Now that spring is in full swing, what better time to give your old ceramics collection a spruce up? Especially since you can score some fab pieces on the cheap, at Mud Australia's one-weekend-only Sydney seconds sale. The legendary Aussie label is opening the doors to its Marrickville studio this weekend, November 24–25, and is slinging a whole assortment of its handmade porcelain and homewares for at least 50 percent off the regular price. Head along from 10am each day to find some very pocket-friendly deals on designs that are slightly chipped, samples colours, left over from discontinued lines, imperfectly glazed, or as the team describes, 'outrageously organic'. You've got until 4pm to load up on cute ceramic bargains and sort out your mates' Christmas pressies.
There are many ways to start – or jump start – attraction, from getting cosy in romantic bars to taking a weekend getaway. But, if you want your frisson backed up by science, then one of your best bets is to give your lover (or prospective lover) a serious fright. Why? Because it's said an adrenaline rush can increase feelings of attraction. Luckily, you don't have to go crawling through canyons or abseiling cliff faces to get your kicks, because there's plenty of them to be had at Luna Park this winter. Plus, if thrills really aren't your thing, loads of other romantic possibilities are on offer, including ice skating, watching dreamy light shows and cuddling over Baileys hot chocolate. Here are five ideas to get your started. Note that, on weekend nights, Luna Park stays open late – till 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays — and entry is free. So you can spend all your loose change on sideshows. [caption id="attachment_673818" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oliver Minnett[/caption] ICE SKATING There's an undeniable magic about ice skating, whether you and your date are making figures like Torvill and Dean or bumbling along like a couple of awkward penguins. Either way, you're never short of excuses for holding hands and giving one another a little help. Luna Park's pop-up ice skating rink was so popular in 2017, it's making a comeback this winter. It'll be open throughout the July school holidays – from Friday, July 6 to Monday, July 23 – and entry is included with a Twilight Saver, which gets you unlimited rides and ice skating after 6pm for only $35. HAVE A FAIRGROUND FEAST Go straight back to your childhood with a fairground-style feast. At Helter Skelter, a retro takeaway outlet, you'll be tucking into Hot Diggity Hot Dogs, Pluto Pups and American burgers, including the Easy Peasy Nice 'N' Cheese. Meanwhile, health-conscious dates are catered to with rotisserie chicken and salads, plus there's a bunch of vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you'd prefer to sit, head for the carousel-inspired Hungry Horse restaurant. Here, you'll find pizza, seafood and salads, as well as sticky pork ribs, buttermilk fried chicken and cheesy chicken loaded fries. DESSERT AT THE POP-UP FOOD HUT To help keep visitors warm through winter, Luna Park is hosting a pop-up food hut. This cosy little spot is right near the ice skating rink, so you can refuel after conquering some newfound skills. The menu is all about sweet, comforting snacks and piping hot drinks. To beat winter German-style, tuck into a pretzel layered with gooey caramel. Alternatively, head across to France, with a crepe, cooked before your eyes and covered in Nutella or Grand Marnier. Its perfect match is a hot chocolate infused with Baileys. GET LOST IN A LIGHT SHOW Vivid might be over, but Luna Park's Ferris Wheel installation is yet to be switched off. Titled Phantasos – after the spirit of surreal dreams – the five-minute display involves 3,000 LED lights, which continually change colour and pattern, soundtracked by hypnotic music. You're welcome to watch it for free from the ground or immerse yourself completely by jumping on the Ferris Wheel. Either way, Phantasos is definitely a mesmerising escape from the winter blues: and a dreamy way to spend time with your date. RIDE THE RIDES For a major adrenalin rush, go straight for the Hair Raiser, which lifts you 50 metres above the ground, before plummeting at a rate of 80 kilometres per hour. Then there's the Wild Mouse rollercoaster, a 61-second blitz of dips and drops and hairpin bends. Meanwhile, the old-school, hand-painted carousel – fitted with 1,640 lights and dazzling mirrors – travels at a slower pace. The same goes for the Ferris Wheel, which transports you to a height of 40 metres, taking in epic views of the Opera House, the Bridge and the Harbour. You can pay for each ride individually or grab the aforementioned Twilight Saver, letting you ride to your heart's content for just 35 bucks. To find out more about what's happening in Luna Park this winter, and to secure your Twilight Saver tickets, head to lunaparksydney.com.
"It's vaudeville" said Groucho Marx when he saw Alice Cooper live on stage. Old-style stage variety — a bit like cabaret in a theatre — vaudeville began to wane as big acts like Marx made their transition from the music hall to the screen. This year's Sydney Festival offers the return of one of last years' stars. A show which pulls together stage variety like vaudeville of old — Smoke and Mirrors. Lacking the pure sex and swearing of understated previous festival acts like Spankrock, Smoke and Mirrors matches the lithe singing style of iOTA together with buff acrobatics, rough voices and a tough house band. Tiny though the Spiegeltent is, you'll be amazed how much Smoke and Mirrors can wedge of itself into its confined circular spaces. Queenie van de Zandt, magician Timothy Woon and former Flying Fruit Fly Kali Retallack are the other main players. The This Side Up acrobats also appear, distancing their acrobatics from the serious circus, bringing it instead back to original vaudevillian irreverent sideshow, back to the Spiegeltent, and back to free Festival First Night extravaganza. Smoke & Mirrors runs Tuesday — Sunday until February 11.
The beacon bakehouse of the inner-city suburbs has made its way over the bridge, at long last. Neutral Bay, originally named such when it was deemed a safe zone for foreign ships to anchor and take sustenance and supplies, has long had a quiet, cosy cafe scene of its own. And with Bourke Street Bakery's arrival, I suspect, it will bring the Bay back to its roots as a source of nourishment for happy visitors and locals alike. Nestled just behind Military Road — yes, the lower north shore has little service laneways, too (who knew?) — the bakery has an impossible-to-resist aroma that beckons through Young Lane and leads to the carbs-and-coffee Happy Place. With its simple deck-out, window stuffed with fresh bread and not a whitewashed faux-French finish in sight, the sincere space is adjunct to Bourke Street's philosophy of honest, artisan produce and simply good food. You'll find all the fabulous bits and bobs Bourke Street is known for — the flaky, impossibly succulent sausage rolls (pork and fennel, $4.50), the light-yet-lavish quiche (bacon, gruyere and leek quiche $4.50) and the substantial sandwiches with creative, yummy fillings ($9) — and the upbeat service is as warm as the freshly baked goods. As always, the coffee is great (from $2.50) and the patisserie is greater — I can't say no to the chocolate mousse and raspberry tart ($5) and will happily succumb to the ginger brulee tart ($5), too. And if you needed another reason to get into the delicious breads and bites of Bourke Street, the founders have started up the Bread and Butter Project: an initiative to help train up less fortunate folk in the bakery and return the profits back into training and employment opportunities for communities in need. Find the bread at the EQ Markets (Fox Studios), Sydney Growers Markets or
Time-travelling DeLoreans and phone booths may be pure fiction, sadly, but jumping back to the past is still possible right now at Powerhouse Museum. If you're a fan of 80s and 90s rock, the Ultimo venue has two events whisking you off to that very era — an exhibition and a corresponding film program. At Unpopular, attendees can peruse behind-the-scenes images, footage and items from the 90s alternative scene, which means revelling in bands like Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Bikini Kill, Fugazi, Pavement and The Lemonheads. That's on display until June 2023; however, movie lineup Uncensored is here for a good time, not a long time, from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4. Across three nights, the Powerhouse is screening six films as part of a ticketed lineup — and peering into the 80s as well as the 90s. Kicking things off at 6pm on the Friday is Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr, about the east coast American band, with The Man From Mo'Wax, which focuses on James Lavelle and his pioneering record label, also playing at 8pm. If Saturday suits your diary better, 2013's Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust is a must-see at 6pm, no matter how much you already know about the Aussie group. It's paired at 8pm with Instrument, the product of filmmaker Jem Cohen collaborating with Fugazi from 1987–1996. Then, on Sunday, Montage of Heck leads the bill at 2pm. Before Brett Morgen made this year's stunning David Bowie doco Moonage Daydream, this Kurt Cobain-focused film wowed music fans as well. And, on a grunge-filled afternoon, 90s lovers can then watch I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney at 5pm. Tickets cost $20 per movie, with discounts on offer for booking sessions to multiple movies — and your purchase includes a late-night session at the exhibition. Knowing what you'll be listening to afterwards, or even now after reading this, is free. Top image: Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015). Dir. Brett Morgen.
The discovery of the ancient cities of Ercolano and Pompeii continues to hold a great deal of fascination, particularly for photographer, Paul Ferman. In his latest offering, he captures the unique architectural designs of these formerly forgotten cities, ravaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. His series, Excavare, is an artistic project of excavation and conservation. That said, there is also a curious coagulation of ancient and modern in this exhibition. Ferman's use of multiple exposures generates a temporal fluidity and historical instability that queries notions of how memory is preserved and manipulated over time. Almost immediately it also becomes apparent that the glassy surfaces of Ferman's photographs reflect the relentless stream of William Street traffic. This notion of bringing the outside world into the gallery space can be perceived as an additional photographic layer that is in constant flux. In various works, the cracked facades of Italian ruins are overlaid by the day-to-day bustle of tourists and the modern streetscape. The less-than-magnificent architecture of contemporary Northern Italy, such as towering apartment complexes, is juxtaposed with the grand mosaics and facades of the old world. This has the effect of dislodging them from their timelessness. In this way, Ferman draws an architectural trajectory of Italian urbanism. There is an arresting beauty that stems from the multitude of perspectives. For example, Excavare #247 reveals a softly lit, sombre interior. However, Ferman's layering creates an impression of structural instability. With columns sloping inward, it is as if the entire shadowy space has been pivoted on its axis. This fluidity of stone planes creates a dreamy depth. Ferman then invites the viewer to wade through the fog of potential memories and architectures and imaginatively reconstruct the place. In Excavare #245, Ferman captures an infamous section of the Pompeii forum. Stretching the entire length of the photograph, its impending columns pierce the bright sky. The faint, overlapping mosaic has the effect of fleshing out the ancient skeletal structure, conveying a feeling of reminiscence. It is as though Ferman is attempting to restore the forum's former glory by projecting the preserved interior of one structure onto another. The natural environment is also brought forward, infusing the lifeless ruins with an ecological richness and vitality. This is most apparent in Ferman's largest photograph, Excavare #242, in which the structure is framed by shimmering, fast-flowing water and lush ferns. There is also a mesmeric quality to the aqua blue that recurs throughout the series, its infectious intensity seems to really lift the photographs. Throughout Excavare, there is a cumulative sense of reviving and re-making memories. It is important to remember that the archaeological investigation of these enigmatic cities and their unfortunate inhabitants is an ongoing operation. Paul Ferman's photography reminds us of how much remains unclear, communicating the idea that history is unfixed.
