Here’s this week’s “Artsweek” column from the desk of arts editor HELEN MUSA.

“DEPT of Rock,” founded by Leanne Thompson,  aims at  showcasing musicians who work in the ACT and Federal government sectors while raising money for local charity Hands Across Canberra. There’ll be 24 bands playing rock, punk, pop/rock, ska, grunge, folk, jazz rock, alt rock, blues, heavy rock and more, competing in four  heats, starting  off at Smiths Alternative on October  3 and ending in a grand final on December 10.

A CIT Solutions cabaret featuring the vocal students of Fleur Millar will include jazz classics, Celtic harmonies, musical theatre original songs and classic arias. Smith’s Alternative, October 1.

THE Australian Chopin Festival: gala opening concert at the Polish embassy,  September 28; interactive live tour of the Chopin Museum in Warsaw and concert, NGA, September 30; Finale concert, Hume Conservatorium, Goulburn, October 1.

On Stage

• LES Divas, an all-male revue, at The Playhouse, September 29.
• MARY Rachel Brown’s latest play, “Rosieville”, directed by Luke Rogers for Canberra Youth Theatre, The Courtyard Studio, September 29-October 8.

Exhibitions

• BRENNAN O’Brien’s “You, as a Train Station” is at Canberra Contemporary Art Space,19 Furneaux Street, Manuka, September 28-October 8
• M16 Artspace has two new exhibitions and an installation: “Care Structures” and in Chutespace , “Fragments”. Opens at Griffith, September 28-October 22.
• TWO exhibitions will open at Rusten House Art Centre, Queanbeyan – David Smith’s imagined marine animals of the future and Canberra printmaking group 5 Ink – September 30-October 21.
• WREN’S Nest Studio gallery in Fyshwick is holding an exhibition of miniature art by Margaret Bice focusing  on endangered bird species, October 3-23.

Concerts

• IT’LL be back to the ’70s with Mike Oldfield’s: “Tubular Bells For Two,” Daniel Holdsworth and Aidan Roberts, Street Theatre, September 29 and 30.
• THE Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon will perform “Masterworks for Winds” under the baton Major Matthew O’Keeffe. Supporting the band this time are students from the ANU School of Music. Llewellyn Hall, September 30, entry via gold coin donation.
• FIVE vocalists backed by Canberra’s Spectrum Big Band, conducted by Andree Kimber, will be performing “The Rat Pack Show”, Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, September 30.
• SCUNA, ANU Choral Society, has its 60th anniversary concert, St Philip’s Anglican Church, O’Connor, October 1.
• WESLEY Music Centre Lunchtime Concert series has guitarist Marián Budoš, who will perform original music miniatures portraying people, animals and trees close to his heart in “Vignettes”, October 4.
• JMLC (John Mackey on sax, Miroslav Bukovsky on trumpet, Lachlan Coventry on bass and Chris Thwaite on drums/percussion) celebrate improvised music through reimagined jazz standards in Geoff’s Jazz At Smiths, October 4.