This Week in the Can
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In Canberra, we’re still working together to keep our community safe. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do.
From live music and theatre to exhibitions and festivals, here’s what’s happening this week in Canberra.
While restrictions are lifting, we strongly encourage you to keep physical distance between each other when you leave the house and be mindful of the current restrictions.
STAY UP TO DATE
Restrictions may have eased, but your responsibility hasn’t.
Find the most recent information regarding COVID restrictions in the ACT here: covid19.act.gov.au/updates
WHAT NOT TO MISS
Credit: Robert Tacheci.
Four Winds Festival 2021
Culture buffs, are you missing festivals? We have the perfect COVID-safe option.
Picture an amphitheatre of green—an open-air concert venue sculpted from nature herself, surrounded by spotted gums and the pristine beauty of the South Coast. Before you, some of Australia’s most revered musicians take to the stage as you relax with a local gin in hand.
No, this isn’t a fever dream stemming from lack of exposure to live music—this is what you can expect at Bermagui’s Four Winds Festival this Easter.
Taking place across three days from 2-4 April, Four Winds Festival offers a coastal escape like no other, with live music, dance and theatre performances in Four Winds’ unique ‘Sound Shell’ natural amphitheatre with local food and wine in an inclusive family-friendly atmosphere.
Now in its 21st year, Four Winds Festival has something for everyone. Read more here.
Happening 2-4 April (Easter Weekend) at Four Winds Road, Barragga Bay (near Bermagui), NSW (a 3.5-hour drive from Canberra).
See fourwinds.com.au for tickets and more information.
Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan
Infectious riffs and soulful stories will fill the venues of Queanbeyan this Easter weekend as the National Folk Festival presents Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan.
This is a vibrant two-day concert series presented throughout historic Queanbeyan venues. A dedicated session venue will be located on the shady lawns of the Campbell and George—for those who play and those who enjoy folk music to come together once again.
The impressive and diverse list of local and national artists includes 2021 Golden Guitar Awards “Female Artist of the Year” Fanny Lumsden, Central Coast trio Little Quirks, one of Australia’s most enduring musical ensembles, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, and Queanbeyan’s very own esteemed author, poet, and rapper, Omar Musa.
The list of wonderful performers goes on, with The Voice finalists Timothy James Bowen and Lucy Sugerman, the powerful female trio, The New Graces, Canberra local Kim Yang, blue-grass and roots rockers, 19-Twenty, the stunning four pieces string quartet, FourPlay String Quartet and more.
Get ready for 22 concerts over two jam-packed days in classic Queanbeyan venues including The Q, a newly upgraded Bicentennial Hall, the historic Royal Hotel and the exciting new session venue at Campbell & George.
To find out more or to buy your ticket, visit: folkfestival.org.au/good-folk
Happening Saturday 3 April from 10.30 am – 10.45 pm and Sunday 4 April, 11 am – 10.45 pm at Queanbeyan The Royal Hotel, The Q Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall and Campbell and George.
See folkfestival.org.au/good-folk for more information.
Young Chefs Dinner presented by Citi—Vegetarian Edition
Promoting and nurturing young talent is a Good Food Month legacy and we proudly shine a light on the crème de la crème of Canberra’s bright young things.
This year the brief is to go green, so what better way than a plant-based take-over of the newly vegetarian kitchen of Monster Kitchen & Bar under the guidance of acclaimed Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Paul Wilson.
$150 per person. Tickets include three courses with premium wine and beer.
Happening Monday 29 March from 6.30 pm at Monster Kitchen & Bar at Ovolo Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, NewActon.
Buy tickets here.
Australian Love Stories
Family, friends, fanatics and foes (and everything in between!).
Reconnect and reflect with a new major exhibition, Australian Love Stories (in real life!) and explore love, affection and connection in all its guises. From the enduring to the forbidden, romantic to platonic, the unrequited, obsessive, scandalous or creative. Swoon over more than 200 artworks from across photography, painting, works on paper, small sculpture and an immersive glass installation.
Showing until 1 August 2021 at the National Portrait Gallery.
See portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/australian-love-stories-2020 for more information.
The 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival
Returning to Palace Cinemas for its fabulous 32nd incarnation, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will beguile and engage audiences nationally from 4-31 March.
The festival will take place at NewActon’s Palace Electric, which will be adhering to stringent COVID protocols to guarantee festival patrons a safe cinema experience.
Awash with high-octane drama, seductive romance, nail-biting suspense, historical tales that will enthral and comedies guaranteed to elevate your spirits, the 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival will showcase multiple Première screenings and special events, including the HerCanberra Ladies Night!
