THE National Opera bursts into being this weekend with Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito”, billed as a story of friendship and forgiveness triumphing over jealousy and violence. Former ANU School of Music graduates, mezzo-sopranos Eleanor Greenwood and Catherine Carby, have flown back to Australia to join the cast of top singers assembled by director Peter Coleman-Wright. Toby Cole is chorus master, while rising conductor Leonard Weiss is assisting star conductor Dane Lam. Llewellyn Hall, April 10, 13,15, 17, book here.

PATSY Hely works predominately in ceramics but has more recently engaged in watercolour and oil painting. Her new exhibition, at Helen Stephens Gallery, encompasses all three. The show at 39 Murray Street, Collector will be opened by Toni Warburton at 2pm on April 11 and runs until May 23, Friday-Sunday, 11am-4pm or by appointment at 0406 836 393.

AUSTRALIAN electric guitarist, vocalist and composer Jess Green “Pheno”, will appear with her band on stage at The Street Theatre at 8pm this Saturday, April 10, book here or 6247 1223.

FAVOURITE stories venturing into Neverland, Giant Land and Thneedville are onscreen these school holidays at the Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive. The season kicks off on Friday, April 9 at 10.30am with “Peter Pan”. Book here.

THE “Piano Blues For Ali” concert this weekend will see artists like Jan Preston, Carolyn Packer, Wayne Kelly, John Black and Leo Joseph perform a fundraiser to help support blues artist Ali Penney, who’s fighting stage 4 lung cancer. Austrian Australian Club, Heard St, Mawson, 2-5pm, Saturday, April 10, book here.

TUGGERANONG Arts Centre’s next exhibition, “Deqolonise: The Erotic as Power”, is billed as an “unlearning” of how colonialism has distorted spiritual knowledge and practices shared among Bla(c)k and brown queer communities. Curator Ono Chowdhury has commissioned Canberra artists, Sione Tuívailala Mon? and Malcolm Fortaleza, to create work for the show, which will also feature work by Jazz Money, Laniyuk, Roshan Ramesh and Basjia Almaan. April 9-June 5.

CANBERRA artist Helen S Tiernan’s solo exhibition “Memory Space” will be opened by art critic John McDonald, who will also launch the book “Misanthropology – The World Art of Adam Rish”. At Cooee Art, 17 Thurlow Street, Redfern, 2-5pm, Saturday, April 17.

A FREE zine-making workshop heads a fun-packed program at the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House from April 12-16. The artist-led workshop teaches young people (8-15 years) to share their ideas through zines – small, hand-made, self-published magazines. Visitors can also book a free museum pass then pick up the museum map with a discovery trail at the entrance. Open daily 9am to 5pm. Information here.

AS part of the Heritage Festival, a collection of fire vehicles ranging in age from 1913 to 1974, along with uniforms and equipment, will be exhibited at Canberra Fire Museum, 4 Empire Circuit, Forrest, 10am to 3pm, Saturday, April 10.

OPENING at Canberra REP Theatre on Friday, April 9, Louis Nowra’s comedy, “Cosí” blurs  sanity and insanity as idealistic Lewis takes a job directing a play in a Melbourne mental facility, only to find inpatient Roy hell-bent on staging a full production of Mozart’s opera “Cosí Fan Tutte”. At 3 Repertory Lane, Acton, April 8-24. Book here or 6257 1950.

NEW exhibitions at M16 Artspace this week are “Expanding the Field: Encounters in Archaeology and Art” by UK Frederick, “On The Ground” by Cherylynn Holmes, “Icon” by Jeffree Skewes and in Chutespace, “Fur Babies” by Clare Martin. M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, Wednesday to Sunday, noon-5pm until April 25.

CELEBRATING the release of his first solo album, songwriter Andrew Farriss, of INXS fame, will be in town with a crack team of country musicians, performing songs traversing roots, blues, Americana and country. The Royal Hotel, Queanbeyan, Friday, April 9, book here.