Texan rockers The Black Angels are bringing their psychedelic music Down Under, fresh off the back of releasing their fourth album, Indigo Meadow. The band that was instrumental in raising the profile of the genre along with heavyweights such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were here for Harvest Festival last year, and their fans have demanded a solo show, a cry The Black Angels somehow heard over their pulsating guitars and driving drums. The Velvet Underground-inspired band will be gracing The Enmore on June 15 with their cathartic style and will be supported by Australian rockers The Laurels and Zeahorse. If you are unfamiliar with the band, then take a listen to their most recent single, 'Don’t Play with Guns', which encapsulates their sound. It will be a kaleidoscopic evening that harks back to the much-hyped sound of a decade ago.
In Her's almost certainly near future, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly — a gentle, retiring man who works at BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com penning heartfelt correspondence between people he's never met. In his personal life, his wife (Rooney Mara) has left him and now communicates exclusively via their lawyers. In short, nobody really talks anymore. Then one day he buys and installs a new operating system called 'OS1' — an artificially intelligent construct that names herself, or rather itself, 'Samantha' (voiced to perfection by Scarlett Johansson). At first Samantha simply streamlines Theodore's life, triaging his emails and encouraging him to get out more, but gradually, as she evolves and learns more from their interactions, they begin to fall in love. It seems ridiculous, yes, but thanks to Spike Jonze's masterful script and direction, it never really feels it, and that's what makes HER the first must-see film of 2014. it is a beautiful, imaginative and provocative offering by Jonze that asks some fascinating questions about the direction love is taking in the technological age. Her is in cinemas on January 16, and thanks to Sony Pictures, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=1awGTPsEmiU
Sydney's last bastion of the super club scene has been through a number of changes in recent years, including a brief flirtation with live indie music. Homeless is their latest offering, treading new ground for the venue and for the Sydney scene. Cleverly catering to the new, educated, left-inclined crowd but with the weight to pull big names, this could finally be an authentic alternative to Subbies. With Lucas Abela AKA Justice Yeldham at the controls, it's no surprise that the debut features such luminaries as No Moa Duramma, a side project of two members of experimental Japanese act the Boredoms, and Zach Hill, a member of Hella who also collaborates with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof, Kid 606 and members of Mars Volta (amongst others). A line up like this one entirely justifies venturing out on a school night.
The warmer months are prime time for weekend markets, with Watsons Bay Summer Market offering a more scenic backdrop to enjoy the sun than most. Held at Robertson Park on Sunday, February 9, you're invited to explore over 150 stalls with Sydney Harbour stretching into the distance. Expect incredible cuisine, fascinating shopping and all-round good times. Food is an undeniable highlight, with an eclectic mix of international cuisine ensuring you can load up on beloved flavours from around the globe. Get down for a Turkish gozleme, a Spanish paella, Vietnamese street food or stacked American barbecue goodness. Don't worry, desserts haven't been overlooked, with Dutch pancakes, Portuguese tarts and handmade gelato just some sweet delights on offer. Between bites to eat, roam a curated collection of local artisans specialising in handcrafted jewellery, designer homewares and sustainable fashion. There's every chance you find the perfect trinket to display at home or an adorable toy to gift your pet. For the kids, there are also a multitude of activities to keep them occupied, from face-painting and sand art to bubble blowing and carnival rides. "Markets like this provide a chance to shop differently – to meet the people behind the products, discover handmade items, and enjoy a relaxed, community vibe," says Madelienne Anderson, founder of Cambridge Markets. "It's all about enjoying the best of Sydney in a way that's fun and meaningful." Images: Jessica Nash.
The call to public action and its shadow, the docile mass of those who will not take part, echo daily in many regions and for many causes across the world. Drawing from these phenomena, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art stages this weekend a continuous 48-hour exhibition of performance art and live actions from Australia, Asia and the Pacific. As a culmination of the five-month long Mass Group Incident curatorial program, 48 Hour Incident features works that the artists have created specifically for 4A. The over-arching context for this exhibition is, as offered by curators Pedro de Almeida, Toby Chapman and Aaron Seeto, "how ephemeral, interdisciplinary and performative artforms embody real social conditions or frictions". Artists participating in the exhibition include Brown Council's Frances Barrett, visual artist BLAK DOUGLAS, body-centred performance artist Latai Taumoepeau, installation artist JD Reforma, and artist-composer Samson Young. Across all of their disciplines, these and other artists point at the power of the individual to spark up a movement.
The Murray River flows right through the heart of Tocumwal, and 24 riverside beaches within close proximity to town ensure you can make the most of every sunny day. With this stretch of Australia's longest river lined with shady red gums and native bushland, there's a quiet patch of shoreline with your name on it. Right near Tocumwal Beach, Apex Beach is the perfect spot for swimming, kayaking and camping. Image: Visit Victoria
This inspired, elegant and artistic florist has been putting together beautiful bouquets and arrangements for more than 20 years. Flower arrangements are divided into categories including sculptural (think eye-catching arrangements with unique flower and color combinations); elegant (classic flowers that are perfect for anniversaries); and preserved (like bone white, dried-out hydrangeas). It also has an extensive range of indoor and outdoor palms and figs, plus potted orchids, which are perfect as a keepsake gift for the home. Image: Arvin Prem Kumar
Would you like the good news or the bad news? The bad news is that the deadline for creative types to enter their work into Lightbulb Lounge Room’s next exhibition has passed. But the good news (and who doesn’t like saving the best for last?) is that they’re opening their doors to the public once again come January 18. Hunt or be Hunted, the title of the North Bondi gallery’s second monthly collaborative exhibition, invited aspiring canvas-based painters, typographers, photographers, designers and illustrators to submit their work for display. Asked to center those works on the exhibition’s title, participants have created either literal interpretations — we’re thinking Robin Hood-inspired works, a hero gallivanting through the woods, that type of thing — or slightly more abstract ones. A pretty encouraging initiative, no? We think it’s wonderful. Even better, all contributing artists/designers are given the opportunity to eventually produce their own solo show at Lightbulb Lounge Room. And selected pieces work off a first come, first served basis so everybody is given a chance to go into the running. Image: Claire Perini
After the year we've had, some relaxation time is just what we all need. And while putting on a face mask or body scrub is a great way unwind, a good skin care routine — with natural, locally sourced and cruelty-free skincare products — can often be hard to come across or too expensive. Body Blendz is an Australian owned skincare company that produces vegan skincare products that are not tested on animals — and it's offering a huge discount on its whole range this week. Its selection of face masks and body scrubs are designed to improve circulation and reduce inflammation and blemishes on your skin. The brand's best seller is its range of coffee scrubs designed for full-body exfoliation. The coffee scrubs come in four varieties: coco luxe, sugar glow, coffee buff and vanilla blush. Up until Tuesday, December 29, you can pick up 30 percent off everything on the Body Blendz store. Just head online, select what you want and then enter the discount code 'END2020' at the checkout to receive the discount. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
"This interactive waterfall swing won’t make you wish you’re a kid again, it will make you forget you’re an adult,” wrote Techly earlier this year, after Dash 7 Design's Waterfall Swing made waves in Rockefeller Plaza and across the US and Europe. And we wouldn't be Concrete Playground if we didn't get a bit excited by a souped-up piece of play equipment in the middle of the city. Waterfall Swing sends you flying towards a curtain of water that, thanks to the work of sensors, parts just before you hit it. Magic.
