To celebrate International Margarita Day (yes, apparently that's a thing), the Norfolk is bringing back the World's Hottest Nacho Challenge. From 7pm on Sunday, contestants will gather in the beer garden to test their tastebuds by downing nachos made from a chilli known in chilli circles simply as 'Scorpion'. This is the stuff used to make crowd-controlling grenades, so we're pretty sure those nachos are going to be pretty spicy. The rules are simple, first person to eat the nachos wins. Contestants will munch to the soundtrack of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire while everyone else will no doubt be taking advantage of the $10 margaritas (all ten flavours!) and the $20 jugs of Rio Bravo margaritas. For those crazy enough to give it a go, there's no (monetary) cost to enter and the winner takes home a trophy, bottle of tequila, pub voucher and presumably a scorched oesophagus. For everyone else, pull up a stool, grab some margarita popcorn and watch the crazies do their thing because this is going to be one hilarious (and hot) night out.
You've binge-watched everything in your streaming queue, made your fair share of jigsaw puzzles, played plenty of board games and worked out a regular exercise regime. Now, as part of your new stay-at-home routine, you've decided to learn a new skill. That's understandable — who doesn't want to emerge from this current drastic change to our lives with not only their health, but a few nifty new tricks up their sleeves? If getting arty has always been on your to-do list, the National Gallery of Victoria's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are here to help. They usually take place in person; however, in the current circumstances, the NGV is moving them online. Budding creatives just need to tune into the NGV Channel, watch video tutorials hosted by Victorian artists and take inspiration from the gallery's collection in the process — with a pencil and piece of paper in your hands, of course. Lily Mae Martin takes viewers into the NGV's 19th-century European paintings gallery — and spends plenty of time marvelling at the life-size marble sculpture Musidora, 1878 by Marshall Wood, while Minna Gilligan focuses on two standouts in the NGV's 20th-century galleries, with Andy Warhol's Self-portrait no. 9 (c.1986) and David Hockney's The second marriage in the spotlight. And Kenny Pittock will take you through sketching fruit and vegetables in your kitchen, using Édouard Manet's The melon. The NGV's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are all available on the NGV Channel to watch. Images: Virtual Drop-by Drawing class with Kenny Pittock, Lily Mae Martin and Minna Gilligan at NGV, 2020.Image courtesy of NGV. Updated April 29, 2020.
You may be part of the regular after-work crowd that frequents the dapper Mode Kitchen & Bar, but on Tuesday, November 6, you'll want to sneak out of work a little earlier. The glam CBD space — designed by Luchetti Krelle (ACME, Banksii) — will take things up a notch and host a sumptuous three-course feast featuring oysters, angus beef, Champagne and Pimms cocktails. You can enjoy a day away from the desk (thanks, Melbourne Cup), settle into plush velvet banquettes and tuck into some tiptop local produce. The best part? We've got two tickets to the event (valued at $95 per person) to give away. With luxe marble and brass accents, Mode Kitchen & Bar boasts a decadent atmosphere, which is reflected on the menu — think baked zucchini flowers and beef tartare to start, your choice of woodfire-roasted toothfish, mushroom risotto or Coorong Angus medallions for a main and mango meringue with coconut sorbet to finish. And make sure you dress for the occasion — there will be prizes for the best dressed. To enter, see below. [competition]695740[/competition]
Throttle Roll is an annual celebration of all things custom motorbike culture. And apparently when you're rocking around the clock, time speeds by pretty fast, because it's that time again. In the best rockabilly getup they can muster, bike enthusiasts will head to The Vic in Enmore on Saturday, May 10, for Throttle Roll. And with a family- and pet-friendly vibe, this event is firmly on the cuddlier side of motorbike culture. It'll be kicking off first thing on Saturday for the riders, who can meet at 8.30am along Princess Highway, Tempe for a ride south to Stanwell Tops and back in time for The Vic's festivities at noon. With roots and rockabilly music provided by Pat Capocci, The Drey Rollan Band, Papa Pilko & The Bin Rats, The Tequila Twins, Big Blind Ray Trio and a handful more — and with more than 70 bikes on display — Throttle Roll is the largest festival of its kind in the country. Sunday will see the Australian film premiere of Why We Ride and the latest from Stories of Bike from 7pm, while the bikes stay on display all weekend. A spit roast will keep everyone's engines running high over the two days.
This November, the unique Sydney harbourside is set to welcome a new addition: a little bit of Ibiza in the form of a new arm of the Café del Mar franchise. Famous for its stunning beach setting and chill-out compilations, Café del Mar is one of Ibiza's most sought-after destinations — and now aims to be one of Sydney's. Rather than simply transplant one beach to another, the brand spanking Café del Mar will add a touch of Sydney flavour, with more of a focus on food than its European brethren. Chef Ben Fitton (Macleay St Bistro, Coast) has designed the menu to emphasise a distinctly Australian inflection, while Spanish-Australian celebrity chef Miguel Maestre (Network Ten's The Living Room) will blend the two cultures together. Set in an as yet undisclosed location on the CBD waterfront, the new digs are designed by Sibella Court — fitting, considering her new book, Nomad, is all about bringing travel experience into design. Plus, there's the fact that her experience extends to design work for hotel group Merivale. The most renowned aspect of the Spanish stalwart — the bangin' tunes — will be maintained, with the Ibiza location's resident DJ Shane SoS regularly spinning the vinyl at the new Sydney joint. Considering Sydney's gradual shift towards the stripped-bare approach to dining and the artisanal attitude to bars, the new Café del Mar will ask a lot of questions of Sydneysiders. Still, we're always up for something new, and soon we'll be able to soak up the Ibiza sunset, all from the comfort of our hometown. Photo credit: daveyll via photopin cc.
UPDATE, March 8, 2021: Hidden Figures is available to stream via Disney+, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Every parent tells their child to dream big. Unfortunately, for many people, a world of factors conspires to stop their hopes and aspirations from coming true. For the three women at the centre of Hidden Figures, the forces blocking them from fulfilling their potential aren't just obvious — they're quantifiable. Faced with both institutionalised sexism and institutionalised racism, friends Katherine (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy (Octavia Spencer) and Mary (Janelle Monáe) know exactly what's holding them back. But, as smart, savvy human computers at NASA's Virginia headquarters in the segregated 1960s, they're also driven to find a solution. Based on a real-life tale that most won't have heard before, and sending its spirited leading ladies on a fight for equality, Hidden Figures is exactly the kind of movie that you think it is. It's warm, broad and certain to please. It's designed to rouse and entertain as it sheds light on an overlooked part of history, with soft colours and an upbeat soundtrack. It brings together an engaging cast who prove endearing individually and even more so when their affectionate rapport is in the spotlight. Most of all, though, it combines all of the expected elements together just as anyone could easily predict, and still manages to be a thoroughly good watch. Katherine, Dorothy and Mary crunch numbers in the same department, share rides to work and spend time together with their families after hours, but it's ambition in the face of oppression that truly unites them. On any given day, they're expected to be grateful for their jobs, while constantly being underestimated, undermined, ignored, overlooked, and made to use separate bathrooms and even coffee pots. That's a struggle, especially in a place that wants to defy the accepted order by putting a man on the moon. Each of the three have their own goals: Katherine wants credit for her crucial efforts when she's moved into the team trying to send an American beyond the earth; Dorothy seeks the supervisor title and pay raise that goes with the tasks she's already doing; and Mary is trying to take the classes she needs — at a white's-only school — to become an engineer. There's not much surprising about the way that writer-director Theodore Melfi (St. Vincent) brings Margot Lee Shetterly's non-fiction book to the screen, but honestly that's fine. In fact, it's rather apt. It's the sparkling individual components that comprise the ideal equation here, rather than any attempt to craft a new formula. Besides, just the fact that this story is being told at all is kind of revolutionary. Space movies and films about maths geniuses are a dime a dozen, but they're usually about one type of person: white men. Not here. A few pop up — Kevin Costner is memorable as Katherine's boss, while Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons plays the colleague constantly putting her in her place — but, refreshingly, this isn't their movie. Instead, it belongs to the women of colour at its centre. Played with vibrancy that matches the feature's own mood, there's nothing hidden about the core trio of black female mathematicians. Their real-world determination, infectious spirit, and the fine performances behind them, ensures that Hidden Figures adds up to something really special.
Tim Burton is back — and, regardless of how you feel about the filmmaker's output of late, that's a good thing. While indulging his love of all things weird and wonderful has seen the likes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows annoy rather than endear, the director is still capable of crafting enchanting efforts when he finds just the right level of quirkiness. Sure, they were made decades ago, but Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and his two Batman movies all remain classics for a reason. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children mightn't quite take Burton back to his strange, spirited heights, however it shares much more in common with his earlier work than his more recent fare. Of course it helps that the source material couldn't be a better fit. Boasting a title that champions its oddness, a story filled with outsider characters embracing their individual traits, and an unusual journey through both dark and delightful territory, the first book in the three-strong young adult series by author Ransom Riggs feels like it was destined to end up in Burton's hands. 16-year-old Jake (Asa Butterfield) has heard about Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) and her unusual abode from his doting grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp) ever since he can remember — although as he grew up, he stopped believing that the fantastical tales were true. Then tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with many questions — which a trip to Wales to seek out the house from his childhood stories just might be able to answer. There, with the help of the lighter-than-air Emma (Ella Purnell), the fire-starting Olive (Lauren McCrostie), the necromantic Enoch (Finlay MacMillan) and many more, Jake discovers the other side of his reality. What would happen if Burton made a mashup of X-Men, Harry Potter and The Matrix? Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, that's what. In fact, screenwriter Jane Goldman worked on X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, as well as Kingsman: The Secret Service. Once the 127-minute-long movie moves past its dragging, world-building first half, the director and scribe prove a well-matched pair, blending both eccentricity and adventure to mostly charming effect. And while the film follows a very familiar path and ponders recognisable themes, it does so with an ideal dose of Burton's distinctive sensibilities. Think visions of reanimated critters, gas mask-wearing kids, sunken ships and stalking monsters – to name but a few of the movie's more memorable sights. Crucially, however, the striking imagery doesn't overpower the narrative. Instead, it helps add depth and texture, and immerses viewers in the story. Cast-wise, the youthful talent proves uniformly up to the task, although if there's ever an actor that can convey Burton's bewitching brand, it's Green. Move over, Johnny Depp, there's a new muse in town.
