Off The Leash - August 2023

AUGUST IS HERE. I’m going to be very well-behaved and go to bed early every night and save my money and who am I kidding I’m up for a biggy this month.

There’s a buzz of activity around the Territory, but it is without a doubt the busiest time of the year up in the Top End as some of this country’s most exciting national events roll out – particularly with regard to our First Nations culture, which I'm dedicating most of this letter to.

One of the beautiful, celebratory events we very much look forward to each year is the beloved Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF). Back for a 17th year, DAAF presents three glorious days filled with art, culture and connection, giving artists from Art Centres all over Australia the chance to come together on Larrakia Country to share their works, their stories, their practice, and to reconnect with friends, old and new.

Also under the DAAF Foundation umbrella comes this country’s most exciting First Nations fashion events. Culture hits the catwalk in Indigenous Fashion Projects' ever-popular Country to Couture fashion show, and excellence in textiles and design is acknowledged at the 2023 National Indigenous Fashion Awards. My eyes are oh so ready for this bounty of beauty.

You should also prep your peepers for a visual feast

of art, as a swag of exhibitions showcase traditional and contemporary Indigenous works.

Celebrate Tiwi culture with Munupi Art and Crafts Association and Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association, as the Art Centres present Kurrujupunyi (Ochre Colours) –my hot tip is to go to the opening event to experience a traditional yoi, it’s one of my absolute favourites. SALON des Refusés returns to celebrate a decade of art – yes, a decade! – with the first ever People’s Choice Award plus a further four SALON Art Projects exhibitions. And, of course, there’s a little thing called the Telstra NATSIAA. Told you. Feast.

Indigenous music’s night of nights returns, as the National Indigenous Music Awards celebrate Australia’s thriving First Nations musical landscape, under the stars at Darwin Amphitheatre.

And of course, Darwin Festival rolls out the good times, this year under the artistic direction of Kate Fell, her first program at the helm. Delight in 18 days and nights of fun and then some, thanks to an extended season of Maho Magic Bar and Blanc de Blanc Encore. So good.

I bid you Godspeed with the planning this month... Rip out our centre-fold calendar, grab a pen and mark up your happy August days. You’re in the right place.

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.

Tierney Seccull Managing Editor & Development Manager

Kate Conway Editorial Assistant

Danny Crichton Graphic Designer

Betty Sweetlove & Jenna Hoare

Contributing writers

Cover proudly sponsored by Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Cover image: Claude Mowaljarlai, 'Freshwater Dreaming', 2023, natural ochre & pigment on canvas, 125x130cm

OTL's Danny & Kate enjoying a rooftop bev Corben Mudjandi does Sicily! @marrawuddi

Red Centre delivery legend Kevron from @8cccradio

Since 2007, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) has drawn locals and visitors, both online and in person, from across the country and around the world to celebrate First Nations art, design, fashion and culture.

By Kate Conway

Creative CULTURE

LAST YEAR’S EVENT was a record-breaking affair with 77 Art Centres presenting more than 8,000 artworks generating millions of dollars in revenue. This year, DAAF shows no sign of slowing down, and returns to light up Larrakia Country with a jam-packed public program and exciting new extended layout.

Ursula Raymond is Chair of DAAF Foundation’s (DAAFF) Board, and this year marks her first Art Fair in the role. She says the record-breaking success is a shining reflection of the driving forces working behind the scenes.

“I have to acknowledge the hard work of the team, led by the Executive Director Claire Summers and Artistic Director Shilo McNamee – they’ve been the backbone of DAAF. The previous Chair, Franchesca Cubillo, who was the chair for 11 years, provided great stability to the DAAFF business,” she says.

“They’re pretty big shoes to fill. It’s a privilege for her to pass the baton on to me.”

The vibrant public program of masterclasses, workshops and performances takes place over three huge days, transforming Darwin Convention Centre into a thriving hub brimming with culture and tradition.

From dance performances by Munupi Arts & Crafts Association and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Peppimenarti Dancers and Numbulwar’s Red Flag Dancers, to children’s activities and weaving presented by Anindilyakwa Arts, there is something for everyone.

Talented artists generously share their knowledge and expertise in artist talks and demonstrations, and DAAFF Artistic Director Shilo McNamee says fresh faces showcase their talents on the masterclasses program.

“I’m excited to have artists from the Torres Strait coming over and presenting workshops … In previous years, we’ve had dance troupes from the Torres Strait – and they’re incredible, wonderful, big performances with lots of colour in their costumes – but this year, they focused on bringing artists over to do the workshops,” she says.

“Joey Laifoo is doing a screen-printing workshop, and James Ahmat Senior from Badu Island is doing his pearl shell pendant creations, so people will be able to get a ticket to that workshop and make their own shell pendant.”

The demonstrations were introduced last year, and activating outdoor

spaces created an opportunity to shine a spotlight on creative processes.

“We wanted to elevate [the demonstrations] to centre stage, and have a place where artists could be relaxed and really show people what they’re working on. It’s kind of like an open studio – people can watch artists create their work in real time, and see other examples of what the artists make,” McNamee says.

Another benefit of the extended layout is new addition, DAAF Meeting Place, a relaxed outdoor food court featuring tasty tucker and beverages from a range of stall holders to provide a welcoming, usable and relaxing space for Fair-goers.

DAAF makes up part of a formidable entourage of events celebrating First Nations culture and creativity on a national scale in the NT this month, joined by Garma Festival, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, National Indigenous Music Awards, and SALON Art Projects.

Indigenous Fashion Projects’ highly regarded events, Country to Couture and National Indigenous Fashion Awards, kick off DAAF festivities, and for the first time, the public is invited to the Opening Ceremony to meet with exhibitors and sneak a peek at the covetable artworks.

Art Centres are represented from around the country, from the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara desert lands to the rugged coastlines of Arnhem Land. DAAF offers visitors the chance to ethically purchase artworks with the knowledge that all proceeds go directly back to artists and their communities.

Continuing the successful hybrid format introduced last year, DAAF’s popular digital component returns online to ensure no one misses out.

Fusing the bright showcase of First Nations art with an engaging public program, DAAF is widely regarded as the only national event of its calibre. Raymond encourages attendees to soak up the culturally immersive atmosphere and take the unique opportunity to learn from the artists first-hand.

“I hope they get joy. I hope they get to realise the hard work that goes into everybody’s art practice, I hope that they get to learn something new, and I hope that they take the time to sit down and talk to the artists and learn about them.”

2022 DAAF Opening Ceremony Performance by Abai Sagulau Buai Dance Team from Badu Island, Torres Strait. Photo: Dylan Buckee 4

Behind the Cover

THE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK gracing our cover this month is by Claude Mowaljarlai from Kira Kiro Artists, based at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts on Miriwoong Country in Kununurra. Born and raised in Derby, Western Australia he learned to paint watching his Ngarinyin lawman father record culture through art. His paintings display cultural beliefs, incorporating various incarnations of Wandjina – cloud and rain spirits.

“There is a regular need to paint Wandjina as a part of renewal and maintaining the health of the environment. This painting, 'Freshwater Dreaming', is involved in the renewal and replenishment of the freshwater rivers, creeks and billabongs. The health of these bodies of water is essential to the environment and the health of the people and their Country.” – Claude Mowaljarlai.

on the Catwalk Culture

Art, fashion and culture collide on the catwalk, as Indigenous Fashion Projects’ (IFP) Country to Couture and National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) return to showcase

INFO waringarriarts.com.au

2023 Public Program

Check out the vibrant public program running alongside DAAF, and be immersed in traditional dance performances, artist masterclasses and talks, material demonstrations, children’s activities, and more! All events free unless otherwise noted.

DAAF Opening Ceremony

Welcoming artists and Art Centres, this dynamic celebration kicks off three days of Art Fair fun. Previously an invite-only soirée, this year members of the public are invited to experience this special event.

WHEN THU 10 AUG | 5.30-8.30PM

COST $75

CHILDREN’S EDUCATION SPACES

Workshop with Artists from Anindilyakwa Arts

WHEN FRI 11–SUN 13 AUG 10.30AM-2PM

Mini Workshop with Darlene Devery

WHEN FRI 11–SUN 13 AUG 10AM-3PM

ARTIST

MASTERCLASSES

Ghost Net Weaving with Jimmy Thaiday, Erub Arts

WHEN FRI 11 AUG | 11AM-2PM

Seed Jewellery Making with Ikuntji Arts

WHEN FRI 11 AUG | 11AM-2PM

Watercolour Painting with Iltja

Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre

WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 11AM-2PM

Weaving with Regina Wilson, Durrmu Arts

WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 11AM-2PM

Pearl Shell Pendants with James Ahmat Senior, Gab Titui (Badu Island)

WHEN SUN 13 AUG | 11AM-2PM

Screen printing with Joey Laifoo, Gab Titui (Badu Island)

WHEN SUN 13 AUG | 11AM-2PM

COST $95

MATERIAL DEMONSTRATIONS

Printmaking with Solomon Booth from Moa Arts and Joey Laifoo from Gab Titui (Badu Island)

WHEN FRI 11 AUG | 11.30-1.30PM

DAAF Meeting Place

Relax outdoors, refuel with tasty tucker and beverages from a range of local stalls, and take in the sights and sounds of DAAF’s public program.

WHEN FRI 11 – SUN 13 AUG

Carving with James Ahmat Senior from Gab Titui (Badu Island)

WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 11.30-1.30PM

Weaving with Regina Wilson from Durrmu Arts and Jimmy Thaiday from Erub Arts

WHEN SUN 13 AUG | 11.30-1.30PM

CULTURAL PERFORMANCES

Peppimenarti Dancers

WHEN FRI 11 AUG, 11-11.30AM SAT 12 AUG, 3-3.30PM

Munupi Arts & Crafts Association and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association

WHEN FRI 11 AUG | 2-2.30PM

Red Flag Dancers

WHEN SUN 13 AUG | 12.30-1.30PM

THIS YEAR’S COUNTRY to Couture event is the largest ever, a record 22 collections hitting the runway across two shows, showcasing a wonderful mix of talent from emerging designers and exciting collaborations, established labels and designers, with plenty of local and regional talent.

