Undimmed by lockdown, HELEN MUSA shares the latest arts news in her “Arts in the City” column. 

OPERA Australia, devastated by the impact of COVID-19, has announced Aussie Fiona Allan as the company’s next CEO, replacing Rory Jeffes. Allan has led multiple performing arts organisations in the UK, including the Birmingham Hippodrome, and has chaired the country’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation. 

CANBERRA roots band Kopasetic, led by Alec Randles, declare themselves proud of their “signature warm sound and earnest political commentary”. Now, with a new single, “Petrified”, due to launch, they’re planning a concert at The Street on Friday, September 10, exploring the limits of roots, reggae and folk music. Guests will be Guyy Lilleyman, Kyra Lloyd, Jimmy Bernasconi and B.Coming. Book at thestreet.org.au

JACQUI Malins, often featured in this column for her Mother Tongue multilingual poetry initiative, has won the ACT Multicultural Art, Media or Culture Award for “demonstrated excellence in contributing to inclusion of people with a mother tongue other than English and celebration of the diversity of their languages and cultures through performance in poetry and music”.

MEANTIME, pianist Arianne Tan received a commendation in the same category and a highly commended in the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year award for “significant contributions through active involvement in the ACT youth and multicultural community, through community work, fundraising, education, culture and the performing arts”, which the citation said had “drawn accolades on local and international media”.

NEWS in from Franchesca Cubillo, executive director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts at the Australia Council, that nominations are open for the Red Ochre Award for lifetime achievement, the Dreaming Award and the First Nations Emerging Career Development Award, all closing on October 12. The First Nations Arts Awards are held annually on May 27, marking the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. Inquiries to firstnationsarts@australiacouncil.gov.au

THE federal government is supporting the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia with a $70,000 grant to commission an indigenous filmmaker to produce a contemporary, digital work as part of the UK/Australia season theme of “Who Are We Now?” The project, tentatively titled “Re/Vision” will involve an indigenous filmmaker working closely with NFSA curatorial and technical experts.