Sprinkling a bit of winter magic over Sydney, Vivid is back for a sixth year, and its Mechanised Colour Assemblage is tipped to be the multisensory centrepiece of Circular Quay. A collaboration between Rebecca Baumann and French-Italian collective Danny Rose, this installation is a continuously morphing listening and viewing experience. Translating Baumann’s work into an audiovisual facade is likely to prove tricky for Danny Rose. She uses unconventional materials such as tinsel, flip-clocks, fans and detonators; however, with 3D-mapping technology and an eight-channel sound system, the project will be spatially configured to conflate colour, sound and emotion. Both artists have solid reputations for pulling off large-scale interactive installations. Seeing them join forces is likely to produce a synaesthetic feast.
UPDATE, November 20, 2020: Maiden is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. "Her name is Tracy Edwards, and her dream is to compete in the world's toughest yacht race with the world's first all-women crew." They're the words of a British television presenter in the mid-80s and, as seen in documentary Maiden, they're dripping with condescension. Edwards decided to enter an entirely female team into the prestigious Whitbread Round the World yachting race after first taking part in 1985–86, when she was the cook to an all-male group. During that initial voyage, she was treated poorly — unsurprisingly given the era and the sport's male bias at the time. But those patronising, dismissive, chauvinistic attitudes and insults were like a red rag to a bull, motivating the passionate lover of the open sea to compete again on her own terms. The only way for Edwards to truly sail the 33,000 nautical miles from Southampton, England, and back — via Uruguay, Western Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay again and then America — was to recruit 11 other women to make the journey with her. The 27-year-old knew she'd be instantly mocked, and mocked she was. She assembled a committed crew of women for the 1989–90 contest, and found a boat called Maiden, but no one would sponsor them, support them or even take them seriously. In the media, they were mercilessly made fun of ("tin full of tarts," one journalist called them). In the yachting realm, their male peers bet that they wouldn't finish the race's first leg, let alone all six over its eight-month duration. At every turn, they were belittled, underestimated and considered a sideshow (and when they dared to be seen in swimsuits at one point on their watery trek, they were also shamelessly objectified). With this chapter of sporting history now sailing across the cinema screen 30 years later, one thing should be obvious: Maiden's voyage through the Whitbread race is a story worth telling. It's the ultimate underdog tale, as well as a rallying cry against sexism that's no less relevant today than when the fearless skipper and her dedicated crew hit the seas. As chronicled via archival clips and contemporary interviews by filmmaker Alex Holmes, his doco makes all of the above plain, giving this plucky story and the gutsy gals who made it happen the treatment and respect that both deserve. Holmes' task is a relatively easy one, admittedly; with real-life events this gripping, this tale almost tells itself. Recognising this fact, the director steps through the specifics in a linear, unfussy but deftly edited fashion, deploying the formidable Edwards as his anchor. He starts with her backstory, explores how teenage rebellion led her to the freedom of venturing across the world's oceans, and then follows her Whitbread efforts — from her initial inspiration to the white-knuckle on-the-boat reality in the team's secondhand vessel once the race began. Even when the film leans heavily on talking heads, the details are riveting; however the documentary steps up a gear once it weaves grainy home-video footage from Maiden's journey into the mix. Candid and unfettered as it captures women doing battle with the water ("the ocean is always trying to kill you; it doesn't take a break," Edwards notes, looking back), it puts viewers right there on the yacht with the all-female crew. The fist-pumping, cheer-worthy highs and tense, dangerous lows of Maiden's trek are best discovered by watching, with the yacht's trip serving up the kinds of thrills usually penned by Hollywood. Indeed, it's incredibly surprising that a dramatisation hasn't hit the big screen already. Never forgetting or downplaying just how appallingly Edwards and company were treated three decades ago, Holmes' doco does more than simply relive or revel in their tale. Crucially, it also gives the film's subjects a voice, letting them relay the nitty gritty of their experiences in their own way. Back in the 80s, they were asked about squabbles, surviving without makeup and whether a round-the-world yacht race was the best place for the fairer sex, all while the men were were asked about strategies, tactics, skills and accomplishments. Redressing that egregious wrong — and showing the determined sparks still gleaming in these women's eyes — this rousing and exhilarating documentary proves a stellar snapshot of an inspiring feat, a rebuke against gender stereotypes and misogynistic attitudes, and a fierce portrait of persistent ladies telling the world that they'll do whatever they damn well like wherever they damn well like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjFXdXSmGZ8
Performances are often called 'unique', but there is no other word to describe Aquasonic. Avant-garde ensemble Between Music have spent years researching the possibilities of performing music underwater. AquaSonic is the result of numerous experiments with scientists, deep-sea divers and craftspeople to develop a style of singing and create instruments capable of being played underwater – such as the hydraulophone and the electromagnetic harp. Featuring five musicians submerged in individual glass aquariums, singing and playing custom-made instruments, the result is a haunting, disquieting performance that wouldn't be out of place in American Horror Story. Image: Charlotta de Miranda
You Won't Be Alone isn't just the name of Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski's debut feature, which hit cinemas in 2022. It's also a phrase that applies now that his second film is here. Of an Age initially premiered in the same year as well, bowing in Melbourne International Film Festival's opening-night slot — and, while it tells of growing up queer in 90s Melbourne, falling in love for the first time, then sifting through the aftermath a decade later, it's a glorious companion piece to its predecessor. No one is chosen by a sorceress here. The place isn't Macedonia, the period isn't the 19th century and supernatural shapeshifting isn't part of the narrative. But even just a mere duo of movies into his helming career, Stolevski makes pictures that profoundly ruminate upon two of life's purest truths: that absolutely everything changes and, consequently, nothing completely lasts forever. Neither You Won't Be Alone nor Of an Age fly solo in their moods of yearning, either, or in piecing themselves together from familiar elements that still feel fresh — more than that, that feel immediate and hauntingly immersive — in Stolevski's hands. Where his last flick played like a sibling to Robert Eggers' The Witch by way of The Tree of Life and A Hidden Life's Terrence Malick, his latest rich and poetic effort earns the same sensation with 2011's Weekend and 2017's Call Me By Your Name. This too is a tender love story, as both of those recent greats of LGBTQIA+ cinema are. A clock ticks inescapably, this time a single day rather than the respite at the end of the working week or a whole summer. And, in a keenly felt romance that swells and swirls with lingering emotions, two men find their lives eternally altered, while also facing the unshakeable fact that their bliss will be fleeting. 1999 is inching towards becoming Y2K when Of an Age begins, and 17-year-old Nikola aka Kol (Elias Anton, Australia Day) is only hours from taking to the floor at a Melbourne dance championship. That's how his day is meant to pan out, at least, and what he's preparing for when the film meets him practising his smooth ballroom moves in his suburban garage — conjuring up visions of John Travolta in a flick made famous two decades prior, in fact. Kol's ordinary morning fever breaks, however, thanks to friend and dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook, Savage River) and her bender of an evening. She's awoken on the beach in Altona with no idea where she is, scrounging up change for the payphone call to say she thinks she'll miss the recital unless Kol can pick her up. Stolevski hones in on Ebony early, not because this is primarily her story — it isn't — but to commence his coming-of-age and coming-out tale with compulsive urgency. Anything can happen in the whirlwind from adolescence to maturity when your entire adult future is ahead of you. Anything can occur when you've just finished high school, as Kol and Ebony have, and the days, months and years to come seem endless and brimming with possibility. Any day can be a shock and a surprise as well, as the jittery young woman conveys while scrambling to work out what's going on, where her belongings are, what happened last night and how she'll get home. With cinematographer Matthew Chuang (another You Won't Be Alone alum), and while editing himself, Stolevski's infuses the scene with a freneticism and nerviness that could've barrelled straight out of Good Time or Uncut Gems, adding the Safdies to the picture's influences. That frenzied energy thrums when Kol dons his dance attire, rushes through the streets and looks like a Serbian Elvis all shook up as the Victorian capital wakes up. To attempt to make his big performance, he has to convince Ebony's older brother Adam (Thom Green, Eden) to play taxi — and he's still all aflutter with anxiety, and just the inertia of being so keyed up from endeavouring to sort things out, when he slides into the twentysomething's brown car. They remain in that race against time, although the reality of missing the contest slowly sinks in. Cue the aforementioned other battle with the clock, as what starts as a panicked drive between virtual strangers becomes a leisurely on-the-road chat between kindred spirits warming up. When Ebony hops in the backseat, Adam and Kol only have eyes for each other (plus mentions of music, books and movies traded as tentatively flirtatious currency, all while listening to the soundtrack to Wong Kar-wai's 1997 queer romance Happy Together). An awakening is at the centre of Of an Age, which Stolevski brings to the screen with electrifying specificity and universality in tandem. He achieves an always-sought-after but never-assured feat, making Kol's discovery that he's attracted to Adam and their blossoming bond from there feel so sincere and lived in that it could've only happened for these two characters — as thoughtfully and compellingly performed by the charismatically matched Anton and Green, too — and yet ensuring that it also feels as if it has been ripped from everyone's formative experiences, or near enough. 90s teens of Australia, prepare for a time capsule in the movie's sounds, sights and slang, plus its costuming and vibe, across the feature's first section. This isn't quite a picture of two halves but, after Kol and Adam spend an intense 24 hours in each other's orbit (including at a 21st-birthday party that leads to the moment they've been building towards), it comes with a coda in 2010. Embracing its debt to Weekend and Call Me By Your Name, Of an Age could've stayed in 1999 for its entire duration and still proven a gorgeous, heartfelt and affecting film. It cuts deeper and hits harder courtesy of its final chapter, though — and the dreamy visual sheen of its sequences in 1999, which have the intimacy and glow of fond recollections even when they're at their most fraught (with help from boxed-in Academy framing, and reminiscent of Chuang's work on Blue Bayou), is all the more powerful due to what comes next. When Kol and Adam cross paths again, both returning to Melbourne from abroad, much has shifted and transformed. That spark between them still burns bright, but confronting what it now means and how it too has evolved is another stop in Kol's coming-of-age journey. How moving and entrancing it is to tag along for the ride, and for a Melbourne-set, distinctively Aussie tour through following your heart, trying not to be alone, and understanding that perfect memories and existence-shaping delights quiver and sway just like everything else.
