Here's a new perspective on your familiar bottle of cider. On display at the Kings Cross Library is Wiradjuri artist Amala Groom's The Cider Series. Groom notes that "the word 'cide' means 'to kill' and refers to the ongoing attempt to annihilate Aboriginal Peoples' ways of being and existing." Exhibiting contemporary paintings of cider stamped with words such as 'Genocider' and 'Ethnocider', Groom critiques the ongoing colonisation of Aboriginal Peoples and their land. The series reminds us that Aboriginal cultures have and will continue to thrive and survive. Between being a law student, social justice advocate, filmmaker, researcher, network builder and attending UN forums, Groom is an artist exhibiting solo for the first time. If scathing social commentary and witty puns are what you look for in art, The Cider Series needs your attendance. It's up until February 28.
The 40th parallel is much more than simply a line of latitude spanning the distance of America from East to West; and Bruce Myren's photographs of it are much more than just photos. The line N 40° 00' 00'' bisects the country from New Jersey's shore crossing through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, over the border between Nebraska and Kansas, following on past Colorado, Utah, Nevada and finally finishing in California. Myren is not only capturing the stunning surroundings of these landscapes, but is trying to understand and portray the "human desire to create systems and then locate ourselves within them". The fortieth parallel north is a tool for measurement, as well as acting as the baseline for creating homesteads and townships, functioning as a useful marker during Western settlement. The project began as a fairly small and basic undertaking, using maps to identify the areas because GPS's were not widely available during that time. However, as geographical technology began to grow and develop, so too did Myren's photo series. Using an 8 x 10 Deardoff camera and colour transparency film, Myren produced panoramas by snapping three shots moving from left to right then adding them together during editing. The photographer is aiming to take a landscape panorama shot at every longitudinal point along the line, adding up to a total of 52 locations and images, spaced roughly 53 miles apart from each other. So far he has captured 28 stunning images of these locations. Here are 10 of the inspired images from his series, aimed to make you "consider the history of landscape photography, American development , but most importantly [your] own relationship to place." N 40° 00' o0'' W 109° 00' 00", Rangely, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 108° 00' 00", Meeker, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 101° 00' 00", Ludell, Kansas, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 98° 00' 00", Webber, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 97° 00' 00", Hollenberg, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 95° 00' 00", Fillmore, Missouri, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 93° 00' 00", Winigan, Missouri, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 81° 00' 00", Belmont, Ohio, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 76° 00' 00", Gap, Pennsylvania, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 74° 03' 32", Normandy Beach, New Jersey, 1998
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic — with the pay-per-view platform not only screening movies, but pairing them with virtual Q&A sessions as well. Now, between Wednesday, November 11–Sunday, November 15 it's also hosting an online film fest: its second Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. The returning event coincides with NAIDOC Week, and will showcase five films: In My Own Words, The Song Keepers, The Flood, Wik vs Queensland and Westwind: Djalu's Legacy. That means you can watch your way through an array of Aussie movies focused on Indigenous stories, spanning both dramas and documentaries — and exploring race relations in the process. Sessions will also feature guest speakers, such as The Flood's writer/director/producer Victoria Wharfe McIntyre, The Song Keepers' filmmaker Naina Sen and Ben Strunin from Westwind: Djalu's Legacy. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY3O5LtMo9Q&feature=emb_logo Top image: Westwind: Djalu's Legacy
Malaysian hawker chain Pappa Rich is spreading the love for its eighth birthday, with two weeks of banger deals across all six of its NSW stores. You'll be able to try your Pappa Rich favourites, or taste something completely new, all for just $8. Dip roti canai in vegetarian curry, try stir-fried noodle dish char koay teow and tuck into a toasted hainan sandwich. Or go classic with chicken rice and steamed chicken. There'll be a different dish for $8 each day from March 16–29, including blended ice drinks, teh tarik and puddings. You can check out each day's deal below. Since 2012, Pappa Rich has opened 28 stores around Australia. The chain has developed a reputation for serving up a fusion of flavours from Chinese, Indian and Malay influences, as well as creating next-level limited edition bites, like this nasi lemak burger and a collaborative chicken sandwich with Belles Hot Chicken. PAPPA RICH $8 MEALS March 16 — three roti canai March 17 — nasi lemak curry (chicken, vego or mutton) March 18 — chicken curry laksa March 19 — two ice blended or two nasi lemak bungkus March 20 — six chicken wings and a drink March 21 — toasted hainan sandwich and two half-boiled eggs March 22 — deep-fried chicken skin and a drink March 23 — char koay teow March 24 — roti canai curry (chicken, vego or mutton) March 25 — nasi lemak fried rice (chicken, vego or mutton) March 26 — two drinks (lemon iced tea or teh tarik) March 27 — two puddings or three curry puffs March 28 — chips and nuggets or salt and pepper chicken wings with rice March 29 — chicken rice and steamed chicken Pappa Rich's $8 meals are available from March 16–29 at all six of its NSW stores.
Following their successful debut in Melbourne last June, one of Australia's most exciting new film festivals is doubling down in their sophomore year. Extending their dates and adding Sydney to the rotation, the second annual Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia (CaSFFA) promises to be even more intriguing than the first. A tale about family, friendship and an endearing love of movies, Jiri Madl's To the Sea will bookend the festival, launching the Melbourne leg on August 21 and screening on closing night in Sydney two-and-a-half weeks later. Other contemporary highlights include the 60s set surveillance thriller The Confidant and the action-packed mob movie The Godfather's Story. Classic movie buffs can also look forward to a series of retrospective screenings, including a digital restoration of Jiri Menzel's 1966 Oscar winner Closely Observed Trains and a multi-session sidebar on the work of Czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer. The festival will also present a number of free exhibitions, for patrons looking to expand their understanding of Czech and Slovak history. For the full CaSFFA program, visit the festival website. Image: To the Sea.
There's nothing like a pop up, and one featuring luxurious French champagne and macarons from Becasse is something we want to be a part of. To celebrate the opening of the luxury dimension in the otherworldly new Westfield, French champagne house Pommery (also celebrating their 175th birthday this year) are hosting a intimate bar. Swing by for a flute (or two) at $15 a pop, with complimentary macaron, and take a tour of the new precinct. We imagine that browsing Miu Miu, Mulberry and Christian Louboutin can only get more fun once tipsy. But be quick: it begins this Wednesday 15th and lasts for five days only.
No longer will denizens of the west have to venture into the Sydney CBD for a Neil Perry hamburger. Following on from the success of his first budget burger venture The Burger Project in World Square — and the five others that have sprung up since — the Rockpool chef is today firing up the grill on a second Burger Project location in Parramatta. The first Burger Project began its life primarily as a means of bringing the next best thing to Perry's much drooled-over $24 Rockpool beef burger to the masses — without the prohibitive price tag. Parramatta diners can expect 14 variations on the humble hamburger, including the chilli cheese, Magic Mushroom and the katsu fried chicken, the names of which are all fairly self-explanatory. The new location — the group's first in western Sydney — is located on the ground floor of Parramatta's 28-storey V by Crown complex. With street frontage and room for 90 patrons, the glass-walled eatery has been designed by architect Grant Cheyne. The complex is soon to open a brand new luxury hotel, which will feature 72 suites, a retail precinct, some flashy facilities — which include a swish pool that's only open to residents and guests — and a brand new openair terrace bar by the Eau de Vie team on level 26. Since opening in Sydney back in 2014, the celebrity chef's high-end fast food joint Burger Project has expanded rapidly, particularly after Perry's Rockpool Group was acquired by the Urban Purveyor Group last year. The Parramatta store will be their sixth in Sydney and their ninth Australia-wide, having recently opened two in Melbourne and one in Brisbane. Burger Project Parramatta opens at 11am on Friday, March 10 at Shop 1 and 2, V by Crown, 134-140 Marsden Street, Parramatta. For more info, visit their website.
Whiplash is a drama about the pursuit of artistic greatness. Its characters push the boundaries in their determination to reach their goal. The film stars Miles Teller as an aspiring jazz percussionist, Andrew Neyman, who becomes so absorbed in his art he overworks himself mentally and physically, making his fingers bleed from overwork on multiple occasions. Starring alongside him is JK Simmons, playing his volatile music teacher, Terrence Fletcher, at a prestigious music academy. Wholly absorbed in a desire to create the best musicians of our time, Fletcher adopts a sort of survival-of-the-fittest teaching method, which borders on sociopathic. Oscillating between cruel mind games, verbal attacks and feigned pleasantness, he continually isolates his students — forcing nothing but the best. The film has won a string of awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award (US Dramatic) at the Sundance Film Festival, and is so far 96 percent certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Whiplash is in cinemas on October 23 (with sneak previews 17-19 October at select locations). 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 review of Whiplash here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=8J6JH-R-TN0
What were you doing on 10/10/10? It appears that innumerable professional and amateur filmmakers from over 200 countries were filming the world around them as part of the One Day On Earth Project. The initiative aimed to collect the many and varied stories and images of that particular day - pregnant bellies, soccer games, guitar playing, arrests, little colourful fish and hair-washing to name but a few - and in the process became one of the biggest participatory events in history. The project was the brainchild of founder Kyle Ruddick who, in 2008, had the idea of using cinema to connect people from across the globe. Since then, with the support of non-government organisations and the United Nations Development Program, it has turned into a social networking phenomenon where not only films but stories and information are shared. A feature length film of the project will be released in the near future, but for now a trailer has been released to give a brief glimpse into this ambitious project.
You may think you've had enough politics after just following the state elections, let alone the last federal one, but for the political cartoonists with work in Behind the Lines at Parramatta's Riverside Theatre, the work is just getting started. Cartoonists were doomed to follow the last terrible government in intricate detail, and are fated to follow the terrible successor day by dusty day as well. Although in some respects today's caricatures are actually much more tame than their historical predecessors, political cartoons have come a long way since the days of Hogarth. There are other programs that promise to take you behind the scenes in the cartoonist's studio, but none of them bring together the pure breadth, diversity and quality in the collection at Behind the Lines. And while good political cartoons aren't always funny, Behind the Lines' collection of contemporary satire keeps up a pretty good standard of chuckles if not as many out-and-out LOLs. Pyramid-nosed Gillards, long-suffering Abbotts and dour-faced — and faceless — numbers operators plaster the Parramatta walls. This suburb was the heart of last weekend's political victory, and no doubt tomorrow's political scandal. So get in its local spirit, and don't be the last in the conga-line of suckholes to check it out. Behind the Lines is open 9-5 Monday to Friday, 9.30 - 1 on Saturdays and before performances at the Riverside.
