The Weekend Edit
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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!
PARLIAMENT HOUSE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OPEN DAY
You’re invited to Parliament House Open Day. There will be plenty to keep both young and young-at-heart entertained!
• Salute the sun on the lawns of Parliament House with Yoga Australia (from 8am).
• Enjoy special access and see the Senate and House of Representatives Chambers up close.
• Be among the first to see LEGO Parliament House by The BrickMan.
• Find Shawn the Prawn on the all-new kids’ trail.
• Channel your inner-politician in the intense glare of the cameras.
• Test your skills in a parliamentary role-play.
• Help put the AFP dogs through their paces.
• Feast on a BBQ and a yummy birthday cupcake in one of the courtyards.
• Enjoy live entertainment.
• Be in the running to win one of only 15 Gold Tickets and you and a friend could experience Parliament House like never before! (comp only open to Open Day visitors—terms and conditions apply).
Happening 6 October 9 am – 5 pm at Australian Parliament House, Parliament Drive, City
See website for more information.
THE FORAGE
Canberra’s only dedicated street food event showcasing and celebrating our local (and surrounds) cafes, restaurants, food trucks, bars, wineries & breweries.
Gather around the live music lounge and soak up the street party atmosphere.
Happening 6 October 2 pm – 7 pm at The Little National Hotel, 21 National Circuit, Barton
See website for more information.
JUSTINE CLARKE SILLY SONGS TOUR 2018
The homegrown queen of children’s entertainment, Justine Clarke, is getting ready to perform a show with her fans this coming September – October, on the Silly Songs Tour.
How do you make a Silly Song?
That’s the question Justine will ask her audience as they traverse through a marvellous musical cacophony! Performing her favourite songs as well as hits from her TV show and new album, The Justine Clarke Show! the concert centres around a shared joy of singing, dancing and all the excitement of show time. From singing songs that make you smile, to stomping like a dinosaur, together Justine and her audience will find their own silly song to perform as one for the grand finale.
Justine Clarke said: “I’m so excited to bring these silly songs to a live audience and co-create the show with the kids. I’m looking forward to sending out some rehearsal videos before the concert so kids can learn the words and the moves. It’ll be wonderful, organised chaos!”
Tickets cost $39.40 pp, and bookings are essential.
Happening 6 October at the Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City.
See website for more information.
SCULPTURE IN THE PADDOCK
In it’s 6th year, Sculpture in the Paddock has become a firm fixture on the national arts calendar as well as the Spring “to do” list for Yass Valley and Canberra residents alike.
The outdoor event features sculptures by world-renowned artists, local sculptors of national acclaim as well as emerging artists. For the first time the event will feature food stalls and entertainment on the weekends as well as an exhibition of smaller sculptures. Again the organisers of SinP bring you a student exhibition with works created by students from around the Yass Valley.
SinP is relaxed and completely inclusive – art lovers or just lovers of a great day out are all welcome.
2018 marks a great change for Sculpture in the Paddock – a change of venue – moving to Shaw Vineyard Estate, Murrumbateman. This new venue brings terrific amenities for the visitor, more stunning rural vistas (as we had at Cooma Cottage, Yass), access to great wine, dining options and only 35 minutes drive from Canberra.
Pack a picnic rug, bring the kids, settle in for a great day out. And be sure to bring a camera – each weekend two lucky visitors will win helicopter flight over the exhibition with thanks to Canberra Helicopters.
More information and tickets available online.
FLORIADE
Developed in 1988 as a grand, one off floral tribute to mark Australia’s Bicentenary and Canberra’s 75th anniversary, Floriade has become Canberra’s most iconic annual tourism event and Australia’s premier spring festival.
The floral display of more than a million bulbs and annuals planted across 8,000 square meters of inner city parkland is more than just a flower show. Floriade is a diverse, ever expanding program of music, cultural celebrations, food and wine, horticultural workshops, market traders, artistic displays, entertainment and recreational activities.
Happening 15 September – 16 October at Commonwealth Park, Regatta Place, Parkes
See website for more information.
American Masters
Jackson Pollock. Blue poles 1952. Oil, enamel, aluminium paint, glass on canvas. National Gallery of Australia. © Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ARS/Copyright Agency.