The Grounds of Alexandria's Christmas markets are back for 2017 with a week of artisan stalls and holiday-themed treats sure to get you in the festive spirit. Knock out your Christmas shopping at the crafty stalls, which will be set up from 10am till 7pm December 18–20, and 9am will 3.30pm December 21–24. With everything from jewellery, to natural skincare and leather monogramming, you're sure to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. There will be charity gift wrapping stations dotted throughout the market too. Plus, there'll be a plethora of festive foods on offer throughout the whole month of December at The Grounds, and you can pre-order your favourite dishes for pick up on Christmas Eve. Or you can make your own holiday treat by booking your place at a festive cake decorating masterclass on December 13 or 14. And while you're there, don't forget to grab a photo with Santa any day from December 14-24. The Grounds is somewhat magical all year-round, but this is surely its most wonderful time of the year.
It's been a long time coming, but the Speakeasy Group's hotly-anticipated Parramatta rooftop bar finally has a launch date — just a casual 18 months after it was first announced. Set to open its doors next week, way up on the 26th floor of the V by Crown development, Nick & Nora's will mark the group's sixth venue, joining a stable that includes hospitality hits like Eau de Vie, Mjolner and Melbourne's Boilermaker House. Pulling inspiration from Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man and its fictional sleuthing characters Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated space is an homage to the roaring 30s. The group is currently putting the finishing touches on the venue, which features an opulent fit-out, lavish art deco touches and a whole lot of Champagne. It has room for an impressive 300 people, complete with a sprawling terrace boasting views across the CBD and Sydney Harbour. Even so, you can rest assured booze isn't taken lightly — the back bar selection will run to a hefty 900 spirits, while climate-controlled fridges are stocked with over 50 Champagnes from the world's most celebrated houses. The cocktail offering will be as tight as you'd expect from these pros, with a 30-strong list featuring multiple variations of martinis, sours and Champagne-infused sips. And we can't wait to see what delicious mischief the bar gets up to with its five liquid nitrogen stations. As for the food, expect an offering that holds its own against the plush vibe and ritzy drinks lineup — fine cheese and charcuterie, top-quality oysters and some of the world's best caviar promise an all-round opulent affair. The bar is part of Parramatta's huge V by Crown complex, which features a luxury 72-suite hotel, residential apartments and restaurant Husk and Vine. It's a big opening for the area — and one that looks to really kick off a bar boom. Nick & Nora's will open at Level 26, 45 Macquarie Street, Parramatta in the second week of October. We'll let you know when it's officially open. Images: Jiwon Kim.
Cockatoo Island's perennial Sunset Sessions are making a welcome comeback in 2023. For those who aren't familiar with the scenic gig series, the Sunset Sessions are held every Saturday on the lawns of Cockatoo Island's Biloela House to synchronise with the sun setting over the Sydney Harbour. So yes, it's a bona fide date night bonanza. In addition to one of the best views in town, you'll be treated to intimate open-air sets from a batch of talented up-and-coming Australian artists. The 2023 series will feature a diverse genre-spanning lineup that includes captivating Inner West troubadour Dominic Breen, angel-voiced singer-songwriter Huck Hastings, and R&B-pop purveyor Ashli. Scroll for the full artist lineup. [caption id="attachment_884826" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Singer-songwriter Sam Windley will kick off the Sessions on January 21.[/caption] Sunset Sessions take place 5pm-8pm every Saturday evening, kicking off from Saturday January 21 and running up until April 1. They're not just for the romantically inclined, either. It's also a family-friendly affair with free tickets for kids under 12. And if you really want to make a weekend of it, you can stay a night on Cockatoo Island in one of the many accommodation options on offer (which range from the budget BYO tent approach to deluxe waterfront glamping to the Harbour View Apartments located right near Biloela Lawn). Full artist lineup for the 2023 Sunset Sessions: 21 January - Sam Windley & Dominic Breen 28 January - Hayley Mary & Jordan Kenny 4 February - Carla Geneve & Lee Sullivan 11 February - Huck Hastings 18 February - Ashli & Ainsley Farrell 25 February - Kyoshi 4 March - Saint Barae 11 March - Lucy Parle & AODHAN 18 March - June Jones & Punko 25 March - Big Wheels 1 April - Teddie Sunset Sessions tickets are $35 each or free for children under 12.
Affordable brekkie and lunch in the CBD from an award-winning hospitality team — you don't come by that very often. But, that's exactly what you'll find at This Way Canteen. Located at the Museum of Sydney between Circular Quay and The Domain, the charming spot comes from House Made Hospitality, the crew behind the winning formula of Hinchcliff House, Promenade and Martinez. Described as a "good-times sandwich bunker", This Way Canteen presents a simple crowd-pleasing menu with fresh produce at the core — plus, it won't break the bank, with all of the sandwiches here under $16. If you're on the hunt for a quick and easy lunch, set your sights on one of these foccacia sambos, ranging in fillings like spicy falafel and a classic schnitty to ramen pork or grilled mango chicken. Maybe it's Friday and you want to give yourself a little treat? Well, just opt for the lunchtime special which includes the loaded schnitzel sandwich and a beer for $20. That's a bona fide bargain. If you're in earlier in the morning, the breakfast menu also offers plenty of options around the $12-14 mark including, granola, B&Es and next-level English muffins. Finally, there are the drinks. A robust coffee selection is on offer alongside juices and a few boozy lunchtime offerings including beers, wines and Four Pillars yuzu gin and soda. Images: Steven Woodburn
To watch films written and directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi is to watch people playing a part — in multiple ways. That's one of the key truths to features not only by the Japanese filmmaker, but by anyone helming a movie that relies upon actors. It's so obvious that it doesn't usually need mentioning, in fact. Nonetheless, the notion is as essential to Hamaguchi's pictures as cameras to capture the drama. He bakes the idea into his films via as many methods as he can, pondering what it means to step into all the posts that life demands: friend, lover, spouse, ex, sibling, child, employee, student, classmate and the like. Hamaguchi loves contemplating the overt act of performance, too — his Best International Feature Oscar-winning Drive My Car, which also nabbed its helmer a Best Director nomination at this year's Academy Awards, hones in on a play and the rehearsals for it in dilligent detail — but the auteur who's also behind Happy Hour and Asako I and II has long been aware that the art of portrayal isn't just limited to thespians. Shakespeare said it centuries back, of course. To be precise, he had As You Like It's Jaques utter it: "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players". Hamaguchi's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, his second film to reach cinemas in mere months, definitely isn't a French-set comedy; however, it lives and breathes the Bard's famous words anyway. Here, three tales about romance, desire and fate get a spin. This trio of stories all muse on chance, choice, identity, regret and inescapable echoes as well, and focus on complex women reacting to the vagaries of life and everyday relationships. They're about sliding into roles in daily existence, and making choices regarding how to behave, which way to present yourself and who you decide to be depending upon the company you're in. While Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy mightn't ultimately mimic Drive My Car's Oscars success, it's equally masterful. In the first segment — dubbed 'Magic (or Something Less Assuring)' — model Meiko (Kotone Furukawa, 21st Century Girl) discovers that her best friend Tsugumi (Hyunri, Wife of a Spy) has just started seeing her ex-boyfriend Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima, Saturday Fiction). She's told in a sprawling taxi chat, which makes for stellar early sequence, and then she grapples with her complicated feelings while musing on what could eventuate from there. Meiko also heads straight to her former paramour, which was never going to simplify the situation. Her mantle to bear: either remaining the picture of a supportive pal by failing to tell Tsugumi about her past with Kazuaki, or laying out their history and forever shifting the dynamic. It's a devastating tale in how intricately it understands the push and pull of bonds that splay in different directions, and how we hold ourselves in various ways depending on who we're with. Next, in 'Door Wide Open', college student Nao (Katsuki Mori, Sea Opening) is enlisted to seduce Professor Sagawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Tezuka's Barbara) as part of a revenge plan by her lover Sasaki (Shouma Kai, Signal 100). She's forced into the part — which blatantly requires her to play a part — by the entitled Sasaki, all because the professor won't give him a passing grade. Nao is married, adding further shades to the roles she's inhabiting at any given time. She's also wholly uncomfortable with the position that her boyfriend has placed her in, but it still leads to authentic connections and revelations. Another of Hamaguchi's strong and frequently repeated truths: that the pretences we all sport, for whatever reasons we adopt them in any particular circumstances, are often barriers to genuine emotions and attachments. Finally, in a world where the internet has been eradicated due to a virus — making third chapter 'Once Again' a piece of science fiction, too, and as quietly fantastical as the feature gets — Natsuko (Fusako Urabe, Voices in the Wind) and Nana (Aoba Kawai, Marriage with a Large Age Gap) cross paths. The former has returned home to attend her high-school reunion, bumping into the latter within moments of getting off the train, with the two women instantly thinking that they were classmates decades ago. Thanks to the preceding portions of the film and also Hamaguchi's filmography in general, it's instantly clear that this scenario won't be straightforward, either. Nana invites Natsuko back to her house, the two chat and reminisce, but neither is all that confident about their shared history in a segment that tenderly but candidly examines role-playing as a two-way street, and also deception as a social grace. Hamaguchi's resume is littered with other obsessions beyond the fictions people spin to get through their days — to themselves and to each other, and willingly and unthinkingly alike — many of which also pop up in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Coincidence has a role in each of the movie's trio of intelligently and painstakingly plotted narratives, and destiny and fortune as well (as the name makes plain). The tangled web that romance weaves, and the sticky strands that represent alluring exes, also leave a firm imprint. So does seduction, and not always in its usual and most apparent form. All three of the picture's sections could stand alone, but each could've been fleshed out to feature length as well; as they exist, they leave viewers wanting more time with their lead characters. Commonalities ebb and flow between them, though, because this is a smart, astute and savvily layered triptych that's brought to the screen with everything that makes Hamaguchi's work so empathetic, warmly intimate and also entrancing. On the list: a canny knack for domestic drama that spies the revelatory in the seemingly ordinary and mundane; a willingness to let dialogue guide each story, yet never by resorting to only speaking in exposition dumps or lazily telling over showing; and, to help with that crucial last component, piercing and haunting long shots by cinematographer (Yukiko Iioka, Listen to Light) in every chapter. Indeed, each portion of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy almost resembles a full-length film as it is courtesy of these trademark traits, which make the entire movie seem deeply lived-in. It should come as no surprise, then, that Hamaguchi's cast fares just as brilliantly. With the filmmaker's patent fascination with performance on full display, the restrained yet meticulously textured portrayals he exacts from his cast are uniformly excellent. They're more than that; in a beguiling piece about playing parts, and that makes the process of adopting a role its very reason for flickering, peering at its actors feels like peering at reality at its most soulful, insightful and also playful.
