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Winner, 2019, 2020 & 2021 NT Media Awards, Best Magazine or Lift Out

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OFF THE LEASH IN THE NT

SKY COUNTRY

IVAN SEN'S LOVELAND

Launch party in Mparntwe!

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

2022 Deckchair season launches

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MUSIC

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PERFORMING ARTS

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VISUAL ARTS

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BOOKS & FILM

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FOOD & DRINK

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COMMUNITY

YOUR FREE WHAT’S ON GUIDE TO THE NT

IMPORTANT MESSAGE Events listed in this edition of Off The Leash are subject to change. The situation around COVID-19 is evolving and information provided within this publication is correct – to the best of our knowledge – at time of print.

INSIDE

OFFTHELEASH.NET.AU E: editor@offtheleash.net.au T: 08 8941 7413 offtheleashmag

@OTLmag

#OTLmag

GPO BOX 2325, Darwin NT 0801

We recommend you refer to individual event websites and social media accounts for the most up-to-date information.

ell here it is, folks. You are holding in your hot little hands the very first Territory-wide edition of Off The Leash!

How gorgeous is the cover artwork of this special launch edition? Jo Boniface is the artist behind it, her work ‘A Track to the Horizon’ winning our cover competition for an NT artist to make history with us. I can’t even begin to tell you how proud we are to reach such a significant milestone, so I asked long-time reader, writer and friend of OTL Jess Ong to give it a go – check out the main feature to find out more.

F R OM T H E

friendly 8CCC crew will be doing the rounds in the Red Centre. How good? Big thanks to Kyle Pearson of Monte’s Lounge and Alice Springs Brewing Co. for coming on board for our Centralian launch event to “make sure we set this thing off with a bang!”

r o t i d E

As you’d expect, changes as big as these don’t happen without some hard work and support behind the scenes, so there are a few special people I’d like to thank. First off, huge thanks to Michael Sitzler for putting his hand in his pocket to personally support the expansion over the next three years. His belief in our organisation to showcase the arts, culture and events of the NT means a lot to us, and we are very grateful for his kind contribution. 8CCC Community Radio’s Benjamin Erin has been an incredible support, answering my questions and providing welcome advice, which I’ve been so grateful for. To further develop the bond between our organisations, one of the

Shout out also to Hui and Ben, our printers from News Corp. They’ve been instrumental in our expansion, as well as helping us transition to more environmentally friendly paper stock in an effort to reduce our impact. It’s also easier to fold up and pop in your handbag or pocket… Double win!

GIRLS WITH ALTITUDE | 17

Thanks of course goes to the OTL team and board, our core funders Arts NT, and our wonderfully supportive families. Big love to our readers that have sent well wishes and words of support, especially over the last two years. And big, warm, gratitude-filled thanks goes out to the creators, makers and storytellers of the NT, because without them, we simply wouldn’t exist. So there it is. We are no longer ‘your free what’s on guide to the Top End’, but ‘your free what’s on guide to the NT’. What a wonderful way to see in our 15th year!

Jon STEVENS | 24

Go on, let yourself off the leash.

Kaleidoscope | 21

Tierney Seccull Managing Editor and Development Manager

Kate Conway Editorial Assistant

Sarah Novinetz Graphic Designer

OTL is proudly supported by

Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts & Hannah Muir Central Australian Contributors Off The Leash Inc. acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Got an event in the NT? Upload it for free!

S T R A T E G I C

Music NT throws open the doors to its new Centralian office! Photo: David Haigh

Build up clouds

LAST EDITION FOR 2021 CHRISTMAS CLOSURE

If you upload your event to offtheleash.net.au by the 5th, there’s a chance you could see it listed in our pages. Did you know we can only include events in our print magazine that have been uploaded to our website? This gives us permission to publish and makes sure we’re getting the right information, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

A C C O U N T A N T S

In 2022, OTL became a Territory-wide publication due to the generous support of Michael Sitzler, for all Territorians.

That’s the craic! @atasteofirelandshow

This special commemorative cover celebrates the first NT-wide edition of Off The Leash

Pink Dreams are Made of This opening with @piperkidd_

Jo Boniface, 'A Track to the Horizon', 2021, acrylic on paper, 90x90cm

For a shot at reaching our readership of over 30,000, upload today. Scan this code for a rundown on how OTL works!

WINNER '19,'20 & 2022 NT MEDIA AWARDS New crew – welcome to our new team member, Kate!

Best Magazine or Lift Out

Although all care isall taken in Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change. We recommend checking offtheleash.net.au for updates. Although caretoisensure takeninformation to ensure information in Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change. We recommend checking offtheleash.net.au for updates.

April 2022

FEATURE

OFF THE LEASH IN THE Northern Since 2007, Off The Leash (OTL) has kept locals and welcome visitors up to date with what’s happening across the Top End, through a monthly street press magazine and comprehensive website covering everything from art and music to theatre, film, festivals, and more. It’s helped to share the outcomes of ideas brought to life on a verandah, in a backyard or around a rickety kitchen table by creative Territory minds. And in exciting news, from this edition, OTL has expanded its reach to be Territory-wide. By Jess Ong

y r o t i Terr

here are lots of things to love about living in the Northern Territory. The vast, expansive skies, the patterns of red dirt decorating car doors, the sway of the Arafura Sea, the honking of magpie geese and the cry of the curlew, the opportunity for adventure, and most importantly, the willingness to take creative risks. There’s a vibrant and gutsy creative pulse in the Territory, and while you need a groundswell of people and their ideas to generate momentum, you also need that pulse to be circulated. Implementing a change as big as the Territory-wide expansion, in a place as sprawling as the Northern Territory, doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s a proud moment that’s been a little while coming for Tierney Seccull, OTL’s Managing Editor and Development Manager. “We are so happy to finally be here! It's something we've been working towards since I came on deck in 2019. There were a few logistical obstacles to overcome, especially with distribution – throw a pandemic in the mix and we had to cool our jets a little longer than we’d have hoped,” she says. “There will be teething issues as the year unfolds, so we appreciate the patience of our dedicated readers and new audiences as we navigate this exciting new phase.” In 2021, OTL engaged business consultancy firm IER, whose clients include the likes of Cricket Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and the AFL, to conduct a survey to measure the impact of the small not-for-profit organisation. This was especially exciting as it’s data that’s never before been captured. “The results blew us away. We’re so proud to see this expansion come to fruition, and recognise the important thread Off The Leash weaves in the creative and cultural fabric of the NT. We’re excited to see how much noise we can make moving forward!” According to Off The Leash’s Chair, Sally Clifford, the expansion was part of the magazine’s strategy for a number of years. Now that things are in motion, “we’re hoping it will encourage even more movement between Darwin and Alice to check out festivals, live music, theatre, dance, exhibitions and the unique offerings of First Nations artists and arts organisations,” she says.

This anticipation of movement up and down the track to support the

cultural and creative industries is justified. IER’s study found an estimated 182,000 attendances to creative events and activity were motivated in some way by OTL. Someone who’s proud to play a substantial part in OTL’s new direction is Darwin-based businessman, Michael Sitzler. Born in Alice Springs/ Mparntwe, he regularly travels back to Central Australia, and has personally chipped in to support the expansion over the next three years. Michael’s welcome contribution will specifically go towards engaging Central Australian-based writers, and support costs associated with distribution. “The Territory is intrinsically artistic and has a very unique way of demonstrating its art and culture, particularly as part of the world’s oldest continual living culture making it very specifically Territorian,” he says. “I’m proud to be a Territorian, and in my own way strive to ensure all parts of the Territory are linked and receive equal exposure to the Territory’s efforts and outputs. I see supporting Off The Leash to ensure it’s a Territory-wide arts publication as a good way of linking us all and hope you do, too.” The tentacles of OTL reaching into the rest of the Territory and connecting community through creativity is a sentiment eagerly shared by Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Chansey Paech. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, because it’s something I really believe in – we may be small in population here in the Northern Territory but we are big on talent and big on creativity,” he says. “Whether you’re wanting to visit one of our incredible Aboriginal Art Centres or bathe in glitter at the fabALICE Festival, the region’s creative industries sector is one of the most diverse and vibrant in all of Australia, matched only by the Top End and surpassed by none.”

Your calendar is going to be full to the brim with more creative excitement to juggle. You can get your hands on a physical copy of Off The Leash 10 times a year, while the website never sleeps. Now you really have no excuse to not know what’s happening in your backyard, both up and down the track! See you somewhere creative and colourful around the Northern Territory, soon.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US! As we embark on this exciting new journey, we thought it would be a great time to give you a bit of background about Off The Leash.

Our Team We are small, but mighty! Off The Leash is made up of three part-time team members. Tierney’s been the Managing Editor and Development Manager since April 2019, and works four days per week. Our new Editorial Assistant, Kate Conway, joined us mid-March and she’ll be on deck three days per week. Our Graphic Designer Sarah Novinetz has delicately put the magazine together since 2015, working casually during magazine production. This year, we’ve engaged the services of freelance writers Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts and Hannah Muir from Mparntwe, who have come on board to write about the juicy arts and culture coming out of Central Australia. And boy oh boy, is there a lot of it.

OUR IMPACT In 2021, we engaged the services of IER to conduct an assessment of the economic and social value generated by Off The Leash each year. In order to capture an accurate data sample, 300 respondents is the desired number. A huge 450 people took part in our 2021 survey.