In our brunch-obsessed times, lunch can sometimes feel like the neglected middle child of the dining scene. If you're a lunch lover keen to convert your breakfast-biased friends, now's your chance. Appletiser and Sunday Style have teamed up with over 30 of the leading eateries in Sydney and Melbourne to create the Appletiser Lunch Club. With a collection of speciality menus and exclusive offers to suit a range of budgets, a memorable leisurely lunch can soon be yours. Sydney gourmands can dine to their hearts content at venues including The Commons in Darlinghurst, Balcony Bar in the city and Alexandria's Vicinity Dining. For $30 per person, Redfern's Black Penny is offering share plates like tiger prawn skewers and zucchini flower bouquets stuffed with pumpkin, onion and goats cheese, accompanied by an Appletiser Pimms cocktail. North shore-dwellers can head to Roseville's HUX Dining for their Appletiser-roasted pork belly with apple and fennel sauce for just $25. Melburnians, you can patronise restaurants including the Southbank's Red Emperor, Platform 28 in the heart of the Docklands, Mail Exchange on Bourke Street and North Melbourne's Castle Hotel. Slide into Chuckle Park for a Summer Appletiser Pimms Cocktail and your choice of their signature pork roll, meatball wrap or frittata roll for $25. The same amount at Captain Melville gets you a trio of signature sliders: soft shell crab, western plains pork belly and a mini parmie, served with (of course) Appletiser. If your taste buds are already tingling in anticipation, make sure to book in your lunch before offers end on December 15. For the full list of participating restaurants, visit www.appletiser.com.au/LunchClub.
Radiohead do things a little differently to most bands. When they released In Rainbows in 2007 using a pay-what-you-think-is-fair approach to selling records, they engineered a recalibration of the music world as a whole and showed us that it wasn't the industry that was dying after all, just the traditional businesses and approaches within it. Since then bands have created their own TV shows and asked fans to make their albums for them, technology companies have launched music services and broadcast entire music festivals live, and Radiohead has continued to produce some of the most consistently innovative work of them all. The band premiered a broadcast of The King of Limbs 'Live From The Basement' on Spanish TV over the weekend, and it has now surfaced online. Whilst no Australian air date has been announced, you can watch the entire performance here, including new tracks 'The Daily Mail' and 'Staircase'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=k8byXSML4bY
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the The Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, The Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". Image: George Widener, c. 2007, courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
UPDATE: June 21, 2020: Like a Boss is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Comedies about women kicking ass in the workplace — overcoming sexism, ageism and other barriers, and generally demonstrating their business savvy — comprise a tiny genre. Based on its most recent additions, you can be forgiven for wishing it was even smaller. Where the smart and amusing 9 to 5 once sent three tenacious ladies on a quest for revenge against their misogynist boss, its latest successors all serve up easy, lazy tales paired with muddled messages. Exhibit A: the beauty industry-set I Feel Pretty, which judged as much as championed the allegedly average-looking Amy Schumer. Exhibit B: Second Act, where Jennifer Lopez plays a working-class manager determined to show her worth beyond her modest background, but only after lying to land a lucrative makeup company job. Exhibit C: newcomer Like a Boss, where women running their own cosmetics businesses are too busy acting petty and irrational to make sensible or even just realistic decisions. If you've noticed a similarity between the last three films, yes, they're all set in makeup companies. That's another reason this current breed of ostensibly empowerment-driven movies belongs in the bin. Hollywood might think it's using a field known for focusing on appearances to celebrate the opposite idea — that it's what's inside that counts — but it's really just making vapid, superficial and unfunny films that insult women's intelligence. No one needs a thematically linked cinematic universe about ladies who work in cosmetics and learn their real inner worth. Cinema chains might want one so they can host 'chicks at the flicks' sessions, hand out makeup samples and charge more for tickets, but audiences can grasp the underlying message without the beauty-driven angle. And yet, these movies keep coming. Worse: they keep insisting that the packaging does actually count, arrogantly assuming that no one would glean their purported wisdom if it wasn't juxtaposed against the cosmetics world. As an opening montage of Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel's (Rose Byrne) 22-year friendship shows, Like a Boss' protagonists have always dreamed of working in the beauty industry. With their own makeup store and top-selling cosmetics kit, they've made that childhood wish come true. The duo also party and live together, to the point that they brush their teeth simultaneously while swapping Barack Obama fantasies — but, with Mia creative and pushy and Mel meek and practical, their business is in financial trouble. Conveniently, in swoops mogul Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) with an offer to bail them out. Requiring a considerable stake in the company in return, she secretly wants to steal their business for herself. Cartoonish from the moment her carrot-hued hair sweeps into frame — "my head is not little; it's just that my breasts are humongous," she snaps — Hayek's villain says much about Like a Boss. She's the titular figure suddenly ordering Mia and Mel around and pitting them against each other, and she fits every inane stereotype there is about women breaking the glass ceiling. Ruthless, catty and erratic, she plots evil schemes while balancing on towering heels and wearing tight dresses, with the film making fun of her appearance, her ambition and — in a painfully prolonged scene — her accent. It's grating to watch, and it typifies how contemptuously Like a Boss treats its characters. Indeed, add squandering a great cast to the film's many missteps. Despite the visible efforts of Haddish and Byrne, their central pair remains just as paper-thin. The usually reliable comedic actors work hard, but choking energetically and hurling over-the-top insults aren't the same as depicting fleshed-out people — and, when their characters aren't being belittled by Claire, they're being criticised by their wider circle of friends (Ari Graynor, Jessica St Clair and Natasha Rothwell) about their life choices. As for other supporting players Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie), Billy Porter (an Emmy winner for Pose) and Karan Soni (Miracle Workers), they're only asked to serve one comic purpose each. The ditzy employee who blurts out inappropriate things, the sassy gay man who tells it like it is and the compliant minion — they're all accounted for. Given the movie's premise and script, none of its performers ever stood much of a chance. It's hard to understand what first-time feature writers Sam Pitman and Adam Cole-Kelly are trying to achieve — although their pitch was bought as a Bridesmaids-style vehicle for Haddish after Girls Trip became a hit, so perhaps everyone simply thought she'd carry the feature. It's hard to see what filmmaker Miguel Arteta saw in the project either, or brings to it for that matter. When he directed Hayek in 2017's Beatriz at Dinner, the result was a dark and scathing exploration of class differences in America's current political climate. With Like a Boss, however, he just serves up broad laughs about women working, competing and acting like clichés. Even when the film tries to evoke blunt guffaws about a very relatable idea — that even the most successful ladies don't always have it together — it still proves weak and unconvincing. In fact, those aspects of the story feel clumsily tacked-on. Like its recent predecessors, this mess of a supposed comedy only achieves one feat: contradicting itself. No matter how forcefully Like a Boss pushes the 'it's what's inside that matters' mantra, every element of this superficial movie sadly screams the exact opposite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW9TtXgLOew
Rain Man was some good publicity but a bit of a burden as well for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It's good to get some high-profile, positive role-modelling going, but not every stage of the spectrum gives you a photographic memory or an abiding love for Australia's transcontinental airline. Instead, people on the autistic spectrum are just people, with good bits or bad bits and some idiosyncratic difficulties in understanding bits of the world. Steven Kilbey, Peter Koppes and Tim Powles from iconic band the Church are getting together for a one-off gig at the Red Rattler to raise money for Autism Spectrum Australia. Their air of mystery having survived the twin perils of winning an ARIA and being admired by George Negus, they're providing the reflective soul to the benefit. With early treatment, life on the autistic spectrum can be made a lot simpler, but this sort of thing costs money. Entry proceeds from the gig will go to Autism Spectrum Australia, a non-profit that operates here, in Victoria and the ACT. Art connected to the organisation will be offered for sale, the documentary Rainman Goes to Rockwiz will also be screened and the band promises to satisfy fans of Ref:omation as much as those of the Church. Image by Anthony Collins. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Osz-GQbX37o
Did you know that for the last 12 years, Richard Linklater has been tinkering away on the same project? Oh yes, in between Before Midnight and Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly and Bernie, there's been Boyhood, an intimate coming-of-age drama utilising the same cast (Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and kids Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater) and interested in the kind of authenticity that can be created when you're not artificially ageing or swapping in older actors. "There has simply never been anything like this film," wrote Rolling Stone, and we're inclined to agree. It's a unique way to experience the growing pains of a child — and that of his young, still-nutting-things-out parents. Boyhood is in cinemas on September 4, and in advanced screenings this weekend. Thanks to Universal 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. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-mbHXyWX4
If you haven't nabbed tickets to see Kendrick Lamar when he tours Australia at the end of 2025, you now have more chances to head along. First, in news worth exclaiming "DAMN"- and "LOVE" about, he was announced as Spilt Milk's 2025 headliner. Then, not content with taking to the stage Down Under in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and on the Gold Coast, the acclaimed hip hop artist locked in two solo Aussie stadium shows — one each in Melbourne and Sydney. Now Lamar has expanded those standalone gigs on his Grand National tour, adding an extra date in each city. Accordingly, after making its way around North America and Europe, Lamar's latest string of live dates now spans two nights apiece in the Victorian and New South Wales capitals. First up: Melbourne, at AAMI Park across Wednesday, December 3–Thursday, December 4, 2025. Then comes Allianz Stadium in the Harbour City over Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1008775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Shamus/Getty Images[/caption] Lamar's Aussie stadium shows still kick off before his Spilt Milk dates, then slot in-between the festival's two weekend runs. The fest hits Ballarat on Saturday, December 6; Perth on Sunday, December 7; Canberra on Saturday, December 13; and the Gold Coast on Sunday, December 14. For company at his solo gigs, he'll have ScHoolboy Q in support on Wednesday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 10, as previously announced. On the new dates — so on Thursday, December 4 and Thursday, December 11 — Doechii will be doing the honours. December clearly suits Lamar for a jaunt Down Under — that's when the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician also made the trip in 2022. Lamar is one of the most-critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. He currently has 22 Grammys to his name, plus an Academy Award nomination for one of his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He won the 2017 Triple J Hottest 100 and, when he nabbed his Pulitzer in 2018, he also became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious award for contemporary music. GNX, his most-recent studio album, dropped in November 2024 — with his extensive catalogue also spanning 2011's Section.80, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly, 2017's DAMN and 2022's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Kendrick Lamar Grand National Tour 2025 Australian Dates Wednesday, December 3–Thursday, December 4 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11 — Allianz Stadium, Sydney Spilt Milk 2025 Dates Saturday, December 6 — Victoria Park, Ballarat Sunday, December 7 — Claremont Showground, Perth Saturday, December 13 — Exhibition Park, Canberra Sunday, December 14 — Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Gold Coast Kendrick Lamar is touring Australia in December 2025, with ticket presales for his second Melbourne gig kicking off at 11am on Thursday, August 7, and for his second Sydney gig at 12pm on Thursday, August 7 — with general sales from 1pm on Monday, August 11 in Melbourne and 2pm on Monday, August 11 in Sydney. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch.