Want to know our picks? Read all about it here.
Happening 4–31 March at Palace Electric, Philip Lim Street, NewActon.
See affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/canberra for more information.
Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery
Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London draws exclusively from one of the greatest collections of European paintings in the world.
This unprecedented exhibition includes 500 years of art in 60 paintings and comprises the largest group of works ever to travel outside of Britain in the National Gallery’s 192-year history.
Botticelli to Van Gogh features 55 of the world’s most famous and admired artists from the fifteenth to the turn of the twentieth century, including Botticelli, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Turner, Constable, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
Exclusive to the National Gallery of Australia—only in Canberra
Showing until 14 June at the National Gallery of Australia.
See nga.gov.au/masterpieces for more information.
Make Your Own at Canberra Glassworks
Create your own artwork with one-on-one guidance from a highly skilled Teaching Artist at the Canberra Glassworks.
Make your own paperweight, bird, tumbler or vase in a short one-on-one session from 20 to 40 minutes long.
Saturday or Sunday sessions available at Canberra Glassworks. Book online at canberraglassworks.com/create/myo
Magic of Marion: 150 Years of Marion Mahony Griffin
Happy Birthday Marion Mahony Griffin
Join the National Capital Authority and other National Cultural Partners as they celebrate a year of Marion Mahony Griffin in the national capital. This year marks Marion’s 150th Birthday, a woman that played such in integral part in architectural designs across two continents.
Marion is known to have produced some of the finest architectural drawings in Australia and America but was also instrumental in the award-winning design plans with her husband Walter for the design of Australia’s Capital, Canberra.
From walks to lectures, launches to talks, see the full program at nca.gov.au/marion.
Various events happening until 10 August 2021.
See nca.gov.au/marion for more information.
FOOD & DRINK
Monster. Credit Zachary Griffith.
Young Chefs Dinner presented by Citi—Vegetarian Edition
Promoting and nurturing young talent is a Good Food Month legacy and we proudly shine a light on the crème de la crème of Canberra’s bright young things.
This year the brief is to go green, so what better way than a plant-based take-over of the newly vegetarian kitchen of Monster Kitchen & Bar under the guidance of acclaimed Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Paul Wilson.
$150 per person. Tickets include three courses with premium wine and beer.
Happening Monday 29 March from 6.30 pm at Monster Kitchen & Bar at Ovolo Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, NewActon.
Buy tickets here.
Haig Park Village Markets
The Haig Park Village Markets are about creating a vibrant farmers market filled with fresh, nutritious, quality produce and products at reasonable prices, with the added bonus of supporting and promoting our regional farmers and businesses.
Rosie and Alex are born and raised Canberrans who love all things markets. Their markets will be an evolving collaboration of many farmers, bakers, artisans and talented people, seeking to share their crafted specialties. They want to support local creative talent and nurture local businesses.
Working together with regional growers and local business they can create a lively and community-driven market that seeks to become a destination for locals and visitors alike.
Happening Sundays from 8 am at Haig Park, Braddon.
See Facebook for more information.
STAGE AND SCREEN
Djaadjawaan Dancers. Credit: Raine Brown Photography.
Four Winds Festival 2021
Culture buffs, are you missing festivals? We have the perfect COVID-safe option.
Picture an amphitheatre of green—an open-air concert venue sculpted from nature herself, surrounded by spotted gums and the pristine beauty of the South Coast. Before you, some of Australia’s most revered musicians take to the stage as you relax with a local gin in hand.
No, this isn’t a fever dream stemming from lack of exposure to live music—this is what you can expect at Bermagui’s Four Winds Festival this Easter.
Taking place across three days from 2-4 April, Four Winds Festival offers a coastal escape like no other, with live music, dance and theatre performances in Four Winds’ unique ‘Sound Shell’ natural amphitheatre with local food and wine in an inclusive family-friendly atmosphere.
Now in its 21st year, Four Winds Festival has something for everyone. Read more here.
Happening 2-4 April (Easter Weekend) at Four Winds Road, Barragga Bay (near Bermagui), NSW (a 3.5-hour drive from Canberra).
See fourwinds.com.au for tickets and more information.
The 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival
Returning to Palace Cinemas for its fabulous 32nd incarnation, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will beguile and engage audiences nationally from 4-31 March.
The festival will take place at NewActon’s Palace Electric, which will be adhering to stringent COVID protocols to guarantee festival patrons a safe cinema experience.
Awash with high-octane drama, seductive romance, nail-biting suspense, historical tales that will enthral and comedies guaranteed to elevate your spirits, the 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival will showcase multiple Première screenings and special events, including the HerCanberra Ladies Night!