Jo Boniface, 'A Track to the Horizon', 2021, acrylic on paper, 90x90cm

Our Winning Cover Artist BIG, HUGE, MASSIVE congratulations to our cover competition winner, Jo Boniface! We received a large amount of incredible entries from Territorian artists, many deserving of placement on our cover. A warm thank you to all who submitted their artwork, sharing their stories with us. We felt Jo’s work ‘A Track to the

Horizon’ was perfect for this special launch edition because it’s bright, bold and colourful. It contains similar colours to the Off The Leash colour pallet, and tells a beautiful story from the Red Centre to the Top End. It screams fun and party and happiness, and is the perfect vibe for our first NT-wide edition! Jo is a graphic designer and visual artist, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

My artwork is based on themes of aerial perspectives of landscape and places lived and travelled. I use colour, line, symbols and calligraphic strokes to convey movement and aspects of the natural environment. This work contains walking tracks, seedpods, Nightcliff Foreshore, the sea, the MacDonnell Ranges, a gate and the horizon. I love the feeling colours convey and the sense of rhythm in a line or brushstroke. I always aim for balance in my work. I lived and worked in Alice Springs for many years before moving to Darwin, which is now my home. - Jo Boniface

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL BENEFIT GENERATED

$11.26mil

TOTAL GROSS ECONOMIC IMPACT

$7.54mil

ES ATTENDANC TO ATTRIBUTED ASH OFF THE LE

182,000

GOT AN EVENT OR GIG TO SHARE? SCAN THE QR CODE TO FIND OUT HOW OTL WORKS.

LAUNCH PARTY Join the Off The Leash team for an Alice Springs Brewing Co. brew and some nibbles to launch the first ever NT-wide edition. With local talent on show, and some goody bags and magazines to take home, we’re keen to launch this baby with a bang! Special thanks to our Party Partners 8CCC Community Radio, Monte’s Lounge and Alice Springs Brewing Co. for their kind contributions. Let’s party! SAT 9 APR | 7PM | MONTE’S LOUNGE | FREE ENTRY | OFFTHELEASH.NET.AU 5

AROUND TOWN By Kate Conway

Easter Garden Party WHEN SAT 9 – THU 14 APR | 11AM Easter Saturday WHEN SAT 16 APR | FROM 10AM

AT COST INFO

CASUARINA SQUARE FREE casuarinasquare.com.au

Hoppy Easter

THIS EASTER, GET the family together and hop along to Casuarina Square – or Cas Square as it’s affectionately referred to – for free school holiday activities and Easter fun.

Award-winning kids’ favourite Yenz Entertainment hosts a magical Easter Garden Party for five fun days, complete with petting zoo, balloon twisting, colouring-in, crafts and more. Easter Saturday is chocK-full of

fun activities for the whole family, including an Easter Maze, Easter Egg Hunt, photo ops with the Easter Bunny and a jumping castle. Dress in your best Easter costume for the chance to score a prize. Centre Manager Polly Lamond says the team endeavours to create an environment that’s not just about shopping. “Casuarina Square is the heart of the community, a retail and

entertainment hub dedicated to the best of Territory life,” she says. “We strive to provide opportunities for the community to come out and have a positive experience in the shopping centre and build memories and traditions with family and friends.” There’s over $2500 worth of gift cards and retail vouchers up for grabs, so hop to it, grab your Easter bonnet and join in the fun!

By Tierney Seccull

Photo: Tymunna Clements – Launch Media

Couch Surfing 2022

WHEN AT COST INFO

CIVIC PARK FREE anglicare-nt.org.au | launchdarwin.com.au

COUCH SURFING 2022

Couch Surfing 2021

Since 2012, Anglicare NT’s Couch Surfing event – held annually each April to coincide with National Youth Week and National Youth Homelessness Matters Day – has brought the community together to raise awareness for youth homelessness.

WED 20 APR | 10.30AM-3PM

And with 28,000 young Aussies aged 12-25 years without a home to go to each night, the Northern Territory topping the list with the highest rates of youth homelessness in the country, it’s an important conversation that needs to continue. This month marks 10 years of the popular event, Anglicare NT again teaming up with City of Darwin’s LAUNCH Darwin, which sees people from a range of backgrounds hightail it down the road on, you guessed it, a couch.

Couches are sourced second-hand and fitted with secure wheels on their bases, perfect for high-speed racing. In the lead up to the big day, workshops in Darwin and Palmerston allow budding couch cruisers to design and decorate team couches with coloured paints, glitter, quotes and messages about their dreams. And boy, are these some good-lookin’ lounges. Local businesses have chipped in to donate funds and a swag of great prizes, with a chance to score big

for the race and best-decorated couch. With free entertainment, food and drinks, plus information from local organisations about what young people can do if they find themselves or a friend in crisis, it’s a light way to build awareness on a heavy topic.

agencies have more work to do,” he says.

Anglicare NT CEO Dave Pugh says, although they’ve achieved a lot of awareness of the event’s last 10 years, there’s still more to be done. “We as a community, network of service providers and government

So head along for a bit of fun and catch a couch race or two, all for a very good cause.

“Young Territorians need a strong start, stable family and support system, opportunities to learn, jobs, access to affordable housing and, importantly, hope for the future.”

LISTINGS

Tiwi Heroes: World War Two Encounters

Parap Village Markets Soak up the warm Territory atmosphere and hospitality at the Parap Village Markets, on every Saturday throughout the year – rain or shine! Sample the tantalising tastes of local and exotic dishes, catch up with friends, and wander through the markets to discover a bounty of local goods, including clothing, jewellery, art, crafts, and much more. The Parap Market experience is an essential part of your visit to Darwin, and a local favourite on the weekend routine.

WHEN EVERY SAT | 8AM-2PM AT PARAP VILLAGE MARKETS INFO parapvillage.com.au Open Gardens NT - Patto’s Place

Library & Archives NT (LANT) commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, with special exhibition Tiwi Heroes: World War Two Encounters. Tiwi Heroes combines historic objects, photographs, documents and video to tell the lesser-known aspects of World War Two in the Top End, focusing on the significant contribution of the Tiwi people to Australia’s defence.

bromeliads, orchids, hibiscus, desert roses and fruit trees.

WHEN SAT 2 APR | 9AM-3PM AT 15 STUCKEY COURT, HOWARD SPRINGS

COST INFO

The 2022 Open Gardens NT season officially kicks off this month at Patto’s Place! Every path leads somewhere different in this 30-year-old rural garden... After years of battling spear grass, weeds, white ants, cyclones, and bush kids, it’s a creative work in progress. Wander through open areas, eye-catching rockeries, fishponds, pathways, and arches dotted with statues. Take in the beauty of the

WORK SHOPS TACTILE ARTS WORKSHOPS tactilearts.org.au

LANT worked in close consultation with Tiwi advisers and organisations

You’re invited to unwind with a beautiful community sunset yoga session on Cullen Bay Beach. Bring your own mat and enjoy the cool breeze as the sun sets over the horizon, melting your stresses away.

$7 | FREE U18 facebook.com/ opengardensnt

Wild Women Open Mic Night The Wild Women Open Mic Night allows women to share prose on experiences of identity through the lens of being a daughter, a woman, a mother and beyond. This event coincides with jean claire Martin’s return to Larrakia Country to undertake a three-month artist residency at Tactile Arts, their exhibition, Reparation, exploring intergenerational memory in women and how it impacts individual identity.

WHEN AT COST INFO

It includes the story of Matthias Ullungura, who captured the first Japanese prisoner of war, Hajime Toyoshima, when his plane crash-landed on Melville Island. Ullungura found Toyoshima wandering through the mangroves, grabbed him and took his revolver, keeping watch over him overnight until Australian military personnel arrived.

WED 6 APR | 5-7PM TACTILE ARTS FREE tactilearts.org.au

Sunset Yoga at Cullen Bay

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 6 APR | 6PM CULLEN BEACH LAWNS $5

(EXC. SAT 16 APR) | 1-4PM

COST

$415 | $365 MEMB

Cyanotype Workshop Join Tactile Arts’ Artist in Residence, jean claire Martin, on the last day of their exhibition Reparation for this cyanotype workshop.

UNTIL AT

SUN 15 MAY

INFO

lant.nt.gov.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY LIBRARY

one day only! Jump on board the Casuarina EggSpress and find your way through the magical Easter maze to win instant prizes. Casuarina Square has joined forces with Hot100 for the first ever Fairly Good Amazing competition where three families get a chance to win up to $2,000. You’ve gotta be in it to win it!

WHEN SAT 9 APR | 9AM-5PM AT CASUARINA SQUARE INFO casuarinasquare.com.au

Free-Ze Skate

Battle of the Beers Victoria’s Moon Dog Brewery takes on Darwin’s Beaver Brewery in this epic battle of the beers. The breweries have selected their best beers to match with Hilton Darwin’s delish dishes, giving ticket holders the chance to both sample their hoppy creations and the power to vote for their favourites. Who will beer – er, be – the best? Head along to find out!