Provocative in both name and nature is Inner Course, the performance art duo of New York City's Tora Lopez and Rya Kleinpeter. Incidents in Romance Technologies: 101 Making Love (Out of Nothing at All) is their latest so-called course, which "introduces the basic concepts and methodologies that characterise romance as a field of inquiry." But Lopez and Kleinpeter aren't overzealous Bridget Jones theorists; Incidents in Romance Technologies, if you hadn't already picked it, is a bit of a farce. With 'celebrity guest dance therapists', Daphane Park, Emiliano Maggi, Cat Glennon, Michael Gruenglas, Lisa Lozano and Bryony Geeves. Inner Course will perform Incidents in Romance Technologies: 101 Making Love (Out of Nothing at All) from 6-8pm on Wednesday, February 19, until Friday, February 21. Alaska Projects, a Kings Cross artist-run initiative, will host the absurdist performance. Just know that viewers are unlikely to remain mere viewers. You know, breaking the fourth wall and all.
How does Murray Bell have a moment to even look at design? For the past 15 years, he's been the head of Semi Permanent, the global design platform that he founded in 2002, curating live design events all over the country. The next of these events to hit Sydney was been announced today, and is the celebration of 15 big years of Semi Permanent. As if last year's lineup wasn't noteworthy enough, Bell has moved things into a different kind of topical territory this year, embracing the official theme 'Design for Change'. Semi Permanent's 2017 event will take over Carriageworks from Thursday, May 25 to Saturday, May 27 and features a cast of players so influential in the modern design game that while this event's in motion, the world will become a very desolate and tacky place. Speakers include Museum of Contemporary Art Australia director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Katherine Keating publisher VICE Impact, Nike design director Meirion Pritchard and Nike EMEA brand director Gary Horton, Jacqueline Bourke from Getty Images, animation studio Moth Collective, Design Studio's Paul Stafford, Frog Design and Australian designers David Caon, Henry Wilson and architect Kelvin Ho. The program also includes the Future State panels, a series of talks about the how the design world, and the world as a whole, is growing and changing. The themes for the panels will cover Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, immersive storytelling, and redesigning cities. Appearing on these panels will be representatives of Google, Netflix, Pixar, and Amazon. Plus, Google and Semi Permanent are launching an immersive experience with Tilt Brush in collaboration with contemporary artists. Murray Bell and Semi Permanent are not only collectors and sharers of good design, they aim to be influencers who enable the design community to improve and grow. The idea behind the project is to create a global platform of creating, networking, and sharing, and to bring top-notch original content to readers of their site. Semi Permanent's 15th birthday is part the Vivid Ideas program, which is due to be announced in the incredibly near future. Semi Permanent runs May 25-27 at Carriageworks. General one-day tickets are $340, two-day $544 and three-day $765. Premium one-day tickets are $540, two-day $864 and three-day $1215. Student tickets available too. Check semipermanent.com for more details. Images: Semi Permanent.
Keen to combine romance and gambling? Sadly an overnight getaway to Vegas is probably off the cards for a while yet, so if you're looking for an over-the-top way to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, this might be the next best thing. QT Hotels around New Zealand and Australia are offering loved-up couples the chance to win big when they book a Valentine's stay at any of their hotels in February, and we mean really big. Live in the hotel for the rest of the month, big. Yup, that's right Chuck Bass. For the price of one night's stay, you could be living it up in a hotel for weeks, ordering breakfast to your bed and dialling into Zoom calls poolside. View this post on Instagram A post shared by QT Auckland (@qtauckland) It's all part of the new Love Is Blind promotion run by QT, inviting guests to roll the dice in a low-risk, high-reward game of romantic roulette. Book a stay with your beau (or bestie, or even your mum) between Friday, February 11 and Tuesday, February and you'll be surprised with either an upgrade or downgrade on check-in. The upgrades are all looking pretty sweet. You might get your champagne bottle levelled up to a magnum, or even your room upgraded to a suite. The best prize on offer is having your stay extended until Monday, February 28 — that's 17 nights for the price of one. And that offer is on at every QT Hotel in Australia and New Zealand, so you're in with a decent shot at winning. Of course, the flipside is risking a downgrade — that's gambling for you. QT promises that downgrades are "rare" but they're there: you might get a mere chocolate on the pillow (still sounds yum tbh) or have your King-sized bed downgraded to two twin beds. Sexy! The novel promotion is not out of character for the hotel chain, which is known for its quirky campaigns. Back in 2020, it ran a Rock Star package encouraging you to book out an entire floor to party with your mates. Upon opening in Auckland, the hotel hid 150 room keys around the city in a giant treasure hunt. In this case, you're relying on a fair bit of luck to be on your side — but if you're already lucky in love, this will just be the icing on the cake. The Love Is Blind package is available at QT Sydney, QT Bondi, QT Canberra, QT Melbourne, QT Gold Coast, QT Perth, QT Auckland, QT Wellington and QT Queenstown between Friday 11 February to Tuesday 15 February 2022. Bookings are available now, with February 14 the last available day to book.
In news that will probably not surprise anybody, the ill-fated oBikes of Melbourne are set to vanish off the streets for good. Confirmed by Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss and Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp, the move is a reaction to new guidelines imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, in which abandoned bikes blocking streets for more than two hours would prompt $3000 fines. According to reports, the Singapore-based bike sharing service would rather move out of Melbourne than risk having to cough up the hefty fines. These fines are on top of earlier restrictions Melbourne councils imposed on oBike back in late 2017. oBike was introduced to Melbourne a mere year ago, a station-less bike service which in theory is convenient — as users don't have to dock them at the end of a ride — but in practice resulted in abandoned oBikes being strewn all over the place, including many in the Yarra. The past year has also been rough waters for oBike in the media, with reports about violence being carried out with the bikes emerging (luckily, the target was just a train; unluckily, the damage totalled $300,000). The abandoned bikes on the streets of Melbourne, of which there are many, are currently being rounded up, and the oBike storage facility in Nunawading has been cleared. It's the next troubled chapter for bike sharing companies in Australia. Earlier this year in Sydney, oBike — and three other major bike rental operators Reddy Go, Ofo and Mobike — all had to comply with a new set of guidelines designed to target bike dumping and vandalism. Six Sydney councils developed the guidelines, focusing on the distribution and redistribution of the bikes post-ride, as well as timeframes for removal of faulty bikes on behalf of the bike company. Mobike has its sights set on Melbourne next, so we can only hope that it's able to comply with council restrictions — and less of them end up as river pollution. Via The Age
Who can get everyone in a crowd to take one piece of their clothing off and 'smash it in the air'? Hilltop Hoods can. It's a measure of the respect and adoration they've come to command in the local hip-hop scene (and, let's face it, the Australian music industry more generally). It's not for nothing — they have a persistent, infectious, unbridled energy that comes across in their epic live shows, and they're constantly giving to their fans. Nothing shows that more than the massive 21-date national tour they're setting off on right now. The Cosby Sweater Australian Tour comes off the back of their seventh studio album Walking Under Stars, the second instalment of an ambitious three-piece project that started with previous album Drinking from the Sun and will culminate next year with something big and as yet top secret. Will the reign of these undisputed kings of homegrown hip-hop never end? Expect heaps of new tracks alongside those old crowd favourites. Advice is, wear multiple pieces of clothing. https://youtube.com/watch?v=X6G2fzPTwOA
Sydney's autumn weather is looking to be mighty fine and while you can't picnic in a park or put back a pint in a pub, you can still enjoy the sunshine if you're exercising — while social distancing and in groups no larger than two, of course. And yes, swimming and surfing are exercise, meaning you might be able to hit up your local beach. In March, some of Sydney's most popular beaches were closed after crowds packed out Bondi Beach despite mass-gathering rules being in place and the government encouraging social distancing. Earlier this week saw some beaches reopen for exercise only, but there are still quite a few that are off-limits. Plus, not all open beaches have the same rules — some are opening for all exercise, some are only open for surfing and swimming, some are only open at certain times of the day. And of course, you must follow two-person gathering restrictions and maintain 1.5 metres between each other. If you disobey the restrictions, you'll risk an on-the-spot fine — in fact, Sydneysiders have already been slapped with infringements. Although many Sydney beaches are currently open for exercise, the federal and state government's restrictions on all non-essential travel still apply, so travelling to a beach outside your local area is not advised. This includes heading to an out-of-town coastal spot. In essence, don't do a Don. So where exactly can you exercise by or in the ocean? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Friday, May 8. We'll update as any new announcements are made. EASTERN SUBURBS On Monday, April 20, Randwick City Council reopened Maroubra, Clovelly and Coogee beaches for exercise, but on Friday, April 24, they were closed again temporarily due to non-compliance. On Tuesday, April 28 the council reopened all of its beaches for surfing, swimming and jogging, including Gordon's Bay, Congwong, Little Congwong, Frenchmans Bay, Malabar and Yarra Bay beaches. https://twitter.com/RandwickCouncil/status/1254659709707055104 As of Wednesday, May 6, Woollahra Municipal Council has reopened its beaches and harbourside pools with 'Swim & Go' measures, including Camp Cove, Double Bay Beach, Kutti Beach, Lady Martin's, Parsley Bay, Seven Shillings Beach, Rose Bay, Murray Rose Pool (Redleaf) and Watson Bay Baths. Some Sydney Harbour National Park beaches are open, including Shark Beach, Milk Beach and Lady Bay Beach. Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama are open from 7am to 5pm on weekdays only, with all "land-based activities" off-limits. While Bondi and Bronte is open for surfing and swimming, Tamarama and Mackenzies Bay will be surfing only. On May 1, Waverley Council announced that it "is likely" the beaches will be opened for periods of time on weekends, but has not made an official announcement yet. We'll let you know when it does. NORTHERN BEACHES AND NORTH SYDNEY On the northern beaches, select beaches are open for exercise only — that means surfing, swimming, running and walking — and two-person gathering restrictions still apply. Anyone sunbaking or gathering will be asked to move on. Dee Why, Freshwater, Manly, Shelly, North Steyne, Queenscliff, Paradise are all closed. Whereas Avalon, Great Mackerel, Claireville, North and South Curl Curl, Long Reef, Fairlight, Mona Vale, Newport, Palm Beach, Collaroy, Bilgola, Bungan, Clontarf, Fishermans Bay, Narrabeen, Turimetta, Warriewood and Whale Beach are open, some with lifeguard patrolling — check here for the most recent updates. Mosman Municipal Council beaches are open for exercise. A reminder here, though, that Sydneysiders are encouraged to stay local — and travelling across the city to exercise may not fly with police. https://www.facebook.com/beachescouncil/photos/a.200882286613294/3229617213739771/?type=3&theater SOUTH SYDNEY Sutherland Shire beaches are open for exercise, with restrictions on social distancing and maximum number of people in place. Bayside Council beaches have reopened for any form of exercise that "involves continuous movement". Meanwhile, much of the Royal National Park is currently closed, including access to beaches, but walking tracks are open for local residents. https://www.facebook.com/SutherlandShireCouncil/photos/a.406301249397011/3516012168425888/?type=3&theater 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. Top image: Maroubra Beach.