Architecture in Helsinki are back, and set to make the folk at the Sydney Opera House dance through their shoes in their first headline tour in three years. To celebrate the release of their fourth album Moment Bends, the band who are renowned for live shows bursting with energy and sweaty fun are coming to Sydney to play exclusively as part of the lineup for Vivid Live. Architecture In Helsinki burst straight out of art school around a decade ago, with albums positively tingling with amazing indie pop songs and a slew of videos featuring trampolines, capes and creepy fluorescent puppets dancing around their necks. They've gone on to become one of Australia's most loved and internationally acclaimed acts, playing national and international tours alongside such luminaries as David Byrne, Belle & Sebastian and Yo La Tengo. Their new album develops the kind of ecstatic pop that makes you want to dance in a cloud of glitter, but with the kind of sophisticated touch that comes from many years of being one of Australia's most acclaimed and innovative bands. But at the end of the day, and most importantly, Architecture In Helsinki make you want to dance. So get your fluoro shirt out, stick something weird in your hair and get yourself a ticket while you can. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IxjcszKEcHE
Vivid Creative Sydney is all lined up for another year of spreading creative energy and inspiring the city. Presented as part of the Vivid Festival, Creative Sydney will see over 50 global and local creative leaders coming together to explore the power of creative industries to transform society. This year Creative Sydney is expanding to include more free sessions and for the first time a presence at the Sydney Opera House, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art. The program includes short and snappy show and tell presentations, in depth conversation sessions on education, innovation and technology, and creative futures, where artists and entrepreneurs present their vision of the ideas that will shape society in the future. As well as an awesome line-up of speakers, there will also be a range of live music showcases, debates, film screenings, parties and social events. Key speakers include Matthew Stinchcomb, EU director of Etsy, and will mark Etsy's first official engagement with their third largest market, and Fabian Rigall, founder of Future Shorts and Secret Cinema. Also lined up are Murray Bell and Andrew Johnstone, the founders of the internationally successful Semi-Permanent conferences, swimwear brand We Are Handsome and Ben Briand, winner of the Cannes Young Director Award and Best Narrative Video at the 2010 Vimeo Awards. And that's only the beginning. Update: Whilst most sessions have now sold out, some more tickets to Creative Futures sessions will be available from 9am on Friday, May 27 via the Creative Sydney website.
Art Posters: Big Fag Learning to run the Big Fag Press took time. About four years in, they got a commission from the MCA for the cover of the exhibition book Avoiding Myth and Message. They still had their printing press stored in Alexandria, rather than their current Firstdraft-run digs in Woolloomooloo, when they were still learning their craft. According to Big Fag member Lucas Ihlein, when they presented the cover to the printer doing the book's pages he was "just aghast. He was like That's just the worst I've ever seen. And then he said Don't worry, we'll reprint them for you." He seemed to think that he was doing them a favour, but Ihlein thought otherwise. "I had a hunch at the time that, although I wasn't entirely satisfied, the MCA would be really pleased with it." And he was was right. The MCA loved what would ordinarily be seen as errors or mistakes. "In a period of time where even your Kmart catalogue is the most beautifully, clearly, crisply printed thing, perfect printing is no longer something to get excited about. What gets people excited is imperfect printing." The "Fag" in Big Fag is a F.A.G. offset proof press. ("Offset," here, means the plate and paper never touch, while "proof" means it can go from design to a real print quicker than some more complex machines.) The Big Fag Press — before it was formally called that — got its hands on this huge printing press for $50. As luck would have it, that original incarnation of the collective-to-be were living in an Alexandria warehouse big enough to house the thing. But it still cost them $1200 just to move it back home. The press is grey, four tonnes and occupies most of a room. It's a complex beast to run. According to Big Fag member Diego Bonetto, you have to take into account "air humidity, consistency of the paper, some inks react differently than others, fresher than others. So there's lots of variables that need to be taken into account. To master all of that, you need to have worked in the industry 40 years." Given the complexities involved in running the press, it's surprising how much access Big Fag gives artists to the machine. Unlike the Rizzeria, it's Big Fag members who actually run the machine. But visiting artists are still deeply involved at every step of the process. Bonetto says it sets them apart. "We can allow artists to be part of the process, and engage with the whole process of printing. Which, in commercial terms, is something that is unthinkable." For an artist, using the press starts with an image. They bring in a high resolution image of their artwork (at least 300 dpi). Then, as each colour needs its own pass by the printer, the image needs to be separated out into its component colours. If the artist doesn't know how, Big Fag does it for them. The image then gets transferred to a special metal plate — one per colour — at a Marrackville print shop. With the plate made, you're ready to print. Printing is like a relay process. Ink goes from the rollers to the plate, the plate to a rubber "blanket", the "blanket" to the final piece of paper. To start, the ink is put on the top of the rollers, where it rolls down a cascade of rollers, being pressed flatter and flatter by the process until it finally reaches the rollers at the bottom, which presses the ink into rollers second from bottom. These will be the rollers that actually apply the ink onto the printing plate. The day we visited, Big Fag was printing a first green layer of a design by Lucas Ihlein and Ian Millis, so rollers and ink were all green. The rollers then move along the press to apply the ink to the printing plate. The plate has been washed with water first by the press. The plate is specially treated so that water will sit on most of the plate, but not the design. So, after the plate gets wet, and the inked-up rollers roll across, these oil-based inks won't stick to the wet parts. But they do stick to the design. So it's only the design that gets inked up. Also inside the massive moving top part of the press is "the blanket". This is the big rubber cylinder that does the final printing. Once the plate is inked-up, this cylinder rolls over it, picking up the design in ink, then laying it down on the actual paper that the artist wants to print on. It takes one pass per colour, and often multiple passes of each colour until the right amount of colour has been applied. The final result is usually an oversize poster (like this one, for example). Big Fag custom quotes for each job, so fees can vary to cover the cost of running the workshop, having a Big Fag member there to operate the press, paper, the metal plates and other sundry expenses. More detailed information can be found here. < Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next >
The Paper Mill is a relatively new gallery, studio and zine library specialising in emerging artists who work with paper, which seems almost retro in the current digital climate. Over the next few weeks, the gallery is playing host to a collection of four young and creative Sydney kids: Sean Batchelor, Del Lumanta, Isobel Parker Philip and Daryl Prondoso. Their work features photography, drawing and sculpture, all centering around the many meanings and associations you can make with the word 'incision' — entry points, cuts, meetings of the internal and external and sites of collapse. Like a murderer or a nervous anatomy student the idea is to expose things that are hidden and concealed under the flesh, literal and metaphorical. In their works the paper replaces the body on the operating table, and it's the material itself which becomes punctured, perforated and sliced apart — it's the paper, not the skin, which is wounded. Their world is one of jagged shapes and shadows, thin and unguarded as the paper itself.
The Gum Ball boasts that it is the best bush party around, a pretty big claim for any Australian music festival. The boutique music, arts and camping festival, now in its seventh year and held two and half hours north-west of Sydney in the Hunter Valley, prides itself on being family friendly and features a remarkably diverse line up of Australian acts. The festival stretches over one weekend at the end of April and features 22 acts. Headlined by Maori dub-step/reggae group KORA, the lineup is rounded out with acts as various as C.W Stoneking and his Primitive Horns, The Vasco Era, Lanie Lane, The Bamboos, Space Invadas and Papa Vs Pretty. The live music comes alongside onsite camping, market stalls, a silent disco, fancy dress competition and a children's mega playground. This year, The Gum Ball has teamed up with The Black Dog Institute, an Australian charity helping to fund research and raise awareness about depression and bipolar disorder. Anyone who makes a donation goes into the draw to win prizes including a four-berth camper van for five days over the festival.