Want to know our picks? Read all about it here.
Happening 4–31 March at Palace Electric, Philip Lim Street, NewActon.
See affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/canberra for more information.
A Taste of Ireland―The Irish Music & Dance Sensation
‘A Taste of Ireland―The Irish Music & Dance Sensation’ will make you laugh, cry and jig into the night with a show that has entertained thousands.
Starring dancers from the West End’s Lord of the Dance, Riverdance & Gaelforce Dance, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ delivers all-new sets, costumes, tunes and effects, hot off its premiere New York City run.
With revamped classics like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’, the show’s live, energetic blend of jaw-dropping acapella tap battles, world-class dancing, melodic folk music mash-ups and craic galore transports you through the story of Ireland’s tumultuous history.
Set to tour the USA, Canada and the UK, don’t miss your chance to see ‘A Taste of Ireland’ in 2021. It’s truly ‘Celtic―for this decade’.
Happening Saturday 3 April at Canberra Theatre Centre.
See atasteofirelandshow.com for more information.
MUSIC
Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan
Infectious riffs and soulful stories will fill the venues of Queanbeyan this Easter weekend as the National Folk Festival presents Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan.
This is a vibrant two-day concert series presented throughout historic Queanbeyan venues. A dedicated session venue will be located on the shady lawns of the Campbell and George—for those who play and those who enjoy folk music to come together once again.
The impressive and diverse list of local and national artists includes 2021 Golden Guitar Awards “Female Artist of the Year” Fanny Lumsden, Central Coast trio Little Quirks, one of Australia’s most enduring musical ensembles, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, and Queanbeyan’s very own esteemed author, poet, and rapper, Omar Musa.
The list of wonderful performers goes on, with The Voice finalists Timothy James Bowen and Lucy Sugerman, the powerful female trio, The New Graces, Canberra local Kim Yang, blue-grass and roots rockers, 19-Twenty, the stunning four pieces string quartet, FourPlay String Quartet and more.
Get ready for 22 concerts over two jam-packed days in classic Queanbeyan venues including The Q, a newly upgraded Bicentennial Hall, the historic Royal Hotel and the exciting new session venue at Campbell & George.
To find out more or to buy your ticket, visit: folkfestival.org.au/good-folk
Happening Saturday 3 April from 10.30 am – 10.45 pm and Sunday 4 April, 11 am – 10.45 pm at Queanbeyan The Royal Hotel, The Q Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall and Campbell and George.
See folkfestival.org.au/good-folk for more information.
Llewellyn One: Seven Deadly Sins
The Canberra Symphony Orchestra makes a sizzling return to the Llewellyn Hall mainstage this week for Llewellyn One: Seven Deadly Sins.
Conducted by Jessica Cottis, the orchestra is joined by soprano and local legend Lorina Gore and a vocal quartet: Dan Walker, Samuel Sakker, Charles Bogle and Adrian Tamburini.
The dynamic program features Stravinsky’s satirical Circus Polka and Australian composer Holly Harrison’s genre-defying Fizzin’ Fury. The title work, Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins, is a scathing critique of capitalist ambition. This concert is not for the faint of heart – and not to be missed!
Happening 7.30pm Wednesday 31 March and Thursday 1 April at Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music (free, pre-concert talk at 6.30pm). The CSO is partnering with Aspen Medical to deliver COVID-safe concert experiences.
Book online or call CSO Direct on 02 6262 6772 (weekdays 10 am – 3 pm).
FESTIVALS
The 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival
Returning to Palace Cinemas for its fabulous 32nd incarnation, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will beguile and engage audiences nationally from 4-31 March.
The festival will take place at NewActon’s Palace Electric, which will be adhering to stringent COVID protocols to guarantee festival patrons a safe cinema experience.
Awash with high-octane drama, seductive romance, nail-biting suspense, historical tales that will enthral and comedies guaranteed to elevate your spirits, the 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival will showcase multiple Première screenings and special events, including the HerCanberra Ladies Night!
Want to know our picks? Read all about it here.
Happening 4–31 March at Palace Electric, Philip Lim Street, NewActon.
See affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/canberra for more information.
Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan
Infectious riffs and soulful stories will fill the venues of Queanbeyan this Easter weekend as the National Folk Festival presents Good Folk – A Folk Experience in Queanbeyan.
This is a vibrant two-day concert series presented throughout historic Queanbeyan venues. A dedicated session venue will be located on the shady lawns of the Campbell and George—for those who play and those who enjoy folk music to come together once again.