Going back to uni after an extended break can be an intimidating prospect. But, the stereotype of all students as bright-eyed eighteen-year-olds fresh out of high school is outdated. While it's true that a large number of students (670,000) in Australia are in the 18–22 years age bracket, the latest available figures from 2015 show that there were over 270,000 students aged 30–49. This means that thousands of Australians know the mixed feelings associated with returning to uni but also ultimately feel the rewards of finishing a degree they really want. Some study on campus, others study online; whichever you prefer, here are five hacks to help get you back into the rhythm of uni life. START WITH THE SUBJECTS THAT INTRIGUE YOU MOST Make it fun. If you know what degree you want to do, but are worried about finding that initial drive to kickstart that self-motivated study mindset, start off with the subjects that seem the most engaging to get back in the swing of things. Alternatively, if you're not set on doing a whole degree, you can take a single subject with no entry requirements. Seriously. Try studying in a particular area and see if online study suits you, or upskill in a specific career-related subject or two. Head to the single subjects and degrees page at Open Universities Australia and start perusing. CHOOSE A DEGREE YOU'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT The number one way to make uni work for you is to pick a course that excites you. So select something you like regardless of whether or not it's in fashion or earns you status points from your extended family. Maybe the first time you went to uni, you picked law or commerce because it sounded 'good'. Or dentistry, because that's what your parents did and you frankly didn't have a clue what to do straight out of school. Fair — but this time around, find something that fits more with your true passions. Because, at the end of the day, it's you doing the degree, not anyone else. GO PART-TIME AND STUDY ONLINE Going back to uni doesn't have to mean fully adopting the classic student identity of all study, endless caffeine and extreme budgeting. If you love your current job and want to keep one toe in the workforce, but also want to finish a degree, why not have the best of both worlds? Instead of going back to full-time student status, opt for part-time and study online. Take your degree at your own pace outside work hours, and enjoy a bit more flexibility when it comes to studying and completing assignments. Plus, you'll get the exact same degree that you'd get on campus. IDENTIFY ANY CREDITS THAT COULD CARRY INTO YOUR NEW DEGREE If you've started a course in the past, but didn't end up finishing for whatever reason, all is not lost. You may very well be able to count some of your previous study towards completing your new choice. If a previous course is related to your chosen degree, you can potentially use these as credits to reduce the number of subjects you will need to complete. And even if you don't have any previous study that relates to your new degree, you may be able to use those credits toward elective and non-core subjects. Being able to use previous credits will help you finish your studies faster. You can identify any potential credits you may already have here. CONNECT WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE SAME SITUATION AS YOU Solidarity is crucial for getting through any experience. University is meant to be challenging — that's where the growth is — but not to the point of feeling so tough you can't get through it. Connecting with other students via Facebook groups and IRL is key to building a support system. Even if your squad is just you and one other person to talk over assignments with, having that help can change the game. There are so many other people also feeling that mixture of excitement and trepidation about going back to uni — you're not alone! Take the plunge and explore all the degrees on offer from leading Australian unis, online through Open Universities Australia. You've got this.
After just under a month of statewide stay-at-home conditions, much of regional New South Wales will come out of lockdown at 12.01am on Saturday, September 11. The move will apply to regional areas that are deemed low risk and have had zero COVID cases for at least a fortnight — and that date should sound familiar, as that's what was targeted when the regional lockdown was last extended at the end of August. Obviously, nothing substantial will change in Greater Sydney until 70 percent of the state has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; however, Premier Gladys Berejiklian had previously signalled that some regional parts of the state could move to eased conditions before then. So, that's exactly what's happening — although life won't be returning to pre-lockdown normality just yet. Announcing the news at the state's daily COVID-19 press conference today, Thursday, September 9, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said "while unfortunately many regional LGAs will remain in lockdown due to COVID case numbers, for other parts of the state, stay-at-home orders will be lifted." He continued: "this decision is based on NSW Health advice, and the LGAs which remain in lockdown will continue to be monitored and we will update those communities on a regular basis." If you're wondering which spots will no longer be under stay-at-home rules, it's actually easier to name which Local Government Areas will still be in lockdown — which is what the NSW Government has done. It's a hefty list, and spans Bathurst, Bega, Blayney, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Central Coast, Central Darling, Cessnock, Dubbo, Dungog, Eurobodalla, Forbes, Gilgandra and Goulburn Mulwarre, as well as Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Newcastle, Orange, Parkes, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Upper Hunter, Walgett and Wingecarribee. The NSW Government has also put together a map, outlining in white the areas that won't be in lockdown — and marking the places that'll remain under stay-at-home conditions in red. If you live in a regional LGA that's coming out of lockdown, you'll no longer need to abide by the stay-at-home rules from Saturday, September 11, and will instead be able to go out whenever you like. Also, five-person at-home and 20-person outdoor gatherings will permitted, so get ready to see your family and friends. Hospitality venues can reopen, too, with the one person per four-square-metres rule applying inside and the one person per two-square-metres rule outside. And if you're eager to stand up and drink (yep, hello vertical consumption), you'll need to do that outdoors only. When it comes to shopping, retail stores can reopen under the one person per four-square-metres rule. Hairdressers, nail salons and other personal services businesses can open with one person per four-square-metres as well, with a maximum of five clients at each premises. Keen for a workout? Gyms and indoor recreation facilities will reopen under that one person per four-square-metres requirement as well, and can host classes with up to 20 people. Sporting facilities including swimming pools can also reopen. Eager to head to a show, watch some sport or see a movie? Major recreation outdoor facilities — which spans stadiums, racecourses, theme parks and zoos — will be under the one person per four-square-metres rule, with a cap of 5000 people. At other outdoor ticketed and seated events, 500 people can attend. And, indoors venues such as cinemas, theatres, music halls, museums and galleries will be allowed to reopen with the one person per four-square-metres rule in place, or by filling to a maximum of 75-percent fixed seated capacity. LOCKDOWN LIFTED IN PARTS OF REGIONAL NSW pic.twitter.com/XFCNffmNER — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 9, 2021 Regarding weddings, they'll go up to 50 guests and allow dancing, but you'll only be able to eat and drink while sitting. The same caps will apply for funerals as well, and churches and places of worship will be able to open under the one person per four-square-metres limit. Caravan parks and camping grounds will be allowed to open also, so regional travel is back on the cards for resident of regional LGAs coming out of lockdown. And, masks will be required in all indoor public venues, including public transport, front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, on planes and at airports. Outdoors, though, only hospitality staff will be required to mask up. The news about ending the regional lockdown in most areas comes as New South Wales recorded 1405 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday — and also as the Premier announced the first stage of the state's roadmap out of lockdowns moving forward. When the roadmap kicks in for locked-down areas at the 70-percent fully vaxxed mark, they'll move to the same conditions that are coming into place in much of regional NSW this week. As has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, NSW residents are still asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. And in terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Parts of regional New South Wales will come out of lockdown at 12.01am on Saturday, September 11. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Extinction isn't permanent, apparently. Sydney's Night at the Museum-like party, Jurassic Lounge is being resurrected for a one-off after-hours event to celebrate Mardi Gras. Returning to the Australian Museum for one night only, following their recent Halloween Dia de los Muertos party, The Festivalists' beloved after-hours event will once again take over the entire museum on Thursday, February 19. Presented in partnership with Sydney Mardi Gras and samesame.com.au, Jurassic Lounge's Mardi Gras edition plans to transform the Australian Museum into a jaw-droppingly colourful party, celebrating Sydney's vibrant queer culture. Creating a playground for grown-ups in the hallowed museum halls, the night will see performances from drag artist Carmen Geddit, Andea Darling (and her pet python), DJ Sveta cranking out sets, performers from beloved Sydney underground queer party Unicorns, alongside your Jurassic Lounge staples — the ever-popular silent disco, loved-up Date Roulette, live reptiles casually hangin' around, those well-used photobooths and more. The one-night-only resurrection of Jurassic Lounge is most excellent news from The Festivalists, the Sydney-based, non-profit company who just wrapped up their new after-hours night, Hijinks, at Sydney Aquarium. In true Festivalists style, there's sure to be plenty of happenings and Easter Eggs planned for the night.