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 9 APR | 6.30PM HILTON DARWIN $99 facebook.com/hiltondarwin darwintickets.com.au

PALMERSTON LIBRARY

WHEN MON 4 – THU 14 APR INFO facebook.com/youthnt

palmerston.nt.gov.au/library Gaming After Dark Meet, connect, play. To kick off City of Darwin’s Youth Week celebrations, join Next Tier Gaming and Esports for an evening of fun! There’s heaps of prizes and snacks are provided. If you’re aged 12-17, head along for the fun. FRI 8 APR | 6-8PM CASUARINA LIBRARY FREE launchdarwin.com.au

One Day Shopping Festival Welcome the Dry season school holidays with exclusive offers, pamper stations, kids’ entertainment, events and much more for

WHEN EVERY SAT 2 APR – 14 MAY

This is the first time the stories of Tiwi’s heroes have been told on the mainland.

rlhf.com.au

NT Youth Week Celebrate NT Youth Week with a host of free events across the NT. The 2022 theme is ‘Our time is now’, showcasing how young Territorians contribute to their communities and celebrate their creativity, diversity and ideas.

WHEN AT COST INFO

Mid-Level Ceramics Wheel Throwing For Annie Gastin, ceramics is a constant discovery. This six-session workshop is ideal for people who have done a beginner’s class and want to extend their knowledge and have fun.

on this special historical exhibition, including Tiwi Land Council, Jilamara Arts, Munupi Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Association, Patakijiyali Museum and Muluwurri Museum.

Gadgets and Games Club WHEN EVERY TUE | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE Chill out in the coolest place in D-Town for NT Youth Week, with an evening of fun at Darwin Ice Skating. Young people aged 12-20 can spend some time on ice with mates – but don’t forget your hoodie and socks. Brr. It’s free to attend but bookings are limited, so you’d better get your skates on...

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 13 APR | 5.30-7PM DARWIN ICE SKATING FREE launchdarwin.com.au

Storytime WHEN EVERY TUE & THU 10-10.45AM

COST

FREE

Nurserytime WHEN EVERY WED | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

For a chance to see your event listed here, upload to our website. It's free!

Open to female-identifying people of all ages.

WHEN SUN 10 APR | 10AM-1PM COST $100 | $90 MEMB The Magic Garden Join Ingrid Gersmanis to learn hand-building techniques including the use of clay slabs, coils and plaster moulds, to decorate clay creations using impressions from natural and other found objects.

WHEN SUN 24 APR & SUN 1 MAY, 1-4PM | SUN 8 MAY, 1-5PM

COST

$285 | $260 MEMB

FESTIVALS

Sky COUNTRY There’s something very special about the landscape of the Red Centre. Its ochre-hues and rugged terrain, sun kissed by day and blanketed by stars at night.

Parrtjima, 2021

Revolving Kultcha, Parrtjima (detail), 2021

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 8 – SUN 17 APR ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK & ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE FREE, REGISTER ONLINE parrtjimaaustralia.com.au

This natural beauty is set alight with bold and beautiful colours this month, as Parrtjima – A Festival in Light returns to illuminate Alice Springs/Mparntwe over 10 glorious nights, the 2022 theme ‘Sky Country’.

of the constellations. They guided generations of Arrernte across their homelands. “We are thrilled to be able to shine a light on these stories and acknowledge Australia’s first scientists, first astronomers and first naturalists.” The Arrernte people are the Traditional Custodians of Mparntwe and the surrounding region, and parrtjima translates to ‘lighting up’ in the Arrernte language.

“To understand our connection with the universe we have always looked two ways: everything is written twice, once in the ground and once in the sky,” says AGB Events First Nations Advisor and Parrtjima Curator Rhoda Roberts AO.

Launching in 2016, and currently the only authentic Aboriginal light festival of its kind, Parrtjima was created to ‘light up’ Country and spark a sense of appreciation of, and connection to, the land for First Nations people, Territorians and welcome visitors.

“This year is a new exploration for Parrtjima. We know we are grounded as we step on the red earth, but with a new gaze upwards under the majestic night skies of Central Australia our Parrtjima thematic, Sky Country, is a discovery

The 10-night festival features incredible light installations, including the iconic Lighting of the MacDonnell Ranges, bringing modern-day technology to the 300-million-year-old natural canvas. First Nations art and

culture is showcased through bold artworks, beautiful performances, interactive workshops, music, film, and thought-provoking talks. This important festival on the national events calendar has drawn some big names, ARIA Award-winning Dan Sultan and Triple J’s 2021 Unearthed Artist of the Year King Stingray of Yirrkala in North-East Arnhem Land leading the music program. Hot on the heels of blowing audiences away at Womadelaide last month, King Stingray’s Yirrnga Yunupingu says the band is pumped. “This will be the first time for us playing in the Red Centre. Our dreams have come true! We can’t wait to experience the good vibes of Parrtjima and rock the stage with all the other amazing artists.” Over 10 starlit nights, you’re invited to embrace the desert, look to the skies, and treat your senses to this powerful and thought-provoking festival on Arrernte Country.

H C N U LA

Y T R PA PR, 7PM , SAT 9 A LOUNGE PRINGS) ’S E T N MO ES WE (ALIC .au T N R A P M et leash.n offthe

PARTY PARTNERS

By Tierney Seccull

Loveland – Deckchair Cinema Opening Night

Ivan Sen’s

Loveland

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 6 APR | 7PM DECKCHAIR CINEMA $17 | $13 CONC | $10 MEMB deckchaircinema.com

LISTINGS

NT Literary Awards

The NT Literary Awards have celebrated the unpublished work of Territory writers for decades across seven different categories including creative non-fiction, short story, poetry, essay, youth, theatre and flash fiction.

Ivan Sen on set with actor Ryan Kwanten

Kicking off the 2022 Deckchair Cinema season is Ivan Sen’s latest film, Loveland. Set in futuristic Hong Kong, it follows an assassin who falls for a nightclub singer. But as he falls deeper, his body mysteriously deteriorates. The award-winning director of Mystery Road and Goldstone is in town for this special screening. Tierney Seccull caught up with him for a chat. Can you tell us a little bit about Loveland and the inspiration behind it? It was my first holiday to Hong Kong, really. I went to Hong Kong and just felt the energy of the place – it just had a really big impact on me. I didn’t know at the time what I wanted to do, but I just thought I’ve got to write a film set here. It’s a pretty kind of futuristic place, so it was easy to think of it in a futuristic setting. For me, it also feels pretty romantic – the neon lights, the busy city, it just kind of went from there. That was a long time ago though, that was 2009, and so the story’s slowly evolved from that trip to Hong Kong. But that’s usually how I write things, I find the location and then I find the characters and kind of evolve it from there. So, when you’re thinking about where you might go for a holiday, does the fact that it could lead to

a story play a part in where you might go? Yeah, I guess I’m interested in going somewhere because it has some kind of attraction for me, and that attraction is probably more than just purely tourism, it’s something kind of deeper. I remember I went on a road trip in the southwest of the States after I made Beneath Clouds back in 2003 or four, and I stumbled across this little town near Area 51 in Nevada and I just thought “wow, I’ve got to make a film here”. That ended up being Dreamland … I think as a writer, as a director – or maybe just an artist – everything’s just connected, you know … You can’t separate the artist from the normal human being who wants to go on holidays [laughs]. And so Loveland is a futuristic story and setting, what drew you to science fiction? I think sci-fi is a very special genre, because it allows us to give an expression of where we may go in the future as human beings on the planet, or even in the universe. Because it’s in the future, there are no restrictions there, really. I think it’s kind of the ultimate creative genre because you have a blank canvas … To a certain extent, I had to create this futuristic Hong Kong. Although I really based it on the textures of the real place, I still had to create and ambience of the world of Loveland and it think that’s an attractive thing as a filmmaker. The film features Ryan Kwanten and Hugo Weaving, who both starred in Mystery Road – what was

it about these actors that made them perfect for Loveland? It’s a funny thing you say “what makes them perfect”, because sometimes you actually write roles for specific actors and you can’t get more perfect than that, really. [laughs]. I wrote Hugo Weaving’s character, Doctor Bergman, specifically for him and when he agreed to do it, it was a relief because I couldn’t see anyone else play that role. I kind of said “I can’t make this film without you, I wrote this character for you!” [laughs]. With Ryan, I first mentioned this film to him back in 2012 when we were shooting Mystery Road, and he was very interested in it. The screenplay wasn’t finished at that point, but I made that connection with Ryan a very long time ago, so when he read the script years alter, he was very keen to accept the role and to explore the film. There's so much that goes on in the film industry, and it's just so refreshing to have people like Ryan, Hugo, and also Jillian – they're just there for it, you know, they're there to make the art ... It's definitely not about the money, it's coming together and trying to create something, and possibly a little bit of change in the world in some way. It kicks off the Deckie season, and you’ll be in town to join us under the stars. How does it feel to have your film screened at the home of Territory cinema? It’s just exciting to get up there – I’ve never actually been there before. I’m just looking forward to being up there on Larrakia Country and getting the film out!

Winners of each category receive a cash prize, ranging from $500$1000, a one-year membership to the NT Writers’ Centre and a free master class, with all finalist submissions published in a special edition booklet. So if you’re a Territorian that has penned a masterpiece, submit it to the awards today.

UNTIL INFO

MON 16 MAY | MIDNIGHT lant.nt.gov.au

2022 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award The Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award celebrates the most significant historical book about the NT that was published in 2021. Have you penned a Territory themed masterpiece? Submit your work today!

WHEN MON 11 APR

Moana An adventurous teenager sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds.

WHEN SAT 2 APR | 10AM Scream The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody...

WHEN SAT 2 APR | 7.30PM Moulin Rouge A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young Bohemian poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club’s most notorious and beautiful star, the courtesan Santine, but she is coveted by a jealous duke.