“We're going to see lots of new, vibrant and earthy textile prints in a range of styles – from funky streetwear to elegant and intricate couture pieces. There are some really beautiful and fun pieces,” IFP Manager Michelle Maynard says.

Featuring works from remote community Art Centres including Ikuntji Artists, Anindilyakwa Arts, Bábbarra Women’s Centre and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, the shows seamlessly blend Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary fine art with high end fashion.

The NIFA acknowledge excellence across six award categories including business, fashion design, community contribution and traditional elements. This year, there are 66 nominees on the shortlist, the record-breaking number evidence of the expanding practice of First Nations fashion and textile design.

“There's an excitement, there's a buzz of energy and increasing confidence to nominate, be proud and be recognised for the beautiful and important work people are doing,” Maynard says.

“As a national award program, the NIFA have a wonderful, very grassroots accessibility to it, whether you reside in the bigger cities or in one of our remotest communities. It's what the NIFA are about, acknowledging, showcasing and sharing in celebrating the excellence of our First Nations fashion and textile design from right across our country.”

If you’re a fashion fanatic or love Indigenous art and design, witness the exciting unveiling of vibrant new collections first hand and celebrate the thriving First Nations fashion industry.

Country to Couture

WHEN TUE 8 AUG | 5PM & 8PM

AT DARWIN CONVENTION CENTRE COST $40-$85

National Indigenous Fashion Awards

WHEN WED 9 AUG | 6-8.30PM

AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA

COST $25

TOP: Claude Mowaljarlai

RIGHT: 'Freshwater Dreaming', 2023, natural ochre & pigment on canvas, 125x130cm

Images courtesy Kira Kiro Artists

Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts in collaboration with Aly De Groot Art, Country to Couture, 2022

Photo: Dylan Buckee

Festive Fell

Can you feel the buzz in the air? The time to lock in those dates with mates and to set that likely-toblow-out ticket budget is here, as you’re invited to embark on 18 magical days and nights of the biggest arts and culture event on the Territory calendar.

By Tierney Seccull

DARWIN FESTIVAL

RETURNS this month to entertain and delight, presenting a diverse program with all the usual suspects including comedy, music, visual arts, theatre, dance, family events, and more. It’s also got some not-so-usual suspects.

The Japanese-inspired Maho Magic Bar takes up residence on Festival Lawns in front of Parliament House, a neon-lit, pop-up home to magicians and swoon-worthy concoctions. Beside it sits The Spiegeltent – returning much to your delight! – brought to life each night by hit cabaret show, Blanc de Blanc Encore.

For almost three weeks, the creative vision of Kate Fell materialises in her first program as Artistic Director – a vision that has been curated with care. And a healthy dose of pressure.

“There’s a quote I love by tennis legend Billie-Jean King that says, ‘pressure is a privilege, it only comes to those who earn it’. I love that this festival, that is so loved with such a long history, has put this kind of pressure on me. You really pour your heart and soul into it.”

Being completely new to a community and taking the reins of an established beast of a festival machine is no easy task. But when the program launched in May, the reception was, well, lovely.

“When the Festival program came out ... it was amazing. Members of the community would come up to me and share what they were planning to see. Seeing them respond to it and what they are booking tickets to, it’s just amazing.”

white English family and raised in the United Kingdom. Multi-awardwinning playwright, Mary Anne Butler, greatly contributes to the theatre program with her powerful work CUSP, and MarketMarket sees an entourage of some of our most formidable creatives come together in honour of the Rapid Creek Markets.

We’re well repped in music, too, with performances from Ripple Effect Band, David Spry and family, Darwin Symphony Orchestra and Arafura Music Collective, plus local legends are featured heavily on the line-up at The Rails. Then there’s the incredible visual arts program, with exhibitions and events held across our tropical city.

Space, featuring seven acrobats in a gravity-defying hour of physical power. The elite performance company connects with local arts organisation Corrugated Iron Youth Arts for workshops while they’re in town – you can only imagine the impact of meeting professional creatives will have on young, inspired minds.

Darwin Festival

WHEN THU 10 – SUN 27 AUG

INFO darwinfestival.org.au

“People in this community are so invested in this festival, and there is a pressure to that, but in a really good way,” she says.

So, what Festival frivolity can you get up to this year? A legacy that remains firmly in place is local representation, as Territorians make up 65 percent of the program.

NT Dance Company’s The Other Side of Me is the true story of a young NT Aboriginal man, adopted by a

On the flipside, the cultural experience of Terrirorians is enriched by the opportunity to observe creativity from lands beyond our borders. Enjoy performances from Opera Australia, Regurgitator, The Whitlams Black Stump Band, DJ Groove Terminator & Soweto Gospel Choir, and Katie Noonan.

Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths presents A Simple

The festive atmosphere is spread across 28 venues, including the undisputed heart of the action Festival Park, with a third of the program free to attend. It’s a huge operation to deliver an event of this size and calibre, all put together by a highly dedicated and hardworking team. According to Fell, it’s all for very good reason.

“I hope that, when people come to the Festival, they experience an overwhelming sense of joy. I’m a very optimistic person, and I know there’s a lot going on in the world … but there are these 18 nights in August where we invite you to come together, to feel a sense of connection and belonging, and to come away with a sense of joy.”

Kate Fell

Photo: Connor Askham

THIS MONTH, MUNUPI Art and Crafts Association and Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association join forces to present Kurrujupunyi (Ochre Colours), a beautiful exhibition that celebrates Tiwi art, and the colours and processes used to create them.

Ochre is the medium of choice on the Tiwis, the colour transformed by applying heat. Yellow ochre is burned to create red ochre, and both can be mixed with white and black clay to create a vibrant variety of hues. Munupi Arts Manager Guy Allain says the artists can get quite creative with the colours.

“They’ve been experimenting forever with the ochre … They put a little bit of red into the white and get pink, they put a bit of black into the yellow to get greens, or black into white to get greys.”

The result is a striking variety of contemporary and traditional works by established and emerging artists.

This special showcase of Tiwi art and culture is an annual highlight on a national scale, included as part of the Darwin Festival program. The opening event is a huge celebration as Tiwi artists perform a ceremonial yoi – a traditional dance. Allain says it’s something the artists look forward to each year.

“They're always excited by the Tiwi show. For the Munupi artists, it’s the highlight of the year. We’ve been doing it for 10 years, so that’s very exciting – you could call this year our 10-year celebration!”

Jilamara Arts Manager Will Heathcote agrees it's important the artists make the annual trip across the sea.

KURRUJUPUNYI ochre colours

By Tierney Seccull

The artists of Melville Island on the Tiwis create their works using a simple palette of red, yellow, black and white. Even with this limited selection, they’ve been able to create a broad mix of exciting works.

“What we really noticed, when events like this weren’t happening during COVID, is that they are a great space for people coming together from remote communities,” he says.

“Obviously, Jilamara and Munupi are on Melville Island, but to be part of a broader Darwin program around the Darwin Festival ... It creates this kind of public forum where artists from the community can come together to share their culture, but also the contemporary artworks that they’re making.

“One of the greatest celebrations of these kinds of events is that the artworks are a testament to ancient living culture, and culture that’s still alive. But the artworks are contemporary artworks in their own right, as well.”

Drawing from rich traditions, artists continue to use their powja in their arts practice – a traditional Tiwi painting comb used to press ochres onto the surfaces of canvas, barks and sculptures. The artists themselves even become canvases, as jilamara in Tiwi means the action of painting, but also body paint design. Heathcote says Tiwi creation is all connected.

“Pedro Wonaeamirri, one of our artists, always says 'the song connects to the dance, connects to the jilamara, connects to the art that we make'. You can see the performative foundations of Tiwi work – visitors to Darwin will see all the artists painted up in ochre, performing ceremonial yoi, with all of that body ornamentation which develops into the art that they make as well.”

Don't miss this incredible celebration and showcase of Tiwi art and culture. It’s very, very special.

How It All Began Tiwi Textiles and Print

DELVE INTO THE rich history of Tiwi art and design this month, as Library and Archives of the Northern Territory (LANT) presents How it all Began: Tiwi Textiles and Print, a vibrant exhibition that includes the launch of an exciting book that shares the story behind the birth of an art movement.

In the late 1960s, Bede Tungutalum and the late Giovanni Tipungwuti co-founded the Tiwi Design art workshop at Wurrumiyanga (then Nguiu) on Bathurst Island. The artists were pioneers in early experimentation with woodblock and linocut prints, that evolved into silk screen designs for fabric and artwork, now synonymous with the Tiwi region.

Diana Wood Conroy was an artist and project officer, dispatched by the Australia Council to work with the artists as one of the first round of art advisors.

“There was a real sense under

the Labor government that things were changing. The Aboriginal Art Board was set up by Whitlam with Aboriginal people on it in 1973 … they were able to have a huge say in this emerging arts movement,” she says.

“In the 1980s, it all exploded with international exhibitions. It was the beginning.”

Tiwi Textiles: Design, Making, Process is a book that combines research and scholarship, from art historians and anthropologists, with extracts of Conroy’s personal journals and oral testimony from Tungutalum. It offers a first-hand account of a formative moment in First Nations art history.

Spanning 50 years, the exhibition is filled with lino prints, woven tapestries, watercolour paintings and brightly coloured screen prints, showcasing the multifaceted artforms that make up the fabric of Tiwi art and design.

By Kate Conway

“Some of the images in the exhibition were done by Bede and Giovanni when they were only 17. The imagery grew from mission-inspired, more representational work, to taking on board the great abstract and symbolic traditions of Tiwi art,” Conroy says.