When you know your city inside out, things can get a little stale. Summer rolls around and you head to the same rooftop bars, the same full-to-the-brim beaches and crowded parks. But what if we told you there's a whole side of Sydney that you may not have discovered yet; the Sydney which resides beneath the waves. There's a whole underwater world just waiting to be explored, and, summer is prime time. To help you get acquainted with The Big Blue, we've partnered with the team at Gage Roads Brewing Co, in celebration of the Single Fin summer ale, to bring you five underwater experiences to dive into this season. From sub-aquatic rugby to an underwater scooter tour, we've got you water lovers well and truly covered. So, jump in and get ready to see our harbour city through a watery lens. [caption id="attachment_663537" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clovelly, Paros Huckstepp.[/caption] MEET THE SYDNEYSIDERS OF THE DEEP Sure, you may come to us to find out what's going on on the surface, but let us introduce you to the happenings going on in Sydney down below. There's a whole other city beneath the glittering water that surrounds us and there are many spots where you can get acquainted with it. All you need is your snorkel (and some flippers if you wanna be a pro). From north to south, you can easily visit the Sydneysiders of the deep. Spy seahorses and weedy sea dragons at Silver Beach in Kurnell; spot the mythical 1.2-metre-long blue groper, Bluey, at Clovelly; or make it a full weekend of exploring to see the tropical species who've descended on the city for summer at The Basin in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Oh, and wherever you go, make sure to pack the SPF 50+; no one wants a snorkel-shaped sunburn. SWIM WITH SHARKS If you're keen for an underwater activity with a bit more bite — metaphorically speaking, hopefully — head to the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and swim among a swarm of sharks. This exhilarating experience puts you eye-to-eye with grey nurse and seven-gill sharks — hopefully, they're more like the loveable Bruce from Finding Nemo and less like the savage beast from Jaws. You'll also get to float along with the slow-moving sea turtles, giant stingrays and tons of exotic fish. Both certified divers and newbies can partake in the dive, with fully qualified instructors ensuring your experience is both memorable and safe. After you've finished with your fine-finned friends, tuck into a Single Fin, or two, to calm your nerves. The experience takes approximately 2.5 hours and costs $239 per person. Book here. PLAY A GAME OF UNDERWATER RUGBY Water polo? So passé. It's all about underwater rugby now, a fast-paced, somewhat ruthless, team sport designed to keep you fit and fierce. The rules are relatively straightforward: two baskets sit at the bottom of the pool like goals, and there are two teams of six who must try to get the ball into their respective goals. (We think it's a bit more like underwater Quidditch than rugby.) UNSW runs mixed training sessions every Wednesday on campus or Thursday and Sunday in the deep pool at Revesby — and sometimes even in the ocean at Clovelly or Gordons Bay. The first session is free, all you need to bring is your swimmers and a towel. Jump in, try it out, then reward yourself with an ice-cold brew for all your hard work. TAKE A SCOOTER TOUR THROUGH GORDONS BAY No, you won't be zipping around the ocean floor on a Vespa or Razor — this is a different kind of scooter. The underwater scooter, which kind of looks like a hand-held fan, propels you through the sea without you making any real effort. It's like a lazy version of snorkelling or scuba diving — just relax and take in the sights below. And, since the tour takes place in thriving Gordons Bay, there's plenty to see. This protected aquatic reserve is home to an intricate natural tapestry and vibrant underwater world teeming with marine life, including the famous eastern sea blue groper, octopus, cuttlefish, sea turtles, stingrays and even dolphins. Once you've got your aquatic fix, see some fins on dry land and grab a couple of Single Fin to enjoy with your friends. Tours run for two hours and cost $159 per person. Book here. JETPACK ACROSS A LAKE So you won't technically be 'underwater' for this one (unless you're really terrible at using a jetpack), but this aquatic activity will make you feel like that part-fish guy from Waterworld flying across the water as the jetpack blasts you as high as ten metres above the surface. You can also try the jetboard, which will see you channelling those dolphins you may have spotted at Gordons Bay, diving in and jetting out of the water as you please. You'll find all these water jetting experiences at Jetpack Adventures, about 50 kilometres west of the CBD in Penrith. The experience takes approximately 45 minutes and costs $175 per person. Book here. Make your next summertime fling a Single Fin. The light-bodied ale is packed with plenty of hoppy flavour to keep you smiling all season.
One-man shows are a tricky enterprise to pull off. And it takes a brave, talented and personable actor to do it well. Enter Damian Callinan. Nominated for the Barry Award for most outstanding show of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Callinan brings The Merger to Sydney audiences at the Seymour Centre. A show about one man's venture to save his town's football team, it’s a strange marriage of sport and theatre, but it somehow works. Set in the tiny country township of Bodgy Creek, the show features bogan accents, Afghani accents, and a radio broadcaster whose sponsors are as desperate as he is. Director Matt Parkinson calls Callinan a “natural storyteller, a gifted clown and terrific character actor” in his director's notes, and I couldn’t agree more. The protests over the American film insulting the prophet Mohammed may be dominating the news, but Callinan’s show rips through these recent tensions, as it’s Australia’s brightest moments of multiculturalism that shine through. The coach enlists asylum seekers to fill the footy team and stop Bodgy Creek having to merge with their arch rivals, the Hudson’s Flat Redbacks, and we find ourselves laughing and crying with these foreigners who have found a home and new friends in regional Australia. If you only like 'theatre' in the sense of plays and drama, then this might not be for you. In a combination between stand-up and theatre, Callinan breaks the fourth wall and makes friends with the audience by learning their names, planting jokes for later in a Ross Noble-esque manner. In this 75-minute show, we move between listening to Bodgy Creek radio, experiencing the footy team's coach Troy Carrington slag the teammates (coincidentally the audience members) and turn the team around, and seeing the action unravel through the (mimed) lens of a charmingly infantile documentary maker. Though it could probably be enhanced with a few more props and a stagehand, The Merger is still a fun and well-devised show. Self-referential and softly mocking, Callinan jested at the size of the audience, stating "I'm really big in Melbourne, you know? Maybe you guys up here don’t know me as well..." It’s well worth getting to know him in this intimate space and clever production. But Callinan, despite your talent, you really are a bad ventriloquist — and your puppets probably told you that already. Concrete Playground has two double passes to give away to The Merger. To be in the running, make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
A big Friends reunion just hit streaming. Sex and the City is getting a television sequel. Saved by the Bell returned to the screen last year, too. Yes, it's still 2021 — and no, you haven't hopped in a Delorean or phone booth and ventured back to the past. Based on plenty of recent and upcoming TV and streaming options, though, you'd be forgiven for looking at your viewing choices and wondering if a bit of time-travel trickery was afoot. The latest revived series heading to your streaming queue won't dispel that notion, but you know you'll love it anyway. Come Thursday, July 8 on Binge, you'll be saying XOXO to Gossip Girl once again. The new series has been billed as both a reimagining and an extension — which means that it will take place in the same world, but with different characters. Gossip Girl circa 2021 is set nine years after the eponymous and anonymous blog went dark. As the just-dropped first teaser trailer makes plain, it's obviously back in some shape or form — otherwise the series wouldn't have a premise. This time, a new bunch of private school-attending teenagers are at the ever-present, seemingly all-knowing gossip blogger's mercy, all while they navigate New York's Upper East Side and its non-stop dramas. Whether any familiar faces will pop up is yet to be revealed; however, in the most important news there is regarding this revival, Kristen Bell is returning to voice the titular figure. She's already revisited Veronica Mars a couple of times now, so bringing back another of her famous characters fits the trend. Bell will narrate the comings and goings of a group played Jordan Alexander (Sacred Lies), Eli Brown (Wrath of Man), Thomas Doherty (High Fidelity), Tavi Gevinson (Halston), Emily Alyn Lind (Every Breath You Take), Evan Mock, Zion Moreno (Control Z), Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Savannah Lee Smith. The cast has changed, but the social-climbing chaos is bound to be familiar. And, if you were a particular fan of the threads worn by Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and company during Gossip Girl's original 2007–12 run, you'll be pleased to know that costume designer Eric Daman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is back for a second go-around. The creators of the initial show, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The OC), have nabbed executive producer credits on the revival — so they'll have a hand in yet another adaptation of Cecily von Ziegesar's books. And the new series' showrunner, Josh Safran (Smash), was a writer and executive producer on the original series. Check out the new Gossip Girl trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reiGW6LTLok Gossip Girl will start streaming via Binge from Thursday, July 8.
