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Arts / What’s on in Canberra this weekend?

 

Latona fountain installation in "Versailles" exhibition at the NGA
Latona fountain installation in “Versailles” exhibition at the NGA
THE opulent, immersive exhibition, “Versailles: Treasures from the Palace”, continues at the National Gallery of Australia, until April 17.

Arts business:

AUSDANCE National is downsizing its library, so it’s holding a book sale in E Block Seminar Room, Gorman Arts Centre this Friday, December 16 from 2.30-5.30pm and Saturday, December 17 from 9.30am-12.30pm, all welcome.

THE Street Theatre’s gift vouchers can be used to purchase any show at The Street and for any value which are valid for one year from the date of purchase. The theatre’s Box Office at 6247 1223 will be open until 5pm, Thursday December 22 and its website never sleeps—thestreet.org.au

THE Canberra International Music Festival is drawing applause for its 2017 program as revealed online and encourages would-be patrons to book early before December 19 with a chance to win a festive Christmas Hamper, filled with Canberra wines and fine foods. Details at cimf.org.au/raffle

From a former 'Art Not apart, photo by Cole Bennetts
From a former ‘Art Not apart, photo by Cole Bennetts
ART, Not Apart, Canberra’s largest contemporary arts festival, centred on New Acton and Westside, is calling for proposals for works from local, national and international artists. Call for projects will close at midnight, January 7, submissions to artnotapart.com

REGISTRATIONS are now open for “RAW Comedy”, Australia’s largest open-mic comedy competition. Registrations to rawcomedy.com.au

REGISTRATIONS are now open for Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s national secondary school comedy competition, “Class Clowns.” To register visit comedyfestival.com.au/2017/classclowns

Film:

A still from "The Oyster Farmer"
A still from “The Oyster Farmer”
FILM-makers Pat Fiske, Kim Beamish and Anna Reeves, who directed the 2004 romantic feature “Oyster Farmer”, will join in a screening and Q&A as part of an ‘oyster event’ (oysters will be served) to raise funds for a new feature documentary, “Oyster.” At the National Film and Sound Archive, 7pm, this Friday, December 16, bookings to nfsa.gov.au

THE IMB Bank Sunset Cinema program winds up at Canberra’s National Botanic Gardens this weekend. Screenings Thursday, December 15, “The Light Between Oceans”, Friday, December 16, “Storks,” Closing Night Saturday, December 17, “The Accountant”. Bookings and details to sunsetcinema.com.au

Dance:

QL2 Dance presents “On Course,” new short contemporary dance from around Australia, at QL2 Theatre, A Block, Gorman Arts Centre 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon, for two nights only, 7pm, December 16 & 17. Bookings to trybooking.com/OASE or at the door, from 30 minutes before each show. After each performance there will be a forum and Q&A with the choreographers and dancers.

Concerts and Gigs:

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“THE Llewellyn Choir, accompanied by the Llewellyn Sinfonia, with soloists Rebecca Collins and Rohan Thatcher present Joseph Rheinberger’s Christmas cantata “The Star of Bethlehem”, recounting the nine scenes of the Nativity, along with Andrew Ford’s “Wassails and Lullabies”, motets by Anton Bruckner and carols. Wesley Uniting Church, 22 National Circuit, 6pm, Saturday December 17, with supper afterwards. Tickets at the door.

WINNER of the Classical Music Rising Star Award, pianist Belle Chen, is performing a concert called “Postcards from the Mediterranean”, works by Ravel and Poulenc, Mompou and Albeniz and Turkish composer Fazil Say, at the High Court of Australia, 1.30pm this Sunday, December 18, free but bookings are essential to hcourt.gov.au/about/concerts

SOPRANO Kate Rafferty flies in from Vienna with a Santa sack full of goodies and to join by Anna Rafferty, Nicola Jelinkova and Grant Roberts in performing beautiful songs, including Mozart’s joyous Exultate Jubilate, violinist Liam Keneally will perform the “Skater’s Waltz”, and they’ll all chip in with Christmas songs and poems. Drill Hall Gallery at 5pm on Saturday December 17, and Sunday December 18. Tickets include Christmas cake and bubbly, bookings to trybooking.com/247672 and trybooking.com/247675

ORIANA Chorale joins Ad Hoc Baroque for a musical excursion to Versailles that features Christmas repertoire by French Baroque composers starting with C : Charpentier, Couperin, Campra, Clerambault, and some pieces by Lambert and Dumont. St John the Baptist Church 45 Constitution Avenue Reid, 3pm, Saturday December 17, bookings to trybooking.com

HARPSICHORDIST Erin Helyard will direct The Australian Haydn Ensemble in a program inspired by the “Sturm & Drang” (storm and stress) movement of the 18th century that shows the dramatic side of C.P.E. Bach and Haydn. Great Hall, University House, 7pm, Thursday, December 15, bookings to australianhaydn.com.au or 1800 334 388 or at the door.

“THE Marvin Gaye Experience” is a tribute to that most famous of soul singers that features Mike Scott and a 15-piece American-Australian line up performing hits like “What’s Going On” and “Sexual Healing.” At the Playhouse, 8pm, Friday, December 16, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

LUMINESCENCE Chamber Singers and Luminescence Children’s Choir join forces to present a program of moving music for the festive season, “Dormi, Jesu” with guest conductor Bengt-Olov Palmqvist, in All Saint’s Anglican Church, Ainslie at 7pm, December 17. Bookings to Eventbrite.com.au and details of auditions at luminescence.org.au

FORMER Australian Idol winner Damien Leith is celebrating his 10th year anniversary in the Australian music industry with “The Winners Journey – 10th Anniversary Tour” and he’ll be at The Street Theatre this Saturday December 17. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

“CAROLS in the Pavilion” will see the Choir of St James, one of Sydney’s finest professional choirs, performing in the Windsong Pavilion, Four Winds Rd, Barragga Bay, near Bermagui, 8pm, this Saturday, December 17. Bookings to iwannaticket.com.au

Theatre:

"The Night Before Christmas" cast members (Left to right) Vivien Murray, Kieren Larkin, Robert Shiells, Sophie Schiliro and Ethan Gumbrell_ Photo by Philip Meddows
“The Night Before Christmas” cast members (Left to right) Vivien Murray, Kieren Larkin, Robert Shiells, Sophie Schiliro and Ethan Gumbrell_ Photo by Philip Meddows
PLAYWRIGHT, performer, director and producer Kirsty Budding is staging “The Night Before Christmas”, a Christmas extravaganza she’s written involving over 50 children and young people. Courtyard Studio until December 16, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.