WHEN THU 21 APR | 7.30PM

ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE COST INFO

$17 | $14 CONC/MEMB araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE

INFO

lant.nt.gov.au

Writing Picture Books with Johanna Bell Roald Dahl claimed that writing for children is harder than writing for adults, and local author Johanna Bell couldn’t agree more. Using a combination of writing activities, text analysis and peer editing, learn how to get the most out of a 500word story, work with illustrative narrative and maximise your chance at publication.

Delicious At the dawn of the French Revolution, Pierre Manceron, a daring but proud cook, was fired by his master, the Duke of Chamfort. Meeting an astonishing woman, who wishes to learn the culinary art by his side, gives him self-confidence and pushes him to break free from his condition as a servant and to undertake his own revolution.

WHEN MON 4 APR | 7PM

CULT CLASSICS AT DEC

Riders of Justice Markus returns home to care for his daughter when his wife dies in a tragic train accident. But when a survivor of the wreck surfaces and claims foul play, Markus suspects his wife was murdered and embarks on a mission to find those responsible.

COST INFO

WHEN MON 11 APR | 7PM

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 3 APR | 10AM-4PM HARBOUR VIEW PLAZA $135 | $100 MEMB ntwriters.com.au

$20 | $15 CONC/CHILD yourcentre.com.au

FOOD

DRINK By Hannah Muir

LOUNGE AROUND

AT MONTE’S Ah, Monte’s. The weird, wonderful, semi-carnival themed pub that is the iconic watering hole for most that have either lived in or visited Alice Springs. I’m in good company when I admit to being guilty for more than a few well spent weekends inside the spellbinding big top. Monte’s is far more than just a pub, though it does do that fabulously, too. It is also a place for the thriving arts community of Alice. Often hosting local music acts, burlesque, cabaret, choir and much more, Monte’s offers a stage for locals to support locals. A legacy built by the original owners and now inherited by Alice Springs Brewing Co., who took over as ringmasters in late 2019, just weeks before the global pandemic hit.

Kyle from Alice Springs Brewing Co. admits the timing has been hard, but they are committed to seeing it thrive once more. “We are long-term locals of Alice Springs and Monte’s has always been one of my favourite venues to go to. It’s been fantastic to have been passed the torch by Mulga,” he says. “The pandemic has made it hard, but it really is a wonderful venue to have. We obviously haven’t been able to do what we wanted to so far but we have been surviving, and things are starting to look good again.” Before throwing his all into Alice Springs Brewing Co., Kyle was responsible for booking artists at The Gap View Hotel. And, as a result, Alice has seen some big names you’d not normally expect to see in little ol’ Alice Springs. Ashanti and Ja Rule, anyone? As the pandemic dust begins to settle, Kyle can start to look ahead

and plan the near future of Monte’s. “There’s not a lot wrong with Monte’s, it has a great vibe and is a great place to have a beer, it’s just about getting it to its former glory”. On top of some cosmetic upgrades of which include the toilets (finally, I hear some of you say), talks with some exciting artists are also underway. “There is definitely an appetite for people to be out seeing shows again,” Kyle says. “As well as supporting local artists where we can, I’ve also been in talks with some very exciting interstate acts, too and I’m really looking forward to that”. So roll up, roll up, and head to Monte’s for a good ol’ time.

WHEN THU – SAT | 3PM-LATE AT 95 TODD ST, ALICE SPRINGS INFO monteslounge.com.au

facebook.com/ monteslounge

By Hannah Muir

DESERT BREWS really passionate about it,” he says. “I put a lot of work into the planning and had worked for some big breweries in the past, so I had an idea of how it could be done”.

EXTREME HEAT, EXTREME cold, extreme downpours, extreme droughts, extreme distances from everything. Life in Alice Springs has a lot to contend with when it comes to isolation and the elements, and quite frankly, it’s thirsty work.

And what better to quench the thirst of the collective desert palette than a locally made beer?

The aforementioned plague of extremes quite literally makes Alice Springs a brewer’s nightmare, but that has not deterred Kyle Pearson, who went against all sane and sound advice from his trusted friend Brian, who has 20 years brewing experience under his belt. “There were definitely lots of barriers at the start, but I was just

By 2018, Kyle had decided that the screaming need for local beer far outweighed the advice from his sensible mate and threw caution to the wind with a 50-litre pilot brewery. In true Alice Springs fashion, the project was thrown straight into the deep end with nothing but a keg full of hope to keep them afloat. And as it turns out, the gamble paid off. Alice locals have been burping in glee while Kyle’s naysayers sip their humble stout. Fast-forward a few years, and Alice

Springs Brewing Co. is going from strength to strength! In 2020, after a $200,000 investment into upgrades, the team welcomed new Head Brewer Jum Ryan who is no stranger to local brews, having been part of the Little Creatures early days. “He did 10 years at Creatures, both in Fremantle and Geelong, and helped them open up in Singapore. He’s just brought so much brewing knowledge and process.” Alice Springs Brewing Co. is now producing three times the amount of beer in the same amount of time that it used to. “That’s given us the capacity and ability to branch out to Southwest Queensland, South Australia and Darwin,” Kyle said.

Even though they are reaching far and wide across the country, with further and wider in their sights, Kyle is pleased to report that they have a strong local following as well. “We all know that people in Alice regularly drive long distances to go on holiday but complain about the 6km to the other side of town. When we were first starting, we had people asking, ‘how are you going to get locals south of The Gap?” he laughs. “But we’ve found ourselves greatly supported by locals, and we appreciate that.”

WHEN THU & FRI, 4-10PM | SAT,

12-10PM | SUN, 12-8.30PM

AT INFO

PALM CCT, ALICE SPRINGS alicespringsbrewingco.com.au facebook.com/aspbco

By Tierney Seccull

GeT Eggcited IT’S THIS TIME of year that a trip to the shops might accidentally land a bag of hot cross buns in your trolley, ready for a good toasting and generous smothering of butter. It’s also time for the camping gear to get pulled out of storage, aired out, ready for the first camp of the season. That’s right, folks, it’s Easter time!

for Easter

We’re talking mousse-filled chocolate eggs in milk, white and dark chocolate, and nougat nugget eggs and creamy bunnies. Mm-mm. They’ve got their vegan friends covered, too, with chocolates, eggs and bunnies on the menu. Sweet!

But before you scoot to the big supermarket chains for your chocky Easter eggs, why not give a little local biz a try?

Darwin Chocolate Factory started out making chocolates back in 2009 for the local Christmas markets, earning themselves a loyal legion of followers. They opened the doors to the first chocolate factory in Darwin in 2018 after a big life-changing event.

The bunnies and bilbies at Charlotte’s Web Darwin Chocolate Factory have hopped to it, crafting sweet treats for you and your family to sink your toothy pegs into this Easter.

“In 2017, we lost everything on our block to a fire – our house, our tourism business, all of our possessions. At that stage, we were looking for a change,” says owner Kirsty McInnes.

“So, in 2018, we moved our engineering business upstairs [at the warehouse] and started the chocolate factory downstairs, initially as a wholesaler. With the pandemic, we pivoted our business to include chocolate experiences, with tours, workshops and parties.”

So this year, instead of opting big brand names with flashy packaging, hop along to see the eggsellent folks at Charlotte’s Web. Charlotte’s Web Darwin Chocolate Factory

WHEN TUE – FRI, 10AM-3PM SAT, 10AM-2PM

13/17 WILLES ROAD,

INFO

facebook.com/

BERRIMAH darwinchocolatefactory

Pinkies Up at PepperBerry The china’s polished, the sweets are baked and the bubbly is on ice... It’s time to get a little bit fancy at PepperBerry Restaurant with this indulgent high tea experience! Tantalise your tastebuds with three tiers of delicious high tea fare from Hilton Darwin’s award-winning restaurant. We’re talking fresh sandwiches, sweet cakes, and homemade scones with Chantilly cream, jam, relish and chutney. Wash it all down with a selection of delicious tea and coffee, and a chilled bottle of Piper-Heidsieck French Champagne. Ooh la la. It’s the perfect excuse to get the gals, the guys, the gang together for a lil’ Sunday extravagance. Pinkies up! Champagne High Tea

WHEN EVERY SUN ‘TIL 24 APR 1.30PM

AT COST INFO

PEPPERBERRY RESTAURANT $139 FOR 2 | $169 FOR 4 facebook.com/ pepperberryrestaurant

Fri

18 April Fool’s Comedy Dinner

18 Giselle 26 First Folk’n Friday

Wed

7 Wild Women Open Mic Night 7 Sunset Yoga at Cullen Bay 7 Nurserytime 9 Loveland – Deckchair Cinema Opening Night

Calendar

Tue

See Performing Arts 18

5 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 18 Off The Rails Comedy 26 Jam Night

See Feature 6

Sat

See Music 26

Sun

22 Reparation (last chance)

10 6 Off The Leash Launch Party in Mparntwe

6 Easter Garden Party 7 Cyanotype Workshop 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 11 Champagne High Tea

6 Easter Garden Party 7 Parap Village Markets 7 One Day Shopping Festival 7 Battle of the Beers 7 Mid-Level Ceramics Wheel Throwing 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

2 Sat

26 Midnight Oil Resist Tour

7 Parap Village Markets 7 Open Gardens NT 7 Mid-Level Ceramics Wheel Throwing 9 Moana 9 Scream 18 Giselle

Sun

11 Champagne High Tea 26 First Sunday Blues

9 Writing Picture Books with Johanna Bell

Mon

APR See Visual Arts 22

6 Easter Garden Party 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 9 2022 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award (entries close) 9 Riders of Justice

