night out this February 14. 1. Late Night at the MCA From its breathtaking panoramic views of Sydney Harbour to its eclectic and endlessly fascinating international collection, headlined by Anish Kapoor's awe-inspiring body of work, we at Concrete Playground are total suckers for the revamped and revitalised Museum of Contemporary Art. Most importantly for those hoping to get the chemistry a-bubbling and the sparks a-flying, Thursday means late-night entry at the MCA, so this Valentine's Day you and your significant other can gesticulate about modern art even as the stars are shining through the gallery's gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows. To complete the romantic package head to Ananas for super-jazzy vibes and unreal French cuisine and Palmer & Co. for a couple of classy, clandestine after-dinner cocktails. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 140 George St, The Rocks. Open till 9pm. 2. Breakfast at Tiffany's at Moonlight Cinema While perhaps not as high brow as its Macquarie Chair cousin, the Opel Moonlight Cinema has become a cultural mainstay of the Sydney summer, offering a range of contemporary, cult, and classic flicks in the beautiful garden ambience of Centennial Park. For Valentine's Day, the Moonlight Cinema is cranking up the romance and old-school charm with a screening of the Audrey Hepburn-led classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. If you wish to make this February 14 a particularly memorable affair, we suggest forking out a few extra dollars for a Gold Grass ticket, which will not only reserve you a spot in prime viewing position but a big ol' beanbag, perfect for some Valentine's Day canoodling. Couples looking for kick-ons in a luxurious champagne bar should head to One Moncur for an elegant yet affordable after-movie venue. Belvedere Amphitheatre, Centennial Park (on the corner of Loch Avenue and Broome Avenue) Paddington. Cinema gates and box office open at 7pm and screenings start at sundown. 3. Jens Lekman at the Oxford Art Factory With song titles like 'The End of the World is Bigger than Love' and 'I Know What Love Isn't', it's fair to say Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman ain't likely to make it onto a Richard Mercer playlist anytime soon. Instead, Lekman offers a refreshingly unique brand of baroque-pop that combines his trademark wit and lyrical virtuosity with a sweeping sonic pallet that touches on everything from Morrisey-esque crooning to jazz-lite grooving to stomping indie pop. Oh, and then when you least expect it, the songs turn into the most beautiful, melt-your-heart romanticism. Oxford Art Factory, Basement, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 4. Spiegelworld Presents Empire Described by the New York Times as "Cirque du Soleil channelled through Rocky Horror Picture Show", Empire is a bewildering and bizarre world of flying bodies, titilating costumes, and jaw-dropping stunts. Part travelling circus part variety show and part cabaret act, the thrill of Empire lies in its ability to regularly shock, occasionally appall and consistently enthral, as it did to rave reviews in its recent New York run. Set in an intimate 700-person travelling tent and adorned with plush velvet booths, Empire is sure to be an offbeat and unforgettable Valentine's Day experience. Once you've had your fill of acrobats, contortionists, clowns that are actually funny (seriously), assorted daredevils and the 'Hot Russian Girl in a Bubble', head to The Apartment in nearby Surry Hills to try one of their famous Spanish cocktails, such as the delightfully named Aperolling with the Bulls. Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, 2021 5. Jurassic Lounge: Anti Valentine's Day As the name suggests, this isn't exactly your regular sugar-coated Valentine's Day schtick. In fact, Jurassic Lounge is so opposed to St Valentine's blessed day that it actually falls on February 12 (in their regular Tuesday slot). In a one-finger salute to couples across Sydney, Jurassic Lounge is putting on a collection of risque and raunchy events that celebrate all the perks and powers afforded to singletons. These include burlesque dancers, a tribe of love-hating comedians, sexy trivia, a silent disco, dating roulette, and a screening of Isabella Rossellini's Sundance series Green Porno, in which she re-enacts the mating rituals of various insects. It's another feather in the hat for Jurassic Lounge, who have transformed the traditionally drab and dreary Australian Museum into a fascinating and fabulous after-hours hangout, reminding us all just how cool dinosaurs and megafauna are. The Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, 2000 Image from Green Porno, screening at Jurassic Lounge.
