The Weekend Edit
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YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON IN CANBERRA THIS WEEKEND!
Every Monday for more than eight 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—a curated selection of events we think you’ll love!
Cirque Stratosphere
This festive season, Cirque Stratosphere—a spectacular new circus from the creators of CIRCUS 1903 (2016) and last summer’s smash-hit The Illusionists: Direct from Broadway—will transform the Canberra Theatre into a futuristic space-age utopia for a strictly limited season from 10-21 December 2019.
A dazzling new show, Cirque Stratosphere features gravity-defying acts from a troupe of Olympic-standard acrobats and gymnasts that will demonstrate that even the sky isn’t the limit!
Audiences will witness thrilling performances and impressive stunts on rollerskates, death-defying acrobatics on a Russian Bar—where the performer is thrown in the air by two partners holding the bar—sky-high contortions in The Aerial Sphere, the Russian Swing to Swing and many more.
These extraordinary feats effortlessly blend agility, coordination and showmanship to create an out-of-this-world spectacle.
Happening 10–21 December at Canberra Theatre Centre.
See canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/cirque-stratosphere-2019 for more information.
LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS WINE MARKET
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… when you can buy all your Christmas gifts in one spot! Head to NewActon this Saturday 21 December from 3-6 pm for the Last Minute Christmas Market.
A one-stop-shop to pick up that case of bubbly for Christmas lunch, or tick off all your presents in one go.
Stallholders will include wines, breads, pastries, fresh produce, jewellery and more – all from the Canberra region – and spread throughout the iconic Nishi Grand Stair and Makeshift. See the full list of stallholders on our Facebook event.
Cost: Free entry, $12 souvenir tasting glass
Happening Saturday 21 December from 3-6 pm at Nishi Grand Stair and Makeshift, NewActon
See Facebook for more information.
MATISSE & PICASSO
Credit: Pablo Picasso
Woman from Arles (Lee Miller) 1937
oil on canvas
Private collection
© Succession Picasso / Copyright Agency 2019.
Explore the relationship between two of the world’s greatest artists and rivals—from Picasso’s untameable approach to Matisse’s seductive irresistibility—responding to each other’s work throughout their careers.
Curated by the National Gallery of Australia, this exhibition includes major works sourced from public and private collections around the world.
Happening 13 December–13 April 2020 at the National Gallery of Australia.
See nga.gov.au for more information.
SOUND AND FURY: ARTY FARTY CHRISTMAS PARTY
Via facebook.com/soundandfuryparty
Sound and Fury flaunts and fuses the exceptional skills of performance artists in an exciting party format. Expect punchy music, theatre, dance, spoken word and live art. This is a late-night, live art party at its best.
One of the city’s best-kept secrets, Sound and Fury has entertained and thrilled eager crowds both at home and away, receiving critical claim at the NZ Fringe in 2018 and selling out at Art, Not Apart earlier in 2019.
This year’s Christmas party will be the last in the intimate setting of Makeshift before the next instalment at Art, Not Apart 2020 in Albert Hall. Let’s get freaky and festive. This is a Christmas party like nothing you’ve seen before.
Strictly 18 +. Cash bar. Wear pink and sparkles. Directed by Little Dove Theatre Art.
Cost: $35/$40.
Happening Friday 20 December, 8pm-late at Makeshift, NewActon.
See Facebook for more information.
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY 2019
As the days get longer and the holidays inch closer, the City Renewal Authority is bringing Christmas back to the city in 2019 with a fun and free program of activities in Garema Place.
On Friday 6 December, Garema Place will be transformed into a Christmas log cabin village, hosting a variety of free activities for all ages including cookie decorating, bauble making, free Santa slushies or taking a selfie with a roving Santa.
For people who don’t have a tree at home yet, Santa’s Shaped Christmas Tree pop-up shop will also be onsite where you can purchase a Christmas tree for pick up or order one for home delivery.
The centrepiece will be a towering contemporary Christmas tree that epitomises a sunny festive season.
As the summer sun shines through the tree’s patterned façade, it creates a kaleidoscope of light and colour in the surrounding public spaces, while beautiful lights at night will transform the tree, ensuring that it delivers an immersive and joyful Christmas experience 24 hours a day.
From Saturday 7 December onwards is a fantastic program of Christmas activities in Garema Place and around the city centre, with events and activities such as letter writing and bauble making, lantern making, theatrical performances, a public art treasure hunt, Christmas choir performances, musical Christmas mashups and a truly unique visit from Santa.
Happening until Saturday 21 December 2019 at different times and locations in the city centre
Cost: Free
For more information, visit: merryandbrightcbr.com.au
GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION
Installation imagery of Game Masters at ACMI. Courtesy and copyright ACMI. Photographer Mark Ashkanasy.
With the opening of Game Masters: The Exhibition, the NFSA turns into Australia’s biggest video game arcade with the world’s greatest designers, characters and 80 playable games.
Game Masters is an interactive journey through five decades of video game history, offering both a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the world’s most popular characters and franchises and a chance to play them.
Featuring interviews, never-before-seen concept artwork, an amazing display of vintage consoles and collectable items, and 80 playable games, visitors won’t want to leave!
Created and curated by ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), Game Masters first opened in Melbourne in 2012. It has since toured to nine museums worldwide including venues in the USA, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland and Sweden. Much loved by audiences around the globe, the exhibition has been updated to include the latest gaming blockbusters as well as Australian creations.
Game Masters is divided into three sections: Arcade Heroes, Game Changers and Indies. It features unique experiences such as a spectacular multiplayer dance stage for Dance Central 3(2012), hands-on experiential music booths and a selection of original classic arcade machines from the 1970s and ‘80s acquired especially for the exhibition, all playable in their original form. See the full list of 80 playable games and their Australian classifications.
