Are you getting a little tired of watching Liam Neeson sneer at bad guys and battle repressed emotional problems? Maybe you've had enough of George Clooney's attempts to reignite the magic of Ocean's Eleven while butchering modern history in the process? Your average trip to Hoyts or Village can be a bit of a let down, and it's not all to do with the fact they charge $11 for a small popcorn. Enter Sydney Film Festival, saviour of all cinephiles. SFF has today revealed the first 32 films on its 180-strong program, and so far it's looking pretty damn excellent. Most films will be taking their Australian premiere at the festival and a few come straight from the screens of this year's SXSW. The most of exciting of these is Frank — an offbeat comedy based on real events in which Michael Fassbender plays the lead singer of an indie-pop group who always wears a giant papier mache mask on his head. The film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and the guy who played Bill Weasley in Harry Potter. Do we have your attention yet? Other incoming SXSW treasures named after men include Joe — a Nic Cage film that doesn't look outrageously awful. By all accounts Cage takes the form of a nuanced and realistic human being and doesn't suck at it! Even stranger than that is the fact that this "Southern Gothic drama" comes from director David Gordon Green (Prince Avalanche, Pineapple Express). Is this the most impressive April Fools' joke ever? Time will tell. As always, the SFF documentaries are looking strong too. Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy? details maybe the most impressive tete-a-tete ever recorded, between much-loved dreamer and director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and arts-student deity Noam Chomsky. Music docos stand on their own with the inclusion of Pulp — a loving portrait of the beloved Britpop band and its frontman, Jarvis Cocker. And sociopolitical issues get their showing with Ukraine is Not a Brothel — a work from Australian director Kitty Green that investigates the Ukrainian feminist organisation FEMEN and their "naked war against patriarchy". As less than a quarter of the full program, the films released so far are an indication of very good times to come. So please, stop enabling George Clooney's midlife crisis and save your ticket money for the good stuff. Sydney Film Festival will run from June 4-15. The full program will be announced on Wednesday, May 7.
Since 2016, the cinema-loving world has had a Studio Ghibli-shaped hole in its heart. That's when the acclaimed Japanese animation house released its most recent film, the gorgeous French co-production The Red Turtle. Its last solo production actually came two years earlier, courtesy of 2014's When Marnie Was There. Still, much has happened in Studio Ghibli's world over the past decade. Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement, then changed his mind. In 2018, fellow co-founder and acclaimed director Isao Takahata sadly passed away. And, over the past few years, the company has been busying itself with its very own theme park. The latter is due to open in 2022 and become quite the tourist attraction — but that doesn't mean that fans aren't keen for more Ghibli movies. Thankfully, the studio has announced that it's working on just that, with two new films on its slate for 2020. In the company's New Year's Greeting and just-released news update, it revealed that it'll be focusing on the pair of flicks and the theme park this year. And yes, one of those movies will be helmed by My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle icon Miyazaki. How Do You Live? was actually first announced a few years back, along with Miyazaki's return from retirement. Few details have been unveiled since, although in an interview on Japanese TV late last year, the filmmaker's producer Toshio Suzuki advised that it was 15-percent finished at the end of October 2019. Initially hoped to hit screens around the time of this year's Tokyo Olympics, it hasn't been given a release date as yet. Details of Studio Ghibli's second film in production are even more scarce, including its name, director, plot and timing. But the company's creative stocks run deep — Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki directed Tales from Earthsea and From Up On Poppy Hill, for example — and it hasn't made a bad movie yet. Get excited about the two new films by revisiting the trailer for Miyazaki's last feature, 2013's The Wind Rises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSpDgiF5y8 Via Studio Ghibli.
I’ve can’t remember specifically the last 150th birthday party I went to, but it probably didn’t have awesome live bands and snacks that weren’t tiny asparagus sandwiches. Newtown isn’t your average 150-year-old, however, so will be keeping the tradition of putting on a massive park party each November live and well. To mark the milestone all performers and artists chosen to be part of 2012’s festivities have a special connection to this eclectic slice of the Inner West. When you’re not shopping for handmade bracelets, deciphering performance poetry or watching dogs act like humans you can enjoy tunes from festival mainstays King Tide, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Kira Puru and The Bruise, The Rescue Ships, Kill City Creeps and Little Bastards on the Federation Stage, plus Regular John, Bearhug, Collarbones, Caitlin Park, The Fabergettes, Tokyo Denmark Sweden and Battleships on the Essential Stage. Don’t BYO booze, but do BYO a non-glass drinking vessel — Newtown Festival 2012 is going Bottled Water Free this year, and eating your body weight in gözleme is easiest when you have a liquid chaser.
Fancy the SXSW Sydney experience without stretching your budget? As part of the event's inaugural trip Down Under, all things SXSW are taking over Tumbalong Park — and for free. That includes seeing movies under the stars without paying a cent, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival setting up an outdoor cinema for four nights. Alongside indoor sessions at Darling Harbour Theatre and Palace Cinemas Central, these outside screenings are popping up at the SXSW Sydney 2023 hub in Tumbalong Park. On the program: a small survey the OG fest's best and brightest. Since SXSW added its film component in 1994, playing at the Austin fest has been a filmmaker's dream — so the Sydney event has picked four big highlights to share with the Harbour City. The SXSW Sydney Outdoor Cinema will get its projector whirring for the first time at 8pm on Monday, October 16 with classic anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, then follow it up at 8pm on Tuesday, October 17 with records and romance courtesy of the OG High Fidelity. Come 8pm on Thursday, October 19, Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused will get a whirl. And to wrap it all up at 8pm on Saturday, October 21? Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows — the movie, not the also-ace TV show. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Step inside BLAK BOX, a new architect-designed sound pavilion at Barangaroo, and you'll be carried into a world of First Peoples' stories. Spoken word, music and field recordings combine to create a stream of consciousness that expresses experiences of Barangaroo – from the past, the present and the future. The installation is the creation of Urban Theatre Projects, who commissioned architect Kevin O'Brien to design the immersive pavilion. Lighting is kept to a minimum, encouraging "deep listening", a concept that invites you to pay attention, not only to the stories, but also to the silences and spaces between them. Radio National presenter Daniel Browning curated the audio. His selections include 15 commissioned sound pieces, oral histories of Barangaroo before 1788, informal interviews and spoken word performances. "BLAK BOX is one of our most ambitious projects to date – bringing together design, installation and sound for a unique contemporary storytelling experience," said Rosie Dennis, artistic director at Urban Theatre Projects. "Daniel has curated an intelligent, layered and thought-provoking program which grapples with the complexity of urban development, place and history." BLAK BOX will make its world premiere at Barangaroo Reserve from 2–24 June, it's launch coinciding with Reconciliation Week, before touring Australia. The work is the first to emerge from a three-year partnership between Urban Theatre Projects and the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, which will see new sound and art installation in the same Barangaroo site every June until 2020. Blak Box is located at Barangaroo Reserve and is open Tuesday–Saturday, 5.30–9pm; Sunday, 2.30–6pm. Entry is free, but reservations are recommended and can be made here.
In a convoluted case of art imitating life, Roman Polanski's latest thriller centres on a man under siege. Novelist and screenwriter Robert Harris' thinly veiled portrait of ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair takes on an extra level of infamy with the film's production halted by convicted pedophile Polanski's arrest and attempted extradition. With two such hulking shadows (ghosts?), it's practically impossible to take this film on its own merits, as you wonder what Polanski might have made of the material under less taxing circumstances (or whether you should support him by seeing the film at all). This polemical context aside, The Ghost Writer is a masterfully constructed, if ultimately lackluster political whodunit. Ewan McGregor capably shoulders the film as its eponymous and nameless protagonist — as a self-confessed 'hack' biographer, he takes on Adam Lang's (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs after the mysterious death of his previous 'ghost'. Relocating to Lang's remote and fiercely modernist (haunted?) house, the ghost steps into a crucible of time and political pressure as an angry public calls for Lang's extradition to the International Criminal Court. Although the plot plays out like a clunky game of chess, The Ghost Writer is worth seeing for Olivia William's flawless performance as Lang's political lioness of a wife, as well as Tom Wilkinson's scene, nay, film-stealing cameo. Alexandre Desplat's noirish score mixes well with the stark production design and crisp cinematography. In all the film is a stylish and capable thriller, but one that somehow ends up being disappointingly less than the sum of its parts. https://youtube.com/watch?v=L_AerBW0EcI
In the dying days of the cold war, as the US and Russians began dismantling their weapons, the Soviet Union kept churning out biological weapons, zombie-like, into the emerging peace. Eastern Bloc's new show has something of that automated production and aftermath in its new, small show WUNDERCRETE. Sophie Clague's Shifting Grounds crafts a model metropolis that looks like a playground for one of those Soviet plagues. Actually inspired by the plague of vacant construction holes that dot and dotted Sydney, she imagines a city where the holes have taken charge and their inhabitants can't return. A green, gauze fabric lies across this cityscape, punctured by metal stakes that reach up like towers across a miniaturised topography. At the centre sit die cut metal slabs, etched like circuit boards. It suggests a reimagined city whose underneath holds shops and apartments perfectly preserved as rubble. Clague's upcoming Site at Kudos will also explore a similar theme, picking through the rubble of the current COFA renovation. Artist Lizzie Thomson is also interested in the remains of art. Often found using dance strokes in art, for The Explorer she confines herself to movement's aftermath. At the centre of her show is a neon-green safety suit. Empty feet encased in cement and lying on its back, it sits relaxed like a cicada shell. Around its outstretched palms a series of concrete objects lie littered: an open pyramid, a kangaroo paw sticking out of a spherical segment. The artefacts and the suit are arrayed like a series of clues, setting out a Snicket-like aftermath of some mob action against an absent performance artist. Alongside, a simple motor and tube look ready to reinflate it. The debris suggests a trip to the bottom of the harbour. Thomson waits, alive and friendly, in the next room. Eastern Bloc is open Thursday - Saturday, 11-5. Image of Lizzie Thomson's 'The Explorer' by Emma Price.