Sydney style lovers are in for a treat, as the city is hosting the world's biggest exhibition of men's fashion. Running exclusively at the Powerhouse Museum from May 2 until October 14, the Reigning Men collection trips back through history, shining the spotlight on male style from 1715 through 2015. Co-presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the MAAS Centre for Fashion, the exhibition pulls together over 130 outfits, from 18th century aristocratic get-ups to more recent high-end creations from the world's most famed fashion houses. Get up close and personal with designs from the likes of Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford. Alongside the exhibition, there'll be a program of talks and special events, including May 2's panel conversation, Reigning Men: Pomp & Pragmatism. This one will dive deep into the background of LACMA's mind-blowing fashion collection and explore the curation of this landmark style exhibition. Image: Jeremy Scott for Adidas, 'Boots', spring/summer 2013, © Museum Associates/Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Celebrating four years of American-inspired diner nosh, Redfern's Eathouse Diner has introduced all-day dining, seven days a week. Previously only open for dinner sittings, the '50s-style eatery has announced three new different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and you can get amongst those ricotta fritters any time of day. The most exciting endeavour for the Redfern staple is the addition of an 8am - 3pm breakfast menu, meaning Inner West brunch just found itself a new teammate. Eathouse will be brewing up coffee from the Golden Cobra, serving free range eggs the way you like 'em with fresh sourdough toast from Brickfields Bakery. Serious attention needs to be paid to the sides — potato, kumera and bacon hash, Meredith chèvre, smashed broad beans, balsamic glazed mushrooms. Then there's those ricotta fritters with smoky tomato and red pepper sauce, or buttermilk waffles with caramelised banana and raw bush honey. All sounds pretty food coma-inducing. But they're open all day, so we're staying for a second look at the lunch menu. Running 11am - 5pm you can grab a toasted sambo (check the chalkboard for fillings of the day), fresh salads, those ricotta fritters or a casual Wednesday duck liver and pistachio pate lunch (usually only available for fancy dinners). Dinnertime at Eathouse is always a rich escapade, they've kept some old polenta-lovin', southern-style spatchcock favourites and added some new kids on the block (changing seasonally, as always). They're open until late every day but Sunday, so there's plenty of time to make your way through the mains to dessert — an unmissable affair at Eathouse. The new Eathouse Diner has been relaunched and reopened as of Wednesday, July 30. Here's the new trading hours: Monday-Saturday Breakfast menu from 8am – 3pm Lunch menu from 11am – 5pm Dinner menu from 5pm – close Sunday Breakfast menu from 9am – 3pm Lunch menu from 11am – 3pm Check out the (adorably Flash-animated) website for the new menu.
I am forever trying to convince some cynic there is art in fashion: that a runway show is a walking exhibition; that designers make endless, self-reflexive statements on the meaning of the body; that street fashion is innate expression. But I concede there is no art in Fashion Weekend — unless you count the art of the arc my arm will make when I slap that scrag who's gone and grabbed the delicate Fleur Wood bolero that is rightfully mine. Ahem. Fashion Weekend is perhaps the biggest sale you'll see this side of Boxing Day, and certainly the one boasting the most genuinely desirable finds. It features plenty of old- and new-season stock from a wide range of Australian designers, including Ginger & Smart, Camilla, Shakuhachi, Marnie Skillings, Rodeo Show, Milk & Honey, Peep Toe, Life with Bird, Bracewell, the Cassette Society, the Grand Social and many, many more. The organisers have promised to replenish stocks as the (long — starting Thursday) weekend goes on, but opening night is worth a look-in for the promised "extra special finds", free glass of wine and touch of glamour. If you want more than a brush with the clothes racks and a seat at the bar, a gold ticket will get you into the frequent catwalk shows, and a platinum ticket will put you in the front rows. A fashion clinic hosted by Shop Til You Drop mag editors, $10 blowdries in the Tony&Guy style bar, a $20 personal stylist, makeovers in the Napoleon Perdis makeup bar and a wine bar will also feature. You can't have art all the time.
No one does inner turmoil and domestic horror quite like the Japanese. It seems so many of their artists have found that magical space between buttoned-up manners and social graces and unbound anger, anxiety and fear. The secret seems to lie in restrained contradiction. In a major solo show at the MCA, Mekurumeku, Japanese artist Tabaimo has managed to strike this eerie balance perfectly, presenting a body of work spanning just over a decade. The exhibition of six video installations moves from early work to two brand new commissions, and it’s a satisfying progression. Where the early work recalls traditional Edo-period woodcuts in its aesthetic — intricate and rigid line work, rich vivid colours and frequently depictions of everyday life — later work displays a sparser, more monochromatic and restrained eye. Across all, the modern and traditional sit uneasily side-by-side. Despite a visible progression between her work of the early 2000s and today, there are a lot of recurring motifs in Tabaimo’s painstaking videos, each of which is hand-drawn and takes up to a year to produce. There is a sense of quiet menace, a disconnect between our interior and public lives, constantly shifting perspective and repeated visual cues — tentacles, water, disembodied or metamorphic limbs and hands all recur. Itching is another recurring feature, an artistic representation of a real-life affliction; Tabaimo has long suffered a painful and persistent dermatitis. There is a lot to be gleaned from Mekuremeku, and a lot to like. It’s surreal visual language is both metaphoric — of contemporary Japanese life, of our submerged interior lives, of the terror that waits in the home — and aesthetically sublime. The images themselves, their soundtracks and environments all combine to immerse audiences in a giddy world where your footing is never sure. Walls curve, inside becomes out, and subaquatic noises bleed from one work to the next. Ten points for install. Mekuremeku is a good move by the MCA. Coming off the back of the behemoth Biennale, it’s refreshing to see the space devoted to a singular and logical solo show, especially of an artist from the Asia-Pacific. Tabaimo’s work is accessible and appealing without losing its aesthetic or conceptual value, and it strikes me as a show that will hold up under repeat visits. The best show from a Japanese artist at the MCA this year *winky face*.
With his Edward Scissorhands hair and big staring eyes enlarged with his wife's eyeliner, Tim Minchin has made a name for himself as Australia's most ridiculously talented comedian and musician. In what seems like a surprising, but genius, move, he's taking to the road again, but this time he's bringing a 55-piece orchestra with him. Tim Minchin's most well-known songs include the 'Peace Anthem For Palestine,' which implores "if you don't eat pigs and we don't eat pigs why not not eat pigs together," 'Inflatable You,' about a man's love for his inflatable, anatomically correct lady friend, and 'If You Really Loved Me,' which outlines the reasons why real love is letting someone videotape you while you pee. The Sydney Symphony, on the other hand, is generally associated with more civilized fare, and seen by most of us at the free events they put on in the Domain during the summer. So surely, the combination of the two has to be a glorious thing. The show will combine new material that Minchin has specifically written with his orchestra in mind, as well as his more familiar songs. Tickets have been selling fast, and while the Opera House has added some extra dates it's probably a good idea to get in while you can for what will surely be an awesomely funny show. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZGzhutyOMSk
In a land where medieval magicks matter-of-factly smush with select modern technology and Amelia Earhart marks the gap in space-time by voyaging fatefully overhead throughout, a young girl rallies a village to slaughter a beast. They corner it in the forest, tear its young from the womb and feast on its flesh. Unbeknown to them, one orphaned youngster escapes down the canals to mature into bitter, lonely, vengeful adolescence at the bottom of the sea. It believes it's misunderstood and alone, but there may be someone unexpected out there yet who empathises with its plight. In the village, a curse has turned the waters septic, driven the chickens to eat their own eggs and brought misery to all, and all blame Emmeline, the now-outcast girl who slew the monster and turned the tides towards misfortune. There's whimsy, and then there's Nick Coyle. The Pig Island player, Some Film Museums I Have Known hologram and Rommy scribe, so breezily wanders into the bizarre to bring out gems of startling poignancy that he must be a native of that otherworld. This is his smallest of shows — it's just him telling you a story for an hour with fun voices and few props — but it's a great tale and a precious hour. Go on a school night and it'll be the best bedtime story you've had.
Do not rush to judge this blasphemous heathen, good believers; the last person to lie claim to being bigger than Jesus was John Lennon, and, well, he had a point. Bigger Than Jesus is a self-labelled 'multimedia mass' that uses one man and a high-tech toolbox to explore the role religion plays in our lives. Devised by performer Rick Miller and director Daniel Brooks, it is funny while thoughtful, challenging without giving total offence, and even has an eye on stirring interfaith dialogue, having already been performed in five countries and four languages. (You can catch two of these additional languages, French and German, during the Sydney Festival.) Regardless of the traditionally not-suitable-for-convivial-dinner material, you can trust Miller to keep the evening fun. Last seen here in MacHomer, the theatrical marriage of Shakespeare and The Simpsons, he has a singular talent for slipping from character to character and creating a high-octane atmosphere on an otherwise unpeopled stage. This time around, he'll be a sceptical New York Jew, a southern evangelist and, of course, Jesus Christ himself, while a supporting cast of action figures will come to his aid to re-create the Last Supper.