With a weekly listenership of 1.7 million and a strong following since 1995, the popular weekly hour-long radio program This American Life is due to make its debut in Australian cinemas. Filmed on a stage in New York City, This American Life — Live! is a packed show featuring stories by host Ira Glass, writers David Sedaris and David Rakoff, comic Tig Notaro and Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington, plus live music by OK Go. This live experience will encompass things you could never do on the radio, such as a new short film by Mike Birbiglia, dance by Monica Bill Barnes & Company, original animation, projected illustration and more. Glass is excited to see how it turns out: “We've built this line-up of stories mixed with super visual things," he says. "It's going to feel like the radio show but also totally unlike anything we've done before." A must-see event to be permanent-markered in, This American Life — Live! will screen in select cinemas around Australia.
Mark your calendars: if you've been hanging out for Triple J's One Night Stand to make its long-awaited comeback, the event has now locked in its 2024 date. While where the radio station's regional music festival will take place and who'll be hitting the stage hasn't been revealed as yet, everyone will be getting dancing on Saturday, September 14. Twenty years ago, the ABC station gave the Victorian town of Natimuk a day to remember when the spot 300 kilometres out of Melbourne hosted its very own major music fest, with Grinspoon, Eskimo Joe and The Dissociatives (aka Daniel Johns and Paul Mac) all getting behind the microphone. So began One Night Stand, which became a yearly tradition, with Triple J putting on a fest in different regional locations every year between 2004–2014, then again from 2016–2019. There's no prizes for guessing why One Night Stand hasn't taken place since 2020, but that gap in the event's history is finally coming to an end this year. Triple J announced the return of the festival back in April, then opened the call for folks to submit their towns to play host — and make a convincing case about their area — before one lucky place is chosen. Plenty of locations were put forward — a huge 2087, in fact. The winning spot and the lineup will be unveiled before July is out. The all-ages event is returning at time when the Australian live music scene has been suffering, and after a spate of festivals have been cancelling or saying farewell forever. In 2024 alone, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass announced lineups, then scrapped this year's fests mere weeks later. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also didn't go ahead. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather this year — and Mona Foma, the summer fest also held by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, has advised that its 2024 event was its last ever. With the state of the industry in mind, bringing back One Night Stand is not only much-needed and well-timed, but will also raise funds Support Act, the charity for the Australian music industry. In the past, the event has also been to Ayr, Dalby and Mt Isa in Queensland; Port Pirie, Tumby Bay and Lucindale in South Australia; Cowra and Dubbo in New South Wales; Collie and Geraldton in Western Australia; Sale and Mildura in Victoria; Alice Springs in the Northern Territory; and St Helens in Tasmania. And on the One Night Stand bill over the years? Flume, The Jungle Giants, G Flip, Hilltop Hoods, Silverchair, Pnau, Art vs Science, The Temper Trap, The Rubens, Rufus, Alison Wonderland, Peking Duk, Tash Sultana, Violent Soho, Tkay Maidza, Ocean Alley, Meg Mac, AB Original and more. 2024's triple j One Night Stand will take place on Saturday, September 14, with location and lineup details set to be revealed before the end of July. For more information in the interim, head to the radio station's website for more details.