It was always going to be a challenge adapting On the Road, a book which is so intensely loved, has been so integral to the minds of so many people for so many years, and written in a language which burns and pulses and pierces the heart like stone cutting glass. We've been waiting years for it, and now the film version of Jack Kerouac's novel, starring Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty respectively, criss-crossing the country and trying to live as honestly and as passionately and as freely as they can, is finally upon us. And we can say that it's good. Very good. On the Road is the seminal novel of the Beat Generation, a semi-autobiographical account of Kerouac's time hoofing it across the country in the late 1940s and infamously written over three Benzedrine-fuelled weeks on a 120-foot roll of teletype paper. Francis Ford Coppola bought the rights to the novel in 1979 and has been tinkering about with it to no avail until signing up Walter Salles and Jose Rivera, the pair who directed and scripted The Motorcycle Diaries. The influence of that film haunts On the Road, and just as The Motorcycle Diaries captures the stark beauty of South America, On the Road shows every corner of the United States in its most exquisite detail. The performances from nearly all the actors are outstanding, particularly Riley and Tom Sturridge (as the lovelorn Carlo Marx), with Hedund's turn as Dean Moriarty the big, beating heart of the film. He also, as it happens, is on screen naked on a number of occasions, as are Kristen Stewart's boobs, if you're into that. Viggo Mortensen also provides some of the best lines as Old Bull Lee, a thinly veiled William S. Burroughs — Lorraine is a good name for a bat, don't you know. What will bother some is that the exuberance of the Beats in the novel, "the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk and mad to be saved," dissipates in Salles' slower-paced, golden-toned approach. The best bet, as with all film adaptations, is not to get too caught up in the accuracy of the interpretation, and simply appreciate it for what it is. https://youtube.com/watch?v=etr7upn35E4
Halfway through summer, Sydney's outdoor movie scene is in full swing, showcasing all your favourite blockbuster films at a number of locations. If, however, you think that's just one too many showings of Harry Potter to handle and you're looking for something a little different, take a look at Chinatown's pop-up cinema. Swapping moonlight for streetlight and popcorn for dumplings, 4A's Cinema Alley will coincide with Chinese New Year festivities to celebrate the Asian-Australian cultural identity. Instead of blockbuster hits, this cinema night will showcase five significant short films plus a selection of animation shorts from filmmakers around Asia and Australia. Experimenting with black & white, 35mm and Super 16mm, each artist presents a portrait of their own city and the impact that migration and globalisation has had on them. Some stories tackle the hardships of Taiwanese factory workers and the fate of once-rural Chinese regions. Best of all, this is open-air cinema is free — giving you plenty of change to enjoy spicy pork buns throughout the night. *Bookings essential
Thanks to the chaotic weather that saw out summer, the past month has been immensely difficult across Queensland and New South Wales. That includes in the Northern Rivers region, which has been impacted by the floods to a devastating degree. Eager to help? Not sure where to start? Here's an event that'll get you to Byron Bay, showcase the area's fresh produce and put some cash towards flood-relief efforts. Just block out your calendar on Saturday, March 26 and prepare to do your part by attending a long lunch. Taking place at Crystalbrook Byron at 1pm local time, this Flood Relief Long Lunch says it all in the name. You'll hang out at the hotel's restaurant Forest, eat your way through a leisurely two-hour meal, sip cocktails and assist an enormously worthy cause. Menu highlights include oysters paired with a granita made from Brookie's Byron Slow Gin and davidson plum; hand-stretched Byron Bay mozzarella with house-made pickles; that cheese outfit again, this time with a ricotta gelato atop treacle tarts; and zucchini flowers stuffed with green and sundried olives, them battered in Stone & Wood Pale Ale. Your $160 ticket includes two cocktails — and the complete price will be donated to aid locals via Givit.
Winner of the Comic's Choice Award at last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and one of the founding members of the True Australian Patriots, Anne Edmonds is fast becoming one of our favourite Australian stand-ups. Ribald and energetic with a healthy-dose of sarcasm and self-deprecation thrown in, her latest show, That's Eddotainment, focuses on two key themes: despair and humiliation. Not the easiest subjects for an hour-long comedy show, but Eddo well and truly delivers.
Ending the nine-to-five grind with a beverage can make any working day better. Pair that tipple with cheap seafood, and you'll be counting down the minutes until knock-off time. Fratelli Fresh is clearly keeping that idea in mind this August — by serving up $1 oysters all month long. You don't just have to head by after work, however, with the deal on all day, every day throughout the whole month. And there's no missing numeral in the price, although you do need to order a minimum of six and buy a drink as well. If Champagne is your tipple of choice, you can nab your half-dozen oysters with a glass of Chandon for $14. That's not your only choice, though, with the offer available with any drink purchase. You can also order as many oysters as you like, if six just isn't enough. Fratelli Fresh's $1 oysters are available from Thursday, August 1 to Saturday, August 31 across all of its Sydney stores.
Insert Coins combines club tunes, retro gaming, graffiti art and geek culture at Oxford Art Factory starting Thursday, January 19 with The Darkness II. Thanks to 2K Games Australia, this comic book horror shooter will be fully playable on ten different screens across two rooms, way ahead of its release on February 10. You’ll also get access to a custom ‘80s style milk bar (mmm… alcoholic milkshakes), contemplate foot-long dogs at a New York-style hot dog vendor (wow… so many condiments), and rediscover your skills at pinball, arcade and tabletop units, including Pacman, Addams Family, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Shinobi, Back to the Future, Fish Tales and World Cup Soccer. DJs will spin classic tracks from the ‘80s and ‘90s all night long and the Insert Coin(s) team have even got some graffiti artists coming to create live art inspired by the video games of yesteryear. Since the launch event last September, this event series has become a hit with gamers, geeks and social gypsies everywhere, so take a boozy trip down memory lane and revisit the all-time classics from the 8-bit era. What the heck happened to my pinball machine points anyway? Game on!
Australia can't win the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, as every currently heartbroken Aussie is well aware, but the Matildas have kept scoring on and off the field. They've kicked goals, won even more fans, sparked stunning scenes at live-viewing sites around the country and absolutely smashed the ratings — and, over the past month, made plenty of history. We know that you know that Sam Kerr, Mackenzie Arnold and their teammates lost to England in their semi-final match on Wednesday, August 16, because we know that you were probably watching. How? The just-released ratings figures for the game against the Lionesses. Based on statistics from OzTAM, which captures broadcast audience numbers, the Seven Network reports that the 3–1 defeat was seen by 11.15-million Australians nationally. That isn't just massive — it's the biggest audience for anything on TV since 2001. The squad's prior match, that thrilling, nerve-shredding win via penalties against France on Saturday, August 12, already became Australia's biggest TV sports program in a decade. The England game — the first time that Australia had reached the semi-finals in the World Cup, either for the men's or women's teams — beat it. In fact, the viewership was so huge that it's the most-watched TV program, sports or otherwise, since OzTAM started its audience measurement system in 2001. Yes, that record could go back even further; OzTAM just don't have the data from before then. While the 11.15-million number is the peak figure, the average audience on Seven and 7plus for the night was 7.13 million, including 957,000 viewers via streaming. The Matildas' Women's World Cup games are available to watch via free-to-air and also Optus Sport, which means that more folks were also viewing via the latter. And, OzTAM's data doesn't include people watching in pubs, clubs, sports venues and at other out-of-home sites, so the overall audience numbers go up again. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) Unsurprisingly, the match is also now the most-streamed event ever in Australia. To put the Matildas' repeated TV feats in context during the Women's World Cup, 2022's AFL and NRL grand finals didn't even hit the 4.17-million average figure that the France game scored — or come close. Last years' AFL numbers? 3.06-million viewers nationally. All up so far, Seven advises that its coverage of the Women's World Cup has reached 14.05-million broadcast viewers, then another 3.4-million folks via 7plus — all while the bulk of the tournament's games, especially those that don't feature the Matildas, are only on Optus Sports. That Sam Kerr goal against England? 11.15-million Australians seeing that honestly isn't enough. "Australia was captivated last night as the Matildas played their hearts out and did us all proud. Although their FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 journey ended last night, the Matildas have rewritten the history books, and captured the hearts and minds of the nation with a performance that is sure to inspire generations of Australians for many years to come," said Lewis Martin, Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport. "Seven is beyond proud to have played a part in bringing Australia together around our screens, as the Matildas' performance captured the Australian spirit like nothing we have seen in decades." The Matildas are out of contention for the ultimate Women's World Cup prize in 2023, with England and Spain now facing off, but they will play Sweden at 6pm on Saturday, August 19 to see who comes in third place. That game is another must-see, and another chance to smash viewership records. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) The Matildas' 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup games are available to watch via the Seven Network and 7plus, and also Optus Sport — with select other games also on Seven, and the entire tournament streaming via Optus Sport. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website. Top image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.
Bearhug's first album has been hotly anticipated since they were featured on 2009's Spunk Singles Club. In 2010, they released their EP To Anything and have since landed supporting spots alongside the likes of Built to Spill and Broken Social Scene. With all of that initial work behind this Aussie group, it is finally time for Bearhug to perform their first album Bill, Dance, Shiner, which was released this March. Expect quirky, quality indie rock that vacillates between classic rock guitar and dreamy melodies. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rk9WOTwtUO8
Finding a critter creeping around in your food is one of most people's worst nightmares; however at this year's Antenna Documentary Film Festival, it's all part of the fun. Not only is the fest screening Bugs, a doco about two researchers from René Redzepi's experimental Nordic Food Lab exploring the culinary value and environmental benefits of eating insects — it's also serving up ant-covered choc tops. Sure, we already knew that edible bugs were in the festival's 2016 lineup; however we didn't take it quite so literally. Gelato makers Cow & Moon are doing the honours, creating a guava-flavoured sorbet choc top crawling with tiny creatures. They'll give the dish a pop of acidity — and yes, the ants are 100% real. The daring desserts will only be on offer at the October 15 session of Bugs at the Chauvel Cinema in Sydney, and really turns film-viewing into quite the interactive and sensory experience. "I am excited for audiences to connect to this film in a real, adventurous and visceral way," says Antenna festival manager Kate Vinen. Who's hungry? The 2016 Antenna Documentary Film Festival screens in Sydney from October 11 to 16, Brisbane from October 26 to 30, and Melbourne from November 2 to 6. For more information, check out the festival website.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for more than 12 months now. Messina celebrated that one-year milestone back in April — but it isn't done with cookie pies yet. This time, it's bringing back a past favourite just for Sydneysiders. With the city currently in lockdown, everyone could definitely use a pie made out of cookie dough, then filled with the gooey choc-hazelnut spread that the gelato chain calls Messinatella. Like all of Messina's cookie pies, this one serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. The Messinatella cookie pies are available for preorder right now — and only from Sydney stores except The Star. On its own, the indulgent choc chip pie will cost $28. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. You can add on a 500-millilitre tub for $38, a one-litre tub for $44 or a 1.5-litre tub for $48. To get your pie to your oven, you will have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store between Friday, July 2–Sunday, July 4 to pick it up — while social distancing and adhering to Sydney's current restrictions, of course. Once you've got the pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20–25 minutes and voila. Sydneysiders can preorder a Messina Messinatella cookie pie right now — while stocks last — to pick up from Friday, July 2–Sunday, July 4.