A world-weary aunt cautions her young niece on the power and misuse of her currently profligate shows of affection. A young man letting off steam on a tropical Darwin night holds his best friend's life in his hands. A nobleman's polite courtship of a maiden is upset when a bold ruffian swings through the doors and sweeps her into his arms. A quiet and round-shouldered Russian soldier discovers a world of obsessive fantasy after experiencing his first, accidental moment of intimacy with a woman. Each of these is a short story with the title of The Kiss, written by Guy de Maupassant in 1882, Kate Chopin in 1894, Anton Chekov in 1887 or Peter Goldsworthy in 1999. With its sweet, flirtatious and emotionally charged connotations, the kiss is a subject that can pull a theatre audience close for hours, and Belvoir's The Kiss does for more than two. Director Susanna Dowling has preserved the pieces' original prose, which the performers recite verbatim as they take on its characters (sometimes, with intended farce, more than one in each scene) or stand back as detached narrators. The approach allows the poetry and distinct styles of the four writers to be observed, making this a celebration of authorial idiosyncrasy and bringing a spark that helps sustain the performance. If anything, the reading is a little too flat, with none of the flights of irony or licences with subtext that so distinguish I Only Came to Use the Phone, a concurrent production using the same rare tack. It's also not an ideal curation; you're looking for meaning in the divergences of these texts and their interpretations, but three of the four bear a similar tone and setting (late 19th-century parlour comedy), while Goldsworthy's is wildly different (modern rural Australian drama). Still, the four actors (Catherine Davies, Rita Kalnejais, Yalin Ozucelik and Steve Rodgers) put in strong performances imbibed with their own charms, and although you do start to feel its two-plus hours of narration, this is consistently fun to watch.
Vivid LIVE, the 10-day musical extravaganza that sits under the Vivid Sydney umbrella, is back from from May 25 to June 11 in 2012. Beginning in 2009, each successive instalment of Vivid has seen the sails of the Opera House lit up like a psychadelic rainbow and one super-special person or two curating the festival's musical component. Past curators have included Brian Eno, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and Stephen Pavlovic. This year, however, the idea of musical curator has been done away with, and in 2012 Vivid LIVE will be overseen by Fergus Linehan, head of contemporary music at the Sydney Opera House for the past two years. This year's Vivid LIVE will showcase a specially commissioned new work from Sufjan Stevens (pictured), Bryce Denner of The National and Nico Muhly, a composer who's worked with the likes of Bjork, Grizzly Bear and Anthony & The Johnsons. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will perform her 'psycho opera' Stop the Virgens with Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandmates, while Florence and the Machine, The Temper Trap, Janelle Monae and Amon Tobin also grace the House. There'll be a special night for the pop and progressive Modular people and a screening of the LCD Soundsystem doco, Shut Up and Play the Hits, in conjunction with the Sydney Film Festival. See our picks for Vivid Light and Vivid Ideas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=miCbEZt5-18
China sometimes feels a lot further away than geography implies — which makes visiting the White Rabbit a voyage of discovery and viewing its artworks a decoding of foreign communiques. Gallery owners Kerr and Judith Nielson, billionaires who believe art is for sharing, collect Chinese art post-2000 — an era of renaissance without contemporary peer. The Beijing they showcase is full of creatives with immaculate technical training, abundant resources and plenty to say. The Nielsons' handpicked treasures have broad appeal. From the grit and clarity of Wang Jiuliang's Beijing Besieged By Waste photo series, depicting landfills whose effects aren't buried, to the bright neosurrealism of Chen Fei's Beyond Satisfaction 2006 No.2, a stab at the consumer revolution, and He Jia's party of Happy Balloon Men (much like what they sound), the works represent an extraordinary range. They share no one theme, besides their having once called out to their collector, but you'll be struck again and again by the reflections on daily life and identity, the pop culture imagery, the sense of play and the purpose behind even the most abstracted forms. It's art that grabs you and that makes you want to grab it, art that makes you understand the omnipresence of the 'no touching' signs. (Although hover inquisitively and the nice attendant may offer you a feel of a sample of one of Ai Weiwei's individually handcrafted porcelain Sunflower Seeds from a pot beside the 500-kilogram installation.) The third of White Rabbit's six-month-long exhibitions, Big Bang goes to show that its owners' collection, and the creative engine that feeds it, will not idle anytime soon. The art isn't the only attraction, either; this is a slick converted warehouse space that makes the most of its four storeys, whether through the whirlwind of plastic refuse that reaches to the third landing (Wang Zhiyuan's Thrown to the Wind) or the musky, ethereal parchment man that, stretched out, snakes through the roof (Li Hongbo's Paper). The space also boasts a tearoom, a theatrette, some inspired events and generous staff who'll contextualise the work you're viewing without being pesky.
Anything set in the 1960s will draw the inevitable comparison with Mad Men, so let's get it done with in the first sentence: Made in Dagenham shares none of the glamour of that particular zeitgeist-definer, although it does have a charm all of its own. The movie charts the days when if you wanted to stay cool on the factory floor, you stripped down to your drawers, if you wanted to make an announcement, you stood on a chair, and if you wanted to get paid the same amount as a man, you faced derision. It's May 28, 1968, and Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins from Happy Go Lucky) is about to get pushed into the sexy, man's world of picketing, negotiating, speechifying and out-quoting Marx in the fight to get equal pay for Britain's women. It's all based on real events in which a group of female sewing machinists began a Ford factory-specific strike to be recognised as skilled workers that turned into a nationwide fight to pass legislation guaranteeing equal pay for equal work. Within a few years, similar laws were being made around the world. To get to that point, Rita and her friends have to outmanoeuvre the Ford bosses (including The West Wing's Richard Schiff) and some easily bought union leaders and get financially strained male and female workers on their side. Fortunately, Rita finds allies across both gender (Bob Hoskins' Albert, her union mentor) and class (Rosamund Pike's Lisa, the privileged but trapped wife of a Ford manager) and potentially in Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson). Nigel Cole's picture captures the drab honesty of British working-class life in the tradition of Monty Python, although it's nicely pastel-rendered and floral-printed to allow for plenty of nostalgia, comedy and some well-played sentimentality. The movie has a great cast of characters (and actors to fill them) and contains touching moments of solidarity that will leave you longing to stand shoulder to shoulder with something. It's a subject worth documenting and a document worth watching. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Nc20m1JoDsw
If you haven’t been to a famed Pecha Kucha Night yet — title from the Japanese for ‘chitchat’ — Saturday night is your night. Saturday we are Pecha Kucha-ing not just for the symbiotic development of ideas and love-in of aesthetic wonderment, but also for Haiti. You’ve heard it said time and again that what the earthquake-levelled country needs now is money. Even in the midst of uselessness, creepy child-grabbers, and post D–Day horror stories that rob you of naiveté, money still helps. Pecha Kucha’s goal is US$1 million to go to Architecture for Humanity and their efforts to rebuild schools, hospitals, public buildings, and homes. To raise awareness of the ongoing disaster, this adrenalised slide night (featuring presentations by various artists and thought-provokers of 20 images each lasting 20 seconds) is going global. For the first time, all participating cities will join in on the same day, and organisers plan for them to “be connected by a 24-hour PechaKucha presentation WAVE that will gradually move westward city by city, circumnavigating the globe.” Many presentations will directly address the themes of disaster relief; others will be more tangential. It should be Pecha Kucha’s finest night yet.
