The Weekend Edit

Posted on 11 January, 2019

Your essential guide to what’s on in Canberra this weekend!

Every Monday for more than seven years, we’ve published This Week in The Can, our comprehensive guide to everything happening around the city this week – but sometimes it’s just too epic to get through!

That’s why each Friday we publish our Weekend Edit…Here are the things you shouldn’t miss!

EAST HOTEL CANBERRA CHALLENGER

Part of the Australian Pro Tour, the East Hotel Canberra Challenger, an ATP Challenger 80 event will be held in Canberra this January.

Numerous players from the world’s top 100 will feature in the event, now a renowned lead in to the Australian Open as they compete for significant prize money and valuable world ranking points. A host of Australian’s next rising stars will also compete as they look to make their mark on the Pro Tour.

A free twilight session will be held on Friday 11 January from 4pm-9pm with food trucks, beverage outlets, and entertainment during the men’s doubles semifinals.

Entry is free, and by gold coin donation to local grassroots tennis programs on finals day or reserve your seat one the Tennis ACT website.

Happening 6-12 January at Canberra Tennis Centre, 3 Riggall Place, Lyneham.

See the website for more information.

The Antarctica Experience: A Virtual Reality Adventure

Love and Desire Pre-Raphaelite Masterpiece from the Tate

Love and Desire NGA John Everett Millais Ophelia 1851-2 oil paint on canvas Tate collection presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894 © Tate.

Discover a stunning world of Love & Desire as the Tate’s pre-Raphaelite masterpieces come to Australia for this Summer’s most romantic exhibition.

Fall in love with John Everett Millais’ Ophelia and John William Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott, as the Tate’s most visited works of art leave the gallery together for the first time.

Experience the breathtaking beauty of brilliant colour, meticulous detail and exquisite layering in paintings inspired by the great love stories of history and literature.

Happening until 28 April 2019 at The National Gallery of Australia, Parkes from 10 am.

For more information visit National Gallery of Australia.

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

Ickle Pickle Productions presents Once Upon a Mattress at the Belconnen Theatre in the January school holidays.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, and suitable for the all ages, Once Upon a Mattress is the perfect school holiday entertainment for the whole family.

Showing at Belconnen Theatre from 11 to 24 January 2019.

All tickets $24, available online from canberraticketing.com.au.

SUMMER OASIS AT THE HOWLING MOON

This summer, Canberra’s first rooftop bar has transformed into a tropical retreat, offering guests an early afternoon happy hour, speciality cocktails, summer snacks, live music and an ambience that promises to cool things right down.

With local performers lifting the vibe from 1 pm – 4 pm every Saturday and Sunday, this incredible Braddon bar has your weekend plans covered.

Grab a cocktail pitcher and some snacks, capture your photo amongst the palm leaves and soak up the sun from the fully enclosed rooftop.

Happening every Saturday from 1 – 4 pm at The Howling Moon, The Rex Hotel.

See the website for more information.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: BEHIND THE LINES 2018 EXHIBITION TOUR

Credit: Mark Nolan

Venture down the rabbit hole and take a tour around one of our most popular exhibitions, Behind the Lines: The year’s best political cartoons 2018.

This 30 minute tour gives you an exclusive look at the history of Behind the Lines, what it takes to make the exhibition each year, and which cartoons made it into the curator’s Top 5 this year.

If you’re lucky, you might even get to see the White Rabbit himself.

Daily at 11.30am until 28 January at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. $5 per person, bookings essential.

Find out more at moadoph.gov.au/tour.

SUMMER AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Escape the heat this summer and step inside the National Portrait Gallery for an array of family-fun activities. From storytelling and drawing to music and art, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the Gallery.

Mums, dads, grandparents and carers can get creative with the kids inside Face Lab– a fun and quirky place where they can investigate their own or someone else’s face. It includes a cosy library and lots of drawing and craft activities. It’s on between 11.00am – 4.00pm daily until 3 February. Entry is free.

Other activities on offer this summer include:

Wiradjuri Echoes: Share Aboriginal culture and storytelling through music and dance. Children are welcome to join the dancers and learn to dance to the didgeridoo. Entry is free and is on at 2.00pm Sunday 6 January.