Across May and June, the CBD's historic multi-storey venue Shell House is throwing a huge food and music festival once again, with a local lineup of musicians and chefs taking over all four of the building's venues across eight weeks of festivities. Beginning with food and beverages, there's a whole heap of special one-off menus and kitchen takeovers happening throughout the month. The Shell House crew is exploring the world of tuna via a two-part series called Wet, Cold and Delicious — there'll be a Dale Ridgers-led event called Hand Dived taking place on Wednesday, June 10, and A Deep Dive Into Tuna, including a live Maguro Shoten (a traditional Japanese tuna cutting show and auction) followed by a five-course meal, with Chef Toshihiko Oe (Sushi Oe) and Narito Ishii (Sydney Fish Markets) on Monday, June 24. Further program highlights include a one-day pop-up from Melbourne's Osteria Ilaria and Tipo 00 at Menzies Bar on Saturday, June 22, and a beef-focused dinner in partnership with Anthony Purharich of Victor Churchill and Vic's Meats on Thursday, June 20. You'll also have the chance to sip your way through the world's smallest champagne bar throughout the duration of the fest. And don't go past the familiar favourites — happy hour martini, margarita and negroni specials will also be available across Shell House venues if you're unwinding during the bustling precinct's biggest festivities. As for the music, you can expect local favourites like Jonti, Kirin J Callinan and Aussie jazz legend James Morrison to pop up for sets alongside Shell House's own house band. Plus, Sky Bar will host a heap of free gigs, with sets from Ben Fester and Wax'O Paradiso alongside takeovers by Planet Trip, Bypass and Veer East planned for the two months. Topping the whole thing off will be cultural and art installations from the likes of Regression Studio, MIKEY FREEDOM, Jai Winnell, Troy Emery, Lauren Brincat and street performers at the Clocktower Bar. You can check out the full schedule at the Shell House website.
If you're a dinosaur fan in Australia, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. In Brisbane, the Dinosaurs of Patagonia museum showcase is currently displaying impressive fossils. In Melbourne and later Sydney, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience is about to hit. And also in the Harbour City, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will soon roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. Yes, it's a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs right now — we've seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in the past two years, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized, lifelike versions of the movie franchise's animals. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital will be able to get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, from Friday, September 22 at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Exactly how long the exhibition will hang around for hasn't been announced, except that it'll be a limited stay. If it'll head to other Australian cities afterwards also hasn't been revealed. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result three decades — and five more movies — later. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition's website to join the ticket waitlist.
The month of May in Brisbane would not be complete without the Paniyiri Greek Festival. From the country that gave us Homer, Plato, haloumi and Socrates comes a weekend of festivities. This year over 50,000 Greeks and honorary Greeks are expected to flock to Musgrave Park to enjoy the cross-cultural celebrations. More than 30 food stalls will be set up for the festival’s visitors, showcasing the best of Greek gastronomy from the mainland as well as the islands. Traditional Greek cooking demonstrations will be on offer for all foodies to learn the secrets of Greek cuisine. Between honey puff and olive eating competitions, plate smashing, cultural lectures, fireworks, fashion parades, amusement rides and Greek dancing, there will be more to do than time will allow. The festival never fails to attract publicity. This year, Guinness World Records will be involved, with a planned attempt at the World’s Longest Zorba taking place. Zorba lessons will be available to those wanting to participate. TV personalities George Houvardas and Rob Palmer are set to compete in the festival’s annual Greek Dancing with the Stars competition. As part of the Brisbane cultural scene for 36 years now, Paniyiri is the longest running Greek festival in Australia and simply a fun weekend out.
Not every ballet features dancers forming constellations, gramophone-shaped mirrors creating kaleidoscopic visuals, refractive and reflective surfaces making it appear as though performers are overlapping, and choreography created for every leaf in a 134-page text — but, not every ballet is Tree of Codes. Stemming from a dream team of creative forces, the production is currently wowing crowds in London, and for good reason. Music, dance, art and literature fans, hold on to your hats: Tree of Codes is a collaboration between Jamie xx, Royal Ballet choreographer Wayne McGregor, Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. First previewing in Manchester in 2016, it's named after and based on the latter's book-based artwork of the same name. Also described as a "sculptural object", the printed work took Bruno Schulz's Street of Crocodiles, cut out the majority of words and fashioned what remained into a new post-apocalyptic story. So, how do you turn that into a ballet? Foer's "blurred and disorientating worlds provide a powerful point of departure for our collaboration on stage — where constellations of light, shadows, bodies, objects and sound dance at the edges of darkness," says McGregor. "Lights panning over the audience cause its spectral image to appear on the stage's reflective, coloured scrims, integrating the viewers with the activity on the stage," states Eliasson's website, while Jamie xx created an algorithm to vocalise words from the book, transforming them into melodies. Tree of Codes' season at London's Sadler's Wells ended on March 11, and we'll keep our fingers and toes crossed that it turns up on our shores. Via Dezeen.
Pull on your seamed stockings and pin your victory rolls in place — Sydney’s Fifties Fair is set to descend upon Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga for its 20th year running. On Sunday, August 23, the iconic house and its gardens will be transported back to their heyday, with a carefully-curated selection of stalls selling authentic '50s fashion, furniture, kitchenalia and knick knacks; hair styling and a best-dressed competition; a vintage car display for those who know their Fleetwood Cadillacs from their Jags; and a music lineup headlined by The Hi-Boys that’ll have you bopping till day’s end. When all that dancing makes you hungry, tuck into food from Porteno, Eathouse Diner, Daisy’s Milkbar and Madame Pop, then wander through (and marvel at) the house in all its Modernist architectural glory, complete with original furniture and fixtures. To get you in the swinging spirit in the leadup to the day, Sydney Living Museums (who run the whole shebang) are holding a weekly Instagram competition. Proud of that coveted mid-century sideboard in your living room? Got a frock selection to turn Betty Draper (season one) green? Show them off to win '50s-themed prizes, including Frankie subscriptions and Eathouse Diner vouchers. Hashtags and all that jazz here. WANT TO WIN TICKETS? The Fifties Fair is happening on Saturday, August 23, and thanks to the team, we have five double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address at win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au.
Back by popular demand: Cloud Control. The quartet may come from the secluded Blue Mountains, but their unique alternative-folk style comes from old time pop influences like Neil Young and revives the purity that once came with good pop melodies. The title of their debut album says it all: Bliss Release. There's nothing like good music to put a smile on your face. It's no wonder they've already acquired quite the impressive resume. After signing with UK label Infectious Records, the band has been on the road showcasing the new album and has been received with open arms by an army of smiling fans. They went home with countless Australian Independent Music awards, were nominated in several categories at the Australian Record Industry Association awards and the J Awards, and won Best Album, Best Video and Best Live Act at the Sydney Music Arts Culture Awards. Their track 'There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight' also came in at #18 on Triple J's Hottest 100 list. Not bad, Cloud Control. They may be on their way to becoming global celebs, but the group still has a place in their heart for Australia. Sydney will be host to one of two concerts they'll play in Australia on their tour, and a limited deluxe edition of Bliss Release will be released in celebration of the occasion. The album will include the new single 'My Fear #1' and a handful of other exclusive tracks and remixes. Cloud Control may already be on cloud nine after a year of growing success and stardom, but there seems to be no end in sight to their skyrocketing fame. Check them out before they head back out on tour.
Plenty of Aussies have found themselves captivated by US TV drama The Handmaid's Tale, and the image of a dystopian society that is — even 30-odd years after the book was published — a little too close to home. And now, you'll have the chance to dive even deeper into that world, as Margaret Atwood, author of the original books that inspired the show, heads Down Under for an exclusive Australian appearance. Taking the stage at the Sydney Opera House in March 2019 in the lead-up to International Women's Day, the acclaimed Canadian writer will speak as part of the UNSW Centre for Ideas 2019 program. Atwood, celebrated for her storytelling prowess, prescient imagination and thought-provoking ideas, will share her insights into how present-day behaviours might be used to foretell any grim futures coming our way — just like those fictional worlds that hit so close to home in the likes of The Handmaid's Tale and Atwood's other works like The Blind Assassin, Alias Grace and, more recently, the MaddAddam Trilogy. The author's set to dish up her thoughts on the key issues of today and the future realities they might herald, from extremist politics, to climate change. It should be an interesting, if not eyebrow-raising, talk — as well as being an obvious advocate for women's rights, Atwood came under fire this year for her controversial take on the #MeToo movement and her reluctance to call The Handmaid's Tale feminist. Maybe she can visit Gliead while she's here. Margaret Atwood speaks at the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall, on Sunday March 3, 2019. Tickets are from $39, available here from 9am, November 8.