This month, galleries and creative spaces across Sydney will throw open their doors for a massive celebration of contemporary art and artists for Art Month Sydney's milestone tenth anniversary. As part of this year's jam-packed lineup, Art Month Sydney is hosting a series of after-work tours of the city's most prolific art precincts. And it's kicking things off with a walking tour around Paddington and Woollahra on Thursday, March 7. If you're curious to see what Sydney's artists are producing, this is a great chance to peruse a whole host of exhibitions in one night. More than 20 local galleries will stay open late, including Australian Galleries, Australian Centre for Photography, Gallery 9, Cement Fondu, Wagner Contemporary, KORBAN/FLAUBERT and more. To get involved, simply explore the Art Month Sydney map here, pop on some comfy shoes and start your tour at 6pm. Once you've finished your trail, make your way back to the National Art School for the tenth anniversary party from 8–10pm. There'll be a pop-up bar, music and live performances by writer and performance artist Brian Fuata and Megan Hanson, and look out for a new installation by Brendan Van Hek, who works with neon light, glass and furniture. For more information on the Art at Night: Paddington and Woollahra tour, or to check out the full Art Month Sydney program, head this way.
If nothing says romance to you like a classic movie, a picnic and a night under the stars, then we've found your February plans: a week of romantic films at Moonlight Cinema. The summertime event in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth unveils its lineup in batches each season, with the flicks for next month freshly announced — including swooning over 10 Things I Hate About You, Twilight and The Notebook, plus a preview screening of Force of Nature: The Dry 2 among the broader program. Consider this your latest piece of motivation to sit on a bean bed under the evening sky while feasting your eyes on the big screen and filling your stomach — with your special someone if that's how you'd like to mark Valentine's Day. The Ryan Gosling (Barbie)- and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret)-starring tear-jerker will do the honours on Wednesday, February 14, capping of a run of love-focused pictures that also features A Cinderella Story, The Princess Diaries, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Anyone But You. Away from getting hearts aflutter, Moonlight's February bill also spans Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins, animation Migration, plus Wonka and Ferrari in all cities — and that sneak-peek session of Force of Nature is happening everywhere as well. In Sydney and Melbourne only, All of Us Strangers with the internet's boyfriends Paul Mescal (Foe) and Andrew Scott (Fleabag) is back on the lineup. And in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, so is wrestling biopic The Iron Claw. Sydney will also host a Mamma Mia pride celebration screening. Other films doing the rounds, depending on the city, range from Poor Things, Barbie and Dicks: The Musical to Priscilla, Saltburn and the Joel Edgerton-starring The Boys in the Boat. Folks in Brisbane and Adelaide, take note: this is your last chance to head along for this summer, with the Queensland season in Roma Street Parklands ending on Sunday, February 18 and the South Australian stint wrapping up on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 in Botanic Park. The lineup always varies per place, as do the dates, and the films and the setting are just two parts of the Moonlight Cinema setup. Also on offer: an official Aperol spritz bar, which is new for 2023–24. Nosh-wise, the event lets you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's also a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, plus a platinum section that levels up a night at the movies even further in Sydney and Melbourne. A beauty cart is handing out samples, too. And, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2023–24 DATES: Brisbane: until Sunday, February 18, 2024 in Roma Street Parklands Sydney: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Centennial Parklands Perth: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Adelaide: until Wednesday, February 14, 2024 in Botanic Park Melbourne: until Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema runs through until March 2024, with dates varying per city. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
UPDATE: AUGUST 30, 2019 — Sonic Youth guitarist and vocalist Kim Gordon has cancelled her Antidote appearance due to health reasons. Ticket holders will receive a refund from the Sydney Opera House. Antidote is now only running for one day, on Sunday, September 1. Antidote — the Sydney Opera House festival of ideas, action and change — will return for its third round this August, bringing with it an all-star lineup of the world's leading minds and pioneering creatives. They'll facilitate and lead the necessary conversations of our time during a day of talks on Sunday, September 1. This year, the festival has partnered with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, which will co-curate two sessions focusing on authoritarian environments, free speech and debates on society's most controversial issues, as well as a panel on climate change (and whether the media has reported on it accurately). Other key topics in this year's program include 'fake news', national identity, the weaponisation of social media, creative responses to political and social turmoil and the surveillance of 'big data' and the resurgence of binge cultures. Included on the massive international lineup are Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie, Rappler founder Maria Ressa (one of TIME Magazine's People of 2018), Black Lives Matter activist and co-founder of Campaign Zero DeRay Mckesson, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll, and Russian cyber security journalists (and co-founders of the respected Agentura. Ru) Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan. Also making appearances is Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korea deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom; Mausi Segun, the executive director of Human Right Watch's Africa Division; and Lina Attalah (TIME Magazine's New Generation Leader), co-founder of Egyptian newspaper Mada Masr. Australian heavy hitters to join the party include ABC International Affairs analyst Stan Grant, The Guardian journalist Brigid Delaney and The Sydney Morning Herald's national editor Tory Maguire, who will host a live recording of the podcast Please Explain. On Monday, July 15, a second round of speakers were announced, including Denise Ho, a key figure in Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, The Washington Post's Beijing Bureau Chief Anna Fifield, CEO of First Peoples Disability Network Damian Griffis and Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent. New panels have been added, too, and see the addition of talks on alternative models of housing, the economics of disability, the mapping of Australia's colonial frontier massacres and pop culture obsessions. Antidote's popular workshop series will return, too, featuring a collective tarot reading, a 'how to' hairdo tutorial for dads, native tea making and a free Auslan workshop thanks to the Deaf Society. In terms of interactive art, you'll find a free exhibition by Delhi-based photographer Gauri Gill on the Western Boardwalk, a short film about social connections in the Lounge and Sydney artist Jason Phu's public performance work, which features a "procession of masked 'spirits' protesting against humanity's impact on the earth". Watch out for that one. Image: Letícia Almeida
It's two decades since Cat Power (Chan Marshall) caught a plane from the US to Melbourne, where she spent 11 days in a recording studio with sound engineer Matt Voigt, guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White of trio Dirty Three. The result was Moon Pix, the full-length album that became Marshall's breakthrough. She wrote most of the songs in one session, while staying alone in a farmhouse and waking up to terrifying hallucinations of dark spirits trying to break through the walls. "They were clear, black as night, trying to get into my soul. That's when I grabbed my acoustic guitar. I thought that if people found my body, I needed to leave a tape," Marshall told The Telegraph (UK). To mark Moon Pix's 20th anniversary and as part of Vivid Live, Cat Power is performing the entire album live in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. She'll be joined by Turner, White and a string section. This will be Marshall's only Australian show and the first time she has performed the album in full with its original collaborators.
"Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Le Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: this Sydney event is just for the sophisticated. Now popping up all around the world, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris more than three decades ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. For the second time in 2022, Sydney's creme de la creme will once again dress in all-white — this time on Saturday, November 12 — and flock along, with the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment. Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the 2000-plus foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables, chairs and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous. That said, don't get any ideas — a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit. Le Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous event, or get on the waiting list for a ticket — with the latter open for registrations now. And, if you're wondering what the event entails — other than eating, drinking and wearing white and white only — you'll need to bring a table and two white chairs with you, as well as your own picnic basket, glassware, white tablecloth and white dinnerware. You can order a catered picnic, though, if you don't want to bring your own. Booze-wise, you'll either need to opt for wine or champagne via the event's e-store, or be happy bringing your own non-alcoholic beverages. Wondering where Le Diner en Blanc might pop up this time? In past Sydney outings, it has brought its all-white setup to Bondi Beach, Centennial Parklands and the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
The Sydney Theatre Company are leading the way towards a sustainable future with their Greening the Wharf scheme. This massive project incorporates water, energy and structural strategies for limiting the Wharf and STC's environmental impact - a wise choice, given the company's vulnerability to rising water levels. Starting in February, the initiative will also include a series of free talks that focus specifically on climate change and sustainability, in an effort to spread proactive environmental trends beyond the theatre space. Presented by the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, these talks will be delivered by guest speakers throughout the year. Kick-starting the program is Dr Peter Crosier, a Founding Member of the Concerned Scientists, who will be giving a timely presentation on managing carbon emissions.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for more than 12 months now. Messina celebrated that one-year milestone back in April, of course — but it isn't done with cookie pies yet. Here's hoping that it never will be, because its latest version is certain to tempt plenty of tastebuds. Chocolate is involved, as it usually is, but Messina's new choc malt cheesecake cookie pie fills its choc malt cookie with vanilla malt cheesecake, then tops it with a choc malt crumble. With all that talk of chocolate and malt, it sounds a bit like it's taking a few cues from Milo. No, we're not complaining. Hang on, a cookie pie? If you're not familiar with the concept yet, it's a pie — obviously — but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time, you'll enjoy the scent of vanilla and malt as well. The new pies will be available for preorder from 9am on Monday, June 7 — which is your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent birthday cake cookie pie will cost $25. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $35, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $41 and $45 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13. Melburnians, ideally you'll be out of lockdown by then — but it's probably best to take note of your ten-kilometre bubble when ordering, just in case. You can preorder a Messina choc malt cheesecake cookie pie from Monday, June 7, to pick up from Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13.
Fonts are more cheeky and charming than we give them credit for. Their shared practicality on the computer screen never gets in the way of their distinct personalities. Each character is individual and up for the count. Whether full-bodied or standing slightly askance, they blink back at the cursor and soldier forth to selflessly serve language, rhythm and imagery. We all know the font family, but rarely stop to consider its authority and influence, whether in cascading style sheets or deprecating HTML scripts. We now realise that all roads lead to Times New Roman, and we long ago figured out who shot the Sans Serif, but the typefaces installed on your system surely deserve a indelible tribute outside the Microsoft Corporation. Thankfully (bold tag) Roller Studio is celebrating the release of the second Go Font Urself book, a font-tastic volume featuring type-riffic artworks that highlight the uniqueness of the English language. If loosened letterforms don't excite you, the inclusion of international artists, designers and typographers will, and all proceeds raised at the launch will be donated to the Penrith Museum of Printing. Presented by Kirin First Press Beer, the GFUS* Typography Initiative invites all and sundry to revel in the craft, beauty and creativity of fonts at Roller Studio. Get your caps lock on, rearrange the glyphs of your inner font into a thumbs up gesture, and bag a copy of the book after 6pm. Image: Siggi Eggertsson
Having never quite managed to be in the right place to see a Kaldor Public Art Project in the flesh, I'm pretty excited about the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Kaldor retrospective. Seriously. Sure, tucking some glossy photographs neatly into the old white cube seems slightly anathema to the Kaldor ethos, but after 40 years of "yep, that's pretty great" projects, Kaldor is indisputably a significant part of the history (and present) of contemporary art in Australia. A major exhibition accompanied by a substantial publication is just the thing to remind us. In 1968 there was no MCA, no ACCA, there were no publicly funded contemporary art spaces at all, just John Kaldor twiddling his thumbs wondering how to connect Australia with the international avant-garde. One year later Kaldor brought out Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney transformed attitudes towards large-scale public art projects and contemporary art more broadly. Gilbert & George's The Singing Sculpture, Jeff Koons' Puppy, Gregor Schneider's 21 beach cells. Ah yes, we've much to be thankful for. And, if you were worried it was going to be all flat stuff on walls and in books, the latest Kaldor project is being launched to coincide with the exhibition. Berlin-based Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi is transforming the equestrian sculptures outside the AGNSW with his new work War and Peace and in between. It will be amazing. Image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo pictured), Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Photo: Harry Shunk, Courtesy: Kaldor Public Art Projects
ARIA-winning artist and bighearted Sydney legend Sarah Blasko will play an intimate gig at Giant Dwarf in Redfern on World Refugee Day, Friday 20 June. With all ticket sales going straight to the Refugee Council of Australia, Blasko's just-announced show is a direct response to the federal government's funding cuts to the RCOA, announced last week as an addition to the recent budget. After the release of her stunning fourth album I Awake to critical high-fivery in 2012, Blasko is breaking out of creative hibernation to play for a cause. "I'm emerging from what I'll affectionately call my 'fifth album writing cave' to play this special show at Giant Dwarf (the latest venture from the Chaser team) during Refugee Week. I'm an ambassador this year and The Refugee Council need financial support now more than ever to continue their positive work within refugee communities in Australia," said Blasko. "They are also an important force in lifting the veil on our country's treatment of asylum seekers. So, come watch me sing for the night and you'll be supporting them. I promise at least one new song and special guests." After a whopping 33 years of operating, the RCOA found more than half a million dollars of funding cut from their budget — after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison found his portfolio was funding the organisation. "It seems extraordinary that our organisation — which has been doing this work through thick and thin for 33 years — has been singled out for this treatment," Paul Power, chief executive of the RCOA told ABC radio. "This in many ways illustrates the state of the relationship between the non-government sector — particularly organisations working on asylum issues — and the government at the moment." This isn't the first time Blasko has used her fame for a good cause. Last year, the multi ARIA-winning artist teamed up with eBay to open a temporary online store in support of charity organisation Bowel Cancer Australia (after losing her mother to bowel cancer 14 years ago). All proceeds from her personally donated auctioned clothing, books, homewares, vinyl and bric-a-brac went directly to the organisation. Blasko will be joined onstage with some special yet-to-be-announced guests, alongside her solid session buddies. Tickets will be available for $45 from Giant Dwarf's website from 9am on Wednesday, June 4. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IyzF4dRpqow
Seven women, a dinner party and a bunch of relationships crying out for serious re-examination provide the dramatic drive behind Jonathan Gavin’s A Moment on the Lips. Having debuted on the Old Fitz stage 11 years ago, the play is now revisiting home territory via the Mad March Hare Theatre Company. Through one short scene after another, the lives of seven protagonists unravel. There’s Anne (Ainslie McGlynn), self-declared ‘home resource manager’ facing the challenges of first-time motherhood; Emma (Claudia Barrie), appearance-obsessed newsreader; Dominique (Sonya Kerr), possessor of prophetic powers; and two sets of sisters. The first is comprised of creatively frustrated, failing artist Victoria (Beth Aubrey) and PhD student Jenny (Sarah Aubrey — the Aubreys are sisters for real); the second of emotionally detached yet successful barrister Rowena (Lucy Goleby) and adopted Samoan sibling Bridget (Sabryna T’eo), who cares for dying patients. What’s more, Jenny is married to Rowena, for whom Emma still carries a flame. And pretty much every relationship — be it platonic, romantic or biological — is fraught with regret, dishonesty and confusion. A Moment on the Lips begs us to contemplate our values and consider the big impact of 'little things'. It’s a mountain of material to get through in just one play. Gavin ambitiously attempts to address every character’s strengths and weaknesses, but it’s a tough call, and, too often, lapses into one-dimensionality. It also means some rather uneven scriptwriting. Several clever one-liners elicit genuine laugh-out-loud moments, but there’s also an indigestible reliance on cliche. Occasionally it's used ironically with more punch. McGlynn delivers the standout performance as the struggling Anne — charismatic, sassy and funny. The other roles prove difficult to fill out, given their lack of meatiness, but director Mackenzie Steele does pull off a fast-paced, snappy show, accentuating eccentricities and dynamics where he can. Charlie Davis has come up with a beige, orderly set with bookshelves offering titles like The Way We Live that could easily pass for a trendy Bondi apartment and cleverly references the characters’ materialism and tendency to obsess over first-world problems. Costume designer Isabella Andronos delivers striking contrasts with bold, bright colours. A Moment on the Lips is an entertaining night out, but, ultimately, proves more simplistic than probing. Image by Katy Green Loughrey.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that no-guarantees creative career you've always had in the back of your mind? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. From a very young age, we're all asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We're told to pick one path, one profession, to neatly label the rest of your life. Our responses change as we grow up, from astronaut to engineer, princess to PR, and for Sydney-based Cole Bennetts, from Penguin Boy to renowned photographer taking the Prime Minister's portrait. You can read the interview over here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Cole's being a total legend and helping us give away the chance to be a photographed like the biggest names in the music business. Cole will work with you and a lucky friend to create a unique shoot for your own use, be it the ultimate profile pic or your next step to stardom — so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. Enter here to win.