Sometimes getting through the day without spilling coffee all over yourself or throwing a major tantrum at work is a real challenge. Let's face it, adulting is tough — what with the bills, the responsibility, the expectations. No wonder you sometimes want to get off the grown-up roundabout. When it all gets too much and the kid in you wants to bust out and forget about your worries for a while, we've got you covered. With the help of our pals at American Express, we've put together a list of the best places to head to shake off the shackles and do as young you would do — except this time with your grown-up American Express® Card paying your way. Whether it's slamming down bowling pins and beers, hitting up old-school arcade games or belting out karaoke, you're guaranteed to forget about the 'real' world for a while. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
A monster vintage sale is set to kick off today. Tonight, a novel pop-up store opens its doors for two short weeks. With prices $20 and under, Love Your Face believe they can occupy the a similar gap in the market to that previously held by the (now price-agnostic) Oxford Street Design Store. The new-look space, decked out with vintage wears that draw their "inspiration from London fashion over the years", has something extra special to entice punters in on opening night as well. "Why are we doing it? To bring affordable vintage fashion to Darlinghurst," explains co-founder Careen Redman. "It's somewhere you can pop into in your lunch hour and get something really quirky, for $20." Love Your Face launches tonight, and is open for two weeks ('til November 15). Bears with Guns — the Parkes band whose anthemic hit, Taken for a Fool, has been praised by audiences and critics alike (this one included) — will perform an intimate live set from 6pm, to help get the party started. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KcEAlHPr5Pg
Art galleries never fail to draw a crowd in Sydney, especially since the Harbour City is home to some of the biggest galleries in the country. But it's not often that you get a dose of good karma after splashing out on a ticket; that's a benefit typically reserved for charity events. The Unbound Art Show, the annual fundraising show for Barnardos Australia, does both. This year, the event will be themed 'Horizons of Hope' and will take place in the Cell Block Theatre of Darlinghurst's National Art School on Thursday, March 20. Kicking off at 6pm, your $75 ticket includes access, beverages and rights to any canapé you desire, plus a $50 voucher to put towards any artwork you would like to purchase on the evening. You read it right: these works (sculptures, photos, paintings, prints and more) are on sale, donated by artists to Barnardos for the occasion. If you're unable to attend the event in person, all pieces will be available in an online auction from Thursday, March 6. Of course, all proceeds from the one-night-only event will go towards Barnardos youth homelessness services, as they work towards a future where every young person is safe and secure in a home of their own. The Unbound Art Show: Horizons of Hope will take place from 6pm on Thursday, March 20. For more information or to buy a ticket, visit the website.
Heads up wellness junkies, superfood latte purveyors and plant-based peeps: a snow-filled winter market is coming to the Grounds of Alexandria. And it'll be stocked with vegan s'mores, hot wine and many (many) more healthy(ish) winter treats. The night will be a mash-up of a wholefood market and a winter wonderland. You'll be able to explore a snow-filled arena, sip organic mulled wine and toast vegan s'mores (yes, vegan s'mores) over a fire pit. Or, fill up a mug at the colourful superfood latte fountain then visit the olive barn to watch olive leaves being turned into olive oil. Apparently you can also exercise and have your smoothie, too — warm up on the smoothie bicycle and blitz your very own healthy smoothie via a pedal-powered blender. Enjoy a healthy woodfired pizza while you sip on a healthy cocktail, but don't fill up just yet — there'll be a host of laneway carts and market stalls offering product samplings and tastings under the fairy lights. Peanut butter fiends can find the 'world's best PB' (apparently), or you can just sip on multicoloured lattes and taste healthy curries. If you're trying to cut back on the alcohol, good news — there'll even be an alcohol-free gin. After you've got your fill, head to the cooking and demonstration theatre to listen to a talk or cooking demo from a line-up of health and wellbeing gurus. The market is thanks to GoodnessMe Box, a monthly subscription box filled with delicious health foods and samples to try, which has partnered with the inner-city food hot-spot to bring the event back for its second year. You can snag your early-bird ticket here, which includes entry as well as a GoodnessMe box to take home — offering a delicious range of tried-and-tested, natural products. The Winter Wonderland Wholefood Night Markets is open from 5.30–7.45pm and 7.45–10.30pm.
Indigenous Australians were the world's first astronomers, using the stars and planets for navigation, to predict the weather and as part of Dreamtime storytelling. You can get a peek at some of this vast knowledge on an Aboriginal Sky Dreaming Cruise. During the one-hour cruise, First Nations astronomers will guide you through the landscape of the sky and share stories as you float around Darling Harbour. You'll also get to learn about the famous emu-shaped dark installation Gugurmin, an important part of the Wiradjuri Peoples' skylore. A cruise on the harbour can sometimes cost you upward of $200, but this eye-opening experience will set you back just $30. [caption id="attachment_814486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
On the road between Broken Hill and Silverton — around 1200 kilometres west of Sydney — lies Day Dream, one of Australia's first coal mines. Built in the 1880s, it's now a tourist attraction, where you can experience a day-in-the-life of a 19th century miner. Prepare for darkness, dust and lots of squeezing through teeny-tiny spaces — all 30 metres underground. Mining is still a dangerous business, but was way more terrifying back then. In fact, workers did it so tough that their bosses handed out opium to ease the pain. When that wore off, horehound beer, which caused temporary blindness, was the next refuge. You'll hear these and other tales on a 1.5-hour tour. Find more tips for exploring Broken Hill over here. [caption id="attachment_710913" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Day_Dream_Mine_Bonzle_Website.jpg[/caption] Images: Destination NSW
Remember the heavily pregnant, naked woman in Prêt-à-Porter? No? You should rewatch it; it's better than you remembered. Said heavily pregnant, naked woman is also a chanteuse with a longer discography than the Sinatra family combined. Famous for her renditions of the songs of Kurt Weill, Ute Lemper has had an illustrious career of a modern renaissance nature. She paints (neoclassical), she acts (from Marie Antoinette to The Little Mermaid's Ariel), and she can make the rare claim of having Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Scott Walker pen songs just for her voice (2000's Punishing Kiss). A frequent treader of the boards, Lemper has won numerous prizes for her role in musical theatre, particularly in London and New York as Velma Kelly in Chicago and in Paris as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. It's more her time spent as Lola in The Blue Angel (first made famous by Marlene Dietrich) that springs to mind with her current tour, Angels Over Berlin. Exploring the past and present through story and song, Lemper dips into to the work of Weill, Brecht, Brel, Piaf and Piazzoilla — from Weimar to French chansons to Argentinian tango — in a contemporary cabaret style. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6itNYV8i0
Everything that Melbourne and Brisbane can do, Sydney tends to believe that it can do better — and devouring Cinnabon's sticky cinnamon scrolls might soon join that list. After the Seattle-born chain opened its first Australian store in the Sunshine State in 2019, then added more Queensland stores, then made the leap to Victoria in 2021, Sydneysiders have been hanging to get their fix; however, that wait now has an end date: summer 2022–23. Ideally, Cinnabon will start serving its coveted scrolls from its first New South Wales site in Darling Square in mid-December this year, but that date might shift slightly. When the brand does launch in NSW, Alby Lam, one of the directors of the master franchisee for the state, is hoping that baked goods-loving locals will come out in force. "Brisbane actually broke the world record for opening Cinnabon, for sales — so hopefully Sydney will break Brisbane's so that we can take that title. We'll see what happens though," Lam tells Concrete Playground. Something that might help: Sydney's first Cinnabon won't be located in a shopping centre, which will enable it to operate for longer hours. At Darling Square, that might mean 9pm or 11pm closes. Those Cinnabon cravings don't just tempt your tastebuds during business hours, after all. In NSW, the plan is to open 15 stores — including one each in the city's east, west, north and south within three years, and also outposts in Newcastle, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour and Taree. Another big difference in NSW will stem from the chain's specials, with a new limited-edition flavour on offer each month. Exactly what they'll be is yet to be revealed, but that'll give Cinnabon fans a new reason to head by regularly. Also, while the first store will launch with a small beverage menu, the plan is to offer an extensive range moving forward, spanning beyond the usual varieties. "It's not going to be your standard strawberry smoothies and vanilla milkshakes — the flavours are going to be quite unique," Lam advises. New to all things Cinnabon? Haven't tasted them on trips overseas or interstate? Only spotted the chain in Better Call Saul? It's famed for those scrolls, which come slathered in glaze and cream-cheese frosting — and, yes, they truly are oh-so-sticky to eat. Many people have tried to replicate them since Cinnabon first set up shop in America in 1985, too, but the brand's long-held recipe is immensely hard to copy at home. Cinnabon will open in Darling Square, Haymarket sometime in summer 2022–23 — with a planned mid-December launch. We'll update you with exact details when they're announced.
Need a little swing in your step? Whether you feel like you were born to jive, or you're just after a fun activity that's a bit different, swing dancing could be the answer. Each Monday, Swing Patrol holds swing dance classes in the Church Hall of St Stephens. Head to the beginners class at 7pm for the basics of swing dancing and once you have those down, the intermediate class at 8.15pm will up your game will more challenging routines. Swing Patrol has built a huge community over the years with students performing at markets, parties, and events all over the world. Even if your aspirations are less global and more just getting a dose of wholesome retro fun, at just $16 a pop, these classes are a good place to look.