See Books & Films 9

Tue

See Feature 4 & 5

6 Easter Garden Party 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 26 Jam Night

Mon

9 Delicious

7 NT Youth Week (starts)

Thu

7 Storytime 19 Top End Comedy’s First Thursday Showcase

See Performing Arts 17

See Books & Films 9

Fri

Wed

7 Gaming After Dark 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 17 Girls with Altitude 20 The Alice Prize (opening) 20 DVA Exhibitions (opening) 21 Transience, Traces, Transmutations (opening) 23 Light & Colour by Gaye Coyne (opening) 23 Colours From Country: Ochre (last chance) 25 The NEO Single Launch Cabaret & Concert

17 On by Circa

6 Easter Garden Party 7 Free-Ze Skate 7 Nurserytime 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

14 Thu

Wed

6 Easter Garden Party 7 NT Youth Week (ends) 7 Storytime 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 17 On by Circa 22 Transmutation (opening)

20 Tue

6 Couch Surfing 2022 7 Nurserytime

26 26 Come & Try Brass

7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 26 Jam Night

GOOD FRIDAY

15 Fri

7 Storytime 9 Moulin Rouge 19 Club Soda

Thu

6 Easter Garden Party 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 21 Kaleidoscope (last chance)

21 See Music 26

See Around Town 6

22 Fri

Wed

19 Club Soda 22 Soak Tumble Dry (opening) 23 Spectator Sports (opening) 24 Jon Stevens - The Noiseworks & INXS Collection

7 Nurserytime 19 Aunty Donna - The Magical Dead Cat Tour

EASTER SATURDAY

16 Sat

6 Easter Saturday

6 Easter Garden Party 7 Parap Village Markets 8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 20 Nigel Sense: Visitor Centre (last chance) 22 Transmutation (artist talk)

See Music 24

Thu

24 Jon Stevens - The Noiseworks & INXS Collection

7 Storytime 19 Graeme Lewis’ G-Spot Comedy 21 Transience, Traces, Transmutations (last chance)

EASTER SUNDAY

17 Sun

8 Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

Sat

11 Champagne High Tea

Fri

7 Parap Village Markets 7 Mid-Level Ceramics Wheel Throwing 19 Club Soda 20 DVA Exhibitions (last chance) 26 Blues, Gospel and All That Jazz 26 Flight Facilities with Cosmo’s Midnight

18 Tommy Little Live

See Festivals 8

Sun

11 Champagne High Tea

7 The Magic Garden

See Visual Arts 23

EASTER MONDAY

Sat

Mon

See Food & Drink 11

23 Light & Colour by Gaye Coyne (last chance)

7 Parap Village Markets 7 Mid-Level Ceramics Wheel Throwing 19 The Australian Burlesque Festival - Big Time Burlesque! 26 Rockaria The ELO Experience

Tue

Mon

7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 26 Jam Night

ANZAC DAY

AROUND TOWn Books & fILM Performing Arts YOUTH Visual Arts Food & Drink Music FESTIVALS

offtheleash.net.au

Although all care is taken to ensure information in Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change. Not all events can be listed on this calendar, so we recommend checking offtheleash.net.au for updates.

PERFORMING ARTS Photo: Nic Fenton

By Hannah Muir

Girls with

Altitude the expectations of women, and this show is a response to that.” While the show is an opportunity to highlight the usual nature of interchangeable roles for female performers, Annie hopes that the performers are seen in their full glory without the show being tokenised.

nternational Women’s Day may be done and dusted for the year, but we are far from finished celebrating our young female leads. They can lead a country, they can fight for the climate and they can certainly hold their own in a circus.

Australia’s phenomenal Flying Fruit Fly Circus tumble their new show towards Central Australia for one day only at Araluen Arts Centre. The performance, Girls with Altitude, features young female acrobats aged 8-19 years. The show is a spectacular example of

“Reflecting on the absence of boys should be secondary,” Davey says. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus was born way back in 1979 and has been consistently offering a platform for diversity ever since. Big and strong down the bottom, light up the top, bendy in the air, introverts juggling, extroverts engaging the audience

strong young bodies taking up the space that is rightfully theirs and encouraging others to do the same. The show’s director, Annie Davey, is passionate about redressing an imbalance of meaningful performance opportunities for young girls. By collaborating with Australian illustrator Judy Horscek, of Where is the Green Sheep? fame, she has created a work that explores the expectation society has on girls and offers new perspectives for the future. “Judy is a gentle and yet fiercely feminist cartoonist,” Davey says. “She really ruminates on flipping the narrative of female behaviour or

making them laugh – this circus is intrinsically inclusive. “What I love about circus is that hopefully any kid, in this instance a girl, can see this performance, see these strong and confident performers and think, one of those girls is like me. ‘That could be me. I could do that’,” Davey says. “It’s not often that young girls get to see strong, powerful women role models.” Girls with Altitude

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 8 APR | 1PM & 6PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE $25-$36 araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

ON by Circa

CIRCA CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS has earned its stripes as one of the world’s leading performance companies, wowing audiences from the far corners of the world with their high level of skill, contemporary format and thrilling creations. Challenging the traditional principles of what a circus is – with a big top, ringmaster and clowns – Circa has established a new genre of performance art, taking audiences to places that are emotionally challenging and different.

Under the careful direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, the company’s latest creation, On by Circa, is the perfect example of their unique work. “We’ve been making a lot of shows that have been great big acrobatic shows, with lots of bodies doing kind of cool-looking and complicated things. My feeling was that the time was right to make a show where we look

more at what happens between people – the beauty and complexity and difficulty of relationships and encounters,” he says.

“I feel like it’s easy to make circus that’s exciting, that’s full of skill and that looks good, and I think On has all of those things in it. But I also wanted to make a circus that moves people and makes them think – really makes them feel something.” An ensemble of seven extraordinary acrobats move to a score by Melbourne composer Jethro Woodward, their muscular bodies draped in striking lighting design by Paul Jackson. Lifschitz says the work was partly inspired by the pandemic. “We spent a couple of years elbow bumping and wearing masks around each other, and I was really interested in this axis of encounter,” Lifschitz says. “On has two different meanings that

particularly interested me. One is literally being on top of somebody, which is something we do in circus a lot, and the other is being sort of switched on or turned on – like when you turn the TV on or answer a phone call – you’re creating new circuits and new connections… It’s a show that I think looks quite deeply into how people are with each other. What is the experience of intimacy and connection, and therefore of the opposite?”

Photo: David Kelly Wide

By Tierney Seccull

Layering complex acrobatic sequences with sharp moments of close-up intimacy, the ensemble creates a stripped back circus of the heart that’s uncompromisingly bold and unashamedly athletic. Don’t miss it.

WHEN WED 13 & THU 14 APR | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$55 | $45 MEMB/CONC yourcentre.org.au

LISTINGS

Tommy Little LIVE CHEEKY AWARD-WINNING Aussie comedian Tommy Little has been doing the rounds across the country with his new live show. Now it’s Darwin’s turn to have a Little laugh.

looks like he’s worth the wait, the self-professed “little d-ckhead” breaking a box office record for the highest attended gig ever at Adelaide Fringe’s Garden of Unearthly Delights last month.

Nothing is off limits at a Tommy Little gig, as he divulges to his audience his real-life antics and setbacks that are foolish, funny as hell and absolutely of his own doing. Oh, Tommy.

Don’t miss your chance to be in on what everyone else is talking about, he’s here for one show only!

Hitting the Top End after his show was postponed from November, it

COST INFO

WHEN FRI 29 APR | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

$50 | $40 MEMB/CONC yourcentre.com.au

April Fools’ Comedy Dinner What better way to spend April Fools’ Day than with some local laughs and a great feed? Head to Hilton Darwin’s Grand Ballroom for an evening of non-stop laughter with Top End comedians Amy Hetherington, Danielle Andrews, Darren McCallum, Michael Connell and John Rawnsley, as you savour a three-course menu with drinks. Nice.

Giselle Romance, betrayal, heartache and the ultimate forgiveness. The story of a young maiden and her love for a Count in disguise is sure to have you at the edge of your seat. This iconic ballet is adored by many with its ethereal, ghostly maidens and the test of everlasting love. Full of passion and drama, this tale is sure to resonate within your heart as a classic favourite.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 1 APR | 6.30PM HILTON DARWIN $89 facebook.com/hiltondarwin darwintickets.com.au

FRI 1 & SAT 2 APR | 6.30PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE $38 | $34 MEMB/CONC araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

Off The Rails Comedy Off The Rails is going from strength to strength, and this month they’re dishing up four of the best comedians Darwin has

to offer. Head along for a night of laughs featuring Michael Connell, Kelly Gulliver, Garry O’Sullivan and Teghan Hughes, emceed by Ty Gray and backed by house band The Hey How Are Yas. Get giggly!

WHEN AT COST INFO

TUE 5 APR | 7.30PM

cabaret, dance and vaudeville, and served with a slice of magic, a twist of circus and a heady mix of comedy! Be lead into a surreal and magical speakeasy while enjoying a sparkling, critical mass of entertainment, with more than a few twists and surprises!

DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB $10

WHEN THU 21 & FRI 22 APR, 7.30PM

ty-gray.square.site

SAT 23 APR, 6.30PM & 9:30PM

Top End Comedy’s First Thursday Showcase First Thursdays’ Showcase brings Darwin’s finest comedians together for five-minute routines on a nominated topic/theme. Held at a favourite Darwin comedy haunt, the Happy Yess, the scene is wonderfully intimate presenting the perfect acoustics for stand-up. It’s like being in the comedian’s lounge room... Only cleaner!