American artist Nick Cave is most well known for his androgynous, anonymous, nationless Soundsuits — wearable sculptures that are the stuff of brightly coloured, whimsical, otherworldly dreams. Cave — who is not to be confused with our Nick Cave, and proof that the name must just breed weirdness and creativity — sources these sculptures from African ceremonial costumes, Tibetan textiles and popular culture. Cave uses dyed human hair, plastic buttons, sequins and feathers to create sometimes static, sometimes stomping, twisting and dancing living artworks, in a confluence of fashion, performance and sculpture that is also very, very fun and pretty to look at. Cave, who has never recorded a song with Kylie Minogue nor released a movie named 20,000 Days on Earth, is in Australia at the moment and will be appearing in conversation in a free event at Carriageworks on November 13. If you like Cave's pretty fluffy dancing things, and want to hear the artist in his first Australian discussion about them, book your place now — between the people who are genuinely into Cave's work, and the ones who are just a bit confused and overexcited, we don't think they'll last long. And, just to be well and truly clear, here's proof that Nick Cave the artist and Nick Cave the musician are two very different, equally cool people.
Quotes and observations about evil being mundane, as well as the result when people look the other way, will never stop being relevant. A gripping, unsettling masterpiece, The Zone of Interest is a window into why. The first film by Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin director Jonathan Glazer in more than a decade, the Holocaust-set, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning feature peers on as the unthinkable happens literally just over the fence, but a family goes about its ordinary life. If it seems abhorrent that anything can occur in the shadow of any concentration camp or site of World War II atrocities, that's part of the movie's point. It dwells in the Interessengebiet, the 40-square-kilometre-plus titular area that comprised and surrounded the Auschwitz complex, to interrogate how banal genocide was to those in power; commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel, Babylon Berlin), even gloats that his name will be remembered and celebrated for its connection to mass extermination. Höss was a real person, and the real Nazi SS officer overseeing Auschwitz from 1940–43. His wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall) and five children are similarly drawn from truth. But The Zone of Interest finds its way to the screen via Martin Amis' fiction novel of the same name, then hones its interest down from the book's three narrators to the Höss family; a biopic, it isn't, even as it switches its character monikers back to reflect actuality. This is a work of deep probing and contemplation — a piece that demands that its viewers confront the daily reality witnessed and face how the lives of those in power, and benefiting from it, thrived with death not only as a neighbour but an enabler. Camp prisoners tend the Höss' garden. Ashes are strewn over the soil for horticultural effect. Being turned into the same is a threat used to keep the household's staff in line. All three of these details, as with almost everything in the feature, are presented with as matter-of-fact an air as cinema is capable of. The film starts with idyllic river swims — with Rudolph and Hedwig taking their brood picnicking and frolicking like this isn't the 1940s, war isn't tearing apart Europe, and casualties at the Nazis' hands via their internment system aren't heartbreaking in their horror, cruelty and number. When the Hösses return home after their day out, a sight of domestic bliss awaits there, too. Hedwig isn't just proud of the multi-level house they've constructed, and the leafy grounds with a greenhouse and wading pool; when Rudolph is told that he'll be transferred, she's unwilling to leave. Theirs is a content existence. Glazer and cinematographer Lukasz Zal (an Academy Award contender for both Ida and Cold War) ensure that the barbed wire atop the adjoining wall with the camp is evident, however. Also, the filmmaker soundtracks the feature with rumbling ominousness from his Under the Skin composer Mica Levi, the sound of the furnaces, plus screams, howls and gunfire. The Zone of Interest doesn't plunge directly and visibly into Auschwitz's terrors, such as by moving its distanced camera over the barrier to spend time with detainees. It knows that its audience is already aware of the gutwrenching specifics, as the world should never be allowed to forget. But its approach — staring on at the Hösses primarily in mid shots, and choosing them as protagonists over the camp's inhabitants — is an act of matching its style and focus with one of the basic truths that it's unpacking. With its steadfast composure, which is resolute to an eerie degree, The Zone of Interest compartmentalises just as Rudolph and Hedwig do. When he approves crematorium designs, she tries on a fur coat that belonged to a prisoner, he sleeps with detainees and she fights to retain her perfect abode, each does so with zero thought for Auschwitz's involuntary populace as people. It's simple for a movie to restrict what it sees, of course, but magnifying the hideousness of humans doing the same to such suffering and savagery is another of the film's objectives. So much that fills Hedwig's days as the "queen of Auschwitz", as Rudolph calls her, is particularly pedestrian — and, as navigated so unflinchingly by Hüller in her second exceptional performance of the past year (and in one of two pictures that are 2024 Oscar-nominees), so far removed from any hint of concern or guilt over what's occurring next door. Landscaping, chores, parties, chatter and visits from relatives have rarely felt so disquieting. Unsurprisingly, The Zone of Interest isn't easy to watch for a second. Unshakeable dismay emanates from the disconnect between how the Hösses embrace their existence, and willingly, with the camp's grimness that's constantly heard. It isn't sighted but pondering the reverse, about prisoners listening to playing, splashing, laughing and cavorting ringing out from over the fence amid their pain and perishing, is as much of a blistering, bruising punch. Glazer understands that the human response is alarm and outrage even at the concept of Auschwitz and the Holocaust, let alone its echoes and shadows — reactions absent from those who profit personally and professionally from its brutality, and treat it with both ignorance and apathy. For all of its exacting gaze at sheer inhumanity, The Zone of Interest does depart from Rudolph, Hedwig and their kids in fits and spurts. Cutting to pure white, red and black makes a statement. Also, as lensed with night-vision cameras — the entire film only uses natural light, switching to heat when light genuinely couldn't be seen — the movie spies a Polish girl leaving food at detainee worksites each evening. There's hope in her deeds, with the character also based on a real figure. These moments underscore Glazer's commitment to seeing this story with modern eyes, too. The production design all-round is gleaming. The technical feat, with cameras wired into the set, is pure 21st-century. There's no dismissing what's being depicted as mere history, then, which a late jump to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum now, as explored in documentary-esque footage, emphasises. For the bulk of the picture, Glazer's tech setup means that his actors, as led by Friedel and Hüller at their best, build their portrayals in lengthy takes and at a physical remove from the audience. He conveys the monotony of someone so influential in such awfulness, she taps into the subconscious refusal to engage with the truth of her surroundings, but getting truly close to Rudolph and Hedwig is never the aim. The Zone of Interest could never be about empathising with its points of interest, or redeeming them. As it observes their behaviour, it plummets into a nightmare that's all the more insidious and distressing for how commonplace its protagonists' lives and attitudes prove. In the process, this unforgettably potent and piercing movie also turns its window into a mirror, chillingly asking about today's equivalent of blocking our ears to shrieks and conflict, putting our own comforts ahead of what's right, striving to get ahead at work no matter the cost, and avoiding and disregarding what's over the wall.
As part of the New South Wales Government's response to Sydney's latest cluster of COVID-19 cases, face masks will be compulsory on public transport across Greater Sydney for the next five days. The mandatory requirement will come into effect from 4pm today, Friday, June 18 and run until 12.01am on Thursday, June 24 — so if you've got a bus, train or tram ride in your upcoming plans, or any other type of trip via public transport, masking up is now in your future. This time, though, the mask mandate only applies to Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains — and not Central Coast, Illawarra or Wollongong. Announcing the news today, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the state is "sticking to the geographic definition". Sydneysiders are also encouraged to don a mask when they are indoors in public — although unlike public transport, that isn't being made compulsory. "If you go to an indoor venue, you wear a mask — whether it is a cinema, hospitality or frontline hospitality workers," said the Premier. "It is not compulsory, but we are recommending that especially if you cannot guarantee social distancing, especially in those places around the eastern suburbs." And, NSW Health is advising that folks should avoid non-essential visits to aged care and disability facilities for the next few days as well. If you are visiting, you're told to wear a mask — and to limit visits to two people per day. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1405693852900417537 The public transport mask mandate — and the request to wear masks indoors in public — comes after the Premier yesterday asked residents of the city's eastern suburbs avoid social gatherings for the time being. She reiterated that message in today's press conference, saying that "unless you absolutely have to, our strong preference is that you do not engage in any activity unless you absolutely have to — especially in those eastern communities, especially in proximity to those venues that have been identified." Sydneysiders are also asked to "make sure that you are hand sanitising, you have good social distancing, that you are QR code checking" — messages that are being reinforced given that the current exposure sites list includes cinema sessions, cafes and supermarkets. As it always does, NSW Health has been updating the COVID-19 venues of concern list, and will continue to do so. Anyone who has visited these venues during the times specified are required to get tested and self-isolate as per NSW Health's instructions. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
This Australia Day, meet Australian cinema's new heroine. Myrtle 'Tilly' Dunnage (Kate Winslet) wouldn't consider herself a star at anything other than making stunning dresses, nor does she try to conquer anything but her own doubts and cruel small-town gossip. However, she's the guiding force in a film that warmly embraces local flavour, deftly navigates everything from drama to mystery to comedy, and serves up an offbeat, engaging time at the movies. Tilly is the titular figure in writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse's The Dressmaker, which charts Tilly's homecoming to outback Australia after being driven away as a child. And specially for Australia Day, two openair cinemas are showing it in Sydney — St George Openair Cinema and Moonlight Cinema. Read our review — we bloody loved it.