Parramatta's farmers markets have returned to Centenary Square just in time for your Christmas shopping. The markets have returned boasting all the fresh produce, artisan goods and all the tasty takeaways you could want. Traditionally held on Fridays, the markets are popping up for a five-week trial of new midweek opening hours that will see it operate on Wednesdays from 7.30am–2.30pm. Fruit, veggies, bread, honey, pastries and flowers will be among the goods marketgoers can get their hands on, as well as food from some of Sydney's best food trucks and local takeaway businesses. Think doughy gluten-free desserts from G-Free Doughnuts, saucy pasta selections from On Ya Gnocchi, Gozleme King's spinach and cheese favourites and your caffeine fix from Coconut Coffee. In its current iteration, the markets will run weekly up until Wednesday, December 22, with plans for the new year yet to be announced. "With the festive season here, it's the perfect time to visit," says City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Steven Issa. "There's always a buzz in Centenary Square when the Parramatta Markets are on."
Sydney Good Food Month is gearing up to turn the big 2-0 and it's set to mark the occasion with its most expansive program yet, dishing up a huge array of food-focused festivities across October. This year's milestone lineup will both look back in time and nod to the future, celebrating the famed restaurants and innovative chefs that have made Sydney's food scene what it is today, as well as those young guns now carrying on the legacy. The festival's Palm Springs-themed pop-up restaurant Hyde Park Palms makes its colourful return to Hyde Park North, hosting culinary greats from near and far across a program of inspiring feasts, talks and parties, from October 4–21. Home-grown heroes like Stephanie Alexander, Bill Granger and Lune's Kate Reid feature alongside international names including LA's Jason Neroni and Italy's Isabella Potì. There'll be throwbacks aplenty, from a 20th birthday feast helmed by Christine Manfield, Neil Perry and Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room), to a long lunch that sees Andy Bowdy (Saga) and Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook) kicking it old-school with some quintessential 90s flavours, and a noughties lunch with ACME's Mitch Orr and the aforementioned croissant queen Kate Reid. Acclaimed Smith & Daughters chef Shannon Martinez works her signature brand of culinary magic with a three-course vegan Italian dinner, and some of Australia's female food heroes — including Saint Peter's Alanna Sapwell and Momofuku Seiobo's Kylie Javier-Ashton — headline the Culinary Women of Influence feast. And the pasta battle returns, this time helmed by LuMi's Federico Zanellato, Federica Andrisani from Hobart's Fico and Joal Valvasori-Pereza from Perth's Lulu La Delizia. Meanwhile, Ume and Cow & The Moon team up to deliver the ultimate date-night situation, complete with burgers, ice cream, booze and a screening of 10 Things I Hate About You. And of course, Good Food Month's ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back for another season, taking over Hyde Park from October 4. Along with a tasty assortment of over 40 street food stalls, and a program of performers, live acts and DJs, this year's edition also features a pop-up stall showcasing a rotation of the city's hottest chefs and eateries. For those not wanting to spend heaps of cash, the affordable Let's Do Lunch returns, allowing punters to dine at Good Food hatted restaurants for only $45 — which includes a lunch main and wine or beer. Tickets to Sydney Good Food Month are on sale from 9am Tuesday, July 30, via the website. Image: Night Noodle Markets, Letícia Almeida; Hyde Park Palms, Nikki To; Pasta Battle, Griffin Simm
Over the past few weeks, racially motivated discrimination, oppression and injustice has been in the global spotlight. It's a subject that always demands action and attention, both worldwide and within Australia. Lately, however, it's been particularly thrust to the fore due to the Black Lives Matter movement, and protests over the death of American George Floyd at the hands of a police officer — as well as, at the local level, the ongoing fight to end the systemic mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by law enforcement, and to stop Indigenous Australian deaths in custody. This isn't a new topic. The quest to end racial prejudice and inequality isn't new either. Centuries of history can attest to that fact beyond the current news headlines — and so can a wealth of powerful documentaries on the subject. Some recent films chart the American civil rights movement. Others explore the lives and impact of Indigenous Australian musicians. And, with examples from both categories, five such docos are now available to watch for free on YouTube for the entire month of June. All five films are distributed by Australian company Madman Entertainment, and all have previously screened in cinemas and/or at film festivals. They're all vital viewing, too — and, at present, doing so doesn't involve any cost or require a subscription to a streaming platform. The documentaries are now up on Madman's YouTube channel, as embedded into the company's website. Leading the bill are a trio of movies with a local angle, and with a particular interest in Indigenous music. Viewers can watch Gurrumul, the immensely moving portrait about the chart-topping late Indigenous talent from Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land; then check out Murundak: Songs of Freedom, which focuses on Aboriginal protest music, specifically following The Black Arm Band and other Indigenous Australian musicians on tour; then view Westwind: Djalu's Legacy, about Yolngu elder and master Yidaki (didgeridoo) player Djalu Gurruwiwi and his efforts to pass on his culture's ancient Songlines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_USf1UQIAYg Those docos are joined by two films that examine race and injustice in America, and prove particularly relevant to current US protests. 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets chronicles the 2012 murder of 17-year-old high school student Jordan Davis — who was shot at a Florida gas station after an argument over loud music — as well as trial that followed, and the media coverage and resulting protests also. Then there's Raoul Peck's potent and affecting Oscar-nominee I Am Not Your Negro, which tackles racism in America from a historical perspective. That's conveyed through the words of novelist, poet and activist James Baldwin — words written in the mid-70s, but sadly still applicable today — with Samuel L. Jackson serving as the documentary's narrator. In sharing the five films, Madman is encouraging everyone to not only watch, but to learn, listen, and talk about them with friends and family. It's also suggesting that viewers donate to support relevant causes, naming a worthy organisation — and, in some cases, multiple organisations — for each documentary. To watch Gurrumul, I Am Not Your Negro, Murundak: Songs of Freedom, Westwind: Djalu's Legacy and 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets for free until the end of June, head to the Madman website. Top image: I Am Not Your Negro.
Since 2020, fans of cowboy-themed ice cream have had two options: lick your way through a classic ol' Bubble O'Bill on a stick as you've always done, saving the bubblegum nose for last (of course), or tuck into a Bubble O'Bill tub. That's all well, good and tasty, but frozen desserts can't keep a lasso over the fictional, confectionery-based Old West figure — because Bubble O'Bill Easter eggs are now a sweet treat that truly exists. Set to hit the shelves at Woolworths on Wednesday, March 16, the 160-gram chocolate eggs aren't shaped like their namesake, however. They're regular old egg-shaped, but with swirls of strawberry marbling, pieces of caramel and chewy berry pieces mixed into the Chocolatier Australia chocolate. Love the gumball part of Bubble O'Bills? Of course you do. And they're still included in the Easter egg version, with five found inside once you crack open all that chocolate. Turning a beloved Streets ice cream into an Easter egg isn't just the domain of Bubble O'Bill, either. Returning to both Woolies and Coles this year is the Golden Gaytime Easter egg, which sports the same toffee flavour as the frosty dessert and comes coated in Golden Gaytime crumbs. And, it's available now. Yes, Easter is still more than a month away — hitting on Sunday, April 17 in 2022 — but that just means you've got plenty of time to stock up, or to mark the occasion for weeks in advance. Being an adult means eating Bubble O'Bill and Golden Gaytime Easter eggs whenever you like. Find Bubble O'Bill Easter eggs at Woolworths stores from Wednesday, March 16, costing $10 each. Golden Gaytime Easter eggs are available at both Woolies and Coles now.
There's something alluring about the deep South of the United States. It seems a land trapped in the past, a land of swamps and evangelicals, of heat and history. Emerging from these factors is rock-revivalist band Mona. Three quarters of the band earned their musical strips in the pentecostal congregations, learning to work a crowd into a frenzy using their instruments. Although their origin story may confuse them with Kings of Leon, their music sets them firmly apart. It's a lot more raw and passionate, and far less anthemic and populist. Their music injects a heavy dose of guitar and sweat, ramping up their secular tunes with a near religious fervour. Their debut and self-titled album was recorded and mixed in a basement in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Rich Costey (who has previously worked with the Foo Fighters, the Arctic Monkeys and Muse). Heading to Australia for the first time for Splendour in the Grass, the boys are making the trip down the coast to play for Sydney audiences, and are a perfect example of the distinction between southern rock and rock from the south. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_YVY3JYgWHs
Fans of Donald Glover, excellent television or both, rejoice: after a four-year gap between its second and third seasons, Atlanta is a mere month away from returning to our screens. The show's creator, co-writer, sometime-director, star and all-round driving force has been more than a little busy since we last saw him play Earnest 'Earn' Marks — cancelling and rescheduling Australian tours, playing Coachella, voicing Simba in the photorealistic remake of The Lion King, dropping albums and making Guava Island with Rihanna, and that was all before the pandemic — but now the wait for new episodes of his exceptional TV series is almost at an end. Get ready to be all about that Paper Boi again — and all about Glover as Earn, obviously. If you're new to Atlanta, it follows Princeton dropout Earn after he returns home to the titular city, then starts managing his cousin Alfred's (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) rap career. The 30-something also has an on-again-off-again relationship with Van (Zazie Beetz, The Harder The Fall), with the pair sharing a daughter, which throws up complications on a regular basis After a phenomenal second season which ranked among the best things on TV back in 2018 (as the show's first season did in 2016, too), Atlanta's third season looks set to follow Earn and Alfred/Paper Boy on tour in Europe — based on its teaser trailer. And yes, that means it's still tackling the ins and outs of its characters lives, including the daily reality of being Black in America today, while examining race, money, relationships, parenthood, art, music and trying to get by on the road on the other side of the world. Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah) also returns as Darius, Alfred's righthand man, with Atlanta also boasting one of the best casts on television. [caption id="attachment_843677" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthias Clamer/FX[/caption] After season two gave us the marvel that was the Teddy Perkins episode, it's basically impossible to guess what Glover has in store for his on-screen alter ego and his pals, and for viewers, this time around — but, when Atlanta's third season starts streaming in Australia via SBS On Demand on Friday, March 25, it'll be a definite must-see. That said, the good news keeps coming with the bad theses days, with Atlanta set to follow in Stranger Things' footsteps. We're not talking any storyline similarities, which truly would be wild. Instead, it's been announced that Atlanta also only has one more season left after its upcoming batch of episodes, so it'll end with season four — which is set to also air in 2022, arriving sometime during spring Down Under. Check out the trailer for Atlanta's third season below: Atlanta season three will start streaming via SBS On Demand from Friday, March 25.