“Out of that, we get the current Tiwi design and all the wonderful things that are happening. I hope people can see that something like silk screen design, which seems imported into the Tiwi, was actually made entirely Tiwi, by them.” UNTIL

Bede Tungutalum with Diana Wood Conroy, 'Blue Circles', 1974, screen print on calico, 1.6x1.34m

Salon, 10 Years On

GALLERY 5 24 Garden Hill Crescent, The Gardens | salonartprojects.com.au WED-SUN, 10AM-5PM

IF YOU’D HAVE told Matt Ward and Paul Johnstone that a little spin-off art exhibition they started in 2013 would still be going strong a decade later, they probably wouldn’t have believed you. But through their utter tenacity and the fight to give Aboriginal artists and their work the recognition they deserve, the SALON des Refusés has only grown in size. And reputation.

Created to showcase artists who had works submitted to, but not accepted for, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards (NATSIAA) at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, the SALON des Refusés has become a highlight on the national arts calendar, attracting audiences and collectors from across the country, even the world.

“We started it to push the conversation about the NATSIAA, and why works get in and why works don’t get in – that was pretty much the concept,” says Ward.

“The idea had been floating around for a while, with the concern that there were all of these great works that were submitted into the NATSIAA but nobody had the ability to see them, because there was no other secondary venue,” Johnstone adds.

“Matt came to see me about it in 2012 with the idea to have a salon of NATSIAA, and I said, ‘I think we should do it’. So, we gave it a crack!”

Based on the concept of the Salon, or the Paris Salon, works not accepted into the art prize still had the chance to be exhibited. Salon des Refusés translates to ‘exhibition of rejects' in French, however all works gracing the walls are very worthy of exhibition.

These days, SALON is a highly anticipated event held to coincide with the NATSIAA, as well as other national Indigenous events including the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and the National Indigenous Music Awards.

“The first year, we were being antagonistic – but that’s kind of the Darwin spirit, in some ways … Because we were sort of sticking our noses up to the museum, people

By Tierney Seccull

thought it was a bit rebellious and a bit cheeky,” Ward says.

“We managed to get away with it, because by the third year, the museum offered to put our name on the NATSIAA entry form to allow artists to submit to SALON as well as NATSIAA, and they have been very supportive ever since.”

Around four years in, Ward and Johnstone recognised momentum was building, and expanded with the introduction of SALON Art Projects.

“We decided to start holding other exhibitions. Often, it’s an Art Centre we’ve worked with before that we have good relationships with, and that there’s an artist we are both interested in,” Ward says.

“One of the things I remember way back, when we started doing the satellite shows, was that it was a perfect opportunity to showcase emerging artists,” Johnstone adds.

“So we started looking at who hadn’t had the public profiling they deserve ... with all of the directors and collectors and institutions coming here to Darwin, we thought it was a really good opportunity for us to be able to show these new up-and-comings.”

This year offers five total shows under the SALON Art Projects banner, and to mark a decade of the exhibition that started it all, Ward and Johnstone have put their hands in their pockets to give one artist $2000 in prize money for the first People’s Choice Award.

And if 2023 wasn't already exciting enough, SALON Art Projects goes nation-wide, with shows at Tarnanthi at the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide, and also an exhibition to coincide with the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial in December.

Mark all five wonderful exhibitions in the diary – plus the other two if you find yourself down south later in the year – and celebrate a wonderful decade of Aboriginal art and culture at SALON.

EVERY AUGUST, SALON Art Projects presents the SALON des Refusés, an exhibition of works submitted but not accepted into the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). Its quality demonstrates the superb standard of art being created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists nationwide, and also provides valuable insight into where the movement has come from, and where it is heading.

Now in its 11th year, the 2023 SALON des Refusés includes a $2,000 People’s Choice Award.

Gilruth Ave & Gardens Rd | salonartprojects.com.au DAILY,

Birds From Here

WHEN THU 10 – SUN 20 AUG OPENING WED 9 AUG | 5PM

GALLERY 5

24 Garden Hill Crescent, The Gardens | salonartprojects.com.au WED-SUN, 10AM-5PM

SET AMONGST THE coconut palms in the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, SALON Art Projects presents Birds From Here, an exhibition by local artists all about birds.

Take in the art and the environment, then immerse yourself in the ultimate sensory experience with Music for Birds, a musical meditation on the exhibition performed across three sessions by Arafura Music Collective.

WHEN THU 10 – MON 14 AUG OPENING THU 10 AUG, 10.30AM MUSIC FOR BIRDS FRI 11 AUG, 4PM SUN 13 AUG, 9AM & 4PM

“THERE IS ALWAYS a big mob of thepa thepa (birds) here at the Yarrenyty Arltere Art Centre and at our homes. We love them with their pretty colours same as our sewing with all the bright wool stitching and we love their sweet bird song. So, we are making this exhibition full of birds just like here in the desert in our beautiful home for you to see and understand where some of the ideas come from.” - Yarrenyty Arltere Artists

WHEN FRI 11 – SUN 20 AUG | OPENING FRI 11 AUG, 3.30PM

Karen Napaljarri Barnes, 'Birds that live around Yuendumu', 2023, acrylic on canvas, 91x122cm

Rhonda Sharpe, 'Bird', 2023, soft sculpture

Photo: Jack Bullen

PAUL JOHNSTONE GALLERY

2/2 Harriet Place, Darwin | 8941 2220 | pauljohnstonegallery.com.au

TUE-FRI, 10AM-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

GODINYMAYIN YIJARD RIVERS ARTS & CULTURE

Stuart Hwy, Katherine East | gyracc.org.au

MON-FRI, 9AM-5PM

Pandanus

THIS IS A NEW exhibition from Djilpin Arts in Wugularr/Beswick. Participating artists include Julie Ashley, Noreena Ashley, and Rita Cameron and showing works including Mukuys, string bags, sun mats, and other items important to the artist's community and region. Don't miss this exhibition of handmade objects that extend cultural traditions going back generations in Central Arnhem Land.  UNTIL

NGAYU BUGAI (I AM BUGAI)

BUGAI WHYOULTER IS considered one of the most revered of the Martumili Artists. A master of colour, gesture and subtlety, her self-reflective works are layered with delicate brush strokes that represent cultural landmarks, water sources, and desert flora.

Presented by SALON Art Projects and Paul Johnstone Gallery in association with Martumili Artists.

OUTSTATION GALLERY

8 Parap Place, Parap | 8981 4822 | outstation.com.au

TUE-FRI, 10AM-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

The Mighty Daly River Watch! Warning! Alert!

THIS EXHIBITION AIMS to draw attention to the importance and fragility of the Daly River environment. This place remains pristine and beautiful. However, there are signs of change. The turtles are less abundant and living more in the surface water. There are fewer fish. Year after year the water flow and seasonal change has become less predictable. The elders of Nauiyu say they are confused and can no longer predict the seasonal flows.

TACTILE ARTS

19 Conacher Street, Fannie Bay | 8981 6616 | tactilearts.org.au

TUE-FRI, 10AM-4PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Ŋarraku mulkurr milŋurr, Ŋarraku rumbal Gunduyŋuru:

My mind is the spring, My body the Shark

A SOLO EXHIBITION by Binygurr Wirrpanda, Chair of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre and a senior ceremonial leader in his community. His art, including ironwood sculpture and distinctive renditions of Dhudi Djapu law on bark and metal, reflects the balancing act these roles entail.

Presented by SALON Art Projects and Outstation Gallery in association with Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre.

Glen Namundja, 'Yingarna (Creation Mother)', 2022, ochre on Arches paper, 102x154cm

Yirridjdja

INJALAK ARTS PRESENTS  Yirridjdja, a solo exhibition by renowned Stone Country artist and NATSIAA finalist Glen Namundja. His intricate style of painting is characterised by densely populated and intertwined figures adorned with ornate rarrk (cross-hatching) signal his connection to the Yirridjdja moiety and his clan estate. Namundja's artworks dazzle the viewer with his knowledge about the anatomy and spiritual identity of animals, and the ineffable life forces that enmesh us together.

UNTIL SAT 19 AUG

Top End Tapestry

A Ceramic Collection

TOP END TAPESTRY is a collection of hand-crafted ceramic pieces by well-known Katherine artist Danny Murphy. Danny has always been exposed to the delights of the natural world, and his close connection to nature has played a large role in influencing his latest collection of work. By using patterns, brushwork, sgraffito, carving, stamping and terra sigillata, Danny inspires us to rejoice in the beauty in everything around us.

WHEN FRI 25 AUG – SUN 17 SEP

25 AUG |

Bush String Bag by Julie Ashley Mukuy by Noreena Ashley

Danny Murphy, 'Dry Season Whirly Wind', 2023, high fire stoneware, Shino Glaze, 27x7cm

Bugai Whyoulter, 'Parnngurr Rockhole', acrylic on canvas, 91x61cm

Binygurr Wirrpanda, 'Untitled', 2022, etched steel

CDU ART GALLERY

Orange 12, CDU Casuarina Campus | cdu.edu.au/gallery

WED-FRI, 10AM-4PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Our story of printed cloth from Bábbarra Women's Centre Manburrba

THE EXHIBITION CELEBRATES how Maningrida women have mastered the design, lino-block and screen-printing mediums over almost four decades. It is a story of women’s empowerment and how they have harnessed contemporary textile art forms to transmit ancient stories and knowledge.

ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

61 Larapinta Dr, Alice Springs | araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

DAILY 10AM-4PM

Ways Of Being

"MPARNTWE (ALICE SPRINGS) is a haunting, beautiful place – rugged and delicate – but there is a less often represented side to the town. This [series of] work is about difference, interaction and the impacts of white settlement." – Henry Smith

MAGNT Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory

19 Conacher Street The Gardens, Darwin NT | magnt.net.au

DAILY, 10AM-4PM

Nola Yurnangurnu Campbell, 'Yunpalara', 2022, synthetic polymer paint and oil stick on linen, 152x101cm, 2022 Telstra NATSIAA © Nola Campbell/ Copyright Agency, 2023

2023 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards

THE TELSTRA NATIONAL Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) celebrates 40 years in 2023, and aims to amplify the very best Australian Indigenous art from around the country. The NATSIAA is Australia’s longest running and most prestigious Indigenous art award, and features 63 works by emerging and established artists from across the nation.

The exhibition captures the attention of the nation, with an inspiring breadth of work from artists around the country.

WHEN FRI 11 AUG – SUN 18 FEB | OPENING FRI 11 AUG, 9PM

COCONUT STUDIOS GALLERY

8/18 Caryota Court, Coconut Grove | facebook.com/coconutstudiosdarwin THU-SAT, 10AM-5PM | OR BY APPT.

GARY LEE: MIDLING

MIDLING , THE LARRAKIA word for together, is a selection of new and remade works by Gary Lee. Drawing on the artist’s personal archive of historic family photographs and artworks (photo-based and illustration), it brings together key strands of a practice which redefines notions of cultural identity, masculinity and beauty from a Larrakia perspective.

Henry Smith, 'Roo Tails', 2020, oil and acrylic on board, 55x84cm

Helen Ngarridjdjan Lanyinwanga (b.1954–d.2020), 'River and rocks', 2012, screen print, natural dye, ink & cotton, 300x120cm. Charles Darwin University Art Collection, CDU3478. Reproduced courtesy of Bábbarra Women’s Centre

Gary Lee, 'Self-portrait with Manish' from the Skin series (detail), 2003-23, type-C print, 30x42cm

NCCA Northern Centre for Contemporary Art

Vimy Lane, Parap | 8981 5368 | 0402 379 630 | nccart.com

WED-FRI, 10AM-4PM | SAT, 8AM-2PM | OR BY APPOINTMENT

BLAK POWER: 50 Years of First Nations Superheroes in Australian Art

A SURVEY EXHIBITION celebrating First Nations superheroes in Indigenous Australian Contemporary Art. Notions of identity and supernatural forces in popular Blak culture are considered through a selection of comics, illustration, graffiti, painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, animation and photography. Featuring work by Dennis Golding, Dylan Mooney, Ray Mudjandi, Iwantja Women’s Film Project with Kaylene Whiskey, Jonathon Saunders, and more.

UNTITLED GALLERY + STUDIO

Unit 3/1 Clocktower Caryota Crt, Coconut Grove | darwincommunityarts.org

WED-FRI, 11AM–4PM | SAT, 10AM-12PM

SALT WATER EARTH CURRENTS

EMERGING FROM AN existing symbiotic artistic relationship, Elizabeth Martin and Eve Pawlik’s latest works continue to interrogate materiality, fragility and impermanence. Their multimodal approach explores intersections between plastics and environment, saltwater and freshwater, distressed global energy cycles and increasing climate anxiety, aiming to examine these concerns via printmaking, drawing, sculpture and installation.

Iwantja Young Women’s Film Project, production still from Kungka Kunpu, 2019. Pictured: Kaylene Whiskey. Photo: Jackson Lee

Eve Pawlik, 'Wounding and Transference I', 2023, ceramic, black oxide, botanical charcoal ink, 28x28x6cm

Elizabeth Martin, 'Outwit, Outplay, Outlast (Tardigrades I)', 2023, collagraph & drypoint on recycled Tetra Pak, 22x22cm

AROUND TOWN

By Tierney Seccull

LISTINGS

Evolve Yo’self

August is a busy time on the social calendar, with festival season in full swing and glorious weather in which to frolic with friends. Can you really blame us for a little over-indulging during the Dry season?

BUT ALL THE late nights, special treats and dates with mates can make you feel a little run down, a tad inflamed and unfit. If you’re keen to wipe the slate clean and take charge of your physical and mental health, then Evolve Fitness in Darwin’s CBD can help.

Towards the end of this month, they’re running a four-week Kickstart Challenge to help you overcome some of the bad – albeit fun! – decisions you may have made during the Dry. And if you’re a little scared or intimidated by gyms, owner Matt Cowling says you might be surprised by who you might find there.

“A lot of the time, people think that gyms are for fitness people or gym junkies, but that’s just not true. We have people from all walks of life at the gym, all different shapes and sizes, and at different fitness levels – from athletes to people who are absolute beginners. Everyone is welcome.”

Evolve Fitness pumps out high intensity interval training (HIIT) on weekdays with morning, lunchtime and evening sessions, and Metafit sessions on Saturday mornings – Sundays are for rest. What makes this gym different is that the sessions are just 24-minutes, which Cowling says is more than enough time to reach your goals.

“Exercising longer isn’t necessarily better – it’s about exercising smarter. HIIT is great in that it brings on the EPOC effect, which is the fat-burning period post-workout. You’re actually better off doing one 24-minute HIIT session than you are going for a long run,” he says.

Plus, these short, sharp and shiny sessions are easier to fit into our already-busy schedules.

“Because we are so time-poor these days, it’s more likely you’ll be able to fit in a quick HIIT workout than allocate an hour-plus to exercise a day. It’s less of a time commitment but you’re getting more out of it, and we suggest doing this three times a week – that’s just over an hour out of your week.”

The four-week Kickstart Challenge offers unlimited HIIT and Metafit sessions, paired with tried and tested nutritional advice through a sugar-free, macro-optimised eating plan. Evolve’s friendly trainers, Matt and his right-hand teammate Jacob Phillips, are on-hand to answer any of your questions.

“We say have a good time in August, and if after all of that you want to feel healthy, well and strong, just give us four weeks. And don’t be scared or nervous – it’s not a competitive space – you are only up against yourself. Come along and see what you can do!”

Evolve Fitness Kickstart Challenge

WHEN SAT 26 AUG – SAT 23 SEP | WEIGH-IN SAT 26 AUG, 8AM

WEIGH-OUT SAT 23 SEP, 8AM

AT EVOLVE FITNESS, CAREY ST

COST $499 | PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

Jabiru Dry Season Markets

Peruse handmade craft, second-hand items and local tour group info at these friendly markets in the heart of Kakadu.

WHEN SAT 5 AUG | 8-11AM AT JABIRU LAKE PLAY PARK COST FREE INFO facebook.com/jabirumarkets

Abstract Art Workshop

Join artist and teacher Sarah Falkenberg-Hassan for a uniquely holistic and inviting workshop exploring collage and abstract art making.

WHEN SAT 5 AUG | 9.30AM-1.30PM AT GYRAAC COST $65 INFO gyracc.org.au

City of Palmerston Youth Media Team

Live in Palmerston and aged 14-25? Know your way around social media and digital devices? Put your screen time to good use and join City of Palmerston's Youth Media Team.

WHEN THU 10 & 24 AUG | 4.30PM AT PALMERSTON RECREATION CENTRE COST FREE INFO palmerston.nt.gov.au

Darwin Street Art Festival

Darwin Street Art Festival returns to transform the city, an army of artists armed with brushes, rollers and spray cans to create murals and spectacular art. This year, the program includes workshops, artist talks and exhibitions, adding to the spectacular outdoor gallery. It's time to paint the town!

WHEN MON 28 AUG – FRI 15 SEP INFO darwinstreetartfestival.com.au

Watercolour Painting

Explore the luminosity and transparency of watercolour painting in this three-week program.

WHEN EVERY SAT 12 – 26 AUG

9.30AM-1PM

AT TACTILE ARTS STUDIOS COST $275 | $255 MEMB INFO tactilearts.org.au

TRE Exercises Tapping into ancient healing practices, TRE (Tension Trauma Release) exercises use movement to help the body release stored patterns of pain, stress and trauma through relaxation and down regulation of the nervous system.

WHEN MON 14 & 28 AUG | 6.30PM

AT THE WELLNESS HUB DARWIN COST $20 INFO nebula.net.au

Salsa Classes

WHEN EVERY TUE 15 – 29 AUG

7.10 & 9.10 PM

AT CWA STUDIO COST $20 INFO salsitadarwin.com.au

Argentine Tango

WHEN SUN 20 AUG | 6-9PM AT ZEN ROOFTOP QUARTER COST FREE INFO northerntango.com.au

PULiiMA Indigenous Language Conference

Featuring intensive workshops and exhibition booths, the biennial PULiiMA Indigenous Language and Technology Conference is the only language and technology conference developed by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people. The conference is crucial in addressing the Indigenous language crisis and providing an action plan for its conservation and revitalisation.

WHEN MON 21 – FRI 25 AUG 8.30AM-5.30PM AT DARWIN CONVENTION CENTRE COST $420 INFO puliima.com

Anula School Fair

Head to Anula Primary School’s annual fair for family-friendly fun including waterslides, a dunking machine, giant games, food stalls, face painting, kids stalls and more!

WHEN SAT 26 AUG | 11AM-3PM AT ANULA PRIMARY SCHOOL COST FREE INFO anulaprimaryschool.com

Too Much Stuff

WHEN SUN 27 AUG | 9AM-12PM AT ALAWA HALL COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ toomuchstuffdarwin

Your Birth Matters

Head along to the Wellness Hub for a workshop exploring choices around pregnancy, birth and postpartum care in Darwin.

WHEN TUE 29 AUG | 6-8.30PM AT THE WELLNESS HUB DARWIN COST $39 | $64 COUPLE INFO yourempoweredbirth.org

Skyline Ferris Wheel

Check out the exciting new Skyline Precinct. Take a ride on the iconic Ferris wheel, challenge your mates to a round of mini golf, or kick back and relax with a refreshing bev.

