COMEDIAN Chris Ryan tells us of a new initiative, “Sideway Comedy”. Ryan and local comedians Laura Campbell, Agata Nabaglo and Frankie McNair want to get a more balanced line-up that includes women, people with disability, LGBT+ and black, indigenous or people of colour. Held every second Thursday at 7pm at Sideway Bar, 21 East Row, upstairs in the Sydney building, each night will feature 12 people and an MC. Sign up to perform via Facebook.

“BEFORE hand: The Private Life of a Portrait” is a new exhibition revealing the stories behind works from the National Portrait Gallery collection and the creative and social process of making a portrait. The show features interviews with artists and sitters as well as rarely-seen working drawings, scrapbooks, sketches and footage. Featured portraits include photographer Narelle Autio’s portrait of champion cyclist Anna Meares and David Rosetsky’s double-exposure portrait of Australian singer and actress Jessica Mauboy. National Portrait Gallery, October 10-March 14.

REBUS Theatre is hosting a filmmaking adventure in which two troupes of young filmmakers will each devise a film exploring issues close to their hearts. A free program for LGBTQIA+ youth aged 12-17 years, it will be held at Ainslie Arts Centre during the school holidays from October 6-8. A trained support worker and LGBTQIA+ advisor will be present at all times. Enrolments at rebustheatre.com/post/acting-out-on-screen.

CANBERRA Bonsai Society’s annual show is coming up, featuring bonsai from the collections of society members, including both traditional exotic plant species and Australian species. Demonstrations will be held at 11am daily and Bonsai Basics sessions will be held at 2pm daily. Plants will be available for sale. Canberra High School, Bindubi Street, Macquarie, 9am-5pm, October 10, and 9am-4pm, October 11. $5 entry.

HOT on the heels of news from the National Opera that the 2020 season of “La Rondine” would be postponed to late 2021, the company has announced the first of two “entirely COVID-safe” productions for 2020, Mozart’s two-act opera, “La Clemenza di Tito”. The audition process is already underway and we await further news.