It's not an overstatement to say that our environment and the delicate ecosystems within it are extremely important to us all, and especially right now, so any effort to preserve our world is an effort worth making. In partnership with certified compostable coffee pod company, Tripod Coffee, we've come up with a list of five easy adaptations centred around your daily coffee routine — so you can go easy on the environment while still enjoying your morning brew. SWITCH TO COMPOSTABLE COFFEE PODS If you have a Nespresso machine at home, you may have noticed a by-product of all that convenience: a lot of pods ending up in the bin. Instead of ditching the machine and further adding to landfill, you could make the switch to coffee pods that are more sustainable. Tripod Coffee is an Australian company that creates compostable coffee pods. This means, you still get an excellent, cost-effective coffee each day, but without the waste. And, as the pods are made from fairly sourced beans, roasted by local coffee maestros, you've got a sustainable sip available in your kitchen every morning. How do you know if a coffee capsule is compostable? You can check the Australian Bioplastics Association list here, or look for the Australian Certified Compostable symbol on the packaging. Tripod Coffee pods are made of a bio-polymer and are sealed with a paper lid. You can place the entire capsule in your green bin, if your council accepts organic waste. If not, you can return the packing using Tripod's Pod-to-Plant returns program. [caption id="attachment_766152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Fotios[/caption] COMPOST YOUR COFFEE GROUNDS Australians generate 67 million tonnes of waste each year, and we chuck 5 million tonnes of food into landfill — which can be easily avoided. Not only can we buy food more responsibly, but we can also learn how to make the most of our organic waste. Composting works twofold to help the environment, first by keeping waste out of landfill, and second by creating a garden-nourishing by-product (aka compost tea). Coffee grounds are packed with potassium and are great to add to compost bins. If you don't know where to start with creating your own compost, check out these tips from Planet Ark, which includes using a Bokashi bucket to ferment food scraps if you live in an apartment. If you don't have outdoor space for a composting bin, or consume lots of coffee and want to make sure your organic waste goes to good use, check out ShareWaste, which connects people who are recycling their kitchen scraps with local people who are already composting, worm-farming or keep chickens. Alternatively, connect with your favourite cafe and ask if you can add your used coffee grounds to its Closed Loop bins, or other organic recycling scheme organised by your council. [caption id="attachment_766122" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chevanon Photography[/caption] EXPLORE DIFFERENT MILK OPTIONS There are approximately 270 million dairy cows producing milk for human consumption around the globe. Milk production impacts the environment in various ways, according to World Wildlife Fund, including production of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. It also has impacts on water supply, deforestation, loss of wetlands and issues of animal welfare. So there are many people around the world who are looking at plant-based milks or mylks. A glass of dairy milk produces almost three times more greenhouse gas than any plant-based milk according to a study by Oxford University in 2018, and earlier this year The Guardian investigated the varying impacts of soy, almond, macadamia or oat — with oat milk coming out, generally speaking, on top. Oat milk is super creamy and froths well for a cappuccino, while almond milk goes down well with a tiny bit of maple syrup, some ice cubes and a shot of coffee for an iced latte. The most important takeaway from those reports is that whatever alternative you choose, it has a lesser environmental impact than dairy. However, it's worth noting that Australia's dairy industry accounts for around 7 percent of the gross value of agricultural production and around 7 percent of agricultural export income. So a cultural shift away from dairy milk is not without its casualties. [caption id="attachment_766125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nathan Dumlao[/caption] KNOW WHERE YOUR BEANS ARE SOURCED By getting to know where your coffee beans come from, you can make a choice that values ethics and sustainability (with the bonus of tasting great, too). Fair trade coffee means the land the beans are sourced from is treated with care, as are the farmers who work on it. It's a win-win — and a step you can take to make a difference. If you want to ensure your coffee is fairly produced, look for the Fairtrade Australia markings; Tripod Coffee's Great Gatsby coffee uses 100-percent certified fair trade organic coffee from Central America. [caption id="attachment_766149" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrea Piacquadio[/caption] BUY FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES DOING GOOD Knowing your daily habits are having a positive impact elsewhere in the world is not only good karma, but also a way of ensuring the money you spend is going directly to people who are actively creating positive change. Tripod Coffee has created the world's only pod-to-plant program, which means that the pods you've used end up as nutrient-rich fertiliser. It also commits one percent of its profits to restoring the Daintree Rainforest through Rainforest Rescue. There are also coffee roasters promoting coffee bag recycling programs and ones that donate to global research to protect coffee plants from extinction — something that nobody wants. Research the companies that are giving back on a global scale, and spend your money locally to keep supporting the little businesses that do good in big ways. Tripod Coffee produces Australian certified-compostable coffee pods. Find out more about the range and delivery options, here.
This week, the Gillard Government announced their long-awaited arts and cultural policy: Creative Australia. Fashioned as a sort of 21st-century sequel to Keating's groundbreaking Creative Nation, the $235 million policy is perhaps the most comprehensive and wide-ranging articulation of and investment in the arts ever seen in Australia. And thus far the policy has been met with the sort of response that the Gillard Government has grown increasingly unaccustomed to: overwhelming support. But what does Creative Australia actually have to offer? The 152-page policy takes real steps to reflect the artistic diversity of Australia through major investments in Aboriginal art and international artistic partnerships, particularly in Asia. It also demonstrates the government's desire to support the cultural industry as exactly that: an industry. By putting money in the pockets of artists and cultural institutions, the government is hoping to create jobs and expand an industry that currently employs over 531,000 people and has produced an estimated $93.2 billion in profits. Having ploughed through pages of the usual PR guff, it has been a pleasant surprise to find that Creative Australia actually has the potential to radically expand and reform Australia's cultural industry. As the policy states, "culture is not created by government but enabled by it", and while this statement has a distinctly hollow political ring to it, it is a surprisingly accurate way of describing how these four features of Creative Australia could revamp our artistic landscape. A GREATER FOCUS ON ASIA A couple of generations ago, depending on who you speak to, Australians began celebrating and/or bemoaning the invasion of American culture into our own artistic landscape. These days, Asia is the new kid on the block, and the Australian government are hoping to capitalise on Asia’s growing cultural dominance through the creation and strengthening of various formal and informal artistic partnerships with the region. In the world of cinema, this means more co-production agreements between Australian and Asian filmmakers. Such partnerships with Singapore have already produced the Jaws-esque horror blockbuster Bait 3D (which reached number one at the box office in China) and the forthcoming TV project Serangoon Road, which is set to air on the ABC and Home Box Office Asia later this year. In the world of visual art, this means the introduction of new legislation protecting overseas loans, such that more Japanese and Chinese art will be popping up in your local gallery in exchange for Australian artworks gaining greater exposure in Asian galleries. SUPPORTING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION Australia's most neglected (yet highest grossing) digital artform is finally getting the sort of government attention it most richly deserves: video games. The newly formed Australian Interactive Games Fund is set to receive $20 million over the next three years in an effort to support Australia's independent games studios in the creation of digital content. Digital media has likewise radicalised the way we consume music, films and television and the Creative Australia policy reflects this converging cultural market. The Federal Government has outlined a variety of policy initiatives including the creation of an online production fund, a $10 million investment to support the production of screen and television suitable for digital platforms, a $5.4 million investment into Australian music and radio and a comprehensive review of Australia's copyright laws to determine whether they appropriately reflect Australia's digital media landscape. INCREASED FUNDING FOR SIX PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES A central component of the Creative Australia policy has been to support artistic institutions that tell distinctly Australian stories. While once upon a time, the term 'Australian stories' was synonymous with ocker comedies and gross stereotypes of the Crocodile Dundee and Barry McKenzie variety, the term has now come to represent a multiplicity of experiences that have a uniquely Australian character. The Federal Government have invested $9.3 million in six performing arts companies who by their estimations have developed a reputation for telling meaningful Australian stories, whether this be through original productions or contemporary reinterpretations of classics. The six companies are Bangarra Dance Theatre (NSW), Belvoir (Company B) (NSW), Black Swan State Theatre Company (WA), Malthouse Theatre (Vic), Circus Oz (Vic) and West Australian Ballet (WA). This funding has the potential to transform these often small, boutique performing arts companies into world-beating artistic hubs. FURTHER JOB CREATION IN THE ARTS Creating jobs in the cultural industry takes one primary form in the Creative Australia policy: nurturing and capturing talent through investment in educational institutes. This investment isn't just for elite training organisations, though the government is pumping an extra $20.8 million into these institutions, but also for younger budding artists and performers. Particularly notable is the investment of $8.1 million into the Creative Young Stars Program, encouraging artists from primary school age to those in their early twenties to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the arts. The Gillard government have also recognised the increasing difficultly faced by artists and performers in transitioning from tertiary education into the workforce. This is seen in the $9.7 million investment into ArtStart, which focuses on making artists more business-savvy in the dog-eat-dog world of art and the $3.4 million given to the ArtsReady program to support school and university graduates transform their love of art, music, dance, performance or drama into a fulltime profession.
With December hard upon us, Parramatta's Riverside Theatre has let a calendar year's worth of cats out of the bag. Their 2017 program kicks off on January 11 and doesn't pause for breath until early November. In other words, now's the time to familiarise yourself with the lineup because once the art starts flying, it'll be too late. What Rhymes with Cars and Girls will see You Am I frontman Tim Rogers personally taking care of the soundtrack for a play loosely based on his album of the same name. Apparently it's about pizza and love. Erth's Prehistoric Aquarium will see masters of the visual spectacle, Erth, rustle up another gang of prehistoric lizard-giants to terrify and amaze anyone who's ever had a serious crack at pronouncing epidexipteryx's name. Bram Stoker's gothic blood party Dracula has been revisited and adapted by Queensland theatre company shake and stir, ready to open eyes and veins. They're fresh from adapting Wuthering Heights and Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine. Queensland Theatre and Grin and Tonic Theatre Group will present Australian Indigenous theatre masterwork, The Seven Stages of Grieving. Playwright Tommy Murphy of Holding the Man acclaim, turns his focus on the friendship (and internal organs) of Mary-Ellen Field, an Australian businesswoman and Mark Colvin, one of the ABC's most dogged radio journos, in Mark Colvin's Kidney (also showing at Belvoir in 2017). And Shaun Tan's gently bizarre book, The Red Tree, following a young girl tumbling through surrealistic landscapes, is given the theatre treatment. Expect divers on tricycles and dice that won't stop rolling. That's just a taste of the Riverside 2017 program. Head to the website for the whole thing. Image: Dylan Evans.
Sydney isn't short of ways to stay fit. Finding a routine or style of workout that sticks can be a totally different story though — particularly one that'll get you jumping out of bed in the early morning when the temperature outside is still in the single digits. But Darlinghurst's newest concept gym could be the answer. Undercard Boxing utilises a new fitness style, developed by co-founders Kesava Commerford and Zach Vickers, that combines boxing, strength and metabolic conditioning training styles. Unlike visits to big gyms, where you can often spend more time waiting for the machine you need than actually on it, Undercard exclusively runs small-group classes (maximum 36 people) and personal training sessions, so you can expect a more personal experience. Undercard involves heading underground and throwing punches in a dimly lit, orange-tinted space. Classes run for about an hour and will test both your strength and endurance — you'll rotate between boxing on a water-filled punching bag, using free weights and doing interval sprints on the high-tech treadmills. There's no chance of getting bored here — it's a high-intensity workout that'll really get your blood pumping. Plus, you can grab a coffee or post-workout protein smoothie from the on-site cafe. To celebrate the launch of this new fitness craze, we're giving away a three-month membership to Undercard Boxing. You'll get to attend two classes every week for three months — and, to keep yourself accountable, you'll get to bring along a mate, too. To be in the running (pun intended), enter your details below. [competition]728449[/competition]
Sydneysiders will soon have another option for getting around the city's west, with an on-demand bus service set to launch in this Sunday, July 1. Kicking off with a five-strong bus fleet, the new Bridj run will initially service Canada Bay, Concord, Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Mortlake and Rhodes, between 6am–11.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am–8.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. The areas and routes included are designed to cover gaps between existing transport hubs in the city's west. Run in partnership with the Transport for NSW, it's the first permanent service of its kind, though trials have been operating across other areas of the city since 2017. Bridj works a little bit like Uber, combining both fixed route and on-demand transit. To book a trip, jump on the smartphone app — which you can download for free for IOS and android — input your destination and when you want to go, and a booking confirmation will be sent through with a nearby pick-up spot and estimated drop-off time. The Bridj micro-buses travel different routes depending on where passengers are headed, and like an Uber, can be tracked in real-time via the app. The technology even looks at things like congestion to work out the shortest possible routes and best pick-up spots. It's also fairly affordable, with a one-way adult fare costing $3.10 and $1.50 for concession card holders. You can pay either via credit card through the app, with cash on board or with your Opal card. And don't forget to thank the bus driver. [caption id="attachment_674689" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] A map of Bridj's Sydney west service[/caption] There are plans to incorporate another 27 of the buses across Sydney in the coming years, as Bridj continues to analyse customer needs and evolve its offering to suit. The Bridj service will launch in Sydney's west this Sunday, July 1. To learn more about it, head to the Bridj or Transport NSW websites.