The impressive and diverse list of local and national artists includes 2021 Golden Guitar Awards “Female Artist of the Year” Fanny Lumsden, Central Coast trio Little Quirks, one of Australia’s most enduring musical ensembles, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, and Queanbeyan’s very own esteemed author, poet, and rapper, Omar Musa.
The list of wonderful performers goes on, with The Voice finalists Timothy James Bowen and Lucy Sugerman, the powerful female trio, The New Graces, Canberra local Kim Yang, blue-grass and roots rockers, 19-Twenty, the stunning four pieces string quartet, FourPlay String Quartet and more.
Get ready for 22 concerts over two jam-packed days in classic Queanbeyan venues including The Q, a newly upgraded Bicentennial Hall, the historic Royal Hotel and the exciting new session venue at Campbell & George.
To find out more or to buy your ticket, visit: folkfestival.org.au/good-folk
Happening Saturday 3 April from 10.30 am – 10.45 pm and Sunday 4 April, 11 am – 10.45 pm at Queanbeyan The Royal Hotel, The Q Performing Arts Centre, Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall and Campbell and George.
See folkfestival.org.au/good-folk for more information.
WORKSHOPS, TALKS + TOURS
Make Your Own at Canberra Glassworks
Create your own artwork with one-on-one guidance from a highly skilled Teaching Artist at the Canberra Glassworks.
Make your own paperweight, bird, tumbler or vase in a short one-on-one session from 20 to 40 minutes long.
Saturday or Sunday sessions available at Canberra Glassworks. Book online at canberraglassworks.com/create/myo
Magic of Marion: 150 Years of Marion Mahony Griffin
Happy Birthday Marion Mahony Griffin
Join the National Capital Authority and other National Cultural Partners as they celebrate a year of Marion Mahony Griffin in the national capital. This year marks Marion’s 150th Birthday, a woman that played such in integral part in architectural designs across two continents.
Marion is known to have produced some of the finest architectural drawings in Australia and America but was also instrumental in the award-winning design plans with her husband Walter for the design of Australia’s Capital, Canberra.
From walks to lectures, launches to talks, see the full program at nca.gov.au/marion.
Various events happening until 10 August 2021.
See nca.gov.au/marion for more information.
The 5.30 Club Canberra
Inspired by The 5:30 am Club in Sydney, Emily Davidson has started her own for us here in Canberra.
Join her for your Power Hour on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 am-7 am at Eighty/Twenty Food in Braddon Canberra
Everyone is welcome and there is no cost involved. If you want to start your morning off on the right foot, come and join The 5.30 am Club Canberra! Bring along a book, your laptop or pen and paper—anything to work on for your Power Hour!
What could you do with an hour to yourself in your day? Start writing a book, smash your email inbox, journal, brainstorm ideas for your next project or plan your day…the sky is the limit!
All while soaking up the sunrise over a morning brew, and all before peak hour!
The Club’s motto is ‘Win the morning, win the day!’ Emily says her day is better when it starts with The 5:30 am Club. “After we meet in the morning I’m on a high—feeling fresh, inspired and ready to start the day!”
Join The 5.30 am Club! Look for the blonde-haired girl with the llama on her table.
See sites.google.com/view/the530club for more information.
MARKETS
Via facebook.com/haigparkvillagemarkets
Haig Park Village Markets
The Haig Park Village Markets are about creating a vibrant farmers market filled with fresh, nutritious, quality produce and products at reasonable prices, with the added bonus of supporting and promoting our regional farmers and businesses.
Rosie and Alex are born and raised Canberrans who love all things markets. Their markets will be an evolving collaboration of many farmers, bakers, artisans and talented people, seeking to share their crafted specialties. They want to support local creative talent and nurture local businesses.
Working together with regional growers and local business they can create a lively and community-driven market that seeks to become a destination for locals and visitors alike.
Happening Sundays from 8 am at Haig Park, Braddon.
See Facebook for more information.
Capital Region Farmers Market
Sample the region’s freshest produce at the Capital region farmers market
The Market is a community project run by the Rotary Club of Hall, the only rural Rotary Club in the ACT.
Find your way to the Market with our directions to EPIC. We have over 100 stallholders each week who bring their freshly picked, grown and handcrafted produce to the Market.
Speak to a stallholder and ask them where their produce comes from—you’ll be surprised what you’ll learn and pick up cooking, storage and usage tips. Find your favourite stallholder in the directory.
Happening every Saturday from 7 am– 11.30 am at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
See capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au for more information.
OUTDOORS
Credit: National Capital Authority.