For one week each September, Brisbane becomes Australia's live music capital — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city, it seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is packed to the rafters with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest the country's music scene has to offer. And given this year's newly announced lineup, expect that to be the case once again. Unveiling its first 75 acts for 2018, BIGSOUND will play host to a stacked pack of musos, spanning everything from pop, electronic, rock and rap to metal, hip hop and folk. Topping the bill so far are the likes of The Chats, Eliott, Cable Ties, Asha Jefferies and yú yī, plus the return of previous BIGSOUND favourites such as Blank Realm, Olympia, Gabriella Cohen and Oh Pep! More than 70 other acts will be announced closer to the event; however the current list joins a host of previously revealed speakers — including Virginia Grohl, mother of Dave Grohl, and record label executive turned indie company CEO Mardi Caught. Previous BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so their program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent. Here's the full lineup of music acts so far: A Swayze & The Ghosts Adrian Eagle Alice Skye ARSE Arteries Asha Jefferies Bin Juice Blank Realm Bugs Butterfingers Cable Ties Cast Down CLYPSO Cry Club CXLOE DEAN FOREVER Dreller Eat Your Heart Out Eilish Gilligan Eliott Elizabeth Ella Hooper Emma Anglesey Estère Gabriella Cohen Genesis Owusu Georgia Mulligan Good Doogs GRAACE Gravemind Greta Stanley Hachiku Hazlett Hobsons Bay Coast Guard Imogen Clark James Wright Trio JEFFE KAIIT Kaitlin Keegan Kian Kota Banks Kult Kyss Kwame MANE Miss June Moaning Lisa MOOKHI Oh Pep! Olympia Paces Pink Matter Pool Shop Rachel Maria Cox RAT!hammock Riley Pearce Ruby Gilbert Samsaruh Sleep Talk Slowly Slowly Stevie Jean Sumner Sunscreen sweater curse SŸDE T$oko Tape/Off The Chats The Merindas TOTTY Triple One Two People Tyne-James Organ Voiid Wax Chattels yú yī BIGSOUND 2018 runs from September 4–7 at various venues around Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For further details or to buy tickets, visit bigsound.org.au. To discover what to do, see, eat and drink while visiting Brissie for the annual event, check out our weekender's guide to Brisbane during BIGSOUND.
Like many a great singer-songwriter before her (cue Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), Kate Tempest began as a dealer in words. In 2013, she became the first ever person under 40 to win the Ted Hughes Award for innovation in poetry. In 2014, she attracted a Mercury Prize nomination for her hip hop-driven debut album, Everybody Down. Now she's published her debut novel, The Bricks that Built the Houses, so she's back for her second visit to Sydney Writers' Festival — opening the whole festival, in fact. Billy Bragg loves her. Chuck D is a fan. She was one of Sydney Festival 2016's biggest hypecards. Check out her fresh, authentic freestyling for yourself. Kate Tempest will open Sydney Writers' Festival on May 17, discuss her novel on May 21 and at the SWF Gala: The Book that Saved Me panel on May 20.
We're the first to admit that all of these national [insert trendy food item here] days are getting out of hand. But one day we're happy to support is World Tequila Day — mainly because Tio's Cervecería is pouring two-hours' worth of free tequila tastings on the day. Head in on Sunday, July 28 from 3–5pm and enjoy all the tequila you can handle. As the tasting session is free, we recommend heading there early to secure a spot at the bar. As well as trying tasty sips from some of the world's best artisanal and independent makers, you'll also have the chance to chat to some of Australia's top tequila experts. The merriment continues all night, when chef Rosa Cienfuegos (whose Marrickville Market stall and new Dulwich Hill store create quite the queue) will be in the kitchen dishing up authentic Mexican tacos and tamales. Cheap brews by Marrickville's (and soon to be Petersham's) Batch Brewing Company will be on-hand, too — for when you need a break from the agave-fuelled fun. Images: Letícia Almeida
There's escaping the city for an afternoon, and then there's driving 20 minutes down a dirt road to a secluded river and hopping into a canoe. In this canoe, it's quiet, very still. The Kangaroo Valley's bushland surrounds you, ascending on either side of the waterway, creating a landscape that's punctuated only by the occasional kingfisher flapping by or a solitary trout breaking the surface with a small splash. And I haven't even mentioned the best bit: this canoe is filled with wine. And snacks. So as you're floating down the river — minimal paddling is necessary — you'll be able to pop a bottle of local sparkling and tuck into a few canapés. Maybe you'll try a glass of top-notch sparkling Riesling from Mittagong's Artemis Wines and a yabby roll with native lime mayo supplied by The Loch in nearby Berrima. As you might have guessed, this isn't an ordinary off-you-go oar-bearing experience. This one is part of WildFEST, a new three-day celebration of the food, drink and wilderness of NSW's Southern Highlands. Led by experienced paddler Travis Frenay, the Canoes, Champagne and Canapés experience will lead you along the Kangaroo River in a custom-built double canoe, through the sunken forest and past a convict-built sandstone wall. Travis has an insane amount of knowledge on the area and will be able to answer pretty much anything you throw at him. There will be three sessions a day (9am, noon and 3pm) on October 27, 28 and 29. The whole thing sets off from Beehive Point and takes around two to three hours. Prices are on the heftier side at $195 each, but includes all food, wine and equipment. Plus, this part of the Valley isn't highly accessible for people without their own gear, so it's a great (and bloody delightful) way to explore the area on the water. Note: if weather conditions suggest your rusty old sedan won't make it there and back, the organisers may provide transport down the dirt road. But if it's dry, you're all good. It's part of the adventure.
If you've been making plans to revamp your style, but haven't been able to rustle up the coin, here's your chance. For five days, Hugo Boss will be hosting a mega sale at its outlet stores. You'll be able to score a further 50 percent off a massive range of premium clothing — from comfy t-shirts and soft sweaters to suave suits and women's dresses. Whether you're after a suit for a special occasion or looking to level-up your wardrobe, Hugo Boss's end-of-year outlet sale will have you sorted for a fraction of the fashion label's usual prices. You'll have to get in quick to score though, with the sale only running from Wednesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 15. In Sydney, you can head to Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre and DFO Homebush to get these quality threads for such a steal. Opening hours at Birkenhead Point are Wednesday, 10am–5.30pm; Thursday, 10am–7.30pm; Friday, 10am–5.30pm; Saturday, 9am–6pm; and Sunday, 10am–6pm. At Homebush, the Hugo Boss outlet is open from 10am–6pm daily, with the exception of Thursday, when you can shop until 8pm. Hugo Boss end-of-year outlet sale will run from Wednesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 15. To find your closest outlet, visit the website.
To celebrate the blockbuster summer exhibition, Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has teamed up with the pastry lords at Bourke Street Bakery to create a delectable homage to the great painter in the only way they know how, by creating a limited edition tart — because what better way to celebrate the Dutch master than with copious amounts of buttery deliciousness. The exhibition, which opens Saturday, November 11, will feature works by the 17th century's very own art MVPs like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Judith Leyster. According to exhibition researcher Josephine Touma this period in Dutch history marked "a complete boom in the art of painting like Europe had never known". The unique style of these artists was characterised by "an obsession with clarity and a kind of illusionism — a sense of bringing the real world to life". The works will celebrate the 'Golden Age' of the Dutch Republic, a particularly progressive period in Dutch history characterised by prosperity, innovation, science and a rising middle class who had stacks on stacks of cash to spend on art and a penchant for sugary, buttery delights. It was this precise combination of cultural confidence and wanton disregard for arterial health that bore some of the greatest artists of our time. These artists were obsessed with capturing the world around them with exquisite accuracy, unleashing their talented little art fingers on subject matter ranging from brooding portraits and sublime seascapes to intimate scenes of domestic life and, of course, vivid renditions of sumptuous feasts — Instagram food porn, eat your heart out. It goes without saying that creating a sugary homage to the masterpieces that have delighted gallery-goers for over 400 years is no easy task, especially when one is not even allowed to touch the paintings, much less taste them. So, when faced with the question of what flavour is Rembrandt, Bourke Street Bakery co-owner David McGuinness said, "at first we were working on something more visual. But food is best when you work with flavours, and at Bourke Street Bakery we never sacrifice flavour to make something pretty." After time spent experimenting with all sorts of visual approaches, David turned his focus to the history of Dutch flavours, particularly the burgeoning spice trade in the East. At the time, the Dutch exhibited their wealth by trading in rare spices, so David proposed reinterpreting the spekkoek, a type of spiced cake, in tart form. He made a custard flavoured with the spice mix of the cake and garnished the custardy delight with three different flavours of amoretti biscuits to add texture and act as a shout out to the OG inspiration. The limited edition tarts will be available in all Bourke Street Bakery stores for the duration of the exhibition, and let's face it, this is probably as close as you're ever going to get to having a Rembrandt in and around your mouth. Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum runs at AGNSW from Saturday, November 11 to Sunday, February 18, 2018. During the exhibition's run, get the Rembrandt tart at any Bourke Street Bakery around the city. And if you're after free tickets to the exhibition, enter the Art Gallery of NSW's Rembrandt tart competition. More info here.