Founded by Emma Nguyen in 2011, I Love Pho has a special focus on bringing an authentic Vietnamese experience to Sydney. Decked out with a bamboo-themed interior, the dining room captures the essence of the frantic hustle and bustle of Vietnamese street dining. The service here is classy and casual, and it's the kind of place you'll be returning to again and again after discovering it, whether that's once a year or once a week. As the name suggests, the oft mispronounced but easy-to-consume Vietnamese noodle soup is the star of the show at this Crows Nest spot. Following a traditional recipe from Hanoi, and cooked for 24 hours, this steaming broth is available in several different flavours including vegetable, pork chop, wagyu beef and chicken breast. The chicken broth pho is slow-simmered with a hint of zesty ginger and fresh lime leaves, and the mixed seafood option is especially exciting. There's even a totally vegan pho with tofu, mixed veg and lotus root noodle soup. Outside of pho, the menu boasts some incredible traditional Vietnamese dishes. Standouts include a vegan curry topped with roasted peanuts, spicy pork belly served with steamed Chinese broccoli, and a truly spectacular roast duck salad. The wine lost at I Love Pho has all the standards from shiraz to pinot noir and pinot gris to chardonnay, while the beer list is international with the classic Vietnamese Hanoi Beer included. For northsiders, heading here is an easy call — and for everyone else, it's definitely worth crossing the bridge for.
Tasers, telephoto lenses and a new spate of crimes terrifying the beachside town of Neptune: yes, Veronica Mars is back. Everyone's favourite pint-sized TV private eye is finally returning to our screens, all thanks to the show's long-awaited, eagerly anticipated fourth season. As played with the usual pluck and determination by Kristen Bell, she's ready to sleuth her way through a whole new mystery. Of course she is. Due to release in the US in July, via streaming platform Hulu, Veronica Mars' revival follows its titular heroine as she endeavours to get to the bottom of a wave of bombings that've been blasting their way through her home town. The fictional seaside spot is quite the tourist spot — especially come spring break — and Ms Mars thinks that someone wants to blight its reputation. After dropping a very brief teaser in April, Hulu has released the first proper trailer for the series — and, as well as showing the no-nonsense Veronica doing what she does best, it features a heap of familiar faces. Her dad Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) and on-again, off-again love interest Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) also pop up, as does her ex-classmate Weevil (Francis Capra). Also set to make an appearance: returning cast members Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen and Max Greenfield, plus new inclusions such as Patton Oswalt, Clifton Collins Jr and Bell's The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Oh and JK Simmons, too, and it appears that he's the new season's bad guy. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhCFAtFE-A If you've been following Veronica's story for the past 15 years, you'll know that the TV series originally debuted in 2004, ran for three seasons until 2007, and then set a crowdfunding record to get a film off the ground in 2014. Next came two novels and a web series spin-off — and now, as first confirmed in September last year, this eight-episode revival. Break out the marshmallows, obviously. The fourth season of Veronica Mars hits Hulu on July 26. Details of the show's Australian and New Zealand release are yet to be confirmed — we'll keep you posted.
According to Google, 'bei amici' means 'beautiful friends' in Italian. A fitting choice then, as Bei Amici, the Swiss-Italian restaurant on Mona Road established six years ago by owner and chef Felix Rutz is somewhat of a local favourite. It's by no means the newest or trendiest, but from the looks of our visit, this place has smiling friends both serving the food and coming back time and again to eat it. With three-month-old, in-house barrel-matured Negroni packing one hell of a sippable, oaky punch, we're not surprised. Nor were we surprised to find the rainbow trout, lightly showered in shaved mild Tasmanian wasabi and cucumber jelly, to be fresh and pleasant. We matched the fish with a sharp Friulano white named Gigante. The fig salad with oxheart tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella (as seen proudly displayed on Bei Amici's website) was a little too sweet, although the buttery and smooth glass of Bramito del Cerve Chardonnay made up for it nicely. It turns out Bei Amici has more than just friends; it has followers. Not only was the local calamari sauteed with pistachios on a bed of fregola offered as a special before becoming a fulltime menu item by popular demand, the Sydney Tripe Society (we're not even kidding) has previously made its rounds via the traditional hotpot of honeycomb tripe, served as a ragu. Having never personally experienced tripe before, I'm glad I did. But pardon the cliche; it's an acquired taste. The calamari was justifiably deserving of its promotion. For those not brave (or perhaps foolish) enough to go down to tripe town, the housemade gnocchi has the gorgeous odour of truffles and is a mushroom-lovers delight. The duck is also a great choice — the skin in particular has all those wonderful juices locked away — but the sausage element might be a little too gamey if you're not keen on those strong, rustic flavours. Desserts were good; in particular the hazelnut meringue with poached pear sorbet and a devilishly alcoholic nipper of housemade blood orange cello. Nice coffee, too. With a staff that's followed the chef's food from state to state, passion for original and authentic recipes and a fine location, Bei Amici might not be your absolute BFF but it's definitely worth knowing.
As far as pastimes go, staring upwards ticks a heap of boxes. The sky is always there, the stars put on a show every night of the year, plenty of special celestial events like supermoons and meteor showers keep popping up, and everyone can do it — without or without specialised equipment. But if you've ever had the experts talk you through the wide blue yonder come evening, including at Sydney Observatory, you'll know that the inky heavens take on a whole new dimension when you get the lowdown from folks who study it. That's one of the key ideas behind Sydney Observatory's soon-to-launch new late-night series — because chatting attendees through the atmosphere's wonders is one part of the program. Set to kick off this spring, the free events will pair astronomy talks with stargazing, as well as tunes, performances, and drinks and bites to eat from leading New South Wales producers. [caption id="attachment_866238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Haese[/caption] The debut session on Saturday, October 8 doubles as the launch of Dr Nick Lomb's Australasian Sky Guide for 2023, too. It's the go-to resource about the southern night sky, complete with details of starry happenings to look forward to, viewing tips, and monthly sky maps. In this latest version, there's also an article on Wiradjuri constellations by Wiradjuri woman and PhD astrophysics candidate Kirsten Banks — and she'll be there on the night as part of the lineup of speakers, who'll chat between telescope views of Saturn, Jupiter and the moon. From there, Sydney Observatory's late-night program will return monthly — except in December, when the city is too busy looking at Christmas lights rather than the shining heavens. The November date, on Tuesday, November 8, is timed for a total lunar eclipse, while the Sunday, January 22 event will celebrate Lunar New Year, the Wednesday, February 22 session links in with World Pride, and the Saturday, March 25 fun will coincide with Earth Hour. Dates have been set until mid-2023, in fact, including a rare daytime event on Thursday, April 20 for the partial solar eclipse, backing it up a few weeks later on Saturday, May 6 for the full moon, and returning on Thursday, June 22 for 2023's winter solstice. While entry is free, bookings are still essential — everyone loves peering upwards, no matter what Hollywood satires tell us, so expect tickets to be popular. You'll be paying for whatever you eat and drink, of course, and also hanging out in one of Sydney's historic and most important spots. The Observatory dates back to 1859, sits on the highest point of Sydney Cove and keeps the time for NSW. It's also pivotal for meteorology and astronomy Australia-wide, and has catalogued 430,000 stars of the southern sky's stars. Sydney Observatory's late-night program launches on Saturday, October 8. For more information, or to book a free ticket, head to the venue's website. Top image: Scott Donkin.
Potts Point is no stranger to Italian eateries, but its latest addition, House Bar & Bistrot, has a specific focus on ethical and sustainable produce. Opened in late 2017 and set in an old Victorian house, this corner restaurant boasts a ever-changing menu using some seriously fresh ingredients. At the helm is Mauro Forgillo (ex-Fratelli Fresh), who spent the last decade cooking for Australia hospitality giants Rockpool Dining Group and Merivale, as well as around Europe. The 27-year-old chef is now setting off on his own, bringing a seasonal Italian menu using all ethical produce, including grass-fed meat, organic veggies and freshly caught seafood. Forgillo has carefully researched the producers and farmers he buys from, most of which are located in NSW. The young chef is also turning out homemade sourdough and freshly made pasta on the daily — using organic and unrefined flours to boot — as well as making his own marinades and cured meats. On the current menu sits grass fed lamb backstrap with eggplant and chickpeas, tagliatelle with fresh clams and pesto burrata on fried bread, along with pizzas assembled atop a pumpkin dough base. Those with a sweet tooth will be glad to hear that the gelato is also homemade, using fresh organic fruits. On the drinks side, Forgillo is keeping with the Italian theme, offering Birra Menabrea on tap, along with a wine list which focuses on Italian grape varietals and hard-to-find drops from both Australian and Italian winemakers. The rotating list of cocktails are split between before, during and after meal categories. At the moment, patrons can start with a barrel-aged negroni, followed by a Venetian Sgroppino — a lemon sorbet drink topped with vodka and Prosecco. Finish off with an affogato martini, which uses that homemade gelato, no doubt. The menu can cater to vegos too, with the chef offering up an entire vegetarian menu to those who ask. Finally, for music lovers, the venue will host acoustic and DJ sets every Friday and Saturday. This newcomer is certainly setting its bar high, but it is still to be seen if the restaurant lives up to its self-appointed reputation. House Bar & Bistrot is now open at 62-64 Kellett St, Potts Point. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 11.30am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm; Friday from noon to 10pm; and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
From the heartfelt animation of Studio Ghibli to the sword-swinging excess of Takashi Miike, if there's one thing that Japanese cinema is known for, it's variety. And while neither feature on this year's Japanese Film Festival program, there's plenty more where they came from— including true tales of dentists who became pop stars, watercolour explorations of the impact of war and Tokyo murder mysteries. Screening at Event Cinemas George Street from November 16 to 26, JFF 2017 continues the annual festival's fondness for diversity as it showcases the latest and greatest movies that Japan has to offer.Take its opening and closing films: kicking things off is historical ninja flick Mumon: The Land of Stealth, while acclaimed drama Radianceheads from Cannes to the fest's last night. Other highlights include Japan's next Oscar submission, Her Love Boils Bathwater; a haunting modern take on an ancient ghost story in Snow Woman; and perhaps the movie with the best moniker in the lineup, Hamon: Yakuza Boogie. Throw in Sion Sono's lurid Antiporno, darkly comic coming-of-age tale Love and Other Cults, and alien takeover effort Before We Vanish — plus a separate lineup of Seijun Suzuki classics at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 1 to 25 — and the scene is set for a delightful dip into Japan's movie magic.