Hollywood is giving video games to the film and TV treatment like it's collecting loot, with Borderlands the latest button-mashing favourite heading to cinemas. Cate Blanchett (The New Boy) as Lilith, Kevin Hart (Lift) as Roland, Jack Black (The Super Mario Bros Movie) voicing Claptrap, Eli Roth (Thanksgiving) writing and directing, treasure-hunting antics, seemingly trying to make the next Guardians of the Galaxy: that's all in store, as the just-dropped first trailer for the movie shows. Set for an August 2024 release, the Borderlands film isn't done with its familiar names and faces yet. Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis also features, alongside everyone from Edgar Ramírez (Dr Death) and Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) to Florian Munteanu (Creed III) and Gina Gershon (reteaming with Roth after Thanksgiving). And the tale they're telling? It focuses on bounty hunter Lilith's return to the chaotic Pandora, her home planet — and a "dumpster fire of a world", she notes — to find Atlas' (Ramírez) missing daughter. To do so, she needs assistance from mercenary Roland, demolitionist Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), the beefy Krieg (Munteanu) and scientist Tannis (Curtis) — and, from robot Claptrap, with Black lending his voice to another flick based on a hugely popular game after his stint as Bowser in 2023. In the colourful debut sneak peek, mayhem ensues as the movie's main crew navigate bandits and aliens, and have saving the universe as one of their aims. So, if you're new to all things Borderlands and this first glimpse at the film has you thinking of Guardians of the Galaxy, that's understandable. The vibe invites the comparison, right down to the use of a 70s hit: Electric Light Orchestra's 'Do Ya'. A film version of Borderlands has been in the works for almost a decade, with the game itself first arriving in 2009 and spawning three more so far in its main series — 2012's Borderlands 2, 2014's Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and 2019's Borderlands 3 — plus a number of spinoffs. Shot in 2021 but finally hitting screens in 2024, the Borderlands flick comes after 2023 proved big for game adaptations thanks to The Super Mario Bros Movie, the TV take on The Last of Us and cinema's Five Nights at Freddy's. 2024 will also deliver a Fallout streaming series, plus the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The list of upcoming titles doesn't end there, either, including turning The Legend of Zelda into a live-action film. Check out the trailer for Borderlands below: Borderlands will release in cinemas releases in US cinemas on August 9 — we'll update you with a Down Under release date when one is confirmed. Images: courtesy of Lionsgate.
French toast for dinner. Night swimming. Sleeping at noon on a rainy day. Being outside to see the sun rise. Ordinary things become extraordinary when taken out of their standard time and placed in another. Which is why it feels thrilling, at 2am, to be standing at the plaza-like entrance of the renovated and repackaged Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and for its glass doors to slide open and welcome you in. The late-night invitation comes courtesy of Christian Marclay's The Clock, which is launching the MCA's new wing as part of the broader exhibition Marking Time. To properly display the acclaimed work — described as "the most staggering, complex thing made by any artist so far this century" by the Guardian's Adrian Searle — the MCA is staying open all through the night each Thursday from March 29 until May 31. Composed of several thousand extracted moments from cinema history, each one evoking a specific time of day by the appearance of a clock face, The Clock builds a 24-hour film that you watch in real-time. It's odd that just when you feel like you're doing something out of step with time, everything happening on screen is precisely tuned to it. No-one on screen is at the art gallery. Filmmakers have filled this ungodly hour with insomnia, paranoia, itinerancy, underworld plotting and a healthy serve of rooting. I spot James Stewart spying on his neighbours in Rear Window and Phoebe Cates storming aboard Carrie Fisher's houseboat in Drop Dead Fred. I probably definitely fall asleep a little. I wake up very aware of what the time is. The theatrette's couches are full of die-hard experiential art enthusiasts, some mellow revellers from conveniently located parties and people who got here at a more civilised hour and then fell asleep. Some are here for the long haul; they have blankets. The atmosphere is of a pensive, intellectual sleepover. It's a good time to be watching The Clock, because it's late at night that we let the unusual and spontaneous into our lives, both on and off screen. Observing the piece in the middle of the day, you see people at their workstations and family dinners, most, like you, busy and negotiating a routine. They relax as day ends. After midnight, anything can happen. By 5am, apparently, only the possibility of surrealist dream sequence remains. There are a couple of big questions people have about The Clock. The first, always before seeing it, is, can such a work really hold your interest for a prolonged period? The answer is yes. It's astonishing how readily our brains will build a narrative when given only fragments. But the editing techniques Marclay has used facilitate this, as the actions and movements begun in one scene often eerily continue in the next, and the soundtrack spills over with it. Plus, as well as presenting a big, sprawling, multipronged story, The Clock is appropriately hypnotic. The second big question, the one that comes after seeing it, is how the hell was it all put together? Who watched all these films? What computer rendered 24 hours worth of film? It took the backing of London's White Cube and New York's Paula Cooper gallery, more than US$100,000 and a team of six eager DVD-watchers who could compile a database of clocks and their surrounding scenes. The project took three years. It's an investment that paid off. Having picked up the Golden Lion for best artist at the 2011 Venice Biennale, The Clock has been attracting record audiences wherever it goes. Fortunately, this is one exhibition where getting in early to beat the crowds is a genuinely fun proposition. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IPz55aeSLL0
For the next fortnight, residents of Greater Sydney already know they can't go about their normal lives, with the region now three weeks into a lockdown that has already been extended until Friday, July 30 — and has had its rules tightened once so far, too. Exactly what people in the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour Local Government Areas can do moving forward is changing again, however, with New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian today, Saturday, July 17, announcing a range of new restrictions. With 111 new locally acquired cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, Friday, July 16, the Premier said that "it is not good enough for us to tread water, which is what we're doing now." She continued: "we have certainly prevented thousands and thousands of cases but we haven't managed to quash the curve, and that is why the New South Wales Government is taking further action from today. We want to make sure we have a no regrets policy. We want to get out of this lockdown as soon as we can." Accordingly, from 11.59pm tonight, Saturday, July 17, a number of new lockdown conditions will come into effect. Some will apply to all regions that are under stay-at-home rules at present, while some are more targeted — and both will bring about major changes to the way lockdown has been proceeding until now. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1416201180435214337 Firstly, only businesses deemed "critical retail" will be permitted to remain open from 11.59pm tonight, Saturday, July 17 until the same time on Friday, July 30. Stores that can continue to welcome in customers include supermarkets, grocery stores, butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable stores, liquor stores and fishmongers; pharmacies and chemists; and shops that primarily sell health, medical, maternity and infant supplies. Also allowed to stay open: pet supply shops, post offices, newsagencies, office supply stores, petrol stations, car hire places, banks, hardware shops, nurseries, and places that sell building, agricultural and rural goods. Any retail premises that doesn't fall into the above categories must close to physical customers — but they can do takeaways, home deliveries, and click and collect orders. Also stopping throughout the entire lockdown area: carpooling, unless you're in a vehicle with members of your own household. Mask rules are changing, too, with anyone who leaves their house now required to have a mask with them at all times. You also have to wear them when you are working outdoors, and if you're at an outdoor market or outdoor shopping strip. And, you must mask up if you're standing in an outdoor queue waiting for a coffee or something to eat. From 12.01am on Monday, July 19, all construction is being paused as well, as is all non-urgent maintenance, which includes cleaning services and repair work on residences. Also, the rules around working from home are changing from 12.01am on Wednesday, July 21. From then, employers must allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so — or they can face a fine of up to $10,000. The NSW Government is also bringing in new rules for residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool LGAs. Folks in these areas will no longer be able to leave their LGA for work — unless they work in emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields. If the latter categories apply to you and you do need to leave your LGA for work, you'll have to get a mandatory COVID-19 test every three days, even you don't have any coronavirus symptoms. As has been the case during the entire lockdown, everyone in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour can still only leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors in groups of two; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. And, you can still only exercise in groups of two outdoors — or as a household. You can also only get sweaty within your local government area, or within ten kilometres of where you live. If you need supplies, only one person from each household can go out shopping each day to buy essential items — and browsing is prohibited, too. No one can have anyone over to their house, either — other than for care purposes, which includes intimate partners. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are in lockdown until at least 11.59pm on Friday, July 30, with new tighter restrictions coming into effect from 11.59pm Saturday, July 17. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Step into an immersive world of light, sound and delicious smells when Chippendale's Kensington Street transforms into a Babylon-inspired party precinct for one night only, as part of Sydney Fringe Festival. More than 30 of Sydney's most talented independent artists will create light sculptures and installations, performance art, live music, dancing, soundscapes and projections, while food hawkers and local venues provide festival eats. The free after-dark event will also feature fortune tellers, shisha, gin cocktails and a 'marriage market' — where you just might meet someone new the old fashioned way. If you dine at one of the laneway's venues, including Gin Lane, Handpicked Cellar Door or Eastside Kitchen, the first round of drinks will be on the house, too. As the sky darkens, wander down Spice Alley for a feed before making your way through an artistic world presented by Tortuga Studios. Keep an eye out for sculptural steel curiosities by Mekazoic (robotics engineer Dillon MacEwan), live art and music from collective Cult of EVERYTHING, and Dollar Bin Darlings spinning deep jungle jams. Once you've gotten a taste for the vibrant world of Babylon, there is so much more to explore as part of Sydney Fringe Festival's tenth anniversary program, including a bunch of immersive art hubs. Head to the festival's website to see what else is on.
Renowned actor and playwright Ningali Lawford (Rabbit Proof Fence) grew up on a cattle station, daughter of the head stockman and hearing her grandparents' stories of the 1950s. Aboriginal cattle-station workers of the fifties worked in what their own government's 'Chief Protector' had described as "semi-slavery" not too long before. When the stockmen won the right to equal wages in 1968, a lot of station owners reacted to their new obligations by firing most of their workers. Belvoir are about to restage Windmill Baby, a show steeped in the era, and starring Sapphires alumnus Roxanne McDonald. Windmill Baby was the first script by indigenous authors to win the Patrick White award. Lawford worked with playwright David Milroy to bring the era to life, humour and horror intact. Its protagonist returns to the cattle station where she'd worked as a domestic in the fifties, half a century before. In the intimate space of the downstairs theatre, McDonald will bring that distant era to life with stories of what had happened, who was loved and what went wrong. The lives in this play were harsh, the conditions equally so. But listening to Roxanne McDonald tell stories for an evening will be anything but a chore.