It has been 12 years since RuPaul's Drag Race first premiered in the US, and its mission to unearth the next drag superstars shows no signs of stopping. Currently, the original series is airing its thirteenth season, while international versions also exist in the UK — also hosted by RuPaul — plus Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. Next, it's finally making the leap to Australia and New Zealand. RuPaul's Drag Race already airs locally, but, in exciting news, it's now it's being made here as well — courtesy of the aptly titled RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. Announced back in January, the eight-part series will focus on Aussie and NZ drag queens battling for supremacy, and will air on Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand sometime later in 2021. And, while not all overseas iterations of Drag Race are hosted by RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under definitely will be. RuPaul will also take on judging duties with show veteran Michelle Visage and Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson. If you're wondering just who'll be competing, too, that was unveiled on Saturday, March 6 during the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Ten contenders will strut their stuff for drag supremacy, spanning seven Australians and three New Zealanders. So, prepare to see plenty of Art Simone from Geelong, Melbourne's Karen from Finance, and Sydney's Coco Jumbo, Etecetera Etcetera and Maxi Shield. Newcastle's Jojo Zaho and Perth's Scarlet Adams round out the Aussie queens, while Auckland's Kita Mean, Anita Wigl'it and Elektra Shock comprise the NZ contingent. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch these Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Check about the RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under cast reveal video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSLPdMi0b8U RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will hit Stan and TVNZ OnDemand sometime later in 2021 — we'll update you with an air date once further details are announced. Top image: RuPaul's Drag Race.
Melbourne's Wheeler Centre is coming to Sydney, bringing with it three a new talk series to be held monthly at the Belvoir Street Theatre. Each will focus on a particular big idea. The first, happening on Monday 21 August, is all about anaesthesia. Journalist Kate Cole-Adams will be discussing her book Anaesthesia: The Gift of Oblivion and the Mystery of Consciousness with anaesthetist Tim McCulloch and Benjamin Law. Meanwhile, September's chat, planned for Monday 18, will be dedicated to booze. Jenny Valentish, music writer and author of Woman of Substances, will be thrashing out alcohol's role in Australian identity, as well as its impact on people and public health, flanked by arts broadcaster Kate Jinx and medical researcher Michael Bowen. Pop back on Monday, October 9 to hear barrister Julian Burnside discuss his commitment to asylum seekers and issues relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He'll be joined by Benjamin Law and Kat Armstrong, former prisoner and CEO of the Women's Justice Network.
Camperdown's farm-to-table restaurant Acre Eatery is going full Italian for the winter months. The venue has transformed its lofty dining room and al fresco garden into an Italian farmhouse, complete with a spritz bar, a bruschetta menu, hand-rolled pasta and a dessert trolley. Executive Chef Gareth Howard is showcasing regional Italian cooking throughout the venue, while still focusing on the locally and ethically sourced ingredients that the restaurant is known for. Head to the dining room to check out the new feasting menu, which features woodfired focaccia — that you can then dip in a wagyu beef fat candle — and baked cheese with truffle honey. You'll be able to try the best of Italy's many styles of pasta — including Piedemont-style pappardelle, Roman creamy carbonara and a meatball dish unique to the south. You'll be eating all of this surrounded by Tuscan-inspired furnishings and indoor olive and citrus trees, too. Out on the terrace during the day, you can opt for a Sicilian-style brunch with a dedicated bruschetta menu and plates of black pig ham, free-range egg and fried eggplant caponata. Or stop by in the evenings, when the spritz bar will serving lots of cocktails, antipasti, pizzas and homemade breads. And, on weekends, a roaming cart will bring arancini and panini to you, too. A second trolley carrying desserts will roll around the dining room, with a whopping 35 different Italian sweets in tow — including orange polenta cake, glazed fruit tarts, cannoli, tiramisu and seasonal gelato. Apart from the new menus, the restaurant is also hosting two collaborative dinners on Saturday, July 20 and Friday, August 2. The first is a four-course truffle and wine degustation with Bilpin producer 4 Winds; the second is a candlelit Sicilian banquet featuring Hunter Valley-produced Italian wine varieties. Plus, each Friday over the six weeks, Acre Eatery will host ticketed masterclasses run by Howard on how to make porchetta, focaccia and mozzarella. And, because it's not Italian without a few namesake cocktails, there'll be plenty of spritzes and barrel-aged negronis to go around. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Out with the old, in with the new: that's a running theme at 2023's Sydney Underground Film Festival. The Harbour City's now 17-year-old celebration of weird, wild and wonderful cinema is saying hello to a fresh venue, moving from 2022's Event Cinemas George Street and its past home at Marrickville's Factory Theatre to Dendy Newtown. And, in one of its big program highlights, it's also farewelling Arnie as Conan the Barbarian, embracing an all-female cast instead. First, the change of location: Festival Director Katherine Berger and her team will be back in the Inner West from Thursday, September 7–Sunday, September 10, this time in King Street's resident picture palace. Now, the just-announced lineup: as well as Conann from French filmmaker Bertrand Mandico's (After Blue), which follows its eponymous warrior through six female guises and hits Sydney straight from Cannes, SUFF's 2023 bill overflows with past, present and future cult flicks. Fans of Mandico can get their fest started early, thanks to a screening of The Wild Boys at Pink Flamingo Cinema on Wednesday, August 23; however, the rest of the standouts come during SUFF's usual four-day run. Kicking things off properly is opening night's Ukraine Guernica — Art Not War, George Gittoes' latest, about frontline artists challenging Russia's invasions of both Ukraine and Afghanistan. At the other end of the fest, comedy-horror Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls will close out 2023's event with a bit of satanic worship and black magic from The Weird Satanist Guy Andrew Bowser. Other must-sees include Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer, an ode to the iconic and inimitable German director (and one-time Parks and Recreation star); Bob Byington's (Frances Ferguson) Lousy Carter, featuring David Krumholtz (Oppenheimer) as the down-on-his-luck titular character; Holy Mother, with Tokyo Gore Police's Yoshhiro Nishimura again splashing around gore, plus neon and laughs; and Poundcake, a slasher-comedy about a New York serial killer that's also a societal satire. Or, there's modern Frankenstein reimagining Birth/Rebirth; the delightfully named Hundreds of Beavers, about a cider salesman faced with plenty of hungry animals; and the post-apocalyptic vision of Welcome to Kittytown. Among SUFF's full documentary slate, viewers can check out the true crime-focused Citizen Sleuth as it dives into the ethics of the popular genre, enjoy Satan Wants You's look back at 80s-era satanic panic, and revel in Enter the Clones of Bruce's survey of the talents that endeavoured to replicate Bruce Lee after his death. And, as always, SUFF continues to showcase the most out-there shorts that the fest can find across four separate strands. Here, you might just see tomorrow's Aussie genre filmmakers getting their start — plus tales about possessed sex toys, Udo Kier's (Hunters) many on-screen deaths and curing zombie bites. Sydney Underground Film Festival will screen at Dendy Newtown, King Street, Newtown, from Thursday, September 7–Sunday, September 10. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to SUFF's website.
As NSW's COVID-19 restrictions start to ease and more Sydneysiders are heading back to work, the Government is discouraging commuters from travelling during peak hours as the public transport system nears its new socially distant capacity. At a press conference this morning, Monday, May 18, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "We recommend people who aren't already on the system in the peak, especially on buses and trains, to travel in the off-peak, so after 10am or before 2pm." NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance reiterated this sentiment, saying "please don't travel in the peak — walk, ride your bike or drive instead". Constance also outlined the new safe capacities for the city's public transport vehicles, with two-door buses able to carry just 12 commuters (14 percent of normal capacity), Waratah trains 35 per carriage (24 percent) and Freshwater ferries 245 (22 percent). With these new capacities, Constance said the city's public transport is only able to carry 550,000-600,000 commuters compared to its usual 2.2 million. Last Friday, Constance said already 570,000 commuters travelled on public transport. While the Government says buses and trains are nearing capacity during peak hours, light rail and ferries do still have some room, so commuters should look at catching those instead if possible. To help ease some of the congestion, the Government is launching a pop-up car park in Moore Park from next Monday, where commuters will be able to catch a shuttle light rail service to the city, and six pop-up bike lanes heading into the city. The real-time public transport apps — including TripView, TripGo, Google Maps and the Opal App — now also show the safe capacity for each service and you can look at the capacity of trips from the day before to help plan your trip. 400,000 green dot decals will also be rolled out across the public transport system this week, showing commuters where safe, socially distant spots to sit are. To plan your journey and for more information about Sydney transport options, head to the Transport for NSW website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The temperature's rising, the footy's wrapping up and summer feels close enough to touch, which means it's time for Sydney Harbour's luxury floating venue Seadeck to set sail on its second season. After a quick stint in Brisbane, the 42-metre, 450-passenger beauty is returning to Sydney and kicking things off in style, taking advantage of the October long weekend to throw a couple of its signature sunset cruises. On both Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, you're invited to join Seadeck on the launch of its next run of floating adventures, enjoying an afternoon of eats and drinks, topped off with those top-notch, 360-degree harbour views. Setting sail at 3pm, each of the events will find you grazing through a customised menu by executive chef Drew Bolton (of the now-closed Vine and soon-to-open Ete), alongside cocktails designed by bar industry legend Jason Crawley. Tickets to Seadeck's long weekend launch cruises will cost you $45 for September 30 and $60 for October 1 and they're available here.