Drawn exclusively from the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) outstanding collection of American art, American Masters celebrates that nation’s artists from the 1940s to the 1980s. When the NGA acquired Jackson Pollock’s Blue poles in 1973, at the time the most expensive American painting ever sold, our emerging collection hit the global headlines. This exhibition tells the story of the formation of our incredible American collection and includes many major works not seen together for a long time.
From Abstract Expressionism, Colour Field, Pop, Neo-Dada and Photo-Realism, to Conceptual, Land and Performance Art, American Masters examines how a generation of young Americans, inspired by European émigrés, challenged local traditions and reinvented modern art. The sensational international impact of the era’s major artists is captured in masterpieces by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Chuck Close, Donald Judd, Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois.
Highlights include paintings and works on paper by the New York School; Sol LeWitt’s huge Wall drawing No. 380 a-d 1982, specially re-made for this exhibition; and a selection of spectacular light works by Dan Flavin, Bruce Nauman, Keith Sonnier and James Turrell.
Showing daily until 11 November at the National Gallery of Australia.
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.
THREE SIXTY FASHION MARKET
The Three Sixty Fashion Market is a truly unique, niche Canberra-based market dedicated to sustainable fashion. This recycled fashion market for stylish, discerning shoppers who love genuine, quality vintage, retro and pre-loved fashion.
Stallholders with new items are created by those who value ethical choices in materials and/or design methods. You’ll discover a world of wonderful fashion–clothing, shoes, bags, jewellery and other accessories across all styles.
Uncover top brands, designer labels and fabulous bargains. Beauty products and other great finds are also yours to discover.
The markets have free entry, quality coffee, yummy food, live entertainment and convenient parking!
New stallholders welcome. It’s quick and easy to register.
Happening 7 October 10 am – 3 pm at Fitters Workshop, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston
See website for more information.
ROME: CITY + EMPIRE
Medallion of Constantine the Great minted in Thessalonica, Greece, 335 CE gold © Trustees of the British Museum Media credit line © Trustees of the British Museum, 2018. All rights reserved. Image supplied.
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.
CELLAR DOOR
Image via facebook.com/pg/CellarDoorCBR
Cellar Door is a new wine market for Canberra’s wonderful wine scene. Buy wines from local makers every Saturday afternoon in the iconic Nishi Grand Stair, NewActon Precinct.
Grab a souvenir glass, taste the latest drops, and buy at cellar door prices.
Wine stalls rotate each week with complementing stalls like flowers, cheese, chocolate and books. Capital City Soul Club are the resident DJs.
Make a day of it with a film at Palace Electric Cinema and NewActon’s leading food and drink destinations.
Happening Saturday 6 October from 2-5 pm on the Nishi Grand Stair, inside the Nishi Building, Philip Law Street, NewActon.
See Facebook for more details.
HEATH LEDGER: A LIFE IN PICTURES
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.
LOCALJINNI – LAKESIDE STORIES TWILIGHT VIDEO WALKS
Projections along the foreshore as part of Localjinni’s Lakeside Stories – Twilight Video Walks.
Do you want to hear stories about Lake Burley Griffin only the locals know?
A new art tourism initiative titled Localjinnni, led by Fiona Hooton and Catrina Vignando, is making that possible. Their first participatory – place-making experience, Lakeside Stories brings visual artists, filmmakers, writers, oral historians and animators together to tell hidden stories of place.
Held around Lake Burley Griffin’s northern foreshore their Lakeside stories –twilight video walks, take storytelling to the streets. Transforming footpaths and walls into screens using video, sound and light projections.
Included in Lakeside Stories – twilight video walks are works by: Caren Florance (text artist), Melinda Smith (poet), Megan Watson (filmmaker), Matchbox Pictures (film and TV production), Ros Lemoh (visual artist), Dr Kirsty Guster (Acton Walkways place-maker), Roslyn Russell (historian), ANU’s School of Art animation students as well as collection content from the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive.
Localjinni has a cultural and environmental mission – to make our public spaces more fun, more functional, more of the time. Take a cultural dip into Lake Burley Griffin’s many fluid identities through film, animation, poetry, visual art and oral history. Join us on an illuminating walk as we screen stories onto footpaths and walls around the Lake’s foreshore.