WHEN AT COST INFO

DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

COST INFO

$45 | $40 MEMB/CONC

CENTRE

WHEN WED 27 APR | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$100 VIP | $60 yourcentre.com.au

Graeme Lewis’ G-Spot Comedy G-Spot Comedy brings you the best upcoming comedians in the Top End on the last Thursday of every month. Each month, get set for giggles galore with five hilarious comedians hitting that funny spot you never knew you had.

yourcentre.com.au

Aunty Donna The Magical Dead Cat Tour

WHEN AT COST INFO

THU 28 APR | 7.30PM THE LANDMARK $10 facebook.com/ gspotcomedy11

The Australian Burlesque Festival Big Time Burlesque!

THU 7 APR | 7.30PM HAPPY YESS $10 facebook.com/ topendcomedy

Club Soda

Club Soda serves up a night of refreshing and effervescent theatrical delight infused with

Aunty Donna exploded onto the Melbourne comedy scene in 2012 with a unique brand of surreal, fast-paced, alternative sketch. Now they’re heading to Darwin for a wildly entertaining night of comedy. While the rest of the world was falling to sh-t in 2020, Aunty Donna had their biggest moment with the worldwide release of Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun. Don’t miss seeing Aunty Donna bring their loud and energetic live show to the stage again.

Big Time Burlesque celebrates the golden era of vintage tease, sizzling cabaret and variety entertainment. Don’t miss this glamorous night of elegant classic tease and alluring modern burlesque that will dazzle, delight and stimulate the senses.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 30 APR | 7PM DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB $43 australianburlesquefest.com

VISUAL ARTS By Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts

ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

61 Larapinta Dr, AliceSprings | araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au DAILY, 10AM-4PM

The Alice Prize

Winner of the 41st Alice Prize, Thea Anamara Perkins, 'Tent Embassy', 2019, acrylic on clayboard, 40.5x30.5cm. Araluen Art Collection

NCCA

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art Vimy Lane, Parap | nccart.com.au WED-FRI, 10AM-4PM | SAT, 9AM-2PM

This year, the work of 58 finalists selected from 531 applicants adorns the Araluen Arts Centre gallery for the 42nd Alice Prize. Some will grab your eye with boldness, others with their technical execution. Some with their controversy.

WHEN SAT 9 APR – SUN 5 JUN

“The Alice Prize is like a special art-shaped treat that is only served in Alice every two years. It’s an opportunity for the Central Australian community to see the work of many prominent Australian artists that they may not otherwise have access to,” says one of this year’s judges, Lucy Stewart.

out $30,000 for the acquisition prize.

Expect to find colourful and playful works, some much-needed humour in dark times, and an increase in ceramic media – likely a result of the upcoming Ceramics Triennial in Alice later this year!

“It is also a levelling field where our top NT artists can be judged alongside their interstate peers. For the winner, it’s an opportunity to be acquired in the Araluen collection – over the years this has grown to be representative of nearly 50 years of Australian art.”

Not surprisingly, COVID is also a recurring theme in this year’s prize. We asked Lucy how the prize compared to other national prizes.

There’s some serious cash up for grabs, with the overall winner taking

As always, there are myriad mediums presented including painting, textiles, ceramics, photography, printmaking, digital media and more, with themes of home, place and landscape.

“Well, being Alice, it is unique and inclusive. Local, NT, interstate, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists all make it into the gallery. There is no invisible line to separate the elite interstate arts academy.”

OPENING FRI 8 APR, 6PM

AT INFO

ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE aliceprize.com

Of course, we cannot forget the backbone of this event, the dedicated volunteers and the vision that has kept it thriving for all these years. The 42nd prize is a clear indication that this event enriches our arts dialogue and marks the Centre as an arts-attracting community, overflowing with talented creative people. Get on down to Araluen. Don’t miss what the Centre and beyond has to offer.

DARWIN VISUAL ARTS 8 McMinn St, Darwin | dvaa.net.au

WED, 12–5PM (BY APPOINTMENT) | THU-FRI, 10AM-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Alison Worship, 'Eucalyptus alba', 2021, silverpoint on prepared wooden panel, 30x30x4cm. Mike Bowman, 'Fleur-de-lys Teaspoon', 2021, sterling silver

Silver Alison Worsnop & Mike Bowman Nigel Sense, 'Darwin Welcome Pack', 2022, acrylic on polyester fabric tent, 165x270x300cm

Nigel Sense: Visitor Centre

Darwin-based artist, Nigel Sense transforms NCCA into his interpretation of a visitor centre. In addition to newly-commissioned large canvases, the exhibition sees Sense experimenting with new materials as he paints Territory icons on eskies, t-shirts, plates, and a family-sized camping tent.

Showcasing a collection of mustsee places from the viewpoint of someone who has recently moved here, this is Nigel Sense’s very own Welcome to the NT Visitor Centre.

UNTIL SAT 16 APR

Jo Green (Art Educators of the NT), 2022, digital composition

Nurture

A Group Exhibition by the Art Educators of the NT This year, The Art Educators of the NT collect together to create Nurture – an exhibition exploring the realms of making and responding to all that surrounds us. Inspired by new and old ways of caring for and protecting inspirations as they take root, Nurture observes these narratives of cultivation.

Silver – a metal of ancient, magical significance – used for coinage, jewellery, tableware, mirrors and electrical conductors. It is also a Renaissance drawing medium, a silver stylus leaves an indelible mark on prepared ground. This exhibition combines Mike Bowman’s sterling silver jewellery and Alison Worsnop’s silverpoint drawings and other silvery works.

WHEN FRI 8 – SAT 23 APR

OPENING FRI 8 APR, 6-8PM

LOUISE DENTON PHOTOGRAPHY Darwin Waterfront | louisedenton.com SAT-THU, 10AM-5PM | FRI, 10AM-7PM

Kaleidoscope How does it feel to be opening your own gallery? Scary! [Laughs] But it’s something that I’ve worked towards for about three or four years. I was actually about to sign the lease in 2020 when COVID hit, so I delayed it for 18 months. I think now’s the right time, with tourism picking up.

The Summer Atmosphere

ELF-TAUGHT DARWIN-BASED photographer Louise Denton has been snapping the natural beauty of the Territory’s landscape for almost 15 years, her images immortalised on Top End walls, showcased in coffee table publications, and put together

and pulled apart in 1000-piece puzzles. Last month, she threw open the doors to her new gallery, celebrating the milestone with her first ever solo exhibition, Kaleidoscope. Tierney Seccull caught up with the talented photographer for a chat.

UNTITLED GALLERY AND STUDIO Unit 3/1 Clocktower Caryota Crt, Coconut Grove darwincommunityarts.org WED-FRI, 11AM–4PM | SAT, 10AM-12PM

And it’s always just been me running the business, and I don’t think I’ve had the confidence to run a gallery by myself. I’ve had some great staff helping me out over the last 12 months and now I‘ve got four ladies on my team to help out. You can get so bogged down by the day-to-day stuff – it’s very labour intensive with picture framing and mounting prints – but now I can divvy that out so I can get out and get creative. Did you ever imagine the humble Mindil Market stall you started 10 years ago would eventuate to this? No, not at all! When I think back to when I was living in the UK and just finishing up at uni, I would have never imagined I’d be doing

this in 15 years time, it’s just crazy. I started selling at Mindil in 2011, and opening a gallery feels a bit overwhelming, but exciting. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. What drew you to the Waterfront? It’s perfect. It gets a lot of visitors – locals and tourists – but I can see the sea from my shop window! I don’t think it gets better to be honest in terms of a picturesque city location. It’s a long, thin space, so it’s perfect for a gallery. You’ve been involved in group exhibitions in the past, and Kaleidoscope is your first ever solo exhibition. Can you tell us about it? It’s a celebration of the Wet season in Darwin – it represents the spectrum of colours that we get ... It’s for locals, in the sense that we love the Wet season, but it’s also for tourists to show them how amazing the Wet season is. So many of them only visit in the Dry and are a bit scared of coming in the Wet, but it’s beautiful and awesome. Visit in the Wet!

What is it about the Territory landscape that has captured your heart and your camera lens? I don’t know… I just love it. I can’t even put it into words. It’s just a feeling that I get, I feel the energy from it. It’s a landscape of extremes, so it comes from a bit of a sense of admiration. Everything here has adapted to live, from extreme drought to extreme flooding, but everything is somehow surviving. Is there anything else you’d like to say? I’m so grateful to the Darwin community that has supported my business and work over the years – I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. I’m so happy and appreciative. And I just love when people see a photo and share their connection to that landscape with me, so please, come in and have a chat!

Kaleidoscope - A Celebration of Darwin in the Wet

UNTIL

FRI 15 APR

CDU ART GALLERY

Orange 12, CDU Casuarina Campus | cdu.edu.au/gallery WED-FRI, 10AM-4PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Eve Pawlik & Elizabeth Martin, 'Transience, Traces, Transmutations', 2022, clay iron oxide vessels, various dimensions

Transience, Traces, Transmutations This exhibition by Elizabeth Martin and Eve Pawlik explores the fecund yet challenging dynamics of plein air art making during the monsoonal season. Settling in the constant mediation between decay and renewal, the artists’ collaboration explores these tensions between materials, between intention and outcome, between inhabiting and consuming, aiming to expose inherent human contradictions. Representing the feeling of familiar places in the landscape using sculpture, printmaking, textiles, video and drawing.