Public art festival Art & About is usually laid out across town in order, not unlike stations of the cross. You follow its trail from one neat alleyway to the next, watching the best of local and overseas art laid out in an orderly fashion from the CBD down to the harbour's edge. This year's festival, though, is spread out more like a series of quiet hollows, tempting you to slow down and notice nooks and crannies of the CBD you hadn't chanced to chance upon before. With so many things on, and with so much of the city covered in newly applied art, it can be a little intimidating working out which work to check out, and in what order to do it. To help you, Concrete Playground has put together this list of the ten best things to start with as you go about checking out this year's offerings at Sydney's best spring festival of creativity. 1. Laneway Art To be an alley you need to be a narrow street surrounded by buildings, but to be a lane just narrow will do. There's no specific word for a narrow space packed with weather-proof art, but Sydney may need one soon. With today's internet all about bringing a mix of curation and serendipity to the cascade of interesting stuff in life, Laneway Art takes this same aesthetic to the streets, gathering art from around Sydney and beyond, compressing it into an angular mix of narrow streets. This year's selection includes a whole staircase covered in the guerrilla knitting from the 'mother' of yarn-bombing, Magda Sayeg, urban periscopes with mirrors that look further across the city than you'd imagine and a series of mobile film screenings descending on a series of Sydney streets Thursday nights, using the side of a rickshaw as its screen. Where: Skittle Lane, Bridge Lane, Mullins Street & Market Row, Tank Stream Way, Bulletin Place and on a rickshaw. 2. Acts of Kindness Michael Landy's latest artwork is a puzzle. Behind the cenotaph in Martin Place, Landy has laid out a giant map of Sydney's CBD, seemingly hand drawn on a giant white jigsaw. Each piece owns a counterpart somewhere around the city that has a story stuck onto it. The stories are about moments where kindness barged itself small or large into sombody's life. Most of the stories happened where the pieces sit, so you have the choice of replicating them in a chain of life imitating art, borrowing from life. Landy spent months recceing his urban canvas by collecting stories from Sydney to fix to the pieces. He'd taken the same approach to London's Underground, joining Tube art like the antiquities plastered on Holbourn Station and mosiacs by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. His approach is as crowd-sourced as Wikipedia's editing system, but with his last dramatic step from abstract geocoordinates to tangible places, he steps from the aesthetic into a connection with a city you'd thought you already known. Where: Martin Place and Sydney's streets. 3. Sydney Life Dominating Hyde Park's Central Walkway like a series of errant movie-screens strung through the foliage, the canvases of Sydney Life take a high-contrast lens to the ins and outs of the city. Each glossy image tells a story of the city, filtered by the lens of one of the 22 finalists' piercing eye for detail. Fluttering ethereally in mid-air, their choices give you an unreal window onto the everyday. Julie Sundberg found hat headed TAFE students, Peter Morgan captured cabbies dining streetlit out of the back of a cab and John Fryz posed a life-size gnome. These are pictures of the everyday, but caught at rare moments. Where: Central Walkway, Hyde Park (Image: Australia Square by Brent M V Wintstone). 4. Little Sydney Lives The circular rotunda of Sandrigham Gardens is a royal memorial dating to the fifties, and hosts Sydney Life's younger counterpart Little Sydney Lives. The younger photographers have competed in two categories, their ages ranging from 3-11. The pictures they've taken are often as good or better than their adult counterparts. What they lack in complex post processing and well-chosen captions, they make up with the starkness of their images and the way their clear focus brings their subjects front and centre. Where adults find the clarity of a moment, children find focus in simple things themselves. Where: Sandringham Gardens, Hyde Park (Image: Seal by Amy Skinstad). 5. What If? When Sydney's street banners first went in they seemed very plush and high-rent. And while they're still very trim, familiarity seems to breed forgetfulness. What If? brings a sense ownership back for the banners, having sought out bon mots from across Sydney to fill the banners with ideas, suggestions and meditation. Anyone was able to get their ideas up there, with the threaded mottos artfully assembled by talented designer Suzanne Boccalatte. Getting concrete-walking pedestrians' words up into the first floor gives a good sense of writing it big across the storied streetscape in crayon. The banners are spread out across the CBD, so to get a look at this outdoor gallery the main thing to do in most places is look skyward. Where: George Street, Alfred Street, College Street, Elizabeth Street, Park Street, Oxford Street, William Street, Redfern Street and Glebe Point Road. 6. Happy Talk The Sydney Festival has its now annual Spiegeltent in the corner of Hyde Park. Heidi Dokulil and Liane Rossler took inspiration from the Pacific to compete with it in the same location by raising the roof of the Happy Talk House. The house itself is sustainable, recycled and recyclable and decorated by Cook Island artistry, but its main appeal lies in the workshops to be hosted inside it. Throughout September and October, the hut will be hosting a knot of workshops on age old crafts — like weaving or bookmaking — where you can make yourself something brand new. Attendance takes careful attention to their calendar, but between organised moments you can drop in to their materials draped long-table to put together a something of your own design. If the feeling of making things in the deft mesh of your own two hands is what takes you to your happy place, Happy Talk is for you. Where: Sandringham Gardens, Hyde Park. 7. Unguarded Moments Back in 2008, Sarah Barns helped the ABC put together a tour of the Sydney that was called Sidetracks using the then cutting-edge technology of putting a tour on your mobile phone. Though phone technology has moved on somewhat, Barns has returned to offer another glimpse into the city's earlier lives. Unguarded Moments takes old images and returns them to Miller's Point and Walsh Bay, with a string of projectors around the area shooting original photos up onto the walls of the neighbourhood they were once taken in. And if you find the faces of the past grabbing you, you can look up their stories online as you walk around with your now ubiquitous, modern smartphone. Where: Around Miller's Point and Walsh Bay (Map). 8. Contested Lanscapes Gallery, meeting place and occasional bakery, Contested Landscapes brings ideas from the world of art and science together under its canvas. Setting itself up as a walk-in space in front of the Customs House Library, it's flush with paintings on the walls, plush furniture and visiting speakers eager to get their ideas on art and environment out to the public. For the week of September 26 through 29 the series will walk you through topics like Urban Sydney and Food Security. Where: Customs House Forecourt, Circular Quay (Painting: A View of the Artist's Garden by Leo Robba). 9. Streetware 2011 A sideline to the Laneway Art program, Streetware is mostly centred around the old Mark Foys building off Hyde Park. The show is in its second year of getting emerging street artists to put their work on walls, operating under legal detente with the City's governing authorities. Wandering around alleys south of Hyde Park you find yourself twisting around right-angles covered in fresh paint and new stencils. Penelope Cain's Cubicle Farm posters urban wildlife in its natural environment, while Beastman's nearby organic mosaic style will be familiar to most Sydneysiders, even if they weren't able to put a name to it before. The art is well slotted into the minutae of South Sydney's laneways, so if you're not working off Art & About's iPhone-sized app you might want to print out a map to help you navigate its nooks and crannies. Where: South Sydney alleys. 10. Primavera Sheltering under the umbrella of Art & About's 'associated events', Primavera's calendar overlapping the festival's gives you the unique opportunity to explore Art & About, Primavera and the Rocks Pop-Up Project all in the one epic, foot-wearying afternoon. With the MCA in the throes of renovation, it's put its annual spring show out on the Rocks' stone streets. With this last station of the journey, for one strange month there really is art all over the streets on Sydney. Where: The Rocks (Images: Brown Council and Tom O'Hern).
Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema is coming back to Bondi this January for another summer of entertainment, bringing live music by day, cinema by night, and plenty of ice cream in between. The cinema is a mini music festival in its own right, with performances from some of Australia’s newest and best-loved bands, artists and local DJs. Past performers have included Cat Empire, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Amy Meredith, Bertie Blackman, and Kate Miller-Heidke. When the sun goes down, the gigantic 12x6m screen goes up. Cult classics, award-winners, new releases and premieres comprise the line-up, bringing something for everyone. Moviegoers can enjoy lawn chairs, beanbags, and blankets to stay cozy, and charge their mobiles at the Virgin Mobile charging stations. To beat the heat, Ben & Jerry’s will be scooping out free ice cream for every 'Sundae Session'. Local gourmet food vendors and a full bar will also be on site. So if you fancy music, movies and some Mint Chocolate Chunk, hit up Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema for some summer fun. Film screenings and DJ sets run from Tuesday to Sunday and live music performances on Saturdays and Sundays. See the Openair Cinema website for the latest programming updates.
Isabella Rossellini is coming to Australia, dressed as a praying mantis and talking about sex. Set to perform her critically acclaimed, one-woman comedy show Green Porno, Rossellini will tour Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and the Adelaide Festival, with her hilarious take on the fascinating sexual habits of land and marine animals. The playful stage show, based upon Rossellini's short film series and subsequent book of the same name kookily exploring mating in the natural world, will first premier in Los Angeles this November. The screen icon — who is currently studying animal behaviour at Hunter College in New York — says that she's always been interested in animal behaviour: "...and I certainly know a lot of people that are interested I sex. So here you have the three elements that make the core concept of Green Porn." Provocative, unusual and hilarious, the show first originated in 2008, when Robert Redford asked the Italian actress to create short, environmental films for his Sundance TV Channel. Rossellini then wrote the stage production, alongside Jean-Claude Carrier —well-known author, actor, opera librettist and director. Expect a mix of live performance along with some of Rossellini's short films. The actress dresses up in a variety of ridiculous insect and sea-creature costumes, while providing a storyline that is completely scientifically accurate. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BckqviVaWl0
A round of drinks is the best way to kick off your night. Even better? Not paying for it. That's why the team behind coffee liqueur Kahlúa is taking its espresso martini game to the next level — with an espresso martini cocktail van slinging a round of complimentary drinks for you and all your mates. The Espresso Martini Express will be popping up around Sydney at surprise locations throughout November. Behind the wheel will be Kahlúa brand ambassador Ben Parton, who'll be posting clues to his whereabouts throughout the night on Instagram. If you're the first to figure out where Ben (and his truckload of caffeinated cocktails) is, you'll win a free round of drinks for you and your whole crew. Once the truck finishes its rounds, you can still find Kahlúa espresso martinis on tap across the country — meaning no more standing around while the bartender painstakingly shakes. To find out where you can get a caffeinated martini (quickly), head here. In the meantime, get ready to decipher those clues, grab your mates and prepare for a night out on the town, with a free espresso martini in hand.