WHEN DAILY | 10AM-10PM AT STOKES HILL WHARF COST $15 | $10 CHILD/CONC $50 GROUP 6+ INFO skylineattractions.com.au

Movement Medicine

WHEN EVERY SUN | 10-11.30AM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY CENTRE COST $20 INFO facebook.com/ movementmedicine

RED CENTRE

Todd Mall Markets

There’s local produce, art, crafts and food at these friendly outdoor markets. It’s the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.

WHEN SUN 6 & 20 AUG | 9AM-1PM AT TODD MALL COST FREE INFO toddmallmarkets.com.au

Alice Springs Seniors Expo

Enjoy a morning tea and sausage sizzle at this special event celebrating Seniors Month. Have a chat with over 50 exhibitors and join fun dancing, singing and fitness activities.

WHEN TUE 22 AUG | 10AM-2PM AT ALICE SPRINGS CONVENTION CENTRE COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ cotantalicesprings

Simpsons Gap Sunset Watercolour

Learn watercolour painting techniques surrounded by the stunning backdrop of Simpsons Gap. The unique experience includes transfers from accommodation, a guided walk, watercolour class and art materials.

Enjoy a tasty snack platter as the ridges of the West MacDonnell Ranges turn a deep red, and capture a part of this very special place in your own watercolour painting.

WHEN EVERY SUN | 3-7PM AT ALICE SPRINGS COST $175 INFO arttoursofaustralia.com

NT, here it is!

the beauty of the

a picnic and take in

an excuse to pack

If you needed

It’s Picnic Day.

By Tierney Seccull

By Tierney Seccull

SLANT

It’s Christmas, 1999. In the quaint inner ‘burbs of Melbourne, a career crazed journalist is confronted with writing his first exposé on the suspicious disappearance of a local mother-turned-infamous socialite. When his own dark family secret threatens to upturn his career, ambition drives him to get the scoop, no matter the cost.

THE BIG SCREEN at Deckchair Cinema lights up this month with Slant, the highly anticipated debut feature film by Naarm/Melbourne-based director, James Vinson. With a script penned by Michael Nikou, who also stars as the central character, this darkly comic thriller features a formidable Australian cast including Sigrid Thornton and Pia Miranda. Not bad for Vinson and Nikou’s first feature-length collab.

“It feels great! And it feels great because I think [the actors] had a good experience,” Vinson says.

“It was a big goal of Michael’s to make an ensemble piece where every actor got a lot to chew on. We wanted to make sure every actor earned their keep, and I like to think that that’s why the script was appealing to them.”

Thornton says she was drawn to the project for a range of reasons, but that the combo of director and writer was a big drawcard.

“It’s a testament to James’ persuasiveness and his talent, and Michael’s – Michael has written a very unusual first feature film script – and being a first feature for … many of the key participants, well they’re a class act is all I can say,” she says.

“There’s a lot of meat in the roles, that’s true, and I think that’s an attraction to any actor. But the whole story has to hang together … It’s not just about the roles – it’s about the director, the writer, the

producers, the production and costume designers – all of those components come together to make the whole.

“In the case of Slant, the thing that was quite unusual was that … they really were a first-class outfit for what is actually a very small film. And when I say small film, it doesn’t have small ambitions!”

The film itself was made on a low budget, and the creative team had to call in favours from their friends, albeit a very talented group of friends. With a bond forged in drama school, this feature-length debut combo of writer and director is a nod to the films that have inspired them over the years, but with undeniable Australian flavour.

“Slant is a culmination of all of the daydreams I’ve had since I was seven-years-old, you know, growing up with the films of the 90s that shaped me – films like The Matrix or Tim Burton’s Batman, and then American Beauty – these films leave such a lasting impression on someone of my generation,” Vinson says.

“But there is very quintessential Australiana, because even though I’m inspired by American films, it was important to capture the oddness of Australia and not just the international idea of it … Audiences can expect to laugh, to gasp, and hopefully see their own culture on display in a very theatrical and silly kind of way.”

The film screens three times at the Deckie this month, and if you’re

keen to hear from the creative team behind it, stick around after the NT premiere screening for a special Q&A with Vinson, who is joined by Thornton and Nikou, as well as producer Monique Fisher.

“I’m so looking forward to coming to Darwin, and the Deckchair Cinema … And there’s an element of nervousness as well, I really want all Australians to connect with this. I’m hoping they can. I’m really excited for Darwin audiences to see Slant, and really genuinely keen to know what they think,” Vinson says.

Likewise, Thornton is champing at the bit to return to the Top End.

“I can’t wait … I’ve said this before, I think Deckchair Cinema has got to be one of the top five cinemas in the world, it’s certainly the most extraordinary cinema I’ve ever seen! I think it’s a wonderful place for Slant to be airing and I’m really looking forward to coming back to Darwin.”

Head along to this special premiere event, and join SLANT’s stars under the stars, at the beautiful iconic Deckchair Cinema.

Slant NT Premiere with Special Guests WHEN SAT 5 AUG | 7PM Slant WHEN THU 10

Michael Nikou & Sigrid Thornton

Photos: Charles Alexander

James Vinson

Bubbles, burlesque and bawdiness, oh my!

The talented troupe that is Strut & Fret descends upon Darwin with a brand-new show, set to wow audiences in The Spiegeltent this Darwin Festival.

By Tierney Seccull

Blanc de Blanc ENCORE

OVER TWO TANTALISING hours of glitz, glam and extravagance, Blanc de Blanc Encore features risqué humour, spectacular aerials, sparkling comedy and big dance numbers. Founding director of Strut & Fret Production House, Scott Maidment, says they’re thrilled to return to the Top End.

“We’ve always had a great response in Darwin … We’ve had thousands of people already book tickets, so it’s really exciting."

Blanc de Blanc Encore last featured in the Festival in 2019 after a highly successful run of Blanc de Blanc back in 2017. With world-class performers from Australia, LA, Las Vegas, Montreal and Paris, Maidment says the new iteration is same, same, but different.

“It’s a whole heap of new acts, but along the same theme of celebration and champagne and sophistication … In the Tent we say the show happens, not just on stage, but in front of you, above and around you, so you can be a part of it.”

The opulent venue sits proudly on Festival Lawn – the Festival’s new outdoor precinct in front of Parliament House – beside Maho Magic Bar, a Japanese-inspired neon-lit haunt with magicians and cocktails.

The Spiegeltent, and the talented entourage within, was pegged to return to D-Town before the C-word put a halt to plans, but much to your delight, it’s back – a request that came through loud and clear according to Darwin Festival’s Artistic Director Kate Fell.

“Everyone wants The Spiegeltent here, everyone said it to me. And I’ve worked with Strut & Fret before and they were really keen to come back. I don’t think people quite realise, with Darwin and Darwin Festival, how many artists want to come here,” she says.

Nightly at the Festival – and beyond, thanks to the exciting news they've extended the season by two weeks! – Blanc de Blanc Encore showcases the sheer skill and physical strength of the performers. With a huge total of 36 shows, often two a night, the cast are athletes as much as they are entertainers. But they’re looking forward to some downtime on some precious days off.

“Most of [the performers] have never been to Darwin before, and they’re really pumped and excited to look around and explore, and to see the sights … they’re really looking forward to what Darwin has to offer.”

So, if you’re feeling a little boujee and keen to experience some world-class entertainment, take a seat and a sip in The Spiegeltent. Bottoms up!

TOP & MIDDLE: Photos by Nick Jones BOTTOM: Photo by Carly Sare 17

The OTHER Side of Me

By Jenna Hoare

Set to stir audiences at Darwin Festival, the world premiere of The Other Side of Me shares a powerful true story of identity and justice, through the outstanding choreography of NT Dance Company’s Artistic Director and Larrakia man, Gary Lang.

BASED ON A true story, this mesmerising dance duet is about a young Aboriginal man who was adopted in the Northern Territory in the 1960s, and grew up in England.

A special creative collaboration between NT Dance Company and Northumbria University, the events that lead to unearthing this man’s experience, brought to life in a sensory performance, adds to the compelling nature of this piece.

Co-creator, writer and dramaturg Dr Laura Fish connected with the man at the centre of The Other Side of Me, who cannot be named, in the UK in an exchange of letters lasting 30 years.

“I used to carry the letters around with me. I became a writer, working for the BBC, and I thought that this is a story I should write about [but] didn’t feel comfortable because of reasons to do with cultural appropriation,” she says.

“He spent a lot of his adult life within the criminal justice system and spent a lot of time in police custody.”

Dr Fish says the story is really about the struggle of this man’s life and the way he perceived himself as having two sides – his English side and his Indigenous Australian side.

Working with NT Dance Company

to bring the collection of letters and poems to life, the performance delves into a real personal experience of coming to terms with an unknown cultural identity from the other side of the world.

“It feels right that Gary Lang comes in to tell this story. Gary brings a different perspective because it’s about his soul coming back here [to the Northern Territory]. It’s about movement, space, and confinement. It’s also a universal story."

Also growing up in an adopted family, Dr Fish says the work can resonate with anyone. It’s about separation and loss, and dislocation and identity – themes that are

part of the human experience.

For those who haven’t seen Gary Lang's work, it’s a wonderful introduction. For those familiar with his work, it will offer something different.

WHEN WED 9 – FRI 11 AUG | 8PM THU 10 AUG | 11AM SAT 12 AUG | 5PM (Q&A) AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $40-$45 INFO yourcentre.com.au

By Betty Sweetlove

Ever true to their name, GUTS Dance is not afraid of tackling the big questions. This month’s premiere of an astonishing new work, from the home of contemporary dance in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, is no different.

FOR THE PAST two years, GUTS has danced alongside a constellation of concepts about climate change and the future. This month, the performers burst out of their Alice Springs studio to premiere their new work, SUB, at Araluen Arts Centre.

Choreographer and dancer Ashleigh Musk reflects on the empowering, intense and emotional process of making this heart-filled work.