Forget microwave dinners. Come the not too distant future, you could be cooking your food in the washing machine. A university student in Tel Aviv has recently devised a new type of instant meal that cooks sous-vide style in the laundry along with your dirty socks. How very appetising. Created by Iftach Gazit of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, the Sous La Vie bags are made from waterproof Tyvek paper, and contain a sealed inner plastic bag — ensuring you don't end up with mixed veggies in your undies, or soap in your salmon teriyaki. "In sous-vide, the food is cooked in a bath-like device at temperatures usually around 50 to 70 degrees Celsius," explains Gazit in a blog post. "The same conditions can be found in a washing machine." "Instead of following a sous-vide recipe and cooking a piece of meat at 58 degrees Celsius for two and a half hours, just set your washing machine to 'synthetics' for a long duration program," he suggests. "Cooking vegetables? Set your machine to 'cotton' for a short duration program." In addition to being a convenient — if rather disconcerting — option for those of us who don't have a lot of time to prepare food, Gazit also believes that his invention could help those who are sleeping rough, pointing out that all night laundromats often double as impromptu accommodation for the homeless. "They offer a hassle-free shelter," he explains. "So why shouldn't you be able to cook some food while there?" It's not clear if and when Gazit's product will ever hit the market, or whether it would ever really be embraced by consumers. Still… surely you'd be curious to try it at least once. Via Dezeen.
Name an adored Australian movie or book — or a film that was adapted to a novel — and, in plenty of cases, there's a theatre version as well. The same works vice versa, too. As a result, we've all had multiple ways to enjoy Muriel's Wedding, Moulin Rouge!, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Wake in Fright, Bran Nue Dae, Jasper Jones and more. And, before 2022 is out, the same will prove true of Looking for Alibrandi. Melina Marchetta's beloved book was initially published in 1992, and has been devoured by teenagers for three decades since. In 2000, it hit the big screen, with Pia Miranda as Josephine Alibrandi — and the movie has been given a workout for two-plus decades now. But this year marks the first time that Looking for Alibrandi will make the leap to the stage, with both Malthouse and Belvoir doing the honours. Premiering in Melbourne at Malthouse's Meryln Theatre from July 8–24, before playing Belvoir's Upstairs Theatre in Sydney from October 1–November 6, Looking for Alibrandi will still chart the same multi-generational story it has always told no matter the format, with 17-year-old Sydney student Josie at its centre. She's in her last year of school, dreaming of a bright future and trying to navigate the clash of cultures that comes with being Italian Australian. She also gets to know her dad, and falls in love for the first time. Director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) is guiding this stage version of the best-selling book to theatres, as adapted by Vidya Rajan — and starring Chanella Macri (Australian Realness), Lucia Mastrantone and Jennifer Vuletic (Because The Night) as the Alibrandi women. Looking for Alibrandi fans in other cities, cross your fingers that the nostalgic stage production will make its way to your stages, too. And if you need something to tide you over until the play hits Malthouse and Belvoir, check out the Looking for Alibrandi film trailer below: Looking for Alibrandi will premiere in Melbourne at Malthouse's Meryln Theatre from July 8–24, before playing Belvoir's Upstairs Theatre in Sydney from October 1–November 6. Head to the Malthouse and Belvoir websites for further information and to buy tickets. Top image: Kristian Gehradte.
So many places to visit, such little time to see them all: that's about to become the kind of problem Aussies absolutely love to have. International travel from Australia is set to resume on a state-by-state basis from November, kicking off in New South Wales on Monday, November 1. And, because it's all happening faster than expected, Qantas has announced that it's speeding up some of its plans. The Aussie airline revealed back in August that it was planning to begin flying overseas again in December this year, based on when it forecast that Australia's international borders would reopen again. Then, it advised that it was moving forward its flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles — the former direct via Darwin — to mid-November. So, in an ever-changing space, its latest announcement is hardly surprising news. It's still thoroughly welcome by everyone already mentally packing their bags, obviously. Overall, Qantas' Australian-based Qantas and Jetstar employees will all head back to work in early December, ahead of international travel resuming nationwide — but some flights will kick off before that. At present, just the Sydney details have been revealed, with trips to Singapore recommencing on Tuesday, November 23, four weeks earlier than initially scheduled; legs to Fiji beginning on Tuesday, December 7, just under two weeks early; and flights to Johannesburg starting on Wednesday, January 5, a huge three months before originally outlined. Also, if you're keen to head to Thailand, flights to Phuket and Bangkok will restart on Wednesday, January 12 and Friday, January 14, respectively. That's more than two months early, and perfectly timed to kick off 2022 with a getaway. Qantas has also announced a new route, from Sydney to Delhi via Darwin, starting Monday, December 6. It'll mark the carrier's first commercial flights between Australia and India in nearly a decade. Before you go digging out your passport, it's worth remembering that different border rules apply both internationally and domestically. So, the rules at your destination — and the requirements upon coming home, depending on where you live in Australia — will vary. One place where the conditions might soon be cemented: Singapore. At the same press conference where Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce announced the airline's latest change of plans, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also revealed that an agreement should soon be finalised regarding Aussie travel to the southeast Asian city-state. "We are in the final stages of concluding an arrangement with the Singapore Government. I was in a position, as you know, some months ago when I met with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Prime Minister Lee in Singapore, to set up a new arrangement which will see our borders open more quickly to Singapore. We anticipate that being able to be achieved within the next week or so, as we would open up to more visa class holders coming out of the Singapore. We will see that occur," said the Prime Minister. News of a possible quarantine-free travel bubble with Singapore was first floated back in March, and mentioned again by both Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in June. For more information about Qantas' international routes or to book, visit the airline's website.
This summer, your nearest beach will transform into an international food market. And it doesn't matter where you live — be it near St Kilda, Bondi or Broadbeach. How? As of now, Deliveroo, the food delivery service that transports tasty meals from your favourite eateries directly to your door, can travel to the sand. And, more specifically, right to your beach towel. That's right, next time you're sprawled out on the beach catching some rays and hunger pangs, you won't have to go anywhere. Jump on your phone, make your order and, somehow or other, your faithful Deliveroo driver will be at your side. Yes, this is going to be very, very interesting to watch on Bondi Beach on a stinking hot day in January when beachgoers number in the thousands and thousands. The food delivery app is now delivering to 150 beaches around the country, having recently launched its services in Hobart, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Newcastle. Deliveroo is now delivering to 150 beaches around the country. To see if it delivers to you, check your app.
UPDATE: JULY 31, 2018 — You can stop bulk-buying chocolate bars, 50,000 more golden tickets to Charlie And the Chocolate Factory have just been released. And you can buy them right here. Two show dates have been added in January and the season has been extended to May 31, 2019. If you'd like to catch Willy Wonka and his orange-hued friends on the stage, we suggest moving quickly. Everyone's favourite 'candy man' is hitting Aussie shores next January, with the announcement that Sydney's Capitol Theatre will play host to the smash-hit musical production of Charlie And the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl's classic sugar-dusted tale is being brought to life in its Australian debut by a collaboration between theatre producers John Frost, Craig Donnell, Langley Park Productions, Neal Street Productions and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures. Following the worldwide popularity of both the original book and the 1971 Gene Wilder film of the same name, the musical has been confirmed a sweet success internationally, scoring rave reviews during its stint on Broadway last year. With original songs like The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket featured alongside new tunes from the songwriters of Hairspray, this confection of a show promises to lure audiences of all ages into, shall we say, a land of pure imagination. It's directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, with music by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics courtesy of Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Sydney season will kick off on January 8, 2019, with performances running on Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets for the first month of shows are now on sale at charliethemusical.com.au. Top image: Joan Marcus, the original Broadway cast 2017.
Pop on your ruby slippers, click your heels three times and prepare to defy gravity: Wicked is returning to Australia. When 2023 sweeps in, it will have been two decades since composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a book inspired by The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century. And, it'll also mark Australian musical theatre fans' latest chance to see that very show right here at home — in Sydney from Friday, August 25. Even if you haven't seen the blockbuster show before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Also huge: its worldwide footprint, playing in 16 countries around the world since its 2003 debut. And, when it makes its way to Sydney Lyric for its latest Aussie run, it'll do so after enchanting itself into fourth place in the list of longest-running Broadway shows ever — even surpassing Cats. [caption id="attachment_872890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wicked NY[/caption] Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5 million copies, including five million since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. Wicked is being brought to Australia by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B Platt and David Stone — and will also take to the stage again before the in-the-works two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Galinda, and directed by Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), is due to start reaching cinemas in 2024. Images: Joan Marcus.
Is there any such thing as bad gyoza? Wrapping tasty fillings in pastry is a rather straightforward concept, after all. Australia's Japanese chain Harajuku Gyoza does the basics well, as you'd expect with its dumpling-celebrating name — but it also knows that this simple dish is teeming with possibilities. Home to Nutella gyoza and salted caramel gyoza, Harajuku Gyoza clearly likes getting creative with its sweet treats. The brand is fond of trying out new things with its savouring dumpling range, too, as its experiment with mac 'n' cheese and pepperoni pizza versions showed. But, it obviously has a soft spot for the kind of desserts you won't find on any old menu — already whipping up lemon meringue gyoza and marshmallow gyoza so far in 2022, and now going with a Ferrero Rocher version. Don't like, can't eat or are allergic to hazelnuts? You'll already know that Ferrero Rocher aren't for you, and neither are these Ferrero Rocher dumplings, sadly. Otherwise, expect exactly what this food mashup sounds like. They come dipped in chocolate and topped with crushed hazelnuts, with an actual Ferrero Rocher inside. The home of raindrop cakes and Japanese air cheesecakes is doing three Ferrero Rocher gyoza for $12, if your stomach is already rumbling. And if you fancy tucking into the new dumplings after devouring two old favourites — cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt — that's up to you. Harajuku Gyoza's Ferrero Rocher gyoza are available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — from Tuesday, November 1.