Headhunt!: An interactive gallery experience for visitors aged 7 – 15 years. This experience encourages kids to take the lead and explore the Gallery, look closely at the portraits and delve into artistic elements, as well as the stories of the people depicted. Headhunt! is free and is on every day between 10.00am – 4.00pm during the summer school holidays.

My many faces: A painting workshop inspired by Study of Louis Nowra by Imants Tillers in the 20/20 exhibition. Like Tillers, children will compose painting of small canvas boards to show multiple perspectives and ideas in one work. Workshops are suitable for children 6 – 12 years and is on from 12.30 – 3.00pm, Thursday 31 January. Cost is $20 per person and bookings are essential.

Portrait play: who are you?: An exploration of portraits through drawing and creative activity for children aged 4 – 8 years. This activity is held each weekday from 10.30 – 11.30am until 1 February. Bookings are essential and cost is $7 per child.

Drawn in: A unique drawing experience while listening to the electro acoustic sounds of Happy Axe – a multi-instrumentalist and musical polymath, who uses violin, musical saw, vocals and digital manipulation to build new worlds out of layers of sound. This free event is on from 1.00 – 3.00pm, Sunday 24 February.

Find out more at portrait.gov.au

TREVOR DICKINSON’S BEAUTIFUL BUS SHELTERS OF CANBERRA

Credit: Trevor Dickinson

Many Canberra suburbs are home to the distinctive concrete bus shelters designed by architect Clem Cummings in 1975. Nearly 500 shelters remain in place and over the past four years artist Trevor Dickinson has been on a quest to find and photograph every one.

Dickinson has selected over fifty of the most striking examples to draw and develop into digital prints. His collection reveals that every shelter has its own beauty and personality; and explores how these shelters shape Canberra’s unique suburban landscape.

Showing until 26 January at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City.

See the website for more information.

AFTER DARK: GHOST HUNTERS TOUR AT MOAD

If a spooky adventure is more your style, help solve the mystery of the ghostly encounters that have been experienced at Old Parliament House after the sun goes down during an After Dark: Ghost Hunters Tour.

This 75-minute torchlight tour takes you through the museum, exploring the mysterious occurrences, ghostly encounters and dastardly deeds of Old Parliament House.

Get in quick because spaces on this tour won’t last long.

$20 per person, bookings essential.

For tour dates, visit moadoph.gov.au/tour

SUNSET CINEMA

Sink into a beanbag, sip on fine wine…. laugh long and loud.

Sunset Cinema is back at the Botanic Gardens from November til January. Featuring foot-stomping blockbusters, family favourites and VHS classics under the stars.

With full bar facilities and more food than you can poke a fork at, Sunset Cinema is the ultimate way to soak up Summer in Canberra this year.

Feature films include Bohemian Rhapsody, Fantastic Beasts 2 & Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Check the website to see the full program.

Happening until 12 January 2019 at the National Botanic Gardens.

See the website for more information.

THE BIG VISION WORKSHOP

Get Curiouser and Curiouser at Behind the Lines 2018

DressUP: Change the World

Discover the incredible journeys of some of the world’s most inspiring people, taking the time to walk in their shoes in DressUP: Change the World.

Connect with the lives of historical and contemporary figures, including Frida Kahlo, Adam Goodes, Beyoncé, and many others, by dressing up in their most iconic outfits.

Immerse yourself in their stories of triumph as they go from ordinary people to visionary leaders who have made a difference in the world. Listen to their stories and learn about the challenges they overcame to leave their mark.

Visitors can also tell their own story in our new Zine Lounge. Whether you prefer writing or sketching, the Zine Lounge lets you carve out a space for your voice to be heard.

This engaging exhibition space provides a bold and quirky environment that will inspire young people and asks them “How will you change the world?”

Happening until 31 December 2019 at the Museum of Australian Democracy Old Parliament House.

See the website for more information.

BREAKING THROUGH: 75 YEARS OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Why did it take so long for women to get elected? And once they were there, what was their experience within the parliament?

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first women elected to Australian Federal Parliament, Breaking Through exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy explores the journeys of 11 trailblazers who were the first to hold particular parliamentary positions.

These are stories of resilience, perseverance and ground-breaking achievements.