“It started in a really different place, I was thinking about how we could prepare ourselves for what’s coming and how rapidly our world is shifting,” she says.

Go Underground with Guts

Despite the urgent reality of their theme, Musk, and collaborating performers Frankie Snowdon, Madeleine Krenek and Jenni Large, began to find solace in exploring geology and the natural world.

“The work shifted so much and became an obsession with the underground space, lava and volcanic energy – the way landscapes change through destruction and regeneration,” says Musk.

The company tenderly explored the idea of hope in the face of despair, and the power of the human body.

“The body is a really interesting site for holding contradictions. We’ve talked a lot about our need to be soft, but also our strength, our defiance in our existence,” says Musk.

Ground-breaking spatial design and sound complement the choreography, transporting audiences to an ever-shifting subterranean world. Live microphones and audio elements are mixed in real time by Anna Whitaker, creating a constant conversation between soundscape

and performance.

Compelling, charged and mesmerising, SUB is designed to shake the rafters and leave audiences feeling engaged and empowered.

“There’s a lot of deep feelings, but ultimately we would like audiences to feel a sense of hope and drive to change something in themselves, in their lives."

Book your ticket and let this multi-sensory dance experience gut you and put you back together again.

Photo:

Paz Tassone and Elizabeth Rogers

Award-winning comedian Arj Barker has popped up in comedy festivals, TV shows and streaming platforms throughout his 30-plus-year comedy career.

This month, he returns to the Top End this month with his brand new show, The Best of Arj Barker – Power Hour. Tierney Seccull caught up with him to chat comedy, UFOs and fake coffee names.

POWER HOUR Arj Barker’s

Hi, Arj Barker, it’s Tierney from Off The Leash Mag in Darwin. Oh cool, yeah. What’s your name?

Tierney – like a tear from your eye and your knee. Cool, Tierney, nice to meet ya!

Nice to meet you, too. But when I order coffee, it’s Sally – my name is Sally.

Oh, that’s cool, I’m Bruce when I order coffee.

[Laughs] The struggle is real, Arj. Thanks for making some time to chat with me – can you tell us a little bit about your new show?

You bet. Basically, it’s a compilation of some of my favourite jokes, and some of the audience’s favourite jokes – I mean, those two are often one and the same – from all throughout my career that I’ve handpicked, polished, refurbed and added some stuff. I put it together into what I call the Power Hour.

It’s a blast from beginning to end, and something I didn’t rush into – I mean I’ve been doing comedy for like, 33 years, and it’s the first time I’ve done anything like this, so I thought it was time. It just felt right.

Yeah nice. Taking jokes from your more than 30-year career – any that perhaps didn’t age so well?

How’s it feel to still be doing what you love after three decades?

It depends on the day and what sort of mood I’m in … Doing anything for 30 years, there’s moments that I wouldn’t mind taking an extended or permanent break – I’m always enticed by the challenge of new things. But most of the time … generally, I’m just very grateful to be honest.

Well, if you did stop after more than 30 years, what would you do? Yeah, I mean that’s a fair question, and I should have thought of that – I don’t have too many other skills. I have hobbies, but I don’t think many of them are ready to start earning me a living.

I enjoy fooling around with wood projects? So, I’d call it amateur carpentry. And I love playing guitar. I don’t think I have the chops to play professionally yet, but I hope to one day. I practice just about every day. At the very least, I’ll be introducing it to my shows in the future – that’s a sneaky way to get to play guitar in front of an audience!

[Laughs] People think they’re going so see Arj Barker the comedian, but they’re actually seeing Arj Barker the musician?

also been interested in that much longer, but I make it a priority now. I wanna see what happens when you meditate a lot every day.

Cool. And I guess that’s had a good impact on you given you do it every day?

Well people ask me that – well, you and one other person, so two people have asked me that – and I don’t know because it’s a subtle thing. I can only imagine it’s having a positive effect, but it’s sorta hard to know ... I don’t know how I’d feel if I wasn’t doing it?

But I feel pretty calm, most the time … Honestly, I’d love to have a major transcendental experience or something, without having to do like, half a kilo of mushrooms – I may just end up going that route if it doesn’t happen soon.

[Laughs] Well keep us updated on that one! You’ve been trying to get back to Darwin for a couple of years now, in 2020 and 2021 – are you keen to finally hit the NT stage?

Will you get to head out this visit?

See the crocs?

If we have time, we’ll probably drive out of the city. One of my hobbies is wildlife photography, if you look on my Instagram you can see. It’s mostly birds but I also take pictures of any animal that I can.

And also UFOs. I keep my eyes in the sky too, ‘cause there’s a lot of UFO activity up there. I’ll be pretty busy between those things, you know – lookin’ out for crocs, lookin’ out for the mothership.

The Best

WHEN SAT 5 AUG | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST $54.90 |$49.90 GROUP INFO yourcentre.com.au

Yeah, there’s jokes I’m not as keen to visit. There’s one or two that didn’t age well in light of being more conscious … I was happy to let those go because I’m trying to improve, like most of everyone else. I’ve got technically 11 recorded onehour comedy specials with minimal overlap of material, so there’s a lot to pick from. At the end of the day … the shows are really fun, I’m really enjoying it.

Well I think the rule is, if I’m doing something on stage at a comedy show that it has to result in laughs – that’s gotta be the goal – but they can’t stop me from enjoying playin’ those tasty licks, those sweet jazz chords, or whatever.

Any other skills you picked up during the COVID days or was it wood-working and guitar only? I dunno if it’s a skill, but I’m really into meditating. I’ve meditated more in the last few years, and I’ve

Oh, I love going up there, are ya kiddin’? It’s like nowhere else, isn’t it? It almost feels like – and I don’t want to offend anyone – but it almost feels like you’ve gone to a whole other country when you land up there.

There’s a wild feeling, it’s beautiful … I’m big on wildlife and nature, I wish I had more chances to go around and see a little more.

Power, Privilege & Physicality

Innovative dance theatre collective The Farm has built a name for themselves with boundary pushing performances that challenge traditional perceptions of contemporary theatre.

In an exciting world premiere, Darwin Festival audiences are treated to their latest genre-bending work, Stunt Double.

By Kate Conway

IN LIEU OF a director, The Farm operates under what they call the gathering of the six – a group of artists collaboratively making decisions to guide the company’s creative and artistic direction.

Gavin Webber is a member of the collective, who worked on the script for Stunt Double, and performs the role of lead actor in the meta film-within-a-performance production.

“We’re riffing on a classic Aussie action film, but it’s not the film itself, it’s the filming of it. The audience is watching a film being made on stage. It’s set in the 1970s, in the era of Razorback and Mad Max, and those kinds of films,” he says.

“The Aussie film industry took off and suddenly had a lot of money and no rules. There was a real human cost to all this craziness that was happening … especially what was happening with the stunt performers.”

Taking place on the problematic set of a fictional outback horror film, Stunt Double explores the complex power dynamics rife in the film industry. While the film’s stunt doubles put their bodies on the line, performing athletic, risky and downright dangerous manoeuvres, it’s the actors that receive all the credit.

“We’re talking about that industry as a metaphor for society. Using the lens of the 70s film set, which is fun, accessible and entertaining as a metaphor for how power, privilege and hierarchy works,” Webber says.

The interactive performance gives members of the audience a unique opportunity to sign up for roles in the production and join the actors on stage. Standing in as extras, gaffers, clappers and more, it’s a chance to witness the dancers breathtaking flips, jumps, fights scenes, and impressive physicality up close.

“We realised that we could bring people into the performance, and they don’t actually need to know their jobs. Because it’s a very B-grade 1970s film, it’s already a bit chaotic on the set, so the idea that the cast and crew are also a bit chaotic fits perfectly … it just adds to the humour of it all,” Webber says.

Being based on the Gold Coast, the home of Australia’s film and stunt industry, The Farm were able to have conversations with real stunt performers about their experiences in the industry.

An insightful take on what happens when one person’s fame gets used for another person’s glory, Stunt Double is a tongue-in-cheek exposé not to be missed.

RAINSTORM Dreaming

ON GURINDJI LAND , perched on the northern edge of the Tanami Desert is Lajamanu Community, home to the Warlpiri people. Since 2005, the community has joined forces with Tracks Dance Company to present Milpirri Festival – a bilingual and bicultural celebration of Warlpiri culture.

This month, Tracks brings a taste of the festival to Larrakia Country with Milpirri Sensorium – an immersive experience bursting with dance, music and vivid imagery.

The performance is centred on 27 brightly coloured banners representing Warlpiri kinship relationships celebrating the community's cultural identity. Tracks worked with music producers, Monkey Marc and Mantra, to create a contemporary soundtrack featuring Warlpiri Elders to accompany footage of dancers for a complete audio visual experience.

“We can’t bring the desert here, so we are trying to create a sense of the festival with the Sensorium. Being outdoors, the song, the dance, and the visuals. There’ll be a small group of Elders singing live,” explains Tracks Dance Artistic Director David McMicken.

Alongside the sensorium, audiences are invited to a two-day symposium of workshops and discussions hosted by Tracks and Lajamanu community members, exploring how Warlpiri knowledge is passed on intergenerationally, from traditional

Milpirri Sensorium

WHEN SUN 13 – THU 17 AUG

7, 7.40 & 8PM

AT GOYDER PARK, DARWIN WATERFRONT

By Kate Conway

into contemporary, and a session on kinship relationships.

Milpirri is based on the Ngapa Jukurrpa Rainstorm Dreaming of the Jampijinpa family. When hot desert air rises and merges with cold air, the Milpirri cloud is formed bringing thunder and lightning, but also rain, new growth and food. The Dreaming is a metaphor for the potential interaction between Indigenous and non-indigenous people, coming together and working through differences.