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn does not court consensus. His highly violent, highly stylised, almost stream-of-consciousness films can be read many different ways. But more than that, they seem to prompt responses from the gut — be they captivation or revulsion. His latest film, Only God Forgives, was last month awarded the Sydney Film Festival prize but also famously drew boos at Cannes (and from the SFF audience I was in, a lot of nervous laughter). Only God Forgives bears the hallmarks of Refn's 2011 hit Drive — uber violence, musical motifs (synth, where possible), Ryan Gosling, neo-Noir, bright lights, big cities — though it's a more abstract picture. It begins when an American called Billy (Tom Burke) rapes and murders an underage prostitute in Bangkok. He is then murdered himself, at the hands of the girl's father, who is encouraged by the rogue police officer and 'Angel of Vengeance' Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm). The hero of the story, however, is a man weaker by most measures, Julian (Gosling), low-life brother of Billy. By classic eye-for-an-eye decree — and that of his frightening mother, Crystal (Kristen Scott Thomas), a Cruela de Vil type in velour — he should kill those responsible for his brother's death. But he can't, and he doesn't really want to. Instead, he and Chang circle each other, enacting lateral acts of violence. Refn has described Only God Forgives, like Drive, as being "based on real emotions, but set in a heightened reality. It's a fairytale." And that might be part of why these films 'work' on some but not on others. You have to recognise the emotions and get swept up in the fantasia. More than most, the films work a spell. If you're caught in the spell, everything holds together. But if it glances off you, it's hard to walk away with anything from watching the film. I really want the view from the former camp, but so far I haven't been able to gain admittance. So what I saw was Refn create some tartly beautiful images (one that stands out is a torture sequence in a nightclub full of motionless doll-women) that are balanced out by others more forced, silly and self-parodying. With Only God Forgives' ambitious aesthetic goals only semi-realised, it begs the question, what did we sit through all that sadism for? You can see why it's set so many critics off on their own moral crusade, with Refn as the target. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FP_zO9jQjVc
Back in January, it was announced that Patricia Piccinini's fantastical Skywhale, the 34-metre-long inflatable art piece that has repeatedly captured the attention and the hearts of Australians, would be joined by a new floating companion. Skywhalepapa, Piccinini's new other-worldly creation, stands as tall as a ten-storey building and was unveiled to the public in the early hours of Sunday, February 7. Both Skywhale and Skywhalepapa were scheduled to take off from the National Gallery of Australia on Saturday, February 6 as part of the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition, however, that date was postponed to Sunday in hopes of better flying conditions. Unfortunately, come Sunday, weather conditions hadn't improved enough to allow the Skywhales to fly. Despite being unable to take off over Canberra, the pair of fantastical hot air balloons were inflated and able to float tethered in front of the gallery. The Skywhales will have future opportunity to fly in the sky on Monday, March 8 and Saturday, April 3, too, with free tickets to the second and third flights set to be released in coming weeks. These flights are running concurrently with a multimedia exhibition at the NGA that includes Piccinini's new children's book Every Heart Sings, which tells the story of the Skywhale family. Skywhale-inspired croissants made by Three Mills Bakery, an open-source Skywhale knitting pattern and a Skywhale song titled 'We Are the Skywhales' were also created alongside the exhibition. Following the March and April flights, the Skywhales are scheduled to go on tour, floating across the skies of Australia throughout 2021 and 22. The tour will kick off in Albury, NSW sometime in mid-April and will make it's way around to several states, providing more Australians with the opportunity to marvel at the enormous art projects. Skywhalepapa was created using 3.6 kilometres of fabric and features nine baby Skywhales, safely tucked beneath their father's fins. To learn more about the Skywhale family, you can purchase the book Every Heart Sings from the NGA website. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings will take place at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT on Monday, March 8 and Saturday, April 3. For more information on the exhibition, visit the NGA website and follow the NGA on Twitter for regular updates on the Skywhales and on tickets to future events. Images: Skywhale 2013, Skywhalepapa 2020, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Copyright the artist.
Usually when you visit Japan — something that's now back on the agenda thanks to the country's newly reopened borders — you can't also enjoy a meal from one of Copenhagen's most acclaimed restaurants. But for ten weeks between March and May 2023, you'll be able to soak in the sights of Kyoto and eat dishes from René Redzepi's Noma, all courtesy of the latter's latest residency. That timing also coincides with cherry blossom season, so add all those gorgeous pink flowers to your itinerary, too. Every now and then — more often prior to the pandemic, obviously — Redzepi's globally renowned, three-Michelin-starred, five-time World's Best list-topping eatery hops around the planet, temporarily setting up shop in another city. It's done just that in Japan before, just in Tokyo; in Sydney as well; and in Tulum, Mexico. Who doesn't want to head to Japan more than once, though? The Kyoto residency will take place at Ace Hotel Kyoto, another outpost of the hotel chain that just opened its first Australian venue in Sydney earlier in 2022. The dates to pop in your diary: Wednesday, March 15–Saturday, May 20, with services running four days a week for lunch and dinner, once per day, between Wednesday–Saturday. [caption id="attachment_874227" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yoshihiro Makino[/caption] "I believe Kyoto to be the birthplace of the western tasting menu, and it remains one of the most important cities through which to understand the fine dining scene today. Much of my own journey and inspiration can be boiled down to a handful of important moments, and going to Japan and Kyoto for the first time is one of them. We have always wanted to return and explore this region as a team," said Redzepi, announcing the pop-up. "We have been working on this specific project for the past two years, and we have had a team on the ground since late spring, foraging and researching what will form the foundation of our Kyoto menu. Our main inspiration comes from the very heart of Kyoto, the kaiseki cuisine, while not at all being a Japanese restaurant. We come to be inspired, to learn, to absorb new creative processes and to hopefully bring back new perspectives and a clearer vision for how to be Noma," Redzepi continued. In Ace Hotel Kyoto's 64-seat restaurant, Redzepi and his team will serve up a menu that highlights produce from the Kyoto region — and spring produce specifically, given that'll be the season in Japan at the time — with ingredients sourced from local farmers, hunters, fishmongers and foragers. Diners will pay €475 / around AU$745, for the menu — and there's an accompanying beverage option, with a choice of boozy and non-alcoholic drinks, for €300 / AU$ 470 per person. Then, there's a ten-percent service charge as well, and all costs have to be paid when you book. Yes, this is a true treat yo'self kind of experience. Reservations for meals only open at 11pm AEDT on Monday, November 7, and expect them to book out quick — Noma's pop-ups always do. Ace Hotel Kyoto is also doing meal-and-stay packages, so you don't have to travel far once you're finished feasting. They also aren't cheap, starting at ¥120,000 JPY / €846 / AU$1321 for two nights for two people. That price also includes a deluxe king room, free daily breakfast, an early check-in and late check-out, and two reservations at Noma's Kyoto residency — but the costs of the Noma meals and beverages will be separate. Wondering what else to do in Japan? Check out this Concrete Playground Trips package, which'll take you on a cultural tour from Kyoto to Tokyo. Noma's Kyoto residency will run from Wednesday, March 15–Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Ace Hotel Kyoto, 245-2 Kurumayacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8185, Japan. For more information, and to sign up to book reservations with room packages when they become available, head to the Ace Hotel Kyoto's website. For restaurant reservations only — which will become available from 11pm AEDT on Monday, November 7 — head to the Noma website to sign up for the restaurant's newsletter. René Redzepi / Noma images: Amy Tang. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sydneysiders will have the chance to cut their Uber spend in half, as the city welcomes Australia's first UberPool services next week. Set to launch on Tuesday, April 3, this is the local spin-off of Uber's USA-based Uber Express Pool, which sees multiple passengers using the ride-share cars at once, in a carpooling scenario. And if you're happy to share your Uber with a stranger, the new service promises to shave up to half-price off your typical Uber ride, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. To start, UberPool will service an area between Bondi and Leichhardt, and from Mascot to Sydney Harbour, where the company found the biggest number of riders to be travelling along similar routes. When using the app, UberPool riders simply request a ride, follow directions to the designated 'dynamic spot' nearby, and then hop in the car with others that are travelling a similar way and who'll help share the cost of the trip. The savings will vary depending on when you use the service, while drivers will earn about the same as they would behind the wheel of a regular UberX service. Uber's general manager for Australia and New Zealand Henry Greenacre said that UberPool would save customers around 50 percent to start with, before levelling out at about two-thirds of the cost of a standard Uber trip. Uber looks to be trying to win back a few customers, following stiff competition from new rival services like Ola and Taxify. More Sydney UberPool routes are expected to be added in the coming months, with a Melbourne launch following soon.
After wowing Sydneysiders with their hatted restaurant SOUL Dining and their homely cafe SOUL Deli, husband-and-wife duo Daero Lee and Illa Kim are back with their third venue. This time, they've set up a sleek all-day diner and wine bar in a corner terrace — in fact, in the same corner terrace that SOUL Deli had been occupying for the last two years. Lee and Kim's beloved purveyor of coffee, fried chicken rolls and Korean doughnuts has recently picked up and moved a few doors down into the lobby of the ADGE Hotel. Still serving up the same top-notch breakfast and lunch treats, SOUL Deli's new home swaps the minimalist white design of its original digs for vibrant pastel hues. Back in the original SOUL Deli spot at 185 Campbell Street, Bar SOUL has arrived with a tapas-style menu of Korean snacks paired with wines from near and afar. The 30-seat bar retains the charm of SOUL Deli's original space, with an inviting interior brought to life by traditional folk Minhwa prints, plus a dog-friendly al fresco dining space where guests can get some vitamin D. "Korean food is rarely associated with wine. After exploring the offering at Bar SOUL, we wouldn't be surprised to see more of these ventures pop up across Sydney," says Kim. "Pairing a Touriga Nacional with our dry-aged duck with sweet potato puree and Korean cabbage salad is a revelation." Other standout snacks joining the duck on the dinner menu include potato crumpets with kimchi crème fraiche and smoked trout roe, grilled octopus skewers, fried spatchcock, slow-cooked pork jowl and scallop crudo. While this all sounds like the making of a killer nighttime haunt, you can also head in from 7.30am every day for breakfast or a boozy lunch. The daytime menu is filled with a blend of Korean favourites and Australian cafe staples. Bread sits at the centre of the offerings, with standout dishes like toast topped with burrata, roasted beetroot, quinoa and blood orange; Murray Cod fish burgers with pickled cucumber tartar and fennel on potato buns; and MB9+ wagyu open sandwiches. Manning the kitchen is Head Chef Sunny Ryu, who hopes to give patrons the experience of "finding something unexpected within the familiar". Ryu brings experience from an accomplished career, during which he's worked across acclaimed restaurants in Australia and Korea, including Bennelong, Quay and Seoul's Michelin-starred diner Ryunique. No matter which time you head in, it's best to lean into the theme. Where else can you pair a loaded fish burger with Bokbunjajoo Black Raspberry Wine, or gang-doenjang with a glass of Mudgee rosé? Bar SOUL is now open at Shop 1 and 2, 185 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. It's open 7.30am–2.30pm Monday–Sunday and 5.3pm–late Tuesday–Saturday.
If you are feeling like your wardrobe needs a bit of an update, then you're in luck. Australian clothing brand Assembly Label is hosting an online warehouse sale for a limited time, so you can buy some new linen pants, simple tees and easy breezy button-ups without going too hard on the wallet. Known for its timeless, minimalist pieces, Assembly Label is a go-to for top-quality staples that'll take you from your morning coffee to working in your living room (aka the office), lounging around on weekends and going out for lunch with mates — really, you won't need much else. The online warehouse sale kicks off Monday, March 7 with a wide range of both men's and women's wear on offer. If you've not quite accepted that summer's over — or if you're planning ahead for a mid-year trip to the northern hemisphere — you can stock up on Assembly signature summery linen dresses, swimwear, skirts and shorts. Best of all, the selection will be on sale at up to 70 percent off for a limited time only with free shipping across Australia, too. Shipping to New Zealand costs $15. Assembly Label's online warehouse sale runs from March 7-9. To check what you can nab for up to 70 percent off, head here.