Sign up to join the Game Masters club and receive the latest news from the NFSA plus updates about special gaming events and guests, and exclusive offers and discounts.
Open daily 10 am–4 pm until Monday 9 March 2020 at the National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton.
See the nfsa.gov.au for tickets and more information.
Pop Up Christmas Workshops
Scurrying around for those last-minute thoughtful Christmas gifts? Co.laboratory has you covered!
In the lead up to the Christmas, Co.laboratory has organised a series of creative workshops at Canberra’s most locally-loved gift store, POP Canberra, on Lonsdale Street.
These sustainable workshops are a fun and (occasionally boozy) means of making loving gifts that support Canberran artists and makers. Co.laboratory also offer gift cards for the new year!
WORKSHOPS ON OFFER
- Candle Making with Lucian Candles: Friday 20 Dec 6-9 pm
- Boozy Bob Ross Painting Classes: Friday 13 Dec 6-8 pm + Sunday 22 Dec 11 am-1 pm
Happening 12-22 December at POP Canberra, 27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon.
See Facebook for more information.
SPY: ESPIONAGE IN AUSTRALIA
Often cloaked in myth, the stories of spies are sometimes stranger than fiction. For the first time at the National Archives, Spy: Espionage in Australia reveals the personal experiences of secret agents and the curious history of espionage and counter-espionage in Australia, from Federation through to the present day.
See genuine spy equipment, surveillance images and candid interviews with ASIO officers. Play the part of a secret agent in the interactive family trail. Test your skills at codebreaking and reading invisible ink.
Developed in partnership with ASIO, Spy brings the stories of spies out of the shadows and into the light.
Cost: Free
Showing until 27 April 2020 open every day from 9 am–5 pm (closed Christmas Day and Good Friday) at the National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes.
See naa.gov.au for more information.
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION: THE EXHIBITION – JOURNEY FROM SKETCH TO SCREEN
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World™ © 2019. © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
From the makers of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Trolls, comes and extraordinary exhibition celebrating over 25 years of DreamWorks Animation.
DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition – Journey from Sketch to Screen brings together rare concept drawings, models and original artworks, interviews and interactive displays from DreamWorks’ much-loved animated classics.
Take a thrilling journey, from original sketches of grumpy ogres and friendly dragons, to amazing stories and fantasy worlds brought to you by DreamWorks’ award-winning artists.
An ACMI touring exhibition developed in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved
Happening until 2 February 2020 at National Museum of Australia.
See nma.gov.au or more information.
FREE SANTA PHOTOS AT MARKETPLACE GUNGAHLIN
HO HO HO…Free Santa Photos! The big man is visiting Marketplace Gungahlin from Sunday 1 December until Tuesday 24 December for free Santa photos.
Bring the whole family to visit Santa and his little helpers in his sparkly Santa’s Village, located outside Big W for a free photo and meet/greet with Santa himself!
Santa will be present everyday from Sunday 1 December –Christmas Eve.
- 2:30 pm–5:30 pm weekdays (perfect for after school)
- 9:30 am–12:30 pm weekends
Please don’t forget to bring your own camera or camera phone for Santa’s little helper to capture the moment for you on your own device. There will be no professional photography.
Cost: Free
Happening until Tuesday 24 December at Santa’s Village outside Big W mall, Marketplace Gungahlin, 30 & 33 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin.
See marketplacegungahlin.com.au/whats-on/visit-santa for more information.
Pialligo Fields
It’s time to truly unwind and be blown away by the breathtaking views over the fields, watching the sun go down with a drink in hand.
Pialligo Estate is bringing Canberra a new style of fun–with next-level drinks by Pialligo Estate’s funky bar crew, Canberra’s first Gintonica bar experience and the finest craft beers, you’ll taste your way to a new happy place.
Think great beats, highest-quality share platters, space for the kids to run around, and fun you won’t be expecting; Pialligo Fields is the place to bring your family and friends for some fresh air in style.
Whether you have an event that needs some personality, or you just want to find some weekend balance with the family and friends, Fields is a multi-purpose space that will deliver experiences you talk about.
Happening Fridays from 3 pm and Sundays from 12 pm until late at Pialligo Estate, 18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo.
See thepialligoestate.com.au/pialligo-fields for more information.
Craftivism. Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms
Craftivism. Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms is a Shepparton Art Museum curated exhibition, touring nationally by NETS Victoria.
It presents the work of 17 contemporary Australian artists who utilise craft-based materials and techniques with political intent. The artists in this exhibition subvert and extend craft forms as vehicles of activism and social change, exploring the ideas and issues of our time.
Some works encourage social connection and participation in collective processes, others respond to artistic or political movements and yet others reveal that the personal remains political.
Drawing on a long historical lineage, Craftivism. Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms challenges us to see craft in a new light, inviting us to reflect on social participation and political change.
Don’t miss this provocative exhibition, visiting Canberra for the only time.
Happening until 2 February at the Museum of Australia Democracy, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes.
See moadoph.gov.au/exhibitions/craftivism for more information.
SUNSET CINEMA
Gather your friends and family, sit back, relax and watch the stars at your new summer local. Open multiple nights each week in November through to January at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
The season is packed with new release blockbusters, quirky comedies, award-winning features and cult classic – perfect for a date night, girls’ night out or some family fun.
Happening until 11 January 2020 at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Clunies Ross Street, Acton.
See sunsetcinema.com.au/Canberra for more information.
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