Constructed in the 1880s and renamed after local Olympian Dawn Fraser in the 60s, Balmain's Dawn Fraser Baths is the oldest pool in Australia. And, at the moment, it certainly looks like it. Thankfully, after much campaigning and rallying, the outdoor pool is getting the upgrades it urgently needs — and they'll be completed by the time summer rolls round. Late last year, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne revealed that the Council needed an extra $2.2 million for the pool's upgrades and without it the renovations could not go ahead and the pool could close in the "immediate future". But, last night, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne announced that the Council had received a $2.2 million grant from the NSW Government which, together with $4.5 million funding from Council, was enough to proceed with the urgent upgrades. "DAWNY IS SAVED," Mr Byrne said in a Facebook post. https://www.facebook.com/559272954148605/posts/2530006400408574?s=615055021&sfns=mo The restoration works, set to be completed in time for summer, will include replacing the pavilion and its decking; upgrading the lighting (to allow for more nighttime training and competitions); raising the baths' boardwalks and floor level to mitigate the effect of rising sea levels; improvements to the entry; renovating the showers, toilets and change rooms; and the construction of four unisex change rooms and new equal-access facilities. While the pools usually open for the season in September (and close in April), construction work is instead slated to commence that month. Mr Byrne has promised, however, that the newly upgraded pool will be open by summer 2020. The Dawn Fraser Baths is located at Elkington Park, Balmain and is slated to open by summer 2020. To read more about the upgrades, head to the Inner West Council website. Image: Destination NSW
Not long ago, a friend of mine described a serious medical treatment they were taking. They'd had to pick out the best drug for this, out of a bewildering range of medicines and wide ranges of side effects. To work out which would be most effective, they'd had their DNA sequenced. The normality of that seemingly sci-fi procedure briefly blew my mind. In fact, this is not only a relatively normal thing, but it won't be too long before it'll be routine for you to, say, grow thousands of tiny batches of your own body tissue in a lab and actually test those specific drugs on your specific biology. For now, the hard bit is convincing those tissue batches to grow. Enter the tissue engineer, who can corral cells in tissue into some kind of order. Someone like Nina Tandon. In her book Super Cells: Building with Biology, written with Mitchell Joachim, Tandon surveys what we can already build in the lab with cells: bricks, clothes, computer games, biodegradable coffins and Western Australian bioart. For her PhD, she grew heart cells. Then she took an electric current and ran it through them to make them beat. This is what we can do now, but Tandon sees growing your own tissue as something that will touch pretty much every part of ours lives before too long. And not just in medicine. Talking to her, it's hard to disagree. Growing Which Where With What Now? Despite the fact that this is stuff that's happening now, it seems like future tech. But it's really just building on some old ideas. Half her work is to "build the housing" that allows the cells to do their job. That "housing" for the cell that persuades it to do what you want is called a 'bioreactor'. Tandon works with cutting edge tech in her work, sure. But a bioreactor is actually old school. It can be as simple as an oven. "Baking is a bioreactor. You’ve got yeast. There are so many bioreactors. I mean, people eat yoghurt. That’s bioreactors too." Tandon, founder of startup Epibone, was in Sydney this week as a keynote speaker at Sydney's Vivid Ideas. And, as she put it in her keynote "there’s an element of market research in this: if I was a heart cell, what would I want out of life?" Much of the work in one of these bio reactors is in getting cells comfortable. She described it all as a bit like managing a fish tank, where, instead of worrying about fresh water for freshwater fish, you're wondering what sort of hospitality you’ll have to roll out to keep heart tissue happy or liver cells growing the way you want. This bioreactor hospitality already let us do all sorts of interesting things in the lab. Like cloning batches and batches of your breast cancer tumour to see what drugs kill your tumour best. Or growing relatively simple replacement tissues, like bone. We're getting there with bone. We're up to animal bones, like horses or pigs. What Can't We Make? It's hard to imagine what we'll soon be able to build this way. But not for Tandon. "I think it’s almost a better question to say what can’t we build?" What might seem normal in 15 or 20 years could be something like vegetarian* ham. "I bet we are going to see people’s croissants with ham and cheese where the ham is engineered. They’re going to be munching on ham that was never in a pig." Or more advanced organic lighting: "I can see a day where we have electric eels that are making light. Not as electric eels, but if we take the cells that make electricity from those eels and grow them in bioreactors…" While writing Super Cells, Tandon tried to imagine fields that aren't likely to be radically changed by biotech advances. She counted four: "aerospace and railway transportation and banking and accounting." And even those, on deeper thought, seemed to her to have tech or fuel backbones "very likely to be disrupted by biology". * Maybe. Closer to the Worm So, what do you become when you start being able to grow and implant your own spare parts? "If I can grow my own cells outside the body, and if there are more non-human cells than human cells in