If the image of a sopping wet Mr Darcy striding through the flowers at Pemberley has never quite left your mind, add Regency Sunday to your calendar posthaste. The Historic Houses Trust is opening the doors of Elizabeth Farm for a day of partying like it's 1815 — complete with climactic pistol duel. Attending in costume is encouraged, and the fun on offer promises to be interactive and immersive enough to make you believe you really have time-travelled: throughout the house and grounds there will be lawn games, period music, dancing and food tastings. If playing make-believe is not your jam, there's also opportunity to learn about the daily life of Regency-era Sydneysiders through hands-on craft workshops, talks and performances. The 73rd Regiment of the Foot will present the dramatic climax, a re-enactment of the notorious real-life duel between John Macarthur (the "father of the wool industry", for whom the house was built in 1793) and his own commanding officer William Paterson. Regency Sunday is the first of a series of 'Vintage Sundays' at Sydney's heritage properties. Stay tuned throughout 2013 for events that will celebrate the daily life of the Gothic, Victorian and later periods.
The Chippo Film Festival was started in the summer of 2012 as a way of shaking up Sydney's filmmaking community and showcasing local films in a local setting. Now into its fourth year, the festival has almost outgrown the two backyards that host it, with organisers expecting over 700 people to turn out for the event and submissions received from all around the world. Referred to by its organisers as "urban cinema's premier backyard show", the festival literally takes place across a couple of backyards in a Chippendale laneway, with all the tech stuff and presentations for the night running from a treehouse (it's legit) that sits above the audience. That's one fancy treehouse. This is the movies, so it's glamorous enough to have a 'red carpet' you're encouraged to dress up for. But it's also in a backyard, so it's BYO. This year, the very loose theme of the festival is 'satisfaction', or "the same feeling Winona Ryder has at the end of Edward Scissorhands". Get your own slice of it by going along to support local filmmakers and checking out that treehouse.
Winter is coming, as Game of Thrones has been telling us for years — but the show's final season is coming first. Before the weather turns cold again in the southern hemisphere, fans of the epic HBO series will be able to discover how the popular series wraps up, with the eighth and final season hitting the small screen at 11am on Monday, April 15. That's next week, friends. Prepare the snacks. And with the final season, will come the death of many more cherished characters. As George RR Martin has shown us, over and over and over again, no one is safe from his murderous pen (or keyboard) — any character's death is fair game. The list of deaths in the first seven seasons is long — longer than even Arya Stark's list — and the fallen are being commemorated in an eery new Game of Thrones cemetery, which has popped up today in Centennial Park. Yes, right here in Sydney. Eight giant graves as well as numerous tombs have been created by Foxtel, ahead of next week's series premiere, in the sprawling inner city park, and each is inscribed with names of who lays inside. There are the fallen Starks: Eddard, Benjen and Rickon; the Baratheons (or should we say, Lannisters): King Tommen and Robert; and the Stark direwolves: Shaggy Dog, slain by Smalljon Umber in S06E09, and Summer, mauled by wights in S06E05. We'll never forget who else died in that latter episode — 'The Door' — either: Hodor. With the final season promising a huge final battle between the living and the White Walkers, we think this cemetery, which features hands and animals emerging from the graves, may also be ominously hinting to something else: we're going to see the return of many favourite fallen characters — as wights. In the offical trailer, dropped last month, you see Arya running through the halls of Winterfell — could she be running from something, newly reanimated, in the crypts? Then, there's this Crypts of Winterfell teaser. We'll let you continue speculating for yourselves, but expect one helluvan emotional Walking Dead-style murdering-of-fallen-friends battle to go down this season. Prepare many boxes of tissues. The cemetery is currently a bit of a work in progress, but we'll update you as soon as it's complete. It's not the first IRL teaser for the new season, either, a Iron Throne scavenger hunt took place earlier this month, with six sworded seats popping up around the globe. Images: Lauren Vadnjal.
If you've already made plans for Sunday, February 23, you might be about to change them. At 9am the second Sydney Skinny will be kicking off, as hundreds of people disrobe and dive into the calm waters of Mosman's Middle Head for a nude swim. For those of who you didn't hear about last year's event, basically it's a ticketed swim (and the largest nude ocean swim in the world) that raises money for the rejuvenation of Sydney Harbour National Park and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife's conservation work. Apparently in 2013 over 750 totally starkers Sydneysiders took part, and by all accounts it was a pretty liberating, joyous experience for all involved. All participants must be over 18 and capable of swimming at least ten laps of a 50-metre pool. If you're a bit of a novice, choose the 300m option, whilst the more confident can plump for the 900m swim. Lifeguards will be stationed out on the water, and only people with tickets to swim get access to the beach, so you don't have to worry about creepy clothed spectators watching you disrobe. There will even be a festival area with refreshments and a complimentary sarong to wrap up in post-plunge. So maybe you could organise to swim with a group of friends, or go solo. Whatever works. Just be prepared for the possibility of running into your old high school physics teacher or your ex-boyfriend's dad. Maybe wear a mask.
Whether whipping up butter chicken tacos or hashbrowns with curry sauce, culinary talent team ups have taken a shine to testing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation when serving up fusion cuisine — and this occasion is no different. Following the huge success of a recent collaboration between Ricos Tacos' Toby Wilson and Brendan King, owner of the new Anglo-Indian joint Derrel's and Lady Hampshire alum, the dynamic duo has decided to join forces again. Previously, the pop-up featured a limited-edition butter chicken taco that was available for one week only. This time, the pair is temporarily dishing out an exclusive menu from the newly launched Ricos Tacos cart at the Lady Hampshire's breezy courtyard. Head into the Camperdown pub from 5pm on Thursday, January 25, to try the selection of brand-new creations that blend the best of Ricos Tacos with some of the Lady Hampshire's staples. Curated by Wilson and King, the menu will star a flavour-filled jerk chicken accompanied by a mango habanero salsa, the pub's famed steak and chips in taco form topped with a pepper sauce and salsa verde, and a vegetarian-friendly taco packed with roasted squash, zucchini and salsa verde with a tahini sauce. As for sides, expect hashbrowns paired with a hearty curry sauce, plus churros with salted (and Guinness-spiked) butterscotch for a sweet treat — all of which will be on offer until sold out. And if you're not fully convinced, the majority of the limited-time menu is priced under $10, so you can score a tasty and affordable meal. But you'll have to get in quick as this pop-up is slinging its creations for one day only.
If you're over the typical lunch feasts of the festive season, it's time to break it up. To help expedite the excitement of the season for you, we've gathered a list of Solotel venues across Sydney that can make for some unconventional new traditions.
Wearing a slick suit is all well and good but, if you really want to look the part, it's a futile exercise if you don't pair it with a quality pair of shoes. When you're ready to invest in quality footwear, Strand Arcade store Double Monk is where to go. And when we say invest, we mean it — the range starts at roughly the $500 mark with some pairs going for over $2k. The range is vast — expect well-crafted boots, brogues, loafers and slippers from the likes of Alden, Crockett & Jones, John Lobb and Edward Green. You'll also find gloves, hats, belts, silk neckties and briefcases.
With restaurant doors closed to dine-ins and weekend getaways on hold, lots of Victorian producers are living life on the back foot right now. But of course, there's always room in your life for some locally made or -grown goodies, pandemic or otherwise. And now, you can find countless ways to support our homegrown heroes from the comfort of your couch, with the Victorian Government's new Click for Vic campaign. This new website's all about celebrating Victorian businesses and encouraging users to continue shopping local via a curation of online stores. Scroll through to find a handy edit of local booze brands, coffee merchants, fashion retailers, makers and creatives, food producers and more. You can hone in on giftwares to find that special pressie, take a virtual shopping tour of your favourite weekend destination, or browse a selection of eateries offering takeaway and pick-up fare. [caption id="attachment_775941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maha on Providoor[/caption] Click for Vic's also partnered up with a handful of other specialised sites to help keep Melburnians connected to their local producers, all of which can be accessed here as well. The Regional Pantry's online store is stocked with a range of goodies from all Yarra Valley producers, while High Country At Home showcases products from across the High Country region, along with expert-led virtual experiences like gin appreciation sessions and cooking classes. Co-Lab Pantry is slinging ready-made meals and pantry staples from a lineup of much-loved Melbourne venues, and over at Providoor, you can order chef-prepared dishes from favourites like Supernormal and Bomba, designed to finish and devour at home. Plus, you'll find a sprawling selection of homewares, gifts, fresh produce, booze and more, to browse and buy online from the Victorian Country Market website. Set up like a virtual marketplace, this one's easy to shop by category or region, with a broad lineup of offerings promising hours of retail therapy. Shop a huge range of local wares by heading to the Click for Vic website. Top images: Co-Lab Pantry
Along the coast, just before Newcastle, lies the whale watcher's haven that is Caves Beach. The coastal bushland trek is an easy trail that ends in the clifftops above the beach, just south of Pinny Beach. If you're there for the whales, the track is best for watching the northern migration from May till July. Located in Wallarah National Park, the trail is five kilometres return and takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. The southern end of the beach is also home to a group of sea caves that are accessible at low tide and should not be missed. Images: Destination NSW
Want to spend a Sunday soaking in rays with live music, theatre performances, and a top-notch food and drink lineup — all for a good cause? You're most certainly in luck. Sydney hospo favourite Odd Culture Group (Odd Culture, The Duke of Enmore) is throwing a free street party to raise money for its historic Woolloomooloo theatre next month. Located within one of our favourite pubs in Sydney, The Old Fitz Theatre has been a vital space within Sydney's arts scene for over two decades now. To celebrate all the exciting things the theatre has in store and to ensure the space continues to thrive for another 20+ years, Odd Culture Group is hosting a day of art, eats and bevs out the front of The Old Fitz on Sunday, February 11. A Streetparty Named Fitz will take over Dowling Street from midday until 7pm on February 11. On the day, you can expect a pair of performances from the theatre for a preview of its upcoming season, plus a live set from red Wiggle Murray Cook's band The Soul Movers, DJ Aunty Jonny on the decks, and roaming performers popping up throughout the crowd. In charge of the food for the day will be Odd Culture Group Executive Chef James MacDonald who has created a summer barbecue menu inspired by New Orleans cuisine (the setting of A Streetcar Named Desire). There will be jambalaya, smoked meats and veggies, smoked cheeseburgers and loaded fries. Once you've indulged in your savoury eats, head to the Mapo Bus and pick up a gelato — talk about summer perfection. [caption id="attachment_716745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mapo Gelato, Kitti Gould[/caption] Odd Culture has called on some high-profile friends to assist with the day's drinks. A pop-up bar will feature slushies and spritzes created by Matt Whiley (Re), Evan Stroeve (The Waratah) and Eduardo Conde (El Primo Sanchez), as well as margarita seltzers and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin and tonics. "It means so much to us to work alongside Odd Culture to ensure that the Fitz remains a local favourite and a home for experience-seekers all over Sydney to return to," says The Old Fitz Theatre's Emma Wright. "As a small, independent theatre space, support from the community and opportunities to reach beyond our 55-seat space make a world of difference and help us continue to champion independent artists and stories within this iconic space." [caption id="attachment_937223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Fitz Theatre, Sydney Fringe Festival[/caption] A Streetparty Named Fitz will hit 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo, from 12–7pm on Sunday, February 11. To find out more and register your interest, head to the Odd Culture Group website.