The sensorium is the latest venture in Tracks’ long running history of creative collaboration with Lajamanu. Working closely with Milpirri Festival Creative Director, Warlpiri man Steve Wanta Jampijinpa Patrick, the sensorium embodies the Milpirri ethos of fusing the energy of youth with the wisdom of Elders to gain a better understanding of Western and Walpiri learning.

“It’s not just Lajamanu, it’s not just Tracks. In the Milpirri sense it’s the two things that have come together ... you see both contemporary and traditional work,” McMicken says.

“Even the designs painted on the bodies are not done in full ceremonial way, they’re done in a contemporary dance way. You can see that the collaboration of two things coming together can have really good benefits.”

WHEN

Photo: Eve Milpirri

LISTINGS

Rhythms Of Ireland

Critically-acclaimed Irish dancing spectacular Rhythms of Ireland brings their 15th anniversary world tour to Darwin. Featuring a cast of talented musicians and worldclass dancers, the show blends traditional Irish step-dancing with contemporary choreography.

WHEN WED 2 AUG | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST $89.90

$84.90 CONC/GROUPS 10+ $69.90 CHILD INFO yourcentre.com.au

Life/Time

An exciting world premiere collaboration between Darwin Festival, Gravity & Other Myths, Corrugated Iron Youth Arts, Ludmilla

Primary School and hip-hop artist Jimblah, Life/Time fuses world class acrobatics with responsive lighting design backed by a driving electronic score.

WHEN THU 10 & FRI 11 AUG | 8PM

AT FESTIVAL PARK COST FREE INFO darwinfestival.org.au

Cusp

LIzzy Hoo - Woo Hoo!

This incredible theatre work, from multi-award-winning Darwin playwright Mary Anne Butler, is told from the perspective of three young Territorians standing on the threshold of adulthood. Cusp is a powerful exploration of balancing choices against fate in a world where it can feel like the odds are stacked against you.

WHEN THU 10 – SAT 12 AUG | 7PM FRI 11 AUG | 11AM SAT 12 AUG | 2PM

AT BROWN’S MART THEATRE

COST $27-$36 INFO brownsmart.com.au darwinfestival.org.au

Hilarious, self-assured and observational, Australian comedian Lizzy Hoo hits the stage for one night only. Statistically at the half-way point in her life, this hour of stand-up offers Hoo’s self-aware take on expectations versus reality when it comes to the number of candles on your cake.

WHEN WED 23 AUG | 8.45PM

AT INPEX SUNSET STAGE COST $38-$42 INFO darwinfestival.org.au

Wild Words

Unleash the wild words within at Darwin's monthly poetry/ spoken word open mic. On the last Sunday of every month, join fellow wordsmiths on stage at the Lucky Bat Café or sit back, relax and soak up the creativity of others.

WHEN SUN 27 AUG | 4.30PM

AT LUCKY BAT CAFÉ COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ wildwords2018

The Southeast

The Territory is celebrated as a melting pot of culture, brimming with diverse flavours thanks to our vibrant multicultural community. We’ve benefited from our proximity to Southeast Asia for centuries, and these days, Asian flavours are a firm fixture at our markets, on our tables and on our taste buds. And if there's one word to cause cravings for cuisine inspired by the lands to our north, it’s Hanuman.

Darwin

WHEN WED-FRI, 12-2.30PM

MON-SUN, 6-10PM

AT 93 MITCHELL STREET

Alice Springs

WHEN WED-FRI, 12-2.30PM

MON-SUN, 6-10PM

AT 82 BARRETT DRIVE

INFO hanuman.com.au

By Tierney Seccull

of the North

RESPECTED CHEF, AND much-loved Territory treasure, Jimmy Shu, cracked open the doors to his award-winning restaurant in 1992, the tropical Darwin eatery created to share the flavours of India, Thailand, and Shu’s home, Sri Lanka. Living in Melbourne with his young family at the time, and already running three restaurants, the early days were nothing short of a challenge. One he was up for.

"I’m someone who loves challenges. I came here looking for the Silver Barramundi, and I found it,” he smiles.

“I was introduced to Christo, a restaurateur who was an icon at the time … I dined at his place, and after a lovely meal of chilli bugs, he said ‘Jimmy, I’d like you to consider bringing your brand of restaurant here’. I told him I needed one day … Then came back the next day, shook Christo’s hand and said, ‘we’re on’. From there, I’ve never looked back.”

Shu admits the first two-and-a-half years were a struggle. The restaurant was losing money, and he was away from his young family for up to three months at a time, his heart strings pulled tight as he left his sleeping babies in the night to return to Darwin. Thankfully, the Shu family’s sacrifice wasn’t for nothing.

Hanuman became a raging success, spawning nine more restaurants in Australia and overseas, creating thousands of jobs over the years. In 2001, Alice Springs got their own gem in the desert dishing out exceptional Asian cuisine. Three decades later, a dine-in or takeaway order at Hanuman remains a solid life choice, and a rite of passage for Territorians to treat visitors to a feast.

Passionate about flavour, Shu had us on the fang for Territory tucker during the initial global lockdown, as Jimmy Shu's Taste of the Territory by local filmmaker Naina Sen aired on our TV sets. The eight-part SBS Food series showcased the vibrant flavours, friendly characters and unique stories of

the NT, paying special homage to our local markets. The experience moved Shu to tears, who recalls time he spent with an Indigenous ranger on a boat on Jawoyn Country in the Katherine Gorge.

“That was very emotional. He was talking about his Country, and witnessing it through his eyes moved me. It was magical,” he says.

It’s a firm belief of the celebrated chef that, to understand a culture, the best way is to go through the food.

“Once you appreciate the food, it’s an automatic response to appreciate that culture.”

His own culture is shared through the Hanuman menu, with authentic dishes from Malaysia, Thailand and India, showcasing local produce. Dine on soups, stir fries and curries – OTL recco is the meen moolie! – served with a side of roti bread, pad Thai or coconut jasmine rice. There's also a selection of wine, spirits and cocktails, and the dessert menu features signature dish, black rice brûlée – a family recipe created by Shu’s wife Selina, with pandan infused custard with black rice, mango crème fraiche and sesame meringue. Drool.

Looking back on an incredible career spanning over 50 years, the time has come for Shu to step back.

“I’ve now reached 74, it’s time to smell the roses, and I’m slowly, slowly loosening the strings. I’m proud to say I have some beautiful children, and my amazing wife has put up with 32 years of me being away from home. I just became a grandfather, too, so I’m entitled to say ‘guys, please excuse me, I’m going for a grandpa nap!’."

If you find yourself deciding what fare on which to feast, enjoy the sincere service, warm hospitality and bold flavour Hanuman is famed for, and embark on a tantalising trip to Southeast Asia, right here in the Territory.

By Tierney Seccull

Maho-ho, it’s Magic!

Beach,Bevs & Beats

If spending a breezy Sunday by the beach, sipping on cocktails and feasting on food from pop-up restaurants sounds like your bag, you’re in for a treat this month. Add to this delicious mix some roaming performers and a soundtrack of live tunes – all dished out on a long weekend – well, that’s downright magic right there.

THE THIRD ANNUAL Darwin Cocktail Festival returns this Picnic Day Long Weekend to serve up 10 blissful hours of fun in the sun at Darwin Ski Club. The seaside setting offers five themed spaces with cocktails, food and tunes, so you can see how you feel on the day and let your tastebuds be your guide.

Lori Gardiner is the mastermind behind this blissful day by the beach and says punters can experience some of the best that Darwin has to offer, including our enviable Dry season weather.

“The Cocktail Festival has to be by the sea, in the open air, so the Ski Club is amazing – they’ve done a lot of renovations and made extensions to beautify the space. It’s all about the experience, so we’ve themed the food and cocktails with the areas to give people plenty of options. It’s a bit of a Carnivale vibe!”

Soak up Bali vibes, funk and 90s

R’n’B at the Paradise Island Stage or pop by Once Upon a Time in Mambo Land for Latin-inspired sips,

eats and sounds. Enjoy a Pirate Life beer or a Pimms and a boogie at the Splash of Disco space, laze on a sunbed and chuck the headphones on for a silent disco at Bundilla Beach Club, or soak up Aussie-inspired cocktails, wine and cheese boards at Downunder Land.

Local heroes feature heavily on the cocktail menu, with 14 bars and over 35 locally inspired concoctions to pick from. The Tap Bar brings their famous Fish Bowls – perfect for sharing! – Willing Distillery has you covered for gorgeous gin and tonics, and Dom’s Bar & Lounge returns with the award-winning Territoritini. Mayberry brings the margs, Cartel comes armed with cold brew, and Porkin’ slings paella to fill those tums.

Created with the view to showcase local flavours and talents, Gardiner says the event has a great flow on effect.

“I think it’s really exciting to showcase Darwin businesses at the festival. For someone who may not have known about Willing Distillery

or The Cavenagh or whoever, they can experience them at the festival and then visit them another time. It all flows on.”

Dom Wundke of – you guessed it – Dom’s Bar & Lounge, says the Darwin Cocktail Festival is great for biz.

“We’ve been involved ever since it started, and it’s just a really vibrant and entertaining festival with a great turn out and quality drinks. It’s a nice boost for business –everyone does really well out of it. It’s such an awesome day out.”

In a nutshell, Darwin Cocktail Festival is a big old local lovin’ soirée – from what’s in your cups and on your plates, to the roaming entertainers and picturesque ocean views. Head along and take a deep dive into the fab flavours of delicious Darwin. Cin-cin!

Darwin Cocktail Festival WHEN

WHAT DO YOU get when you take a group of Japan’s leading close-up magicians and sleight-of-hand specialists, and a world-class flare bartender, and place them all in a neon-lit pop-up bar? Magic, baby. Maho Magic Bar that is!

Throughout Darwin Festival (and then some!) the lawns by Parliament House are transformed into Festival Lawn, the Festival's new exciting outdoor space that is home to Maho Magic Bar and The Spiegeltent. Those with curious minds and a thirst for unique experiences are invited to pull up a pew at the bar, or a table, and enjoy a side of tricks with their tipples.