Shake up your Sunday routine with a bushwalk around Georges Heights in Mosman, from Chowder Bay through the former military barracks and on to Obelisk Beach. Along the way, stop off at Georges Heights Lookout for sweeping views of Sydney from Manly to Vaucluse to the CBD. This is also the site of a former WWI military lookout and hospital, so you'll be able to explore the remaining historic structures. Continue along the path and head up to Frenchy's Cafe to refuel with some French-Aussie fare like quiche and goat's cheese salad. Finish your trek at the nearby Obelisk Beach — one of the only legal nude beaches in the city — for some swimming and sunning. Despite its cult status, this secluded spot is usually rather tranquil, so it's the ideal spot for a post-walk skinny dip with more stunning views over Sydney Harbour. By Yelena Bidé and Quinn Connors.
If there was ever a snack deserving of its own festival, it's surely that most moreish of morsels, the chicken nugget. The craft beer legends at 4 Pines clearly agree, as the brewery's HQ in the Northern Beaches suburb of Brookvale is hosting a free-entry celebration of the humble nuggie in all its glorious forms on Saturday, May 25. From midday onwards, fans of bite-sized chook can get their fill courtesy of a nugget-inspired menu, including nugget tacos, nugget gyros, Impossible plant-based nuggets and nugget-fried chicken burgers. There will also be a dedicated hot sauce station so festivalgoers can pimp their feed with their choice of five spice-laden dips, including the infamous Reaper Dripper. In fact, hot sauce will play the nugget's trusty sidekick throughout the day, as TikTok-famous foodie Issac Eatsalot teams up with the chilli heads at That Hot Sauce Shop to put a nugget-shaped spin on the popular YouTube show The Hot Ones. With dishes creeping up the Scoville scale from tingling to torturous, expect to see Eatsalot sobbing "what do you mean?" (à la Jennifer Lawrence) as he tests his mettle against five scorching dishes, each more fiery than the last. Reckon you could handle the heat? Prove it by heading to the That Hot Sauce Shop's pop-up stall, where an array of mouth-melting condiments will be available for purchase. Daring diners can also throw caution (and their tastebuds) to the wind with a game of Nugget Roulette, letting fate decide whether they chow down on a classic flavour or fall fowl (pun intended) of a chilli-spiked spice bomb. And because everyone knows it's impossible to stop at just one nugget, the fest's open-entry eating contest will challenge Sydney's hungriest nug lovers to scoff as many as they can in just ten minutes. The victor will receive a $200 4 Pines voucher, not to mention eternal glory. Entrants must pre-register to compete via the 4 Pines website. The day's festivities will be set to a pumping soundtrack with rolling DJ sets and live performances from 8pm by Sydney funk-rock trio and Triple J Unearthed artists Cosmix.
When Cake Wines Cellar Door closed down last month, it left a sizeable hole in Redfern's Eveleigh Street Creative Precinct. Thankfully, that gap has now been filled by another of the site's tenants, with Henry Lee's opening a new bar and restaurant. While the existing Henry Lee's cafe is still open for brunch and bites daily until 3pm, its sibling venue now serves up share plates and cocktails from 6pm from Thursday–Sunday. Thanks to a soft opening last week, it's already open and trading, with executive chef Antonio Saco (ex-Merivale) overseeing the kitchen. If you're keen on stopping by for a tipple, the three-page drinks list includes 26 vinos (complete with a couple of Cake Wines' tipples), a range of craft beer and ciders, a small selection of spirits and a ten-strong cocktail offering. It's the latter that's a highlight, especially the margarita with a black salt rim and the rhubarb-infused vodka and tonic. For folks having a few beverages with a friend, there's also an absinthe fountain. Food-wise, Saco's menu features both a cheese-heavy grazing board and a charcuterie board, as well as fresh Coffin Bay oysters served with mirin, lemongrass and sake salsa — or you can munch on garlic labneh with rosemary and olive crumb, raw tuna tostadas with avocado mousse, and three-mushroom ravioli with shaved truffles. As for the small dessert range, it includes a whiskey, hazelnut and macadamia crumble with orange sponge and caramel, plus a combination of lime yoghurt mousse, sweet vegetable coulis, raspberry sponge, meringue and mascarpone ice cream. Showcasing local and passionate producers continues to be one of Henry Lee's aims, so while you're tucking into all of the above, you'll be enjoying bread from Brickfields Bakery, brews from The Grifters Brewing Co and Moo Brew, and gin and vodka from Hartshorn. You'll also be soaking up the bar and restaurant's rustic atmosphere, with Atelier Andy Carson charged with making the most of the building's existing character. Think plenty of light, an undone feel, and the use of construction and industry materials. The venue also celebrates a rotating lineup of artists-in-residence, with Margie Doyle doing the honours first up and creating bespoke pieces for the site's launch. Down the track, Henry Lee's Bar & Dining will also join forces with its courtyard counterpart for boozy brunches, with other events also planned once the weather warms up. And if you fancy taking a few drinks home with you after dinner, the venue also has a hotel license, which means that all of its wines and beers are available to takeaway. Find Henry Lee's Bar & Dining at 16 Eveleigh Creative Precinct, Redfern — open from Thursday–Sunday from 6pm.
Turning your phone off during a movie is cinema etiquette 101. Not kicking the seat in front of you, or talking during the film, or taking in food with aromas so pungent they stink out the whole theatre — they're all on the list as well. Usually, so is wearing clothes; however, the returning Fantastic Film Festival Australia is making attire optional for one of its 2022 sessions. One of Australia's film fests dedicated to weird and wonderful cinema — a tranche of flicks so glorious that several events celebrate them — FFFA is back for another year, screening at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick from Thursday, April 21–Friday, May 6. It has just unveiled its full 2022 lineup, too, and its naked screening certainly deserves attention. The fest debuted the concept last year, and it's bringing it back this year. Even better: you'll be getting your kit off to mark the 25th anniversary of The Full Monty. Stripping off while seeing a classic movie about men stripping isn't the only highlight of this year's program, of course — and yes, if you want to see Robert Carlyle and company while remaining dressed, you can leave your hat on (and the rest of your clothing as well). The attire-optional session sits alongside other standouts such as opening night's viking epic The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Nicole Kidman, and directed by The Witch and The Lighthouse's Robert Eggers; closing night's New York Ninja, which was shot in 1984, only finished in 2021 and follows a vigilante tale; and a 4K restoration of the inimitable 1981 great Possession starring a young Sam Neill and always-wonderful Isabelle Adjani (The World Is Yours). In total, 22 features and eight shorts and special events sit on this lineup of strange, surreal, out-there and purposely offbeat flicks. We're All Going to the World's Fair arrives from Sundance, combining psychological horror with a coming-of-age story — and a storyline about an online roleplaying game — while French film After Blue is a sci-fi western fantasy about a mother and daughter tracking a killer in toxic forests. There's also indie animation Absolute Denial, which has been compared to Frankenstein but in a digital world; Agnes, which explores a case of demonic possession in a convent; Japan's Dreams on Fire, featuring acclaimed dancer Bambi Naka in her first lead role; Norwegian nightmare The Innocents, as directed by The Worst Person in the World co-writer Eskil Vogt; and The Timekeepers of Eternity, which is adapted from Stephen King novella The Langoliers.
We picked Steen in our top ten last year and he thoroughly deserves his spot on our list again. In the past year he has gained international fame, having been nominated for the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer award before returning home with his brand new show and getting nominated for MICF’s Barry Award. He’s likely to take out another Sydney Comedy Festival award to go with his 2013 Best Newcomer trophy, so make sure you catch him before he’s crushed by silverware. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
Love wine? Then, boy, have we got some good news. This November, you can score a bottle of vino for as little as $8.50 a pop — and we're talking about the good stuff, too. All you have to do is head to online wine-slinger Vinomofo to purchase it and it'll get delivered straight to your doorstep. The catch? You've only got a couple of days to nab it. For the uninitiated, Vinomofo is a Melbourne-based online wine retailer that caters to vino lovers around the world. So it's safe to say it knows what it's doing when it comes to grape juice. From noon on Tuesday, November 10 (AEDT) till midnight Thursday, November 12 (AEDT), Vinomofo is hosting a Click Frenzy Sale, selling more than 100 wines at affordable prices, so you can stock up for summer. Think picnic-perfect Provence rosé, rich Barossa shiraz for red lovers and Clare Valley riesling that makes for an ideal, crisp afternoon tipple — which you can score at up to 70 percent off. Shipping for all orders purchased in that time period will be free, too. Score epic wine deals via Vinomofo's Click Frenzy Sale — for a limited time only.