“SANTA, Baby” is a short season coming up in which audiences can see a set of short Christmas plays written by Canberra playwrights, at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, 8pm, December 16 and 17 only, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

NEWEX Collective is, as the name suggest, a new collective of theatre makers, making their stage debut at Street Two in three performances at 7.30pm, Thursday to Saturday December 15-17, books to the thestreet.org.au or at the door.

SILLINESS abounds as Stephen Pike’s notoriously naughty production, “Merry Christmas Mr Wolf” takes the stage at Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant, ANU Arts Centre, until December 23, bookings to vivaldirestaurant.com.au or 6257 2718.

DIRTY Dick’s theatre restaurant invites people to frolic and feast while watching an all-new stage show in its Christmas season for 2016. Harmonie German club, Narrabundah, December 17, bookings to 6295 9853 or harmonie@bigpond.net.au

C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” follows the correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his junior demon nephew, Wormwood. Directed and adapted by Hailey McQueen, this dark comedy is performed by Yannick Lawry, with George Zhao as his sidekick Toadpipe. Courtyard Studio, 7.30pm, December 19-23, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

Exhibitions:

BILK Gallery’s annual Christmas exhibition focuses on the best of Australian one-off collectables and unique pieces including new rings, glass flowers, whiskey and sake glass sets, earrings and necklaces in glass, silver and gold. Palmerston Lane Manuka, until December 24, 10am to 4pm. The public are invited to attend a “long awaited announcement” to celebrate the 5th year in Manuka. 2pm this Saturday December 17. Bubbles will be served.

THE Royal Australian Mint is now showcasing the story of Stuart Devlin, Geelong-born designer of Australia’s circulating coins and goldsmith and jeweller to Queen Elizabeth II in an exhibition called “The Designer with the Midas Touch”. On show will be the Wiltshire Staysharp Knife MK1 and scabbard, furniture, tableware and candelabra that lit up dining rooms of the rich and powerful.

Peter Hislop's installation at the High Court
Peter Hislop’s installation at the High Court
“PETER Hislop, photographer: People, Performances and Places” is an exhibition that looks back 40 years to the beginning of Hislop’s remarkable work in documenting Canberra’s fine music performance and performers – around 200 events each year. At the High Court of Australia, to January 25, free.

THE Australian War Memorial has joined the Jewish Holocaust Centre to mount “The Holocaust: witnesses and survivors”, a show that includes over 85 collection items from both institutions, including documentation from Jewish men, women and children who survived ghettos, and concentration and extermination camps. It also features the artwork of the Australian official war artist Alan Moore, who accompanied British troops as they liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.

“THE Sell: Australian Advertising, 1790s to 1990s” at the National Library of Australia until April 25. FREE exhibition.

THE summer exhibition starts at Ivy Hill Gallery, 1795 Tathra-Bermagui Road, Wapengo, this weekend with large abstract landscapes by Antonia Haege, watercolours and graphite drawings from Liz Jeneid and ceramic studies of kangaroos by Gwenna Green.

PAINTER Tracey Creighton has a show of oils and acrylics, “Unleashing the Flood”, at Strathnairn Arts Gallery until December 18.

Annie Franklin. "Winter sun and ice Jerrabomberra"
Annie Franklin. “Winter sun and ice Jerrabomberra”
“ILLUMINATION”, an exhibition of paintings by Annie Franklin, is at the Nancy Sever Gallery, along with “Moments in the Day”, a work by leading ceramicist, Greg Daly. 4/6 Kennedy Street, Kingston until December 18, Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm.

“COLLEGE Express 8” is presented by Belconnen Arts Centre and celebrates the work of almost 100 students from the North Canberra region. Young artists in Year 11 and 12 from colleges in the north Canberra region explore the world around them through photography, painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles and design technology. At 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen, until January 15, 10am-4pm, Tuesday–Sunday.

AMIEL Courtin-Wilson’s winning digital video work will be on display with six other finalists in the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 exhibition which is open to the public at the National Portrait Gallery until Sunday, April 9.

Co-winner at M16, Jay Kochel, with his drawing.
Co-winner at M16, Jay Kochel, with his drawing.
The M16 Artspace 2016 Drawing Prize is at 21 Blaxland Crescent Griffith, until December 18.

BEAVER Galleries have “Small works”, paintings, works on paper, ceramics, glass and sculpture, at 81 Denison Street Deakin, until December 24, Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm.

KYEEMA Gallery, a new gallery at Capital Wines Cellar Door will feature local artist Judi Power Thomson in its inaugural exhibition. Works include paintings of jazz musicians, dancers, entertainers and landscapes. 13 Gladstone Street, Hall Village Court, Hall, Thursday to Sunday, 10:30am-5pm until December 24.

THE annual Christmas Fair, with affordable ceramics on sale, is now running at Watson Art Centre, Aspinall St, Watson until December 23, 10am-4pm Thursday to Sunday.

 

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Helen Musa

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