From 1943 when Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons were the first women elected to parliament through to today where woman have held the highest positions in all areas of parliament, including Prime Minister.

Breaking Through exhibition, recognises the significant contribution these women made in Australia’s democracy. Look back on their lives, uncover their motivations and what they view as their greatest achievements.

Told through never before seen portraits, each a unique representation by a young artist, and powerful stories of change-makers breaking through, this exhibition will inspire visitors to think about the role of women in parliament, what it took to get there and whether we’ve come far enough.

Showing until 28 August 2019 from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

See the website for more information.

CANBERRA UNITED VS ADELAIDE UNITED

Come along to see Canberra United take on Adelaide United in a matchup which historically favours the team in green.

Across ten seasons of the Westfield W-League, Canberra have seven wins and just one loss to Adelaide at McKellar Park and they’ll be hoping to continue the trend this season.

Happening Sunday 13 January from 4 – 7 pm at McKellar Park, Walkley Place, McKellar.

See the website for more information.

Democracy. Are you in?

Your voice, your hands and even your feet have the power to be heard. Our freedoms and our way of life have been built on the foundation of democracy. This living system is sustained through the participation of each and all of us. Democracy is sustained by you. Australian democracy is a work in progress. Curiously, at a time of stability and unparalleled economic growth, confidence in our political and social institutions is at its lowest point in decades. But giving up on them is not the answer. Our democracy needs us. Are you in?

Open daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Find out more at moadoph.gov.au.

ROME: CITY + EMPIRE

Courtesy of the National Museum of Australia. National Museum of Australia.
© Trustees of the British Museum

Stories of Rome and its vast empire continue to captivate and intrigue people almost 3000 years after their foundation.

Rome: City and Empire brings to Canberra more than 200 of the British Museum’s most engaging and beautiful Roman objects. They tell the story of how Rome grew from a series of small villages to become a mighty empire.

Explore how the empire was won and held, witness the grandeur of Rome and appreciate the rich diversity of its peoples.

Happening until 3 February from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton.

See the website for more information.

HEATH LEDGER: A LIFE IN PICTURES (Closing Soon)

Heath Ledger. Credit: Karin Catt.

Audiences around the world know and love Heath Ledger as a charismatic movie star who pushed boundaries and created iconic roles. Now they have a chance to discover Heath’s creative process and deep passion for the film industry and the visual arts, in a unique exhibition curated in collaboration with his family.

Explore a selection of film costumes and props, Heath’s own character research journals, celebrity portraits and acting awards and more. A Life in Pictures offers a rare insight into the man behind the camera.

A program of special screenings and talks will complement the exhibition

Happening until 10 Feb 2019, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Acton.

See the website for more information.

BEAUTY RICH AND RARE

An immersive sound and light experience illuminating the natural beauty of Australia through the eyes of Sir Joseph Banks.

Feel the excitement and wonder of Banks and his team of botanists, scientists, and illustrators as they documented Australia’s unique botanical and animal species, astonishing eighteenth-century Europe.

Open daily 10 am – 5 pm until 10 February 2019 at the National Library of Australia.

See the website for more information.

MATHSALIVE!

MathsAlive!, the one-of-a-kind interactive maths and science exhibit, that has drawn record-breaking crowds in five countries around the world is coming to Canberra in December!

Experience how maths plays a role in our everyday lives through sports, nature, robotics, design, dancing, movie-making and more. Ride in a live-action snowboard race, control a Mars rover, design your own 3-D animation or capture your image in a 360 freeze-motion video. 

MathsAlive!, a Raytheon Company initiative consists of dozens of immersive interactive exhibits and is suitable for years 3 – 10.

Happening until 17 March 2019 from 9 am – 5 pm daily (closed 25 December) at East Space, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Commonwealth Place, Parkes.

More information on the website.

PlayUP 

After an exciting transformation, the imaginative family space in the Museum of Australian Democracy has all-new hands-on activities to educate, excite and challenge young minds.

This creative exhibition space celebrates the role of children in our community and provides a welcoming environment for families to engage in the rights and responsibilities of children through imagination, discovery, role-play and fun.

Happening every day from 9 am – 5 pm at the Museum of Australian Democracy, King George Terrace, Parkes. Entry costs vary.

Visit the website for more details.