The annual French Film Festival is touring the country next month and is set to be an entertaining delight for film lovers of all tastes and ages. The festival is a wing of the Alliance Française, an independent, not-for-profit organisation devoted to promoting the spread of French language and culture worldwide. With a presence in over 146 nations and over 30 Alliance Françaises in Australia alone, it is safe to say the organisation has done well in achieving these goals. The Alliance Françaises of Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, and Sydney have joined forces to develop the Film Festival, now in its 24th year. And the 43 films set to screen at this year's festival will certainly not disappoint. The festival has a huge array of productions on offer, sure to sate the appetites of the soppy romantics, the arty, youngsters, those simply looking for a bit of a laugh, nostalgia-sufferers, and even thrillseekers. These films are some of most acclaimed productions to have come out of France over the last 12 months and will have you adoring both the language and the artistic creativity of the French by the time the credits roll. Opening the festival is Haute Cuisine, light fare about a successful chef who is appointed to head the President's kitchen in the Elysee Palace. During the festival you can see Renoir (pictured), a sumptuous film about the feuds of great painters; the erotic tableaux of FEU by Christian Louboutin; the Cannes closer and Audrey Tautou vehicle Therese Desqueyroux; and the pre-Freudian Augustine. The French Film Festival will tour to major capital cities during March and April. Visit their website to see the full program.
Sculpture by the Sea didn't grace the Bondi-Tamarama coastal walk last year, and isn't set to until October this year. But if you're eager to go for a wander, check out large-scale pieces of art and enjoy the great outdoors, you can head to The Rocks this May and June for a new free exhibition called Sculpture Rocks. Set to display from Thursday, May 20–Wednesday, June 3, Sculpture Rocks will feature 18 works from 14 sculptors, with Japanese artists in the spotlight. You'll be peering at pieces by Keizo Ushio, Takeshi Tanabe, Mitsuo Takeuchi, Ayako Saito and Akira Kamada, among others — and from artists who currently hail from both Japan and Australia. Presented by the Sculpture by the Sea team alongside Place Management NSW and the Port Authority of NSW, the exhibition will ape one of the most stunning — and most popular — things about its sibling event, too: the waterside view. You'll be moseying along the Sydney Harbour foreshore area, including between the Overseas Passenger Terminal, along Campbells Cove and up to Hickson Reserve next to the Park Hyatt Hotel. Basically, think of it as a smaller version, in a similarly striking spot, and with a specific focus. An indoor exhibition, called Sculpture Inside Rocks, will also take place at the same time at Campbell's Stores. Images: Gareth Carr.
If your tipple of choice is a tasty local beer or homegrown spirit, the 2021–22 Federal Budget has served up some good news for your future drinking endeavours. In a push to support jobs and boost Australia's alcohol manufacturing sector, the government is set to offer around $225 million in tax relief for local small breweries and distilleries. Announced earlier this month and reiterated during this week's federal budget announcement, this move will allow eligible brewers and distillers to get back any excise tax they pay on the alcohol they produce, up to a cap of $350,000 each year. Previously, they were only entitled to a maximum refund of 60 percent, capped annually at $100,000. The Excise Refund Scheme changes will kick off from July 1, 2021, pulling the benefits for Australia's beer and spirits industries more into line with what the wine industry currently enjoys. It's expected that around 600 brewers and 400 distillers will benefit from the move. The tax relief should offer our local beer and spirits scenes a huge boost, according to Independent Brewers Association Chairman and founder of Sydney's Wayward Brewing Co, Peter Philip. In an interview with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg earlier this month, Mr Philip explained that small brewers and distilleries would be pushing this extra money into technology, capability, capacity and their people. "Consumers really want to support small, locally-owned independent beer in Australia. And this is just going to make that happen," he said. In the same interview, Bentspoke Brewing founder Richard Watkins called the excise change "one of the biggest things that's ever happened in the brewing industry", saying his Canberra-based brewery would be investing in new equipment and technology to make the beer even better and meet increased demand. [caption id="attachment_811815" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wayward Brewing's Camperdown taproom[/caption] The budget move will also prove a timely helping hand for two industries especially hard hit by last year's hospitality lockdowns. In a statement made last month calling for a drop in excise tax rates, the Brewers Association of Australia revealed its 2020 data showing draught beer sales had plunged by a third, compared to the previous year. According to the organisation, that translates to a drop of over $1 billion in beer sold by pubs and clubs in 2020 alone. For more information about the 2021–22 Federal Budget, head to the government's website.
If you're aged 15-26 and your art is smart — or, hell, even if it ain't — you ought to join in on City of Sydney's smart ARTS festival. A bunch of free events and workshops will be running April 4-13 in conjunction with National Youth Week to involve our yoof in the creative worlds. Among the events comes Parlour Games, a collaborative drawing and games night. Invented by French surrealists in the '20s, Exquisite Corpse will be among the games played on the evening. Before passing it on to the next player, Exquisite Corpse involves drawing in turns on a sheet of paper and folding it to conceal their illustration. Beijing Doodles is a newer game, which is apparently like playing Chinese Whispers with a pen. Yeah, we aren't sure what that means either. The smart ARTS exhibition will run for the entirety (plus some) of the annual festival. Focusing on issues that affect young people locally and globally, it showcases art in an array of mediums at the Pine Street Creative Arts Centre. Check out the rest of the program on the smart ARTS website. And don't forget to wear your creative and thinking caps this April.
A hard day of wizarding deserves a fresh pint of butterbeer, and London could soon have just the spot for it. An eager Harry Potter fan is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund what might just become everyone's favourite magical watering hole: The Cauldron. You can taking the leaking out of the enchanted bar's name, but you can't take the wonder, with the pub promising to use technology to emulate all of the tricks you've read about in JK Rowling's books and watched in the subsequent film adaptations. That includes touch-sensitive magic wands that can be used to light fires, turn on the lights and even pour drinks, plus moving photographs and levitating candles. There's no mention of paying for your drinks in galleons, but that idea sounds right up this place's Diagon Alley. Speaking of beverages, in addition to their own signature brew — the Cauldron Ale, which will be served in a specialty bottom-filling pint glass — The Cauldron will provide wizarding-inspired wines, spirits and soft drinks, as well as "spectacular science-based cocktails that look and behave like potions that are described in fantasy books." There's no word on just how they'll achieve that feat, but we like their confidence. As for food, The Cauldron once again pledges to fill its menu with dishes mentioned in all of those novels you love, with fans also able to make suggestions. Their ambition doesn't stop there, with shelves filled with texts, plug-in listening stations for audiobooks, book clubs, book readings, book signings, games meet-ups and wizarding trivia all on the agenda if the venue gets the go-ahead. It's the latest in a long list of HP-themed fun (including a pasta restaurant, a sleepover wizarding school, yoga classes and a market, plus Toronto already has a bar); however if that floats your objects of choice, The Cauldron's fundraising quest kicks off on June 26. The proposed pub is aiming for a March 2018 opening — for more information, check out their website.
A day and a half into October, near midnight, the people in the Mexican town of Patzcuaro take boats across the lake to the island and talk to the dead by candlelight. In Madagascar, people traditionally take ancestral bodies from tombs, wrap them in new clothes and dance with them. In Sydney you used to take a special train to Rookwood Necropolis, near Lidcombe station, and have a picnic there among the graves. Nowadays the bus gets you closer and Rookwood's custodians want the cemetery to fill with the living again, as well as the dead. To that end Hidden is on, mixing local artists' sculpture in among the sepulture and gardens of one of the world's largest cities of the dead. Hidden brings together over thirty artists in the grounds of the cemetery and in the chapel, inviting the public to wander amongst them. It's hard to talk about death, and one of the exhibition's sponsors is a non-profit who would like you to be able to do just that. But if you find you can't, let the art speak for you. Print a map, and get out among it. Image by mickou.