WHEN FRI 8 APR – THU 28 APR | OPENING FRI 8 APR, 6PM

Sonja Carmichael with ungaire, Minjerribah (detail), February 2020. Photo: Rhett Hammerton

long water: fibre stories

long water: fibre stories illuminates spiritual, ancestral, and physical connections to water through fibre practices of artists from Yuwaalaraay (North West NSW), Quandamooka (Moreton Bay QLD), Kuku Yalanji (Far North QLD), Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait Islands QLD), Yurruwi (Milingimbi Island NT), and surrounding homelands. This group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women share an inseparable relationship to water, be it the vast sea, inland waterways, or expansive river systems.

UNTIL

SAT 9 JUL

By Tierney Seccull

THIS EXCITING POP-UP group exhibition features the work of three photographers and a sculptor, exploring the Top End’s unique Wet season to create fantastic imagery that interprets our urban tropical lifestyle. Photographer Nicholas Gouldhurst says he created Soak Tumble Dry in 2021 to provide opportunities for photographers to get creative and exhibit their work. “I’ve been a commercial photographer for 30 years, I went to art school, and I really hadn’t had a show since then. It’s great to, kind of get away from thinking, and look at the environment around you. I just feel there’s a bit of a lack of opportunity for photographers to exhibit up here, unless it’s beautiful landscape or wildlife images,” he says. “Last year, I set a broad theme [of the Wet season] and put it to these photographers and they came back with much more urban imagery

– still related to the tropics – so it’s very much about showing a different style and different subject of photography. I’d love for this to continue as an annual event.” Showcasing their work in this exhibition in addition to Gouldhurst is local artist Steph Martin, and art and photography teacher, Lari Gadza. “I really like what Steph shows casually on Facebook, so I thought she’d give a very different perspective – I think she’s got a unique eye. Lari approached me at the last show and was interested in being part of it this year.” The first group exhibition was exclusively photography, but this year sees the inclusion of sculptures from Ioanna Thymaianidis. “Last year, a partner of one of the photographers brought in furniture and plants, so we thought it was a beautiful use of the space. Photography exhibitions are

Photo: Paz Tassone

SOAK TUMBLE DRY two-dimensional, so it made me think of how we could utilise the space,” Gouldhurst says. “I approached Ioanna and she was keen to be involved, and she also makes jewellery. She works with stone, local stone – it’s quite crumbly and she hacks into it with great enthusiasm!” A public program also coincides with the exhibition to include artist talks and workshops, held most days from 12-1pm to give people on their lunch breaks in the CBD the opportunity to get involved.

Soak Tumble Dry Exhibition, Opening Night 2021

“We also have a lounge area to encourage visitors to the public program and gallery to lounge and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and the exhibition.”

WHEN FRI 22 APR – FRI 6 MAY, 10AM-4PM OPENING FRI 22 APR, 6PM

SHOP 19/21 KNUCKEY STREET Nicholas Gouldhurst, 'Car Crash'

TACTILE ARTS

MAGNT

19 Conacher Street, Fannie Bay | tactilearts.org.au

Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher Street The Gardens, Darwin NT | magnt.net.au

TUE-SUN, 10AM-4PM

DAILY, 10AM-4PM

Reparation by jean claire Martin Jean claire Martin is a queer artist who was born on the land of the Dharug Nation, grew up on Larrakia Country, and is currently living and creating in Meanjin on the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera People. This journey sees a return to Larrakia Country to undertake a three-month artist residency at Tactile Arts. What was intended to be coming home to place, Reparation ended up being a coming home to themselves. jean claire Martin, 'Nana' (detail), 2022

UNTIL

SUN 10 APR | OPEN STUDIO & ARTIST TALK, SUN 10 APR, 2-4PM

Walking through a Songline marquee and digital installation. Image courtesy of the National Museum of Australia and Mosster Studio.

TRANSMUTATION

Walking through a Songline

BY IOANNA THYMIANIDIS

Follow in the steps of the Seven Sisters and immerse yourself in a Songline through this multi-sensory digital installation at MAGNT. Experience a space of light and sound where paintings come to life, stories are visualised, and ancient knowledge is shared in new ways.

IOANNA THYMIANIDIS HAS undertaken a site-specific residency at Tactile Arts, exploring beautiful and brutal fragments of waste mutating with nature. This exhibition is a close lens on the transmutation between the natural world and the human order. Ioanna has drawn on local flora and found materials to create a series of sculptures and wearable art using skills in lost-wax casting in recycled metals. WHEN SAT 16 APR – SUN 1 MAY | OPENING THU 14 APR, 5.30PM

ARTIST TALK SAT 16 APR, 10.30AM

Walking through a Songline is developed by the National Museum of Australia and Mosster Studio. Ioanna Thymianidis, 'Transmutation Spores Chasms Your Anatomy', (detail), 2022

UNTIL

SUN 26 JUN

PAUL JOHNSTONE GALLERY

ABORIGINAL BUSH TRADERS

Harriet Place, Darwin | pauljohnstonegallery.com.au

Shop 4, 19 The Mall, Charles Darwin Centre aboriginalbushtraders.com

WED–FRI, 10AM-5PM | TUE & SAT, 10AM–2PM

MON-FRI, 9AM-3PM

Light & Colour by Gaye Coyne COLOUR IS AT THE HEART of expression for Gaye Coyne. The works in this exhibition are no exception. Blocks of colour juxtaposed with texture present intricate, yet playful scenes. Barely recognisable, the images are colour ghosts of the original subject; present yet ephemeral. They are a tribute to light and the colour it brings, and how it gives our world meaning.

Gaye Coyne, 'Flowers on water', acrylic on canvas, 115x95cm

Geraldine Gamiritj, 'Garrawurra Cermonial Body Paint Design', ochre on board, Milingimbi Art and Culture

COLOURS FROM COUNTRY: OCHRE A COLLECTION OF WORKS from four Top End Art Centres – Marrawuddi Arts and Culture, Maningrida Arts and Culture, Milingimbi Art and Culture, and Munupi Arts and Crafts – featuring the use of ochre. Showcasing works on paper, bark, canvas and board this exhibition explores themes of ceremony, ancestral beings, animals and clan patterns and designs.

WHEN FRI 8 APR – SAT 30 APR

OPENING FRI 8 APR, 5.30PM

UNTIL

FRI 8 APR

Gaye Coyne, 'Flowers on water', acrylic on canvas, 115x95cm

WATCH THIS SPACE 8 Gap Rd, Alice Springs | wts.org.au WED-FRI, 12-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Alycia Bennett, 'Body Cam 1 Rug', 2021, wool tapestry

Spectator

Sports

Spectator Sports is a new solo exhibition from Alycia Bennett depicting bodies under surveillance, created through hand-tufted wool and acrylic carpets. The work contributes to conversations around surveillance and data-harvesting in the Northern Territory, with its long history of mass monitoring and control of its vulnerable populations, its data harvesting centres, its over-policing, and its historical significance as Australia’s birthplace of telecommunications.

WHEN FRI 22 APR – SAT 14 MAY | OPENING FRI 22 APR, 6PM

MUSIC

Jon Stevens The Noiseworks & INXS Collection WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 22 APR | 7.30PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE $75 araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

WHEN SAT 23 APR | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$69.90 yourcentre.com.au

Jon STEVENS fter a sell-out tour in 2019, Jon Stevens returns to stages around Australia to pay tribute to the legendary bands that catapulted him into Aussie rock royalty. An artist in his own right, with a successful solo career, he’s fronted iconic rock acts Noiseworks and INXS.

Recognised as one of the most formidable rock talents in his homeland of New Zealand and Australia, the rock legend brings his high energy and charisma to the NT for two huge shows in Darwin and Alice Springs. Tierney Seccull caught up with him for a chat.

You’ve been in the biz since the 80s – how does it feel to still be doing what you love? The seventies! I released my first record in 1979, so I just made it in! [Laughs] It’s awesome to still be doing what I love, and I love what I do. I’m way better now than what I was when I was 25 or even 35,

more life experience, you know?

You just don’t worry about things that used to worry you. You’re more enjoying the process of communicating with people on a level that’s been built up over a long period of time. They’ve grown up with you and you’ve grown up with them, you know, sort of like a mutual sharing of life experience. It’s so weird but it’s beautiful, it’s awesome. I had a cheeky gander at a couple of videos on your Facebook, and you’re belting out a tune but everyone’s singing along with you – you can tell there’s a shared energy there. Oh, big time. And obviously we’re on tour doing The Noiseworks & INXS Collection, so it’s all of the hits from those bands and that relentless picture of reminiscing, you know? People are just losing themselves in their own history and their relationship with that music, that

timeless music. And I get the honour and the privilege of singing those songs. It’s so much fun. At this age – I’m 60 now – I just don’t really buy into the bullsh-t and I just wanna have fun. I want everyone else to come along and have fun, too!

