Arts news from all around the place; it’s HELEN MUSA’s “Arts in the City” column.

NEW local independent theatre company, Alchemy Artistic, has been set up by well-known local performer Amy Kowalczuk (nee Dunham) with its debut show, “The Boys”, by Gordon Graham as part of the Hub Too for emerging directors. 

The play, never performed in Canberra, was influenced by the 1986 murder of Anita Cobby, but Kowalczuk is well situated in 2022 with gendered violence, toxic misogyny and sexism finally having more of a national platform. Unusually, there’ll be Q&As after all shows, two of which are gender specific and a Q&A with playwright Gordon Graham and screenwriter Stephen Sewell will be held following the April 16 performance. ACT Hub, Spinifex Street, Kingston, April 13-16. More at alchemyartistic.com.au

CANBERRA Symphony Orchestra’s first big concert in the Llewellyn series for this year, conducted by Jessica Cottis, is “Redemption”. It features music from “Tristan und Isolde”, opening with Wagner’s “Tristan” chord and a suite from Herrmann’s Wagner-influenced “Vertigo” score. The program also features Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony and Margaret Sutherland’s Violin Concerto, with returning violinist Courtenay Cleary. Llewellyn Hall, April 13-14. Book at cso.org.au 

QUILT historian Annette Gero, who has been documenting and collecting quilts since 1982, will speak on “The Fabric of Society – Australia’s Quilt Heritage from Convict Times to 1960”. At Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan, 11am-1.30pm, April 12. Book at trybooking.com/BXYMN 

AUSTRALIAN high-selling independent artist, John Butler, will share stories from the road and play songs from his career, which spans almost a quarter of a century at Canberra Theatre, April 14, book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au 

THE National Library, in partnership with donors, is offering a residency with access to the library’s staff and collection material, full office facilities including a designated workstation, and an honorarium to contribute towards travel and accommodation expenses. Applications close on April 26 at nla.smartygrants.com.au 

ARTISTS from Networks Australia are exhibiting works in sculpture, drawing, textiles, painting and installation exploring changes seen on the site of the historic former hospital, Rusten House in Queanbeyan, from the Victorian era to the present day. At Rusten House Art Centre, Collett Street, Queanbeyan, until April 30.