my body, what does it even mean to say the human body?" Tandon adds, though, that this is actually a quandary we've lived with all our lives. It's a bit like that question about some worms: "You can cut it in half and it’ll grow two new worms. But are those two different worms?" As human beings, she points out, we've already grown out of what were originally our parents' cells. "We were all one cell big at one point. We don’t know when we began to be an individual. And individuals are birthed from other individuals. In a way it’s a lot closer to that worm than not." This is a challenge though, not an enigma. After all, "we got through this with blood transfusions." Rather, in the absence of more scientifically informed politicians, the community at large just needs a little education in order to start puzzling out the ethics. "Everyone should be in that debate. And the only way that everyone can be in that debate is if everyone is familiar with the processes." You Can Start Young Early, hands-on education is what worked for Tandon. As a child she had a chemistry set and disassembled her vacuum tube TV ("those were the days"), though it also didn't hurt that she came from a science-friendly family. Her father was an engineer, while her mother, Judith, having had some time on Wall Street and with a masters in education, would teach both her siblings ("my first scientific collaborators") and Tandon "all this kind of fancy math and stuff". Judith would reward the question 'How tall is that building?' by making her kids calculate the answer themselves, using triangles and sight lines. Years later, educating the wider public and at university and a community biolab, is this the sort of experience Nina is trying to create for her own students? "Yeah, you know. I think I want to pass that on." Your Local Biology Gym A 'community biolab' is where a place like biolab Genspace comes in. Genspace is a biohacking space in Brooklyn, New York that Tandon helps out at. "Basically, like a gym membership applied to biology. So it’s like a hackerspace, but where people can use biological techniques without being bound by the scientific method." A board monitors ethics and safety, "but, really, there’s quite a lot of freedom". You don't have to be following a particular grant priority, you don't have to be a scientist. You don't even need to be a particular age. In fact, that's the point. "People can learn how to decode DNA if they’re 12 or if they’re 85." One of their go-to activities for newbies is extracting the DNA from strawberries. Once, a school student extracting DNA for the first time piped up, "Oh my gosh! DNA, it looks like boogers!". Says Tandon, "He was so happy. And I never forgot that he said that. And, you know what? It really did." For so much of this you don't even need a biolab. Tandon was first taught the procedure at a friend's place. By her toddler. You can follow the space's instructions if you want to extract your own strawberry DNA at home. Tandon would love it if an Australian wants to set up a local biolab. Prospective local biohackers are welcome to contact her for inspiration. She'll put you in touch with the right people at Genspace to get you started. In her keynote, Nina saw the need for similar spaces in biotech to the sort of spaces to where Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos started their companies. And that's what a Genspace is for, too. "It’s basically like the garage where information technology began, but for biology." Image of a moss photobioreactor by Eva Decker. Image of Earthworms (not actually the kind of worms that can grow back both halves) by Jack Hynes. Image of Genspace by .dh. Croissant by Stu Spivack. Pointing child at Sears Tower by Vincent Desjardins.
No one can ever accuse Adam Driver of not living up to his name. He's played a bus driver in Paterson, piloted a spaceship in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as well as 65, and will next zip through the Italian streets in his latest film Ferrari. For none other than Heat and Collateral director Michael Mann, Driver slips into the eponymous racing driver and sports car entrepreneur's shoes, in one of the most-anticipated new movies of the next few months. As the just-dropped first teaser trailer for Ferrari shows, Driver is indeed seen behind the wheel, although the film focuses on its namesake when he's an ex-racer. As adapted from Brock Yates' book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine, Mann's movie hones in on specific chapter of Enzo Ferrari's life: 1957, as potential bankruptcy looms over his factory, his marriage is struggling after a heartbreaking loss and his drivers approach the Mille Miglia race. Accordingly, Ferrari promises to peer behind the Formula 1 facade, into Enzo's relationship with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz, Official Competition), the death of their boy Dino, and the son Piero with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley, Robots) that he doesn't want to acknowledge. If you know your racing history, you'll also know that 1957's Mille Miglia — which spanned 1000 miles across Italy — was its last due to multiple deaths during the event. So, that race won't be an insignificant part of the film. As well as Driver, Cruz and Woodley, Ferrari stars Patrick Dempsey (Disenchanted), Jack O'Connell (Lady Chatterley's Lover), Sarah Gadon (Black Bear) and Gabriel Leone (Dom). Set to release at Christmas in the US and on January 4, 2024 Down Under, Ferrari marks the first (and long-awaited next) film for Mann since 2015's Blackhat — although he did direct an episode of Tokyo Vice's first season in 2022, as well as executive producing the series. Check out the trailer for Ferrari below: Ferrari releases in cinemas Down Under on January 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Eros Hoagland.