A fourth birthday celebration is usually populated with such delights as creaming soda, snakes and frogs, awkward family photos, at least one pair of skinned knees, and a Woman’s Day swimming pool cake. But we have a feeling that Oxford Art Factory will be in a decidedly more debaucherous mood for their Big Four. Since they opened their doors in 2008, the Oxford Art Factory has played host to a mess of memories - seeing the stage lit up with Neil Finn's Pajama Club, the first Falling Joys show in 15 years and a solo record launch from The Birthday Partys Mick Harvey, amongst others. And the Gallery Bar has had its walls brushed over with some incredible art more times than we can count. Entry is free on the night, with the drinks flowing freely until the last drop runs out (so you won’t have to chug a bottle of Passion Pop in the back alley beforehand). Then enjoy the massive lineup: Deep Sea Arcade, Step-Panther, Betty Airs, Peppercorn, Rockets, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mother & Son, The James Manson Blues Band and The Faults, plus Friday I’m In Love and OAF Gallery Bar DJs. Put on your prettiest and enjoy the revelry – and remember, pics or it didn’t happen.
Future Archaeology, opening just shy of November, is an exciting showcase of work from early and mid-career artists. Future Archaeology pinpoints moments of disruption, taking the somewhat antiquated discipline of archaeology and transforming it into a complex picture of social and political movements throughout Asia and the Middle East. The big themes driving this show are migration, cultural displacement and appropriation. Future Archaeology will present work from Léuli Eshraghi, Nathan Beard, Deanna Hitti, Abdullah M.I. Syed, Andy Mullen, and Claudia Nicholson. Each artist will grapple with a unique sociopolitical phenomenon, whether it is the widespread impact of deforestation in Central America of the fraught concept of masculinity in Pakistan. One of the aims of the exhibition is to rouse cross-cultural and transnational conversation. Image: Claudia Nicholson, Baby I Would Climb the Andes (2014).
The name might be staying the same, but change is afoot at Summer Hill's old flour mill in Sydney's inner west. In the 1920s, it was a hub of industry. In the 1950s, the towering silos became part of the skyline. By the time the space marks its centenary, it will have well and truly transformed into a residential and retail hub with its own foodie precinct. Currently under construction, stage two of the Flour Mill of Summer Hill will boast a village-like community space around a paved outdoor plaza filled with a curated mix of eating, dining and shopping options. Full details have yet to be revealed, but the project — to be housed in the Mungo Scott building — has just announced its first addition: natural food retailer The Farm Wholefoods, who'll be bringing their ethically sourced and ecologically sustainable food fare to a new organic cafe. Plus, with 14 buildings making up the development — which has been designed to repurpose as much of the existing industrial site as possible — they'll have plenty of company. As well as other restaurants, cafes and stores, the revamped space will feature 360 apartments (including some built into the wheat silos) and park areas, plus close proximity to Summer Hill's existing shops.
In a darkened room, points of light flicker across a screen. Abstract sound, like the lights, darts through the silence. The points of light gradually transform into streets, empty nighttime streets, which we move through in a constant stream of images. With the light from the screen, we can make out two figures in front of us, sitting in chairs at each end of the screen and looking firmly ahead of them. After a time, they speak. In turns, they tell us their stories. From the start, intertwined, they talk from the moment it happened and reach into the future, from the certainty of the disappearance into their uncertain future. The Disappearances Project speaks of the unexpected disappearances of loved ones from the words of those left behind. Video and performance both trace a carefully constructed narrative but one that is not immediately obvious to the watcher. Specific case references are there but deliberately blurred, switched. Genders, relations, locations change, heightening the sense of disorientation and confusion already present in the subject matter. Version One Point Zero's approach to the material, as we would expect, strikes right at the heart of the matter. The text has been assembled from more or less renowned cases, drawing on writings, case studies and interviews. The accumulation of stories spoken, combined with the relentlessly trawling visuals, builds into a dull ache with salient moments that take the observer by surprise. This is a departure from media treatment of such cases, a sensationalised 'whodunnit' style which assumes an outcome. Instead, this performance holds in focus those who remain in the unknowing, unresolved between. The ones who remain always wondering. It is a strangely moving production, delivering not quite what we initially want from it but perhaps something much more. Part of Performance Space's Uneasy Futures season, this is an exceptionally offering from one of Australia's most exciting theatre collectives. Being presented absolutely free (though remember to RSVP), it's hard to find a reason not to attend. Image: courtesy of Version One Point Zero
Thanks to a distinctive sound akin to acts like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and Joy Division Sydney indie-rockers Nantes have had a highly successful past year, with tonnes of gigs and a critically acclaimed debut EP. Now, with all that to boost them on, the band are back with a new single, Unsatisfy, and an accompanying east coast tour. The Satisfy The Unsatisfied Tour will see Nantes draw upon a wealth of gigging experience gained from supporting bands like Does It Offend You Yeah? and Manchester Orchestra to promote a track filled with dense rhythmic motives and their trademark , soaring choruses. Alongside Unsatisfy, Nantes will also be showcasing new material currently being recorded for their forthcoming debut album. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-_RXwT7jgGk
Ah, the annual festival of all things Italian — just when I thought I was out, they dragged me back in. Sunday, October 27 marks the day of celebration for the nation that brought us Julius Caesar, prosecco and Dario Argento. This year's incarnation of the street fair is a special one though, as it's celebrating 33 years of the exultation of Mediterranean multiculturalism. As per usual though, Norton Street will be lined with food vendors ranging from nonnas to professional culinary wizards. The big communal table will be back, and the Royal Hotel's verandah will be in full swing throughout the afternoon. There'll be entertainment, beverages, fashion and the Auto Festa, with as many Ferraris and Lambos as you can shake a cannoli at. Norton Street Italian Festa runs from 10am–5pm.
Spring is here and the Icebergs team want you to be aware of this fact sooner rather than later. So, Maurice Terzini and Giovanni Paradiso have yet again pulled their mighty hospo weights to bring you a fifth incarnation of Italo Dining and Disco Club. For one long, balmy evening on Thursday, October 13, Icebergs will be flooded with all things Italo in an event that's part-dinner, part-bar and part-disco. On the menu, you'll find Italian cocktails, like the Contratto Spritz, as well as a slew of street festival-style dishes. The two restaurateurs will combine the kitchens of four of their venues — Icebergs, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William Street. Meanwhile, the dance floor will be drawing inspiration from — you guessed it — Italo disco. International acts Mike Simonetti (who co-founded the label Italians do it Better)Stefano Pierozzi will be flying direct from NYC and Rome respectively to Bondi to keep you moving. After all, Terzini and Paradiso are old hands at this Italo thing, having previously delivered it at Grace Jones' Vivid pre- and post-show parties, Gourmet Traveller's awards, Warner Music's post-ARIA shindig and The Island's summer party. Tickets are $150 and include all food and drinks from 7pm until midnight.
A very unconventional coffee shop is coming to Newtown for two days at the end of March. Alternate milk brand Minor Figures will be opening a pop-up cafe where the patrons have to climb inside a carton to order a free latte. Across Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31, a Minor Figures Barista Oat M*lk carton will be set up in front of a two-level terrace house on King Street. Anyone who enters can climb up and poke their head out of the carton's nozzle where they'll be greeted by a barista serving up free oat lattes. Each coffee will be made using Sample Coffee's Pacemaker Espresso blend as well as Minor Figures Barista Oat, of course. The peculiar pop-up will be open 7am–3pm each day at 424 King Street, Newtown, directly across the road from Repressed Records and Maiz. If you get lost, just venture south down the bustling Inner West street and you should be able to spot the giant carton of oat milk.