Discover why Canberra begins and ends at the Lake through an immersive experience, shared ideas and social yarning. Designed for artful, urban adventurers.
Held in association with Contour 556 / Canberra’s Public Art Biennial. (Supported by YWCA creativity grant)
7.45pm Saturday and Sundays 6-27 October
7.45pm Wednesday 17 October, Lake Burley Griffin’s B’day
Meet Henry Roland Park, Acton. Free – numbers limited
Eventbrite bookings essential.
PIALLIGO URBAN HIGH TEA @ FLORIADE
Showcasing a range of sweet and savoury treats alongside an impeccable range of teas by Canberra based Tea Garden Co. Unwind with High Tea at Floriade – set amongst the tulip gardens, treat yourself to an afternoon delight in the Pialligo Urban Café including pastries, cakes, finger sandwiches and scones.
Gluten-free dietaries can be accommodated, just let the staff know when booking tickets.
Tickets cost $42 pp, and booking is essential
Happening until 14 October, Friday – Sunday, 2.30pm and 3.30pm at Pialligo Urban Cafe at Floriade, Commonwealth Avenue, City
See website for more information.
So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history
Credit: The Girls, Zoe Davis and Linde Ivimey, 2018 by Linde Ivimey. Steel armatures, acrylic resin, cast and natural human, sheep turkey, fox, chicken and snake bones, earth, paper, natural fibre, dyed cotton, dyed and sewn viscera. Courtesy of Linde Ivimey.
As conceptually thrilling as it is aesthetically rich, So Fine features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history.
Forming part of the Portrait Gallery’s twentieth birthday celebrations, the exhibition enriches the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.
So Fine’s contributing artists – of various ages and backgrounds, and hailing from different parts of Australia – have all created new works for the exhibition. Aside from gender, their common attributes are a meticulous approach to creation, driven by considered, nuanced thinking. Their works are intricate, refined and affecting objects that reconceive events, people and places from Australia’s past.
The artists involved are Shirley Purdie, Linde Ivimey, Bern Emmerichs, Leah King-Smith, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Nicola Dickson, Pamela See (Xue Mei-Ling), Fiona McMonagle, Valerie Kirk and Carol McGregor. Charged with these makers’ passionate, intensely individual takes, and incorporating themes from pre-history to the present, So Fine challenges and delights, as well as interrogating the boundaries of contemporary portraiture.
Showing until Monday 1 October at the National Portrait Gallery. See the website for more information.
BRICKMAN EXPERIENCE
Ryan McNaught’s Brickman Experience is one of the largest touring exhibitions of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Arriving in the capital these school holidays, the interactive exhibition is suitable for little and big kids (LEGO® code for adults!). It will be at Exhibition Park in Canberra from 28 September through to 14 October 2018.
Made with over five million LEGO® bricks, this epic exhibition will showcase some of the world’s largest and most detailed LEGO® models including Ryan’s biggest ever Star Wars LEGO® build, a model Airbus A380, a quarter scale LEGO® Ferrari and the world’s largest LEGO® flower.
Brickman Experience features a collection of over 60 individual works by Ryan McNaught – the only LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only 14 in the world. Ryan and his team’s award-winning creations have featured in locations around the world, and now Canberra for the first time.
Canberra’s budding brickies will also have the opportunity to build their own LEGO® creations in the interactive master builder zones.
Happening Friday 28 September until Sunday 14 October at Fitzroy Pavillion, EPIC, Flemington Road, Mitchell.
See the website for more information.
CELEBRATE WORLD ANIMAL WEEK AT THE NATIONAL ZOO & AQUARIUM
Image: facebook.com/canberrazoo
Visit the National Zoo & Aquarium to help celebrate all things animal for World Animal Week, marked by World Animal Day on the 4th. We will be holding a range of exciting activities throughout the week such as special zoo keeper talks focusing on encouraging and educating people on animal care and conservation.
There will even be an awesome prize for the best photo taken with your favourite zoo animal uploaded to Instagram! Make sure to tag us to be in the running to win!
Happening daily from Monday October 1 to Sunday 7 October at the National Zoo & Aquarium, 999 Lady Denman Drive, Weston Creek.
See the website for more information.
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