Last week's Australian Interior Design Awards had us fawning over the most majestic new spaces and mentally redecorating our own little corner of the world. But they also seemed to capture something else — a more confident, unique sense of Australian style, all earth and light, outdoorsy and unfussy. The nature of the Australian aesthetic is fodder for an exciting mini-conference at this year's Vivid Ideas. In Australian Interiors, prominent voices in Australian design such as Sibella Court, Russel Koskela, Alice Blackwood and Rachel Castle will speak on their own practice, current style and future trends. Ahead of that, they talk to us about that big question, Australianness, and how it finds expression in design. Sibella Court Sibella Court is an interior stylist, product designer, historian, globetrotter and creative director who's designed some of our favourite Sydney spaces, such as Mr Wong, Palmer ? Co and The Fish Shop (pictured above). Do you think there is such a thing as a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Contemporary Australian design doesn't follow a trend; it is eclectic and a great mix of history and creation. Geographically, we are a shipping nightmare! Our lack of product access makes Australians more creative, resourceful and awesome. There’s an embracing of collaboration and a celebration of new and upcoming designers and artisans. Australian style is laidback, and our outdoors and surrounds are already so beautiful, we are a product of our landscape. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? What new trends do you see emerging? Australians have their finger on the (global and local) pulse when it comes to design. Perhaps due to our distance from the rest of the world we have a slight dose of FOMO! The lifestyle of Australia influences our design: a casualness and comfort to our style, as well as creatively experimenting with all sorts of different trends, without ever actually following a trend. Social media is a huge influencer of this, especially Instagram. It is a virtual portfolio, and everyone is watching. It’s a fantastic means of discovery of artists, designers and makers, and it lends itself to being the base of exciting collaborations. Russel Koskela Russel Koskela founded Koskela with his partner Sasha Titchkosky in 2000. They've become a fixture for minimal, sustainable, unique furnishings and Russel last year won both an Idea Award and Eat Drink Design Award for his designs. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Yes I do, although I don’t think it’s completely definable. I think there is a relaxed casualness and playfulness to Australian interiors that reflects our climate and attitude. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? It’s very difficult to pick any trends as it’s almost like ‘anything goes’ at the moment. We really noticed this when we were in Milan earlier this year — there was something there for everyone. Even with colours it was almost impossible to pick trends. Alice Blackwood Alice Blackwood is Melbourne editor at Indesign Media, having last year completed a five-year stint as Editor of DQ (Design Quarterly) magazine. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Absolutely there is. The way we live and the built environments in which we live directly reference Australia's unique natural environment, our climate, lighting, lifestyle, cultural habits and more. Our love for the outdoors, for example, is hugely influential on our approach to interior design, that creation of a seamless transition between indoors and out being a common element among most contemporary Australian spaces. If I had to apply a general descriptor to the Australian aesthetic, I would say, natural, honest materials; open spaces that allow for lots of natural light; clean, uninterrupted lines (moving away from poky, old Victorian spaces), and open-plan spaces that integrate kitchen and living into one. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? I tend to question, are we capitalising on our local vernacular properly? I've seen a real push-pull among furniture and interior designers — some are keen to 'own' the Australian vernacular, while some feel pigeonholed by it (we are, after all, constantly fighting our 'tyranny of distance') ... In terms of emerging trends, having just come back from the Milan Furniture Fair, I saw a profusion of mixed material use, as well as natural material use, which I think resonates very strongly with our Australian aesthetic. Marble was hugely popular, the cold, beautiful, elemental 'feel' of it resonating strongly with Aussie designers already. Do you have a personal favourite bar or restaurant interior that nails ‘contemporary Australian'? At Indesign Media, we're loving Mocan and Green Grout in Canberra, which we covered recently on Habitusliving.com. It’s located on Capital Hill, and does coffee and bicycles, (how cool!). The interior fit-out features lots of beautiful timber joinery, it receives lots of natural light during the day. The fact that it also specialises in bicycles resonates strongly, I think, with our love for health and wellbeing, and being active outdoors! As well, there’s no denying the growing popularity for cycling and bike culture in Australia. Rachel Castle Rachel Castle of CASTLE designs and manufactures her own bedlinen and homeware range that is full of colour, life and non-boringness. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? I think these days its really hard to pinpoint a definitive Australian aesthetic. Its like asking us to define our Australian fashion; it's so varied. I think the explosion of interiors blogs and online imagery banks such as Pinterest have allowed anyone and everyone to evolve their own unique aesthetic. I think in general though, we all try to keep it quite relaxed and uncontrived. I think people now are as interested in what they put in their homes as what they put on their bodies, so its wonderful to see such an engaged audience. It's no longer necessary to pick and look and stick to it. You can read the mags, the books, go online, and start to really hone your own aesthetic and source it online, from anywhere in the world. If I had to define a style I would say its a very personal mix of natural materials and products, lots of handmade product, with pops of colour and tons of white for backdrop, and am loving seeing a resurgence for indoor plants! My personal favourite. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? I think we're going to see everything start to pare back a bit. There has been a trend for pattern and pattern and more pattern, which I personally love, but I think it can become a little overwhelming, so am seeing a lot more recently, in the mags especially, a simplistic, cleaner look. Metallics and blush are everywhere, which hello we love, and a softer colour palette with the neutrals and greys and pastels starting to emerge. Do you have a personal favourite bar or restaurant interior that nails ‘contemporary Australian'? I would have to say Kitchen By Mike [designed by and sharing space with Koskela]. Utilitarian, communal, friendly, warm and earthly. Yummy food too. Sibella Court, Russel Koskela, Alice Blackwood and Rachel Castle are all speaking as part of Vivid Ideas' Australian Interiors: Objects, Furnitures, Textiles from 10am - 2pm on Saturday, May 24, at the Vivid Ideas Exchange on Level 6 of the MCA. It's one of our picks of the top ten events to see at Vivid Ideas — check out the rest here.
Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It's just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Bicentennial Park in Glebe for its seventh year running on Saturday, January 18. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, offensively good wine and croquet all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet — and ones you might've, too. If you haven't heard of Corine and her brand of French disco-electronica, consider this your introduction. And, while you've likely heard of French pop royalty Lou Doillon, given that she's been on the bill before, this time she'll be playing tracks from her latest album. Don't miss Nouvelle Vauge either, with the group bringing their chilled-out covers of new wave hits to town for their third So Frenchy appearance. Also on the lineup is up Senegal-born French folkster Tété, as well as a blend of beats, tango, bossa nova and jazz from Gotan Project co-founder Philippe Cohen Solal, who'll do a DJ set. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic boxes and cheese plates. Filled with brioche buns, gruyere tarts, crusty baguettes, quiche lorraines, parfait, cheeses and more, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don't want to miss out. But So Frenchy won't let you go hungry; there'll be a huge banquet of seafood, charcuterie, pastries and more available on the day. And of course, there'll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, and rosé, red and whites wines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $84 a pop. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family friendly, and children under 12 can get in for free. Images: Liz Sunshine.
Since April 2017, Manly Spirits Co. has been bringing handcrafted Australian spirits to the northern beaches and beyond. It's the brainchild of couple David and Vanessa, who spent 18 months visiting distilleries across the US, the UK and Europe before setting up their own digs in Manly. To sample their creations, swing by the distillery's tasting bar. Lined with light timber, splashed with copper and dotted with turquoise-topped bar stools, this cosy spot hits just the right balance of coastal breeziness and pared-back industrial style. Those unfamiliar with Manly Spirits should start with a tasting. There's a choice of four, including the Distillery Tasting Flight, which lets you sample three drops, and the G&T Flight, which includes premium tonic water, an ice bucket and garnishes, so you can mix and match to suit your tastes. The Manly Spirits range takes much of its inspiration from Australian natives, especially those available along Sydney's coastline. The Marine Botanical Vodka, for example, features kelp and sea parsley foraged from local beaches, while the Coastal Citrus Gin is infused with lemon aspen, lemon myrtle, meyer lemon, sea parsley and coriander. There are whiskies and liqueurs, too. Should you get peckish, the snacks menu offers cheese, sardines, jamon andr olives. Alternatively, you're welcome to order a pizza from nearby Mimmo or Sale Pepe. Images: Alana Dimou.