Next time you slather your hands with sanitiser, you could be covering them with your favourite booze as well. With alcohol a crucial ingredient in the now-essential product — especially sanitiser that's effective against COVID-19 — distilleries and breweries are doing their part to help boost supplies. To the delight of rum lovers, that now includes Queensland's iconic Beenleigh Rum and Bundaberg Rum. While gin aficionados can splash their digits with Manly Spirits Co's gin-infused hand sanitiser — and plenty of other boozy outfits are jumping on the trend, too — fans of fermented and distilled sugarcane juice can look forward to freshening their fingers with their preferred tipple. Well, in a way. Australia's oldest distillery, Beenleigh Rum is whipping up its own sanitiser and selling it online; however, the end product doesn't feature any of its branding. Still, if you order a carton of Wheel & Barrow hand sanitiser, you'll be ordering sanitiser made by Beenleigh Rum — with online orders available now, by the carton, for delivery from Friday, March 27. Beenleigh Distillery owner Angelo Kotses originally just planned to start making sanitiser to keep the company's own workers safe, but decided to pump out more when asked by the Queensland Government. The distillery will also provide the state with a supply of the product for schools and frontline workers. If you're a Bundaberg Rum devotee, the Coral Coast-based operation is focusing on producing ethanol for use in hand sanitiser. It won't be making sanitiser itself — so you won't see bottles all over the place with Bundy Rum's bear logo — but it is donating 100,000 litres of ethanol to the Queensland Government to be used in making sanitiser, which will produce around 500,000 bottles. Although there's no word yet on how the government will be using the Bundy-infused sanitiser, fingers crossed that it'll be made available to the public — given how much Bundy Rum is drunk across the state, it's certain to be popular. To buy Beenleigh Rum-produced hand sanitiser, visit the distillery's website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Are you Ready For the Floor? Are you itching to "do it do it do it now?' Naturally. Hot Chip want you to dance your stripy little socks off and then some. After they do Falls and Southbound Festivals, Joe Goddard, Alexis Taylor, Felix Martin, Al Doyle and Owen Clarke are coming to The Enmore with their own kind of electro pop. They almost challenge you to keep to their infectious tunes. Yeah they've got some Mercury Prize and Grammy Awards, and yeah their fifth album has received critical acclaim, triple j love to play them and they've been in the top 20s charts for ages now. But we know what you're interested in — can you dance to their stuff? Hell yeah. As The Independent says, their shows are all about "blinding lights pulse at disorientating speed in time with a fierce percussive onslaught." Yes – be afraid. But in a good way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=zd_JW73R1Wk
Somewhere, between the heady romantic drama of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise trilogy and the good-natured bawdiness of the American Pie franchise, sit the films of Cédric Klapisch. Released in 2002, Spanish Apartment first introduced us to Xavier Rousseau (Romain Duris), a French university student on exchange in Barcelona. Four years later, Russian Dolls picked up with Xavier again, as he continued to search for love and direction in an increasingly complicated world. Chinese Puzzle turns the series into a trilogy, although Klapisch ensures the story is more or less accessible to newcomers. Now an author at the tail-end of his 30s, Xavier is marginally more mature than the last time we saw him, although no more lucky in the romance department. As a matter of fact, the film begins just in time for us to witness his marriage, to Englishwoman Wendy (Kelly Reilly), fall apart. When she takes their kids to live in Manhattan, Xavier decides to cross the Atlantic as well, crashing with his old friend Isabelle (Cécile de France) and her new girlfriend, Ju (Sandrine Holt), until he can find accommodation of his own. As with the previous films, Klapisch keeps the tone buoyant, livening Xavier's voiceover musings — on life, love, family, ageing and the cultural stewpot in which all of us are ingredients — with plenty of visual whimsy. Xavier's hunt for an apartment unfolds through a montage of Google Map graphics, even as the ghosts of German philosophers pop by to offer him relationship advice. French DJs Loik Dury and Christopher Mink aka Kraked Unit provide the score, a joyously infectious mix of jazz, hip hop and soul. For all its entertaining energy, Chinese Puzzle can feel rather messy. The film's multitudinous story threads — including a green-card marriage scheme, sperm donation and Xavier's lingering affection for his old girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) — frequently get tangled up, or are left idle for long stretches of time. Meanwhile, at least one major subplot, involving Isabelle's attractive babysitter (Flore Bonaventura), gets no resolution at all. Then again, perhaps the film's lack of direct drive is a reflection of its protagonist's headspace. Xavier is by no means perfect, but he has only the best intentions and is difficult not to root for. Likewise, Chinese Puzzle is so breezy and charming that it's easy to overlook its faults. https://youtube.com/watch?v=M2a8vuQABd8
In 1998, a bunch of musicians got together with a plan to give the Sydney live music scene a sorely needed boost. The emergent collective, Jazzgroove, is now one of the city’s most important organisers, supporters and promoters of independent artists. Over the past fifteen years Jazzgroove has presented live improvised music on a weekly basis, started a record label that now has 62 CDs under its belt and established the prestigious JARA Award. Twenty-two bands will be found jamming around Surry Hills next weekend as Jazzgroove hosts its fourth annual Summer Festival. There’ll be free concerts in Prince Alfred Park, a stunning opening night at Tom Mann Theatre, ticketed gigs at 505 and the Gaelic Club (featuring the likes of Elana Stone and Tom O’Halloran) and jam sessions kicking off at midnight. Parents can grab themselves a break by dropping their kids off at the free workshops for juniors.
Ever wanted to build your own community? And no, I don't mean spending every waking hour on The Sims renovating your virtual dream house. This big idea, straight from TED2011, could empower humans everywhere with the essential tools to create civilisations, DIY-style. TED fellow Marcin Jakubowski has identified 50 machines critical to our modern way of life — everything from tractors to ovens to brick-making machines. Determined to re-design these machines to be modular, long-lasting and made of local recyclable materials, Jakubowski began Open Source Ecology, a project uniting a community of farmers, engineers and supporters hell-bent on developing an open-source 'Global Village Construction Set'. In essence, it's a suite of machines that are essential for setting up any civilisation. The best bit? Machinery is made up of interchangeable life-sized LEGO-like parts, and has the potential to democratise industrial production and enhance supply chains to be more environmentally sustainable. Jabukowski says the Global Village Construction Set "lowers the barriers to entry into farming, building, and manufacturing and can be seen as a life-size lego-like set of modular tools that can create entire economies." https://youtube.com/watch?v=CD1EWGQDUTQ [Via GOOD]
An immersive theatrical journey for the senses will take over the iconic Hotel Palisade this winter. From August 25–28, A Journey Most Unusual invites curious adventurers to travel through a world that combines fantasy and reality as it tells the peculiar tale of Hendrick's Gin. In partnership with theatrical collective Broad Encounters, this first-of-its-kind production will see commanding figures, including the mysterious Mr Foggerty, scent seller and aromachologist Madame Ruby and the dark-yet-playful underworld seductress Siren guide guests through six theatrically designed spaces that will awaken each of the five senses through song, art, dance, music and tantalising Hendrick's Gin cocktails. Guests will play an interactive role as they move through each world, which will unveil the masterful craft behind the much-loved gin. [caption id="attachment_859862" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] All of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Broad Encounters via Australian Cultural Funding, helping to facilitate the independent company's future works. A Journey Most Unusual takes place at Hotel Palisade on August 25–28. For more info and to buy tickets, head to the website. Images: Anna Kucera
Vertical Villages is the latest program to come out of Hay Street's 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. It's an artist-led project from Indonesian collective ruangrupa ArtLab and Australia's Keg de Souza. Upon learning that more than 35,000 international students enrol in Sydney tertiary institutions each year, the duo began the initiative as a means of collaborating with and investigating the interpersonal and communal experience of temporary migrants. And as part of Vertical Villages, 4A has invited local international students to host a series of public programs entitled House Party (aw, yeah). The whole affair kicks off 6pm, 5 September, with the launch of Vertical Villages and House Party with DJ Geo Asasi and runs until late October with a range of other events. Image: ruangrupa ArtLab and Keg de Souza, Vertical Villages (installation view), 2013, mixed media, commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Art. Image courtesy 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and the artists.
Like an artsy Australian answer to an episode of Skins, Galore probes the tumultuous love lives of a group of reckless teens. Set in the fire-prone outer suburbs of Canberra, the film opens with Billie (Ashleigh Cummings) and Danny (Toby Wallace) lying naked in the sunlight. As they whisper sweet nothings into one another's ears, viewers may find themselves drawn back to their own breathless adolescence — to long, passionate summers and the dramas that inevitably catch aflame. And there's drama aplenty in writer-director Rhys Graham's script. Just as our hearts are set aflutter by the prospect of young love, it's revealed that Danny is actually the boyfriend of Laura (Lily Sullivan), Billie's life-long best friend. But even as Billie struggles with her betrayal, Laura finds herself drawn to Isaac (impressive newcomer Aliki Matangi), a troubled Pacific Islander trying to turn his life around. While Graham may be a first-time feature director, he has no shortage of local talent at his back. In addition to the wonderfully naturalistic young cast, of particular note is cinematographer Stefan Duscio, who captures the sun-soaked landscape beautifully. Galore is showing exclusively at Dendy Newtown (NSW), Palace Electric (ACT) and Cinema Nova (Vic) from June 19, but we're offering competition winners the chance to see it with a friend at an exclusive preview screening on Wednesday, June 11, at 6.30pm at Dendy Newtown (261-263 King Street, Newtown). To enter, click here.
For those of you who want to feel luxe but have limited funds, Neil Perry has you covered. Sort of. He's got you covered in a classic I-just-sold-my-restaurant-empire-for-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-and-am-going-casual kind of way — he's rolling out a bar menu at his fine dining establishment Eleven Bridge. In case you missed it, Eleven Bridge is the new, more 'casual' iteration of Rockpool est. 1989. Perry changed the concept last year (before selling his other restaurants to UPG), although we found that it was still very much fine dining in all its glory. But the addition of a bar menu means that Eleven Bridge is no longer just three-course, white tablecloth, $200+ territory — from this week, you'll be able to drop in for a drink and a bar snack. Executive chef Phil Wood's new menu is an excellent opportunity to try Eleven Bridge's fried chicken ($30 for five pieces), perhaps matched with a gin, elderflower and basil cocktail. Or how about some Sterling caviar with blinis ($50 per ten grams), or honey and spelt bread with kombu butter and ricotta ($6) — that's the Neil Perry version of coming home drunk and half-cooking a Coles-brand garlic bread loaf. The steam bun sangas (see, casual), come in flavours like sweet pork and kimchi ($25) or 'hot and numbing chicken' ($24). What exactly is a 'hot and numbing' chicken steam bun sanga? It would be gauche to ask, just order it and see. And what casual bar menu would be complete without a baked crab stuffed with milk and salted duck egg for a whopping $47? No bar menu would be, hence the surging trend of milk-and-duck-egg-stuffed crabs at dive bars. Jokes aside, this bar menu sounds divine. Read our Eleven Bridge review.