After showcasing Australia's most talented musicians for the last 17 years, Homebake has announced that the festival will not go ahead this year. With the (also now cancelled) Harvest booking The Domain, the traditional home of Homebake, at a similar time, Homebake relocated to the Sydney Opera House with a three-day festival for the 2013 celebration. However, ticket sales and the online response from fans regarding the new format and location have not been positive, forcing the festival organisers to can the long-running feature of the Australian festival circuit. The 18th anniversary festival was set to celebrate the best of Australian music, both past and present, including You Am I, The Presets, Bernard Fanning and Birds of Tokyo. There is, as yet, no news on potential side shows for these acts. Homebake posted the cancellation on their website earlier today, apologising to fans and bands alike, and thanking everyone involved for their support over the last 17 years. Their parting words to the music scene are, "Long live Australian music and those who create it." Full refunds will be given to everyone who got in early for tickets.
Sydney's funkiest, most boundary-pushing brewery Wildflower is releasing a new brew and inviting everyone 'round to celebrate. To kick off 2024, the Brompton Street favourite is unveiling its 2023 Etoile su Sud in collaboration with France's Brasserie Thiriez, and it's throwing an appropriately European-themed summer bash to launch the beer on Saturday, January 13. Hotluck Snack Club will be in charge of the day's eats, serving a stacked lineup of Euro summer bites. There will be twice-cooked frites with a range of sauces for dipping including curried andalouse, XO Big Mac sauce and tofujang; a chip butty with burnt onion butter and fried peppers; chicken liver and mince oyako kipcorn dogs; fried spring rolls filled with nduja and scamorza; and a flammkuchen calzone packed with fromage blanc, crispy lupcheong and caramelised onion. For drinks you can get your hands on the Wildflower Etoile du Sud, of course, as well as Brasserie Thiriez's Etoie du Nord and Petite Princesse, and Wildflower's 2022 Fatome collaboration, Fatome d'or. Last year the Wildflower crew travelled over to Esquelbecq in northern France with local Motueka hop flowers in order to bring this special France-meets-Australia collab to life. If you want to get your hands on some interesting and rare beers paired with flavour-packed eats, Wildflower is the place to be on Saturday. Images: Wildflower Brewing, Cassandra Hannagan
Another day, another story about natural wine, with Pyrmont snagging itself a natural wine bar. Bar Clementine opened next door to Clementine's cafe in late March and it's slinging funky drops, aperitif-style cocktails and European share plates. Owner and sommelier Eric Mendoza really knows his grapes, having previously curated the award-winning wine lists at lauded Sydney venues Bloodwood and The Baxter Inn. Mendoza has also clocked in time at Rockpool and Melbourne's MoVida. Oh, and did we mention that he makes his own vermouth? "The focus will be on authenticity and intention, which can often be lost in the hedonism of Sydney," says Mendoza. Plenty of experimental labels from around the country and the world will be on display at Bar Clementine, though more accessible drops have a place here as well. At the moment, there are Aussie bottles from Gippsland, Hunter Valley, Ballarat and Margaret River on offer, as well as varietals from France and Germany by the glass. Bottled beers and classic cocktails are also up for grabs, including dirty martinis and one called the Adonis — it's made from coffee-infused vermouth, sherry and orange bitters. For eats, Mendoza has partnered with chef Craig Gray (ex-Neighbourhood Wine and Taxi Dining in Melbourne) who has created a menu of modern European fare. The food is, of course, tailored to pair with a glass of wine (or two). Expect a rather elevated version of the classic wine bar trio of cheese, charcuterie and share plates. The seasonal menu focuses on local produce with a smattering of Asian influence. Think lunch items like Sydney rock oysters with eschallot mignonette, snapper with kohlrabi kraut and apple, and a beef flank paired with pommes frites. And for the dinner tasting menu, there's dishes such as celeriac churros, beetroot with nectarine, preserved lemon and hazelnut, and a chocolate tart topped with creme fraiche. The fit-out takes cues from Europe as well, with Parisian-style aplenty. Though a small space, it benefits from a large, street facing bay window which allows for heaps of natural light. Pull up a stool at the marble-topped bar — which extends all the way to the window — and get stuck in. Bar Clementine is now open at 52 Harris Street, Pyrmont. Opening hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon–9pm.
In a single day in western Sydney, it's possible to travel halfway across the world with just your tastebuds. Start with authentic Vietnamese pho in Cabramatta, move onto a Sri Lankan feast in Toongabbie and taste your way through an array of Indian sweets in Harris Park. Each and every neighbourhood contains a world of tastes, smells and sounds. To celebrate this rich culinary and cultural diversity, West Fest will take over western Sydney for two colourful weeks. Until Sunday, October 21, venture up the Parramatta River for an extravaganza of food, song, dance and live music with tours, forums, workshops, performances and loads more on offer. Among the stand-out events is the West Fest Forum, Western Sydney's answer to the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (but it's free). This evening of chats, to be held in the luxe Skye Hotel on Thursday, October 18, is all about who we are and how we relate to our diverse identities through architecture and culture. Speakers include Africultures Festival director Fatma Isir and Sydney Living Museums' Jacqui Newling. Look out, too, for the pop-up VR cinema at Daisy's Milkbar during Parramatta Lanes, the Western Sydney Final of the Australian Poetry Slam on Thursday, October 11; a Taste of the World food tour in Liverpool on Saturday, October 13; and a guided tour of the Badu mangroves through the eyes of the Wangal people on Sunday, October 21. For more information on the West Fest program, visit the website. Image: Australian Poetry Slam, Clare Hawley, courtesy of NSW Government.
Head to The Baxter Inn on Sunday, February 17, to do some good with your booze bucks. The popular whisky den is hosting Drink4Uganda, a charity initiative that will see some of Sydney's best bartenders join forces. The event will feature pop-up bars by Ramblin' Rascal, Bulletin Place, Maybe Sammyand Lobo Plantation, along with a 'secret team', to be revealed on the day. Each will shake and stir for 45 minutes, competing to see who can raise the most in the short time slot. While there is no entry fee, a donation is suggested on the door. After that, punters can purchase drink tokens and raffle tickets to use throughout the festivities. All proceeds will be donated to 663toZERO, an organisation that provides clean drinking water to the 663 million people worldwide who currently do not have access to this basic human need. Founder Mitch Horrocks created OKUZi — a simple water filter — and has already brought the device to 24,000 people. Drink4Uganda already hit Melbourne and Perth earlier this year, too, raising $23,000 in the process. Drink4Uganda runs from 4–9pm, and PS40 is hosting the afterparty — with six cocktails on tap and a DJ — from 9pm till late. The Baxter Inn images: Letícia Almeida.
Last year, Taco Bell returned to NSW following failed attempts in 1981 (when it was to taken to court by Sydney store Taco Bell's Casa) and 1997. And it seems, at least in the case of the US Tex-Mex chain, third time is indeed a charm. Today, Thursday, October 22, Taco Bell announced it'll be continuing its Australian expansion and opening two more stores in the state this spring. Joining existing stores in Blacktown and Newcastle, the two new NSW stores will be located in Albion Park, 90 minutes south of Sydney, just past Wollongong, and Ballina, which is 30 minutes south of Byron Bar, right near the Big Prawn. And they'll both have drive-thrus — so, you may be able to pick up a Cheesy Chipotle Burrito or Crunchy Taco on your next road trip. Going by the Newcastle menu, we can safely assume that quesadillas, burritos, Crunchwraps, nachos, power bowls and, of course, tacos (including the Gordita Crunch with both a crunchy and soft tortilla) will all be the lineup. It looks to be affordable, too, with $2.50 tacos, $3.50 mini quesadillas, $3 churros, $4 burritos and $3 cinnamon twists. Taco Bell NewcastleKeep an eye on the Taco Bell Facebook page for opening day specials, too, which often include freebies, limited-edition merch and limited-edition menu items, too. It won't stop there, either, with Taco Bell saying it'll open a minimum of 40 stores across NSW and the ACT in the next four years. We'll let you know when anymore locations are announced. Find Taco Bell at 2–3, 61 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail from Monday, October 26 and Taco Bell at 107–109 Fox Street, Ballina from Monday, November 2. Top image: Taco Bell Robina by Hugo Nobay. CORRECTION: OCTOBER 26, 2020 — This article previously stated that the two new Taco Bells would have margaritas and beer, this is incorrect. They are both unlicensed.