Magic of Marion: 150 Years of Marion Mahony Griffin
Happy Birthday Marion Mahony Griffin
Join the National Capital Authority and other National Cultural Partners as they celebrate a year of Marion Mahony Griffin in the national capital. This year marks Marion’s 150th Birthday, a woman that played such in integral part in architectural designs across two continents.
Marion is known to have produced some of the finest architectural drawings in Australia and America but was also instrumental in the award-winning design plans with her husband Walter for the design of Australia’s Capital, Canberra.
From walks to lectures, launches to talks, see the full program at nca.gov.au/marion.
Various events happening until 10 August 2021.
See nca.gov.au/marion for more information.
EXHIBITIONS
Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery
Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London draws exclusively from one of the greatest collections of European paintings in the world.
This unprecedented exhibition includes 500 years of art in 60 paintings and comprises the largest group of works ever to travel outside of Britain in the National Gallery’s 192-year history.
Botticelli to Van Gogh features 55 of the world’s most famous and admired artists from the fifteenth to the turn of the twentieth century, including Botticelli, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Turner, Constable, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
Exclusive to the National Gallery of Australia—only in Canberra
Showing until 14 June at the National Gallery of Australia.
See nga.gov.au/masterpieces for more information.
Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion
This stunning exhibition shines a light on Australia’s leading First Nations creatives and a design movement that is fast becoming a national fashion phenomenon.
Featuring the work of Indigenous artists and designers from the inner city to remote desert art centres, Piinpi highlights the strength and diversity of the rapidly epanding Indigenous fashion and textile industry.
Exhibition organised by Bendigo Art Gallery.
Showing until 8 August 2021 at the National Museum of Australia.
See nma.gov.au/exhibitions/piinpi-contemporary-indigenous-fashion for more information.
Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now
Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now showcases art made by women. It brings together more than 300 works, drawn from the Gallery’s collection and other collections from across Australia.
This exhibition is part of a series of ongoing initiative by the National Gallery to increase the representation of artists who identify as women in its artistic program, featuring lesser-known and leading artists such as Margaret Preston, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Destiny Deacon and Julie Rrap, this exhibition tells a new story of Australian art.
Highlights include a floor-to-ceiling presentation of artists’ portraits in a variety of mediums, the work of pioneering performance artists Bonita Ely and Jill Orr and a complete edition of Tracey Moffatt’s first major series of photographs, Something more 1989. Gemma Smith has been commissioned to paint the walls of the galleries.
By bringing together artists from different times, places and cultures, this exhibition proposes another history, upending the assumption that modern and contemporary Australian art is a male-dominated narrative.
Showing until 4 July 2021 at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes.
See nga.gov.au for more information.
Harriet Schwarzrock: Spaces between movement and stillness
‘The heart is often regarded as our emotional centre. Working with this form allows me to contemplate many aspects of being.’
Luminous alone, the myriad tones and permutations of spaces between movement and stillness also echo the boundless forms of love in the autumn-winter exhibition, Australian Love Stories, at the National Portrait Gallery.
Harriet Schwarzrock’s new work explores notions of emotional processes and their physical manifestations. ‘From the subtle yet essential electricity within our bodies, I am fascinated by this interplay between the invisible and the visible, between our extraordinary similarities and differences.’
In spaces between movement and stillness, the artist has embraced science and experimentation to create visual wonders: glass, inert gases, and electricity combine into an array of organic forms, producing a captivating field of colour and movement. ‘Sometimes they have a warm glow, much like an aurora contained in a bottle; in others there are lightning-like lines meandering around the form. Although the gases are invisible, when excited by electricity they reveal subtle effects and differences.’
The creation draws reflections on the role of the human heart as our central, exquisitely responsive ‘engine’. When we’re relaxed, the heart beats at a slow and steady rhythm; when excitement takes hold – for example, in the first throes of true love – the cadence might crank with the beat of a wilful, wild machine.
Showing until 1 August 2021 at the National Portrait Gallery.
See portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/harriet-schwarzrock-2021 for more information.
Seeing Canberra
As a city initiated as an imagined capital for the new Australian nation, Canberra has been a place that quickly invited visual representation.
As it developed, artists have seen Canberra through different lenses, and these have shaped the way they understood and interpreted the evolving landscape.
In this exhibition, drawn primarily from CMAG’s collection, visitors will journey through four key periods of the city’s development and for each, will encounter an object that represents a prism to understand a way of seeing at that time.
Showing until 17 July 2021 at Canberra Museum and Gallery.
See origin.cmag.com.au/exhibitions/seeing-canberra for more information.