Ever so slightly east of central Sydney, Darlinghurst blends the hustle and bustle of busy Sydney life with refined urban charm and the occasional flair of extravagance, making it a mecca for style, cuisine and culture. It's easy to spend a day getting lost wandering through the suburb, and it's even easier to indulge a little while you're doing it. From bars with funky natural wines and hard-to-find craft beers to vintage stores filled with preloved (but very luxe) designer gems, Darlinghurst is packed with ways to treat yourself — and perhaps a lucky mate, too, since its always more fun to splash out with someone by your side. We've teamed up with craft beer haven Bitter Phew to put together a list of top spots to go in the neighbourhood when you want to spend that hard-earned cash on something a little bit special.
As COVID-19 continues to affect daily life in Australia, a whole host of regular activities have come to a pause. For Melburnians, heading to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's home away from home at The Capitol for Melbourne Cinémathèque's weekly sessions is one such shuttered event, with screenings suspended for the time being — so ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque are going virtual. Available to movie buffs everywhere — not just in Melbourne — Virtual Cinémathèque will host weekly sessions from Wednesday, March 25. Cinephiles, folks looking for something to watch in self-isolation and everyone who has exhausted their Netflix queue can expect double bills showcasing both new and old movies, as linked by a common director, performer or theme. The folks at ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque will be on curation duty and, where possible, they'll be accompanying each week's lineup with introductions and further information about the films showing — just as Melbourne Cinémathèque usually does at its in-person events. They'll also do their best to pick flicks available on free and easily accessible platforms, so getting your movie fix won't cost you a cent. For details of what's on each week, keep an eye on ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque's social media channels. 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.
Modern Bondi is the epicentre of all the latest health-food trends, so the desire for fresh and minimal intervention produce is in high demand. This is why Nio and Tony's is legendary in the area — the neighbourhood store has provided the goods since 1976, growing from a humble fruit and veg stall into a famously family-run grocery on Campbell Parade. Right by the beach at North Bondi, you can affordably fill a picnic basket with its carefully selected produce and skip down to the water in mere minutes. Live your best life — the locals do every day.
After a funding dispute resulted in the cancellation of Corroboree Sydney, the fate of the Black Arts Market was up in the air. But, luckily, Carriageworks came to the rescue, and has given the Indigenous arts market a new home at their Eveleigh site this November. Featuring 55 stallholders and 93 Aboriginal artists from Australia's southeast region, the two-day market is a showcase of the cultural heritage of southeastern Aboriginal Australia. The market itself has been curated by former curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales Hetti Perkins, and Sydney-based Aboriginal multimedia artist Jonathan Jones. According to Perkins and Jones, the market "showcases artists who have transformed their traditional knowledge and skills into contemporary artworks and products of wonderful and inspiring diversity". It will feature 55 stallholders, including shell artist Esme Timbery (whose work earned her the inaugural Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize back in 2005), Aboriginal florist Flannel Billy, who will be creating native floral arrangements on-site, and Uncle Greg Simms, who'll demonstrate wood carving techniques. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and learn about southeast Australian Indigenous cultural practices, as well as purchase works, which will include homewares, ceramics, weavings and contemporary visual arts. Local Indigenous students from Alexandria Park Community School and Darlington Public School have also collaborated with established artists to create a Welcome to Country book and a collection of contemporary rugs called the Jarjums Collection, respectively. The Black Arts Market will take place at Carriageworks on November 12-13. For more information, visit carriageworks.com.au.
In the lead-up to Sydney's inevitable lockdown extension, the New South Wales and Federal Government announced new financial support packages to assist individuals and businesses impacted by the lockdown. The packages included assistance for individuals, small businesses and sole traders who have lost income, as well as renters struggling to pay their bills. While the financial support on offer is quite far-reaching, it can feel a little daunting deciphering if (and where) you fit into it all. So, here's an easy-to-read overview of all the support on offer across NSW and Greater Sydney if you've been financially impacted by the latest lockdown. EMPLOYEES Individuals can apply for COVID-19 Disaster Payments through the Services Australia website as of Wednesday, July 13. The joint plan between the federal and state government means individuals who have lost between eight and 20 hours of work due to stay-home orders can access recurring payments of $375 a week from July 15 for parts of Sydney, and July 18 onwards for people in Greater Sydney. Those who have lost more than 20 hours can access payments of up to $600. There are a few eligibility rules, for example, you must be an Australian resident or on an eligible work visa, over the age of 17 and not on an income support payment like JobSeeker or Youth Allowance. Head to Services Australia for more information, but keep in mind that the opportunity to submit your first period of claims (July 1–July 7) closes on Wednesday, July 28. [caption id="attachment_817711" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arvin Prem Kumar[/caption] SMALL BUSINESSES From Monday, July 19 businesses, sole traders and not-for-profits can apply for grants of up to $15,000. There are three grants available, $7,500 for a decline in revenue of 30 percent or more, $10,500 for a decline of 50 percent or more, or $15,000 for a decline of 70% or more. The full eligibility for these grants will be available later in the week. Microbusinesses with a revenue of between $30,00–75,000 that have seen a loss of at least 30 percent are eligible for up to $1500 a fortnight, applicable from the beginning of lockdown. Applications for these support payments will open from Monday, July 26. On the same day, the Saving Jobs scheme designed to minimise jobs and hours lost to the lockdown will also be rolled out. The scheme will offer businesses with a turnover of between $75,000 and $50 million payments of $1500–10,000 to keep people in jobs if they've experienced a downturn in profits of 30 percent or more. If you run a business that doesn't employ others, you may be eligible for payments of $1000 a week to keep you afloat. RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS Renters are being given greater protection during Sydney's lockdown, in an attempt to soften the blow of lost hours and jobs. A freeze on evictions has been implemented — meaning nobody can be evicted between now and Saturday, September 11. Services NSW has a series of resources for struggling tenants that may need a rent reduction or a pause on any evictions due to income loss. Landlords have also been provided with an incentive to lower rent prices during the lockdown, with residential landlords that lower the price of rent for tenants impacted by the lockdown eligible to apply for grants of up to $1500 or reduced land taxes, equal to the value of rent reductions provided to tenants. The full details of this grant will be available soon on the NSW Government website. [caption id="attachment_720224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] THE ARTS INDUSTRY The NSW Government has announced a $75 million support package for the performing arts and live music industry. Applications will be open from Thursday, July 23 through the Create NSW website for not-for-profit and commercial performing arts organisations, as well as live music organisations that have been impacted by canceled shows. The funding is designed to keep people in the sector employed and help organisations keep the lights on. It will be delivered in two stages, an initial immediate relief payment to any organisation that had shows or performances booked during the lockdown, and a secondary package to help organisations reschedule shows. Any artist or crew worker who has lost work due to the lockdown, not-for-profit Support Act is also offering a helping hand. Support Act is offering one-off grants of $2000, or $2700 to families with dependant children, to musicians and crew members that have been financially impacted by the lockdown in order to help soften the blow of lost gigs and shifts. The organisation also offers financial relief to members of the music and arts community that are unable to work due to injury or illness, and a Mental Health First Aid program to assist those struggling with their mental health. If you're still confused, we recommend heading to the Service NSW website where you can look around the 2021 COVID-19 Support Package page or input your details into the COVID-19 Assistance Finder. Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich also has a page full of helpful resources. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