Tuesday nights are Luk nights for the next ten weeks, as celebrated chef Chui Lee Luk undertakes a guest chef spot at Surry Hills' Italian eatery Berta. For the next couple of months, Luk will host a series of unique 'sagra' nights at Andrew Cibej's laneway establishment, a Berta tradition of delving into the Italian way of celebrating a single ingredient or method of cooking. Former owner and chef of Woollhara's long-loved Claude's and now-closed Surry Hills joint Chow Bar & Eating House, Luk is a big pull for Berta — the sister of fellow Italian-focused Sydney joints 121BC and Vini. Luk's newly-devised menu will see four courses not usually seen on the Berta menu, dishes that explore individual ingredients and preparation methods — from baccala (dried and salted cod) to goat, edible weeds to rabbit — in her signature Luk way. So what can you expect from Luk? The beloved Sydney-based chef is known for fusing different cultural cuisines and playing with age-old techniques, so don't expect straight-up Italian cooking. New menu adventures include beef short rib agrodolce (spices, honey and molasses), and raw kingfish, chillies, bottarga, colotura, and desserts including mariposa plum rice pudding, and sweet potato chocolate flan. Luk's 'sagra' nights are every Tuesday at Berta from February 10 through March 31. It's $55 per person for four courses. Pick your week from these delicious focus points: 10 February Baccala 17 February Goat 24 February Beans and other legumes 3 March Rice 10 March Potatoes 17 March Edible weeds 24 March Rabbit 31 March Lamb For more information and bookings head to www.berta.com.au or call (02) 9264 6133
Summer is officially over. We know that not just because it's March, but because, as has become custom at this time of year, Vivid Sydney has this morning announced its program for 2019. Get ready to be ensconced in projections once again — the festival of light, music and ideas is returning for 23 days and nights from May 24 to June 15. The first couple of tidbits from this year's program were handed to us a few weeks ago, with the announcement that The Cure will do four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 24–28 — their only Australian shows this time round. Tickets have already been allocated via ballot, so we hope you jumped on that already. Carriageworks announced its first headline music act, too, with Rüfüs Du Soul taking over the arts precinct for three nights of electro bangers on June 13, 14 and 15. The most overt (and unavoidable) aspect of the program is the lights, and for the second year running their glow will head across the bridge to light up Luna Park. It will extend the reach of the CBD's Light Walk from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo with a collection of 50 large-scale projections stretching along the walk's three kilometres. Should make good viewing from the ferry. Some of the immersive light installations you'll encounter throughout the precincts include a pop-up 'winter camp' in Barangaroo, a 'robot spaceland' in Darling Harbour, 300 large-scale animal sculptures in Taronga Zoo, a playable cascading harp in Chatswood and an immersive field of 500 fireflies in the Royal Botanic Garden. Pixar is also jumping on board this year, and will be projecting characters from its classic animated flicks onto the façade of the Argyle Cut in the Rocks. The Sydney Opera House's sails will this year be lit up with hypnotic images of Australian flora from LA artist and video maker Andrew Thomas Huang (who has previously created music videos for Björk), and Customs House will be transformed into an underwater wonderland — covered in neon projections of creatures found under the Harbour it overlooks. Vivid Music is once again in fine form. Joining The Cure for the Vivid Live component of the program at the Opera House will be folk rock singer Sharon Van Etten, performing hits of her poignant new album Remind Me Tomorrow, American singer Maggie Rogers and Perth up-and-comer Stella Donnelly, who's heading to the harbour city fresh off the back of the release of her new album Beware of the Dogs. Jónsi, from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, and Alex Summers (known as Jónsi & Alex) will be performing an ethereal show complete with a 21-piece orchestra and 12-member choir in the Concert Hall. The Opera House's super popular Studio Parties will also make their return. Last year's music lineup throwback came in the form of 90s hits Ice Cube and Cat Power. This year, British electronic group Underworld, best known for the house and techno hits they released in the 90s, will be flying the nostalgia flag. If the name is a little unfamiliar to you, you'll definitely recognise their single 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'. Famed jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who started his career in the Miles Davis Quintet back in the 60s, will also be taking to the stage, performing hits from across his five-decade career. Another big one is a performance from FKA Twigs who's bringing her experimental dream pop to Carriageworks, and the City Recital Hall has a solid program this year, including a performance by Paul Kelly and James Ledger. Live music gigs will also be held across the city as part of the program, including at the Lansdowne, Ziggy's hairdresser and 107 Redfern. Vivid Ideas is, of course, back for those keen to delve into creativity, science and technology — and this year it's scored Spike Lee as its big-ticket speaker. Lee will be in town to chat about his personal political views as well as his award-winning 2018 flick BlackKklansman. There's plenty more where that came from, check the Vivid Sydney website for more details. Vivid Sydney returns from May 24–June 15, 2019. Images: DNSW and Hamilton Lund.