Maho Magic Bar is presented by bold and visionary performance company Broad Encounters, and Creative Director Kirsten Siddle says they exist to flip the idea of theatre on its head.

“We’re interested in immersive experiences and performances for people, that is not traditional theatre per se – you don’t sit in a seat and just watch what happens passively, you’re actually involved and immersed in an environment,” she says.

“With Maho Magic Bar, our aim is to really make every touch point of your experience feel as though you've been whisked away for a night out in Tokyo, without ever having to leave Darwin.”

Japan has a tradition of magic that dates to the Edo period in

the 1600s, and the traditional style of magic Tezuma features in the show along with more western style sleight-of-hand, close-up magic.

Being a bar, you can enjoy a range of tempting Japanese cocktails including the Okinawa Paradise – a celebration of tropical southern Japan with a blend of Haku vodka, lychee liqueur, apple, rose and lime. Or sip on a For Goodness Sake with Roku gin, sake, yuzu and pineapple. There’s also shochu, beer and wine, and mocktails for any non-drinkers, including the Ichigo Delight – a booze-free blend of strawberry, vanilla and green tea.

There's also a special performance menu on offer, with a talented team of tricksters and magicians on hand to fulfil your mystery orders where anything could happen.

Several family-friendly sessions run during the day on weekends, giving the whole family the chance to experience a bit of magic, and tables can be booked if you’ve got a special event to celebrate, including birthdays and hen's parties.

Round up your favourites and settle in for an hour of mystery and mischief in Tokyo. Kanpai!

Maho Magic Bar

WHEN WED 9 AUG – SUN 3 SEP (EXC. MON) | VARIOUS TIMES AT FESTIVAL LAWN COST $53-$85

Photo: Henry Li

By Tierney Seccull

By Betty Sweetlove

The Barber of Seville

Get ready for comedy, chaos, jaw-dropping costumes and stunning sets, as Opera Australia performs The Barber of Seville at Darwin Festival and Araluen Arts Centre this month.

Darwin

WHEN WED 9 & THU 10 AUG | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST $64 | $59 CONC | $20 U18 INFO darwinfestival.org.au

Alice Springs

WHEN THU 17 AUG | 7.30PM AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

COST $79 | $75 CONC INFO araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

GIOACHINO ROSSINI’S MUCH loved ‘opera buffa’ is comic opera at its finest, and not just for seasoned opera-goers. One of the most widely performed operas throughout the world, this refreshingly contemporary production is directed by the multi-award-winning Priscilla Jackman, who says this laugh-a-minute show is sure to delight anyone.

“The sense of playful mischief and passion is absolutely infectious from the first moments,” she says.

Opera Australia is celebrated for their fresh approach to modern opera. Jackman has thoroughly reimagined the musical masterpiece, relocating it from the grand Andalusian city in Spain to a town much closer to home.

“I was intrigued to find we actually have a Seville here in Australia, in the Yarra Valley. This is an area of rich heritage, and our set designer Michael Scott Mitchell and I were inspired by the romance of vineyards and cellar door culture,” she says.

The plot follows a mischief-fuelled adventure of forbidden love, hasty disguise and mistaken identity. Local barber Figaro must help his famous friend Count Almaviva, who has fallen hopelessly in love with Rosina despite a strict guardian holding her captive.

With Love Island levels of drama and mayhem, it's up to quick-thinking Figaro to ensure true love can triumph amid the chaos.

Ingeniously updating the characters for their new Australian setting, the matchmaking Figaro becomes a hipster barber – complete with painfully accurate moustache – and love interest Rosina is given new life as a smart and sassy wine maker.

“We were inspired by the recent renaissance of contemporary barbers – the hybrid agelessness of that fashion, and the unashamed dapper look,” says Jackman.

A night at the opera wouldn’t be complete without revelling in the glory of a full live orchestra. Audiences can delight in a show packed with tunes familiar from Looney Tunes, The Simpsons and Family Guy.

“It’s exciting to bring this wonderful opera to different towns that don’t always have big shows coming to them. We have an orchestra of 12, and our extraordinary maestro Siro Battaglin who travels with us,” says Jackman.

An irresistibly entertaining night out, let Opera Australia whisk you away for a hilarious and hijinks-filled trip to Seville. The Victoria, Australia, version.

WAY OUT WEST WHERE THE REYNE DON'T FALL

By Tierney Seccull

Aussie music legend James Reyne descends on the Top End, with special guest Ella Hooper in tow, as part of his national Way Out West tour in honour of the 1992 award-winning single of the same name.

ORIGINALLY RELEASED BY The Dingoes back in 1973, ‘Way Out West’ became a national hit when Reyne collaborated with singer James Blundell in 1992 to cover the tune. The release peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts and earned the pair Country Song of the Year at the 1992 APRA Music Awards.

Reyne runs a record company with his manager Scot Crawford, which also released Hooper’s album Small Town Temple, and says the decision to revisit ‘Way Out West’ was all Crawford’s idea.

“Scot, who manages me and helps look after Ella, noticed through streaming on Spotify that one of the songs I’m associated with the most

is ‘Way Out West’. Ella has made this country record ... and he thought, ‘why not give people what they want? They seem to want to hear this song,’” he says.

“So, Ella and I recorded the song together and Scot just said, ‘let’s just call it Way Out West, and off you go!’”

Having ticked off shows in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, Reyne and Hooper hit the Darwin Entertainment Centre stage this month for one huge night of music, backed by an eight-piece band. Experience the newly released collab of ‘Way Out West’, plus Reyne’s solo hits and tunes from his hit band, Australian

Crawl. Hooper also performs songs from her new solo album, plus a few other surprises. Reyne reckons you’re in for a treat.

“Give the people what they want – they wanna hear all the hits, so that’s what they’ll get!”

Don’t miss this incredible night of Australian music, with some of this country’s biggest music stars, and enjoy being ‘Way Out West’ in the north.

James Reyne - Way Out West Tour

WHEN FRI 4

Photo: Jeff Busby

By Tierney Seccull

LOUD & PROUD

Indigenous music’s night of nights returns in 2023, as the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) celebrate Australia’s thriving First Nations musical landscape, right here on Larrakia Country. The highly anticipated annual event raises the profile of Indigenous music whilst showcasing talent, as a diverse mix of artists take to the Amphitheatre stage to perform under the stars.

THE 2023 NIMAS are hosted by Fred Leone and Elaine Crombie, with performances from a range of artists including Barkaa, Budjerah and Thelma Plum. Awards categories include Artist of the Year, New Talent of the Year, Film Clip of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Community Clip of the Year.

NIMAs Creative Director Ben Graetz says he’s proud the event is held on Larrakia Country.

“The event was originally born here in the Top End on Larrakia Country, so I think it’s wonderful that 19 years later, we can still celebrate our incredible First Nations musicians and artists, and honour our music, songs and culture.”

Presented by Music NT, the NIMAs have gained traction over the years to become the largest celebration of First Nations music in Australia. Music NT's Executive Director Mark Smith says it’s important to recognise Indigenous music on a national level.

DESTINY & DESIRE

BRETT DEAN’S SIDURI Dances stars DSO’s Orchestra and Operations Manager and Principal Flautist, Tania Watts, stepping out in front of the Orchestra as soloist for the first time.

“It’s almost like the flute takes charge in this piece. The flute leads the string orchestra, there are sections which are really rhythmic. It’s the flute that drives it and brings the strings along for the ride,” she says.

Ispired by the mythological goddess Siduri in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the piece starts with a haunting air of mystery before shifting to a more playful tone. Complex and virtuosic, the piece also has a softer quality reflected in glissandi – a continuous sliding upwards or downwards between two notes.

“Sometimes I can just pick up the flute and play a piece of music and

it works, but this piece has got lots of extended techniques and it’s quite contemporary,” Watts says.

“Things like multiphonics, where you learn new fingerings to play two, sometime three notes at once. There are all these new techniques that aren’t in everyday classical works.”

Smith’s piece, Foreigner or Foreigner, is an expansive work that explores how it feels to be suspended between two places of belonging, while Prelude and Liebestod from the opera Tristan and Isolde offers a dramatic glimpse into the doomed lover's tale. Liebestod (love death) is the climactic end where Isolde is singing over Tristan’s dead body.

Rounding out the program on a triumphant and hopeful note, Appalachian Spring by American

“The NIMAs play an important role ... but none more so than to amplify and showcase the amazing First Nations talent that Australia is producing,” he says.

“Alongside that, being able to stage what is arguably the most significant celebration of achievement and talent of First Nations musicians in the country, in Darwin, shows that nationally significant events can happen in regional centres.”

Arnhem Land group Wildfire Manwurrk, nominated for three awards this year, say the national recognition the NIMAs bring is very important to them.

"We have walked a long hard road to get here over many years and feel so happy to be recognised for our music at this national level. To be recognised as one of Australia’s important Indigenous voices means everything to us.

"Our music tells our story in our language, one of the oldest languages in this world. That language,

Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) explores the spectrum of human emotion, showcasing two exciting Northern Territory premieres by celebrated Australian composers, Brett Dean and Rebecca Erin Smith.

WHEN SAT 19 AUG | 7.30PM

COST $65 | $55 CONC | $35 U30 $22 U18 | GROUPS 10+ $55 INFO dso.org.au | darwinfestival.org.au

it will help you connect to where you are standing. It will help us come together, where we learn from each other."

Smith says the artists deserve every bit of recognition.

“While the national sector has started to catch up and realise how incredible Australia’s First Nation artists are – through the success of The Kid Laroi, King Stingray and Jessica Mauboy – a space and place for community and the broader public to come together and celebrate is what drives the NIMAs to continue fostering this platform.”

For a