YCK Laneways, a new cultural precinct that launched last year encompassing the CBD laneways in York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street is throwing a huge party across six weeks. Kicking off on Monday, April 11, the food and music festival will feature in-venue events throughout the six weeks alongside a huge three-day party on Barrack Street across the ANZAC Day long weekend. If you're looking for something to do across April and May, check out the festival's lineup where live music, workshops and pop-ups will be happing across Since I Left You, Esteban, PS40, The Duke of Clarence, Stitch Bar, Uncle Ming's, Prince of York and many more venues in and around the city laneways. Catch a live set from Ange or Lady King at Since I Left You's fairy light-lit Garden Stage, have your tarot read at Stitch Bar, enjoy a set menu from surprise chefs at PS40 and make a book in a dinner with live music at Esteban-d. You'll also be able to find special meals from celebrity chefs Manu Feidel, Anna Polyviou and Luke Hines in the venues across the duration of Intersections. These limited-time menu items will each be available for two of the six weeks. At the Barrack Street party you'll find masterclasses by day and live music come sun-down. Sydney favourites including Maybe Sammy, Cantina Ok!, Hickson House and Sydney Oyster Farm Tours will all be running workshops across the three-day weekend, before an equally stacked music lineup takes over each night. Sneaky Sound System, Wafia, Day1, Kota Banks, Ula, East Av3, B Wise and A.Girl will all be making appearances. You can find the full program over at the YCK Laneways website. [caption id="attachment_654874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption]
The owners of cosy Mexican joint Taqiza have expanded their Bondi offering. They've taken over the old Rum Diaries space along Bondi Road and have opened Carbòn — a new hacienda-inspired Mexican restaurant that focuses on all things wood-fired. Chefs and owners Pablo Galindo Vargas and Liber Osorio know a thing or two about Mexican cooking, having been born and raised in Mexico City. "At Carbòn, we wanted to rescue the indigenous culinary elements of our backgrounds, going back to our roots to create a menu full of flavours, colours and textures while maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the produce," says Vargas. The venue complements Bondi's laid-back vibes with a beachy fitout that is meant to be reminiscent of a Caribbean hacienda. While Taqiza is an intimate venue, Carbòn boasts a large open space with a full kitchen that centres around their brand new, wood-fire grill — which is fitting considering the restaurant's name translates to 'charcoal' in Spanish. The dishes pay homage to traditional Latin American parrilla (barbecuing) techniques, with the open charcoal fire used for cooking tortillas, heating underground ovens and boiling soups or sauces. Carbòn also focuses on fresh produce that can be especially enriched with the use of charcoal. The interactive share menu centres on make-your-own tacos, with options including Hampshire suckling pig with achiote adobo and Seville oranges, as well as roasted lamb shoulder with chipotle citrus yoghurt. Regular specials will be on offer, too, like the charcoal sealed tuna sashimi with finger lime, tiger's milk (aka citrusy ceviche marinade), sweet potato chips and salmon caviar. At the bar, the drinks menu is — unsurprisingly — focused on tequila and mezcal. Cocktails like the Bondi Sunset (mezcal, elderflower liquor, lime juice and mandarin) and the Oaxacan Pink Lad (mezcal, brandy, lemon juice, agave syrup and aquafaba) are just the start. Find Carbòn Mexican at 288 Bondi Road, Bondi Beach, open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre reopened on Monday, June 1, with stunning surrealist exhibition A Familiar Place I've Never Seen running with extended dates. The exhibition opened on March 21, just days before the Australian Government announced the mass closure of indoor venues. After a brief hibernation, the works by artists Jomakhan Jafari and Danny Kennedy are back on display — and you can ogle them for free. A series of dream 'interpretations', the exhibition combines Jafari's calligraphy art and Kennedy's photography to explore themes of the fantastical and the mundane, cultural heritage, memory and environment. Each work represents one person's dreamscape, with the artists interviewing western Sydney locals about their dreams. An excerpt from each interview accompanies the work, too, such as "I dreamt one night I was an educated man", "I was flying on an umbrella" and "When I was in the detention centre, I dreamt suddenly I was in Golshahr". [caption id="attachment_771808" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Effort' by Jomakhan Jafari and Danny Kennedy[/caption] A Familiar Place I've Never Seen is running from Monday, June 1 till August 23 and is free to enter. Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is open from 9am–5pm Monday–Friday and from 9am–4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Top image: 'Golshahr' by Jomakhan Jafari and Danny Kennedy
Are you the kind of gin drinker who believes that if you want something done right, you'll have to do it yourself? Well, have we got an activity for you. The Archie Rose Distillery Company is hosting a 'Blend Your Own Gin' course with Work-Shop at their Rosebery warehouse from June 17. After a signature dry gin and bush tonic on arrival, the gin savants of Archie Rose will guide you through the distillation process and give you the means to blend two varieties to take home and guzzle straight from the bottle. The session will be led by Dave Withers, a renowned spirits authority and whisky expert, and the Archie Rose team will pop their heads in to taste how you're going. They’ll also teach you a bit about the history of gin, so you can show off to the bartender next time you order a G&T at your local. You can select the infusions that match your gin-style and choose from such whimsical flavours as native blood lime and river mint or juniper and cassia bark. Perhaps trying pushing the boat out and whip up a Vegemite-flavoured gin? No, no please don't, no one should ever ruin a good thing with Vegemite. The Archie Rose Distillery Company is the first distillery to open in Sydney for 160 long, dry years and it’s really living up to the hype. As well as the Blend Your Own Gin workshop, the crew is offering distillery tours and food events throughout winter in partnership with Black Star Pastry, and they’re even conjuring up a Tailored Spirits service available to order online and have delivered straight to your door (as if we weren’t tempted enough). Archie Rose and Work-Shop's 'Blend Your Own Gin' workshop starts on June 17 from 6.15pm – 8.30pm at 85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery. Tickets are $95pp (available here).
The City of Sydney is expanding its outdoor dining program by closing down a set of inner-city streets to make room for al fresco dining throughout summer. Several streets in suburbs such as Redfern, Glebe and Darlinghurst will be shut across a number of summer weekends, all to encourage people to visit local restaurants and bars. The Summer Streets program will make its way around the city throughout January and February, popping up in different spots from 11am until late. The first weekend of the program will kick off on Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street on Saturday, January 22, before moving over to Redfern Street on Sunday, January 23. Following this, Crown Street in Surry Hills, Glebe Point Road and Pyrmont's Harris Street will all host their own Summer Streets events. "Being able to shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways make it easier for us to enjoy those things and support local businesses in a COVID-safe way," City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. "Expanding outdoor dining remains an essential part of what we're doing to support business through these challenging times. People want to get out of the house and enjoy what Sydney has to offer, safely. We're now closing off entire streets and hope the extra space will give people a safe way to support local businesses and re-engage with their community." Green Square Plaza will also be getting in on the fun, hosting a nighttime-only extension of Summer Streets from 6pm on Saturday, February 19. Venues on the participating streets are being encouraged to spice things up during their suburbs' applicable day by adding special deals to the menu or holding one-off events. You can view a program of pop-ups and events happening on each street's specific day at the City of Sydney website. [caption id="attachment_784797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunshine Inn, Redfern Street, Casandra Hannagan[/caption] SUMMER STREETS DATES Saturday, January 22 — Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street, Darlinghurst Sunday, January 23 — Redfern Street, Redfern Sunday, February 6 — Crown Street, Surry Hills Saturday, February 12 — Glebe Point Road, Glebe Saturday, February 19 — Harris Street, Pyrmont and Green Square Plaza, Green Square
The Imperial Erskineville's revamp has brought the inner west a lot to love — a new rooftop bar, a veggie-focused menu, regular drag shows, DJ sets and LGBTQI+ inclusive parties, plus signature cocktails in honour of iconic queens. The venue will add a new queen to that list this weekend with Karen's Martini Bar. It's a Will & Grace-themed pop-up that'll take over the space from October 5–7 and sling $9 martinis — that's right honey. Fans of the 1990s show already know that a new season will premiere on October 5, and the bar celebrates its renewal in truest fashion. First up, choose from character-themed cocktails like Karen's pink martini or Jack's espresso martini, both at just $9 a pop. The food menu will be New York City inspired, too, and each dish is paired with your choice of cocktail — think combos like the martini and hot dog ($20), martini and oysters ($24) or a shared meal of two martinis and a pepperoni pizza ($38). Then you've got the real Karen making an appearance (in the form of drag queen Krystal Kleer) to 'prop up the bar' from 4–7pm daily. And back-to-back reruns of the show will be played on large projector screens throughout the weekend, with prizes on offer to boot. Karen's Martini Bar will be open Friday from 5–8pm and Saturday through Sunday from noon–8pm.