Well, I’d say that’s mission accomplished there. And this might be like asking who your favourite kid is, but of all the songs you perform in the tour, do you have a favourite? Oh, it’s hard to single one out. But obviously ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ is just one that the crowd, just – well, I suppose it’s the only kind of ballad we do. It’s really magical, that’s all I can say! We play it in the middle of the set, and it’s really magical, and then off we go again [laughs]. You toured the show in 2019, and it went down a treat with audiences across the country, but there’s been a little thing called a

pandemic thrown in the mix… Well, that’s right, so we never got to finish the tour. In reality, we’re actually just finishing the whole tour. So, when we finish this in June, I think, that’ll be the end of that. You might not see it again… It’ll be the last time you get to see The Noiseworks & INXS Collection. I’d really love to mention that we’re bringing with us the fantastic Sarah McLeod from The Superjesus. She’s touring with us all through the NT and WA, she is an amazing performer – a little pocket rocket – and just a wonderful vibe. I’d urge anyone getting a ticket or thinking of getting a ticket to make sure they see Sarah McLeod. She’s wonderful. We’re bringing it, that’s for sure!

Sounds like quite the gig! And you’re hitting the stage in Darwin and Alice Springs, any things on the to-do list? Oh, look, if I had the time, I’d love to go fishing. When I finish touring, I fish – that’s my jam!

Photo: Steve Kelk for Foldback Media NT

By Tierney Seccull

THE NEO’S NEW TUNE NORTH AUSSIE SEROTONIN stimulators, The NEO, descend on the Darwin Railway Club stage this month with a creative entourage in tow to launch their new single, ‘Out of Place’. The now 13-strong band formed in 1999 just before the turn of the millennium, their beginnings

perhaps a little… unconventional.

frontman Tim Sinclair.

“We had a big nude party! We got a bit passionate about it at the time because I remember someone got arrested for being naked going through the drive-through at McDonalds. I remember thinking, of all the things to be upset by, that was so ridiculous,” says NEO

“Jack (Tinapple) and I thought – you know what – it’s Darwin, it’s extremely hot at New Year’s, and it was the Millennium, right, so people were thinking planes might fall from the sky, maybe the whole international banking system will collapse, we’ll all be living in caves.

We just decided to enter the new millennium the way we entered the world. We’ll just be naked!”

internationally renowned animator Dan Hartney on a stunning fully animated film clip.

22 years later, the band is set to party with the release of single ‘Out of Place’ from their album 10 years in the making, FOTU – an acronym for Fear of the Unknown. The single explores fears of being manipulated and feelings of not belonging.

“It’s funny, Dan actually used to play bass with us – he was our first ever bassist for Nude 2000. He left us to go pursue an animation career in Melbourne. He’s now an international award-winning filmmaker, so I guess you could say things have turned out for him. It’s been awesome to be able to work on the film clip together, we’re very lucky.”

“I guess it seems like a dark concept for such an upbeat band, but we’ve always kind of tackled issues that we think are really important in a way that is almost celebratory and irreverent. But we have a good time and bring people together – people can be less afraid together.” In true Vaudeville style, The NEO hosts this wild cabaret night with some of the finest performance artists in the NT. Featuring outrageous and brilliant comedian Leah Potter, the sensational Rix Kix Dancers, dazzling and miraculous magician David Lim, and juggling comedy from Michael Connell, it’s set to be a big night on the Top End calendar. The band’s also collaborated with

For a huge night of music, dance, comedy, film and raucousness, round up your mates and get ready to make new ones as The NEO unleash their new tune. “Come out, have a good time and be together with friends. This is the best thing we’ve ever done.” The NEO Single Launch Cabaret & Concert

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 8 APR | 8PM DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB $16.50 facebook.com/theneoband instagram.com/theneomusic

By Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts

A Sound Community KNOW HOW YOU can tell a good community broadcaster? We listen to them and they listen to us. 8CCC Community Radio has a long history of broadcasting community events in the Tennant Creek and Alice Springs regions. In recent years, they’ve heard people’s desire to learn technical and media skills, eager to better present their events and share them widely. Recognising this shift in the market, 8CCC saw a natural progression to work with sound technicians. Now, after many grant applications and much planning, organising and thoughtful consideration, they’re excited to launch their newest initiative – an event production social enterprise. With these services, 8CCC offer full audio-visual (AV) productions to small-medium community events. They’ve hired experienced events

operator, Anders Pfeiffer, to come on board as their AV Production Coordinator, managing a team of experienced technicians and developing the next generation of young events professionals. These emerging “AV techs” will not only be paid, but will receive on-the-job and behind-the-scenes training. It’s an incredible opportunity for young people interested in the industry. What’s more, by having a senior and junior tech on each job, the team can deliver the best quality production to communities, affordably and accessibly. That right there is a massive win for the two regions. On top of all this, the station has purchased a stage, expanded their public address (PA) system, and invested in cameras to provide live streaming services to support

hybrid events, that is, multiple in-person events streamed online to come together. The station has really learnt from the pandemic and listened to the community. They’re using media technology to connect artists and events with audiences across the NT. It’s all pretty amazing! And while this is all incredible for our communities, it’s also a great enterprise for the station. All profits from these new event services go back into the organisation, supporting live broadcasting and the inspiring arts and culture involved. If you’re interested in utilising any of these services, get in touch via their website. A big cheer for 8CCC – the humble, enthusiastic and industrious broadcasters who not only share voices, but actively listen.

8CCC Supporting Desert Festival Live Broadcasting and DJ's

8CCC Community Radio INFO

8ccc.com.au

APRIL

GIG

guide

Come & Try Brass

OTL's quick and essential guide to live music in the NT.

Ever wanted to try one of the many instruments that make up a brass band? Now’s your chance at this friendly come and try session, where the kind folk at Darwin City Brass Band teach you for free. Rusty after not playing for a few years? Here’s your chance to reconnect with the wonderful world of brass and get involved in bringing music to the community. No booking required, just turn up on the day!

To find out more, head to offtheleash.net.au

/offtheleashmag

@OTLmag

#OTLmag

First Folk’n Friday The first ever First Folk’n Friday premieres at Happy Yess, showcasing the sounds of the irrepressible Gleny Rae, sensuous chanteuse Mathilde Mercadier, Katherine’s first lady of song Katie Oliver, local singer/songwriter Campdog – who’s let off the leash – and Michael Roseth’s klezmer tunes. Your hosts for the inaugural night are Deadly Darwin Comedians, Richard Fejo and James Parfitt.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 1 APR | 8PM HAPPY YESS

WHEN AT COST INFO

If you’re an Oils fan or keen to see one of Australia’s best bands of all time in their last hurrah, you don't want to miss this!

WHEN AT COST INFO

by eminent musicians, double bass player James Clark and drummer Rod Gilbert – the creative trio selling out concerts at home in Melbourne.

SAT 2 APR | 4.30-11PM DARWIN AMPHITHEATRE $149.90 ntix.com.au

The NEO Single Launch Cabaret & Concert WHEN FRI 8 APR | 8PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST $16.50 INFO facebook.com/theneoband

Joining Sedergreen on the night is Liminal State – a collaboration between a number of Alice Springs’ most skilled and creative musical performers. Head in early for the pre-show New Orleans Style Warm Up Party with piano players, Louisiana style gumbo and New Orleans inspired cocktails. Get jazzy!

$10 facebook.com/ topendfolkclub

Midnight Oil Resist Tour

Jon Stevens | The Noiseworks & Inxs Collection Tour WHEN FRI 22 APR | 7.30PM AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE COST $75 INFO araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

TUE 26 APR | 4.30-6.30PM DARWIN CITY BRASS BAND, 2 ABALA ROAD, MARRARA FREE darwincitybrass.band

Jimmy Lyell and Hugo Gruzman – aka Flight Facilities – are taking-off across the country, touring their highly anticipated sophomore album, Forever. Don’t miss this amazing night of tunes under the stars.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN SUN 3 APR | 3PM AT TRACY VILLAGE SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB

COST INFO

GOLD COIN DONATION facebook.com/firstsunday blues

SAT 23 APR | 6PM DARWIN AMPHITHEATRE $89.90 ntix.com.au

Rockaria The ELO Experience This captivating live concert recreates the unforgettable sound of Jeff Lynne’s The Electric Light Orchestra. Be transported back to the heady hits of the 70s and 80s in this tribute concert.

WHEN SAT 30 APR | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

Jam Night WHEN EVERY TUE | 8.30PM AT NIRVANA COST FREE INFO nirvanadarwin.com.au

Want a chance to get your gig listed here? Upload to our website!

CENTRE

WHEN SAT 23 APR | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$69.90 yourcentre.com.au

Photo: Paolo Randazzo Photography

Blues, Gospel and All That Jazz Back by popular demand is charismatic jazz, blues and gospel pianist, Steve Sedergreen. He’s joined

COST INFO WHEN AT COST INFO

$63-$69 yourcentre.com.au

SAT 23 APR | 6.30PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE $46-$55 araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

Flight Facilities with Cosmo’s Midnight Australia’s favourite high-flyers

JAM NIGHTS AND OPEN MIC Enjoy a couple of cold drinks and embrace the atmosphere of local live music at this local favourite live music event.

Battle of the School Bands SINCE 2009, NT MUSIC SCHOOL has given young musicians from NT schools the chance to showcase their talents through the annual Battle of the School Bands competition.

2019 winning band Open Scars

The highly anticipated competition allows young performers to flex their live performance muscles, an opportunity that is a first for many participants, with the overall

winners going on to share the stage with some big names at the annual BASSINTHEGRASS Music Festival. There are a range of categories including Band, Soloist/Duo, Best Song, Encouragement Award, Best Bio Video and the People’s Choice Award. Head to the Rails and treat your ears to some of the freshest young talent the Territory has to offer!

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 29 APR | 6.30PM DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB GOLD COIN ntms.net.au