If you haven't dreamt of quitting your job, turning off your phone, packing your bag with nothing more than a pair of thongs and some swimmers and jetting off to make a life on a tropical island, you are truly living a blessed life. But for everyone else who holds on to a skerrick of the island life dream, this next bit of news is either going to make you smile or turn you insanely jealous. A guy from NSW has just scored his own entire resort on a private island in the Pacific for the grand sum of 65 bucks. The man, identified just as Joshua, was one of the tens of thousands of people who decided to put a few dollars down to go into the draw to win the 16-room luxury Kosrae Nautilus Resort that sits on the Micronesian island of Kosrae. It was put up for grabs by Australian couple Doug and Sally Beitz, who built the resort back in 1994. After 20 years on the island, they've decided to come back home — but instead of selling the island to an investor, they wanted it to go to someone who maybe couldn't afford to buy it outright, but would give it as much love as they have. Joshua was announced as the winner last night via a post on the resort's Facebook page. So, yeah, now he owns a resort. Not bad for the cost of approx. three espresso martinis. Via ABC News. Image: Kosrae Nautilus Resort.
War on Waste, you've done it again. Inspired by your piles of never-tasted bananas, mountains of seldom-worn clothing and tonnes of discarded plastic, Tonic Lane, a cafe in Neutral Bay, has brought in a ban on free disposable coffee cups. For owner Lain Tapsall, the decision isn't just a simple change, it's an entire revolution, which she's dubbed the Mug Movement. Her hope is to get customers thinking about our waste problem, not only at her cafe, but globally too. The ban kicks off on Tuesday, August 1, after a month-long run-up. "It's been a strong prelaunch in the 'hood to educate the regulars about our simple project to 'say no to paper cups'," says Tapsall. "We have felt the love." Customers have a few options, when it comes to getting their beverage. They can bring their own cup, for which they'll receive a reward of two stamps on their loyalty card. They can grab a free mug from the cafe's mug shelf, with no obligation to return it, or they can buy a reusable cup for $5. Last and definitely least, it's possible to buy a disposable Biocup for 50 cents (that's a pretty serious coffee tax), of which 25 cents will be donated to Clean Up Australia. "Thus far, we have sold over 150 reusable cups in our four-week lead-up to the launch, and we have a solid supply of donated mugs for our 'No Return Required Mug Shelf'," says Tapsall. Pop along to Tonic Lane for the official launch of Mug Movement. Take your own cup to score a $1 coffee and hang out with ambassadors from Clean Up Australia and Responsible Cafes, who'll be chatting about waste and reuse. Find Tonic Lane Café and Ginoteria at Shop 6, 8 Young Lane, Neutral Bay.