To say it's been a crazy year in Australian politics almost feels like an understatement. But amidst all the scandals and the spin, it's easy to forget that sometimes, politicians are human beings who get angry and emotional. And when they do, it makes for some great speeches. A lot of the time, these speeches either don't get mentioned in the media or are reduced to 15-second grabs that don't give you a sense of what a politician is like in real life. Written by Katie Pollock and Paul Daley and produced by PolitiFact's Peter Fray, The Hansard Monologues is a play that takes all the most "troubling, emotional and radical" speeches made in the 43rd Parliament of Australia and re-creates them, with actors David Roberts, Camilla Ah Kin and Tony Llewellyn-Jones playing various politicians. They will, of course, be tackling Julia Gillard's famous misogyny speech, as well as Malcolm Turnbull's thoughts on marriage equality. There's some other interesting ones in there by disgraced MPs Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper, following their scandals. According to the writers, they continued to work on the play right up until the parliamentary recess, so the leadership spill will definitely get a mention.
Thanks to its not-so-inventive title, there's no need to worry about who the main players in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl are. There's the 'me' of the moniker, i.e. movie-loving high schooler Greg (Thomas Mann). There's his classmate and filmmaking partner-in-crime, Earl (RJ Cyler), who he describes as a colleague rather than a buddy. And then there's the unwell Rachel (Olivia Cooke), who Greg's mother forces him to befriend upon hearing that she has cancer. If you think it all sounds like a recipe for a coming-of-age effort steeped in feelings, peppered with pop culture references and always working towards everyone learning something, well, you'd be right. And the movie is as contrived and cliched as it sounds, even if it does strive to conjure up several layers of emotions. It won the audience award at both the Sundance and the Sydney film festivals — as well as the grand jury prize at the former — so it seems to be working on someone. Greg prides himself on neither fitting in nor standing out, which also means he doesn't really connect with anyone. Spending time with Rachel, rather awkwardly at first, threatens to change that. His world opens as hers starts to end, and for once, he can't avoid the consequences of actually caring about something. So, he channels his efforts into working with Earl on their latest short film following a series of comic recreations of classics, with previous efforts including Senior Citizen Cane and The 400 Bros. Movies about movie buffs, which are consequently littered with knowing nods and sly winks to movies gone by, can make for painful viewing for even the most avid cinephiles in the audience. Surprisingly, the affection for the medium that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl shows is actually among its most genuine and least calculated elements. Indeed, filmmaker Alfonso Gomez-Rejon played in similar territory with his previous effort, the remake/update/next instalment that was horror offering The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Both features share a winning way of making a love of movies part of their celluloid (or digital, as is more likely these days) fabric. Sadly, the alternating slivers of authenticity, ingenuity and subtlety evident in the cinema shout-outs are absent when it comes to the main event of chronicling the impact Rachel's circumstances have upon Greg — and almost as an afterthought, upon the scarcely used sidekick Earl's character clearly is, too. Stereotypical subplots abound as much as untraditional camera angles, yet all seem as flimsy and ill-deployed as the high-profile supporting cast (with Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal among the actors briefly sighted). It should all add up to more, especially when you consider that the script is written by Jesse Andrews, who penned the bestselling young adult book of the same name that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl adapts for the screen. Alas, trying too hard to convey both quirkiness and sentiment, including in the performances, just doesn't hit the mark the film is clearly aiming for.
Blockbusters like The Hobbit may sell out screenings on Boxing Day, but no film session sells out like a St George OpenAir Cinema session sells out. There's something bewitching about the opportunity to watch a big screen and Sydney Harbour's landmarks in one sightline. Advanced tickets go within hours. Fortunately, their limited door sales provide some hope. Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska, has been announced as the opener for St George Openair Cinema 2014. It's based on the epic true story of adventurer and memoirist Robyn Davidson, who walked solo from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean in the late '70s, becoming an accidental celebrity in the process. Given that the film's official release is set for March 6, the Friday, January 10, screening at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is reason for serious excitement. The dynamic program features another 14 premieres and previews. One of the major drawcards is bound to be Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, scheduled to screen on Thursday, January 30, which tells the late, great leader's story, based on his autobiography, with Idris Elba starring as Mandela and Naomie Harris as his wife, Winnie. On the other hand, Thursday, January 16, will see the telling of a true story of quite a different kind, when a preview of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street screens. The film recounts the tale of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), who spent his twenties bathing in luxury after founding successful firm Stratton Oakmont, before spiralling into corruption, power lust and drugs. Then there’s Jean-Marc Vallee’s Dallas Buyers Club, another real-to-life work, portraying the promiscuous, homophobic Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), whose attitudes change dramatically when he’s diagnosed with AIDS and told he has only 30 days to live. It’s screening on Friday, January 24. If Tracks leaves you craving another dose of Wasikowska, then catch her on Sunday, January 19, in Only Lovers Left Alive. In a vampire story directed by Jim Jarmusch (Mystery Train, Coffee and Cigarettes), she plays a wild younger sister who brings chaos into the world of her older sibling, Eve (Tilda Swinton), a super-cool vampire who’s been living a debauched yet blissful existence with her devoted rock guitarist boyfriend (Tom Hiddleston) for hundreds of years. While we’re discussing unconventional romances, Spike Jonze’s (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) funny, futuristic Her promises a few surprises. It depicts the story of a sensitive writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with a female voice (Scarlett Johansson) via an advanced operating system. And if you've ever wanted to see Woody Allen act as a pimp, then John Turturro's Fading Gigolo has you covered. European cinema gets a look in, with the spectacular Italian film The Great Beauty, one of the most acclaimed works on this year’s Cannes program. Disillusioned journalist, Jep (Toni Servillo), whose dreams of becoming a novelist remain unfulfilled, spends his nights partying aimlessly with Rome’s elites, until an unexpected event alters his perspective. Plus, there’s a couple of French romantic comedies: Regis Roinsard’s ‘50s-style directorial debut, Populaire about a champion typist (Deborah Francois) who inspires her charismatic boss’s (Romain Duris) competitive streak, and Cedric Kaplisch’s Chinese Puzzle, which visits both France and New York while exploring the complications of sperm donation. If action and drama are more your bag, there’s Jason Reitman’s Labor Day, Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime (based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name) and J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford.
Your mates at Concrete Playground know how much you guys love Nutella. Sydney lost its collective shit (and rightfully so) over those damn Tella Ball milkshakes, and Melbourne eats so much of the stuff they caused a temporary nation-wide shortage. As addictions go, we suppose it could be worse. Point is, when we heard there was going to be a toaster-shaped Nutella food truck rolling around the country, we figured you'd want to hear about it. Especially since all the goodies on board will be free. The food truck menu has been devised by Alistair Fogg, the man behind Sydney's Nighthawk Diner. Think stewed winter berries with Nutella and toasted coconut, raisin toast with Nutella and berries, and a crepe stack with Nutella and crispy bacon. It's only one item per customer per day, unfortunately. Let's just say at this stage, we're not ruling out the possibility of trailing the truck from town to town like the insatiable groupies we so clearly are. The road trip begins in Sydney's Wynyard Park on Wednesday, June 15. Other stops in the Harbour City include Parramatta's Centenary Park (June 16), Sydney Uni (June 17) and Glebe Markets (June 18), before the long haul down the Hume Highway. They'll stop along the way before arriving at Melbourne and then, finally, Geelong. Find the complete list of dates, times and locations for the Nutella Road Trip at the official Facebook page.
Looking for the next wave of Australian choreography? Just after a solid cultural night out in Sydney? This one's for you. Four of Australia’s boldest new choreographers have joined forces to present their latest and most ballsy work for this year's instalment of New Breed at Carriageworks. The show made its global premiere at Germany’s famous Festspiele Ludwigshafen last week. Now, it’s on its way to Carriageworks for a first workout in front of Aussie audiences. Only seven performances are planned, so you’d best get your mitts on tickets super-quick. New Breed is the product of a brilliant collaboration between Carriageworks and the Sydney Dance Company. The idea is to give a leg-up to the next generation’s most impressive dance talents. After all, launching a career on your own can be tough. So, Carriageworks's associate director of programming Lisa Ffrench teamed up with Sydney Dance Company's artistic director Rafael Bonachela to scope out four of Australia’s most promising youngsters: Bernhard Knauer, Daniel Riley, Fiona Jopp and Kristina Chan. Each of these gifted, creative creatures was given six months to come up with a new dance piece. To help them along, they had access to Sydney Dance Company — both its beautiful studios and its ridiculously skilled ensemble. Now, you get to lap up the results. New Breed presents the works — Knauer’s Derived, Riley’s Reign, Jopp’s so much, doesn't matter and Chan’s Conform — as a four-part show. It’ll be on every evening between Tuesday, December 8 and Sunday, December 13. Saturday, December 12 will see two shows, with a matinee from 2pm. Image credit: Peter Greig.
