Another day, another “Artsday” column from HELEN MUSA looking at what’s happening at the weekend. 

AFTER several covid-related postponements, the Canberra Comedy Festival has swung into to action and next week’s gala at Canberra Theatre sold out fast. But the organisers have come up with an “encore gala” at  The Playhouse on the same night, which will see all of the same acts from the main theatre, but a separate host. At 7.30pm, Tuesday, March 22. Book here.

DUNCAN N Sargeant and his guitarist friends Michael Misa and Alec Randles, three formidable guitarists, who perform individually in different genres, are joining as the “Three Musketeers” to stage a recital to raise money for the ACT Mental Health Foundation. Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 2.30pm, Sunday, March 20. Book here  or at the door.

WESLEY music scholars, Brad Tham, Anika Chan, Yona Su and James Monro, have formed the Ellery String Quartet and will play everything from Scandinavian folk tunes to Dvorak’s “American” Quartet and maybe even an Aussie classic at Larry Sitsky Recital Room, ANU School of Music, 7pm, tomorrow (March 19, book here) and at Gang Gang Cafe, Downer, 7pm, on Sunday (March 20, book here).

CANBERRA International Music Festival is seeking at least 70 volunteers in the various positions of front of house, bar, driving, green room, light catering and set-up tasks, as well as some billeting of artists. Team leaders take care to ensure that every volunteer gets opportunities to enjoy the music. Inquiries to volunteers@cimf.org.au

THE second Mother Tongue poetry night for 2022 will be held on Monday (March 21,) the date of Persian New Year, Norouz, and will feature performances by Afghan poet and Hangama Obaidullah and Ehsan Sharifi with Dawn Gardiner reading Rubaiyats (quatrains) by Omar Khayyam. At Smith’s Alternative, Civic, 7pm. Book here.  

“ZEST Dance for Wellbeing classes” will resume face-to-face at Belconnen and Tuggeranong Arts Centres, and other venues around Canberra, providing a workout for body, brain and spirit and open to all levels of mobility, ability and experience. All details are here . Inquiries to ZestDWB@gmail.com or 0417 417182.

TUGGERANONG Arts Centre and Woden Arts are calling for community participation in a large-scale artwork by visual artist Emma Rani Hodges for installation at the National Folk Festival, with free workshops at the centre this weekend (March 19 and 20), to start the making the artwork. Register here

“IN  Blue” will feature classics from the jazz tradition, songs from the Blue Note catalogue and songs inspired by water. Sydney’s  Hugh Barrett on piano joins Tom Fell on saxophone  and vocalist Rachael Thoms, with ACT band The Fringe of Squaredom. Art Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 4pm, on Sunday (March 20).