Vegans, here's a question for you. Obviously, wearing animals is out of the question. But what's your take on a 100% plant-based material that mimics leather? As in, it looks and feels so much like leather that, were you not to know it's an imitation, you'd be organising a rally against it. One school of thought says Yes! That's exactly what we're after. We don't have a problem with the qualities of leather - appearance, durability, flexibility and so forth - so long as their acquisition doesn't involve the slaughter of any living creatures. The other school of thought says, No. That would be sending the wrong message. Carrying a 'pretend leather' bag around is a bit like wearing faux fur. It might not cause harm directly, but the implication is that animal hide is useful. A truly ethical product should appear as though it came from a plant. The Netherlands-based Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has recently developed a new vegan textile from the Areca palm. The plant's leaves are soaked in a specially concocted biological solution, increasing their flexibility, and enabling the creation of a biodegradable material that is striking similar to leather. Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has used it to manufacture a range of stylish products, including journal covers, sandals, and tote bags. The innovation comes with the potential for social benefit. The Areca palm is native to South India, where local artisans possess sophisticated knowledge and understanding of manipulating the leaves. Interest in palm leather products may well translate to increased employment opportunities. Images: Tjeerd Veenhoven [Via Ecouterre]
Sometimes it's the costumes as much as the dancers and choreography that linger on in memory long after the red curtain drops. Those night sky print dresses in Coppélia! That magical black sequined cape from The Sleeping Beauty that swept the entire stage! Both of those pieces have effectively rendered my own wardrobe dull for ever more. Not surprising, then, that there is a long and rich history of fashion designers collaborating with the ballet to put their own twist on the not-so-humble tutu. During the course of their tumultuous affair, Coco Chanel created costumes for the ballet featuring Igor Stravinsky's latest score in Balanchine's 1929 Apollo, and recently Karl Lagerfeld has kept up her legacy with a highly criticised outfit for the British National Ballet (too many frumpy feathers, apparently). So, too, Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Jacobs, Christian Lacroix and Akira Isogawa have all loaned their talents to dance. It's high time that some smaller names were added to that lofty list — which is precisely what the Australian Ballet has been working on since 2003 with the Bodytorque series, combining emerging designers and choreographers. In Bodytorque.á la mode, audiences will see five entirely new works with intriguing titles and collaborations. From the life of Marchesa Casati to escorts in a hotel, the inspiration points of each piece are vast, as are the backgrounds of each designer. Super-chic Sydneysiders take note: there are only five performances, and everyone loves the thrill of the new.
Buying and supporting local projects is a proud badge worn by many a Sydneysider. You like buying Marrickville-made jam from Eveleigh markets, you support emerging Sydney psych bands at FBi Social every other week, so why wouldn't you also support Sydney's best local innovators online? Pozible have launched a Sydney-specific page, dubbed The Sydney Edit. Previewed at Vivid Ideas' hugely popular Stand Up, Stand Out event, The Sydney Edit puts local innovations under their own spotlight — making it easier for community-loving backers to find the crowdfunding projects in their own backyards. During Pozible's event at Vivid Ideas last week, the crowdfunding heavyweights asked current project instigators to live pitch to a physical audience. Sydney creators behind AKIO, The Right Foot, The Human Sound Project and the Flute Handbag Collection had five minutes to pitch their crowdfunding ideas, then a further ten to present their work. The audience then pledged $30 of their ticket price to their favourite project in a kind of real life Pozible backing. Sydney's DirtyFeet and their project The Right Foot took out the top spot and will soon see $4050 put into their Pozible campaign (just over a grand more than their own $3000 target). The Right Foot offers creative contemporary dance workshops for young people aged 14-26 with and without disability. Nice one guys. Sydney has already proved supportive of local Pozible ventures in the past, with the successful funding of Newtown motorbike workshop-meets-ramen cafe Rising Sun Workshop. The rev-enthusiasts raised $38,500 on the site and opened in April 2014 to much backer applause. In Pozible's Sydney Edit Collections section, Pozible works with a number of local organisations across the arts sector and creative industries, as well as government, community and non-profits. This is where you'll find 'collections' of Pozible campaigns under the likes of Vivid Sydney, Sydney Fringe Festival, Underbelly Arts, Alaska Projects and many more locally-based legends you can get behind. So throw in some spare cashola and crowdfund your own city's Pozible projects at The Sydney Edit. Top image credit: Rising Sun Workshop.
Soon your canine companion could be the envy of his naked four legged friends, thanks to an unusual and highly adorable collaboration between a pair of local fashion labels and Guide Dogs Australia. On sale from today, Elk and Gorman have created an exclusive dog range of coats and accessories, to help keep your pooch looking on point. For their part, Elk have designed a range of durable high end leather collars and leads. Gorman's contribution, meanwhile, comes in the form of four distinct winter coats in four different sizes and print styles. And yes, before you ask, they've also designed matching coats for dog owners. 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of these new items will go directly to Guide Dogs Australia. "We're proud to be working with such progressive and innovative designers whose great sense of social responsibility will enable us to raise funds for breeding, raising and training more Guide Dogs," said Guide Dogs Victoria CEO Karen Hayes in a statement. "There have been many requests over the years for Gorman to do dog coats in our prints," said Gorman founder and creative director Lisa Gorman. "But this cause gave us very good reason to put it into action." You can pick up some new threads for your pupper at Elk and Gorman shopfronts, or from their respective online stores. Find their websites here and here.