Owners of The Taphouse — one of Sydney's most awarded craft beer venues — brothers James and Josh Thorpe know a thing or two about running a specialist beer house. And with this wealth of experience in mind, the duo has announced the arrival of their latest venture, Odd Culture. Opening on The Taphouse's second level, Odd Culture will be an adaptive drinking experience with a rotating menu of Australia's finest craft beers and natural wines. From twenty beers on tap to twelve wines and Australia's largest bottle list of wild ales and sour beers (over 100), there'll be something new to drink every time you drop in. When the doors open, some of the taps that will greet you include a wild fermented cherry ale from Marrickville's Wildflower Brewing and Blending, Wild Cider from Tasmania's acclaimed Two Metre Tall and Garage Project's Dinky Pinky Rhubarb and Strawberry barrel-aged sour. After the brothers bought The Taphouse in 2017, they carried on the venue's already established reputation as one of Sydney's best spots to try out the best of independent Australian beers. Similarly, Odd Culture aims to provide an accessible space that'll also stays respectful to the art of beer brewing. The long list of beers and wines are complemented by cocktails — such as Odd Culture's signature Sour Negroni, made with house-made tart vermouth — sodas from PS40 and a neat lineup of snacks. Food is antipasto-led and will also rotate, with a "revolving door" of cheese, cured meats and tinned seafoods on offer. If you're looking for something heartier, burgers and toasties on thick-cut sourdough are available, too. At Odd Culture, beers connoisseurs will feel at home with the venue taking its cues from historic beer and wine farmhouses. Peeling back the existing paint, subtle colours emerge while rustic antique furnishings fill out the space. Those looking to expand their beer knowledge can join fortnightly meet-and-greets with brewers and winemakers, the first one being held with Konpira Maru Wine's Alastair Reed and Bridge Road Brewers' head brewer James Dittko on Wednesday, August 15. Showcasing a diverse selection of wild fermented ales, sour beers, and natural and sustainable wines, the drinks list is a collaboration between two widely respected beer nerds Jordan Blackman (Chin Chin, Ananas) and Tom Evans (ex Royal Albert, Wayward). There's no printed tap or wine list, but once you arrive, there's little chance you're going home disappointed. Find Odd Culture at Level 2, The Taphouse, 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst. It is open from 5pm–midnight Mon–Wed, 5pm–1am Thur, 12pm–1am Fri–Sat, and 12p–11pm Sun. Images: Jasper Avenue
Thanks to winter festivals, pop-up ice skating rinks and mulled wine, there are no longer any excuses to stay glued to the couch when the going gets cold. In fact, it's the ideal time to make a sneaky weekend getaway to cosy lodgings. If you're looking for a spot that isn't too far away yet offers adventure aplenty, then go for a staycation at one of the AccorHotels nearby in Parramatta, just 25 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Skip the traffic by catching a train or ferry, then divide your weekend between wandering along the Parramatta riverfront, feasting on authentic international fare, strolling in bush-tucker gardens and drinking creative cocktails. EAT AND DRINK For one of the best brekkies in town, claim a table on Circa Espresso's sunny terrace — or the lamp-lit, book-filled back room. Among the Middle Eastern-inspired offerings are Ottoman eggs with crumbed eggplant, garlic labneh, burnt chilli, sage butter and seeded sourdough. The coffee is roasted in small batches: Three Ropes — a buttery, chocolatey blend of Colombian, Guatemalan and Peruvian beans — or a single origin. Other spots for a good morning brew and bite are White Henry Espresso, tucked away in Fire Horse Lane and country farmhouse-esque Paper Plane, which serves up Little Marionette coffee. Come lunch or dinner time, head to hybrid eatery-retail space Butter. Yep, this is the sibling of the Surry Hills original, but it's twice the size. Stay downstairs for fried chicken, Champagne and hip-hop; head upstairs for sneakers, hoodies, caps, socks and bags. Another couple of inner-city favourites to have set up digs in Parramatta are BL Burgers and Neil Perry's Burger Project. For a more local experience, try dining at Temasek. Prepare to queue for a table — foodies pack out this friendly, no-frills eatery for excellent Malaysian and Singaporean dishes, from laksa to nasi goreng. Meanwhile, just one train station — or five minutes' drive — away is Harris Park's cornucopia of Indian restaurants, where Chatkazz does tasty, affordable, vegetarian street food and Not Just Curries, an array of regional dishes from all over India. Or, for something fancier, head to 350 Restaurant and Bar, the refined offering within the Novotel Sydney Parramatta, for a three-parter of blue swimmer crab with sweet corn veloute, Cape Grim beef cheeks and Frangelico panna cotta. It's recently nabbed a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, which goes to the spots with the top user reviewers. A couple of sweet spots for pre-dinner bevvies are ALEX&Co., whose cocktail bar overlooks Parramatta River, and the Riverside Brewing Company, which offers an ideal winter beer in the chocolatey Eighty-Eight Robust Porter. Note that the cellar door is only open Friday and Saturday, 2pm—6pm. After dinner, swing by Uncle Kurt's, a street art-plastered small bar hidden away in a car park that feels as though it's straight out of Brooklyn and where head bartender Alex Colman makes every cocktail from scratch. Among his winter-friendly signature creations is the Westside, a heartening concoction of kaffir lime leaf-infused gin, yellow chartreuse, citrus, sugar snap peas, honey and ginger. DO Parramatta knows how to throw a festival just as well as the Sydney CBD. Coming up from October 9–12 is Parramatta Lanes, which takes over the area's laneways, plazas and hidden nooks. Roam the night and you might stumble across bands, street eats, pop-up bars, projections, glowing sculptures and interactive art installations.Before or after, book a ticket to a show at Riverside Theatres — the diverse program features everything from political satire to orchestral performances. During the day, Parramatta's surprisingly bushy outdoors offer stacks of escapades. To immerse yourself in Indigenous culture, head to Parramatta Park, where the Burramatta Aboriginal Landscape Trail travels through terrain that's been regenerated to reflect its state before European arrival. Meanwhile, among Parramatta Lake's 73 hectares of bushland, you'll find the Arrunga Bardo Bush Food Garden, crowded with edible and medicinal plants. Need to get warm? Jump on your bike and conquer one of Parramatta's many and varied cycle paths. The Heritage Ride takes in 27 historical spots; the Parramatta Park Ride is an easy, 3.5-kilometre loop through greenery; and the riverside route travels (mostly) along the waterfront to Sydney Olympic Park. If you have more of a lazy winter weekender in mind, then head to the Wentworth Atelier, a revamped Victorian terrace, for a blow dry or hot towel shave — with a top-shelf whiskey — at Dapper & Doll or to get measured up for a shirt or suit at the old-school Tailor & Co. SLEEP When you're on a wintry break, sleeping over in a snug spot is half the fun. For a stay right on the river — and just a minute's walk from the CBD — check into the Novotel Sydney Parramatta. The 4.5-star digs vary from Standard Rooms with queen or twin beds to Spa Suites with jacuzzis, but all come with massive windows that let in buckets of winter sunshine and splashes of earthy colours. There's an on-site gym, steam room, outdoor pool, restaurant and bar. For a more affordable option, book a room at the Mercure Sydney Parramatta, right near Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. You can count on a spacious, peaceful room, plus there's a tennis court, outdoor pool and the M Restaurant and Bar, serving contemporary Australian cuisine. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Parramatta, and to discover more of NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
UPDATE: 1.19PM, MARCH 29 — Staff have returned to Sydney Airport's Air Traffic Control Tower and all arrivals and departures have resumed. Head to your airline's website to check on the status of your flight. Have an interstate — or overseas — getaway planned for this weekend? Prepare for some possible flight delays and cancellations. A fire at Sydney Airport led to a temporary full ground stop — with no aircraft departing or arriving at midday on Friday, March 29. Air Services Australia reported that the Sydney Air Traffic Control Tower had been evacuated after smoke was detected in the building. While there's no further information as to the extent of the fire at this point, at 12.17pm, the Sydney Airport reported that some arrivals were being processed — but still no planes were leaving. https://twitter.com/AirservicesNews/status/1111437366156115969 With Fridays being one of the busiest days for Sydney Airport, this could lead to delays throughout the afternoon and, possibly, into the weekend. Passengers are being advised to check the status of their flight with their airline. We'll update you as soon as we know more and when services resume. For more updates, head to the Air Services Australia Twitter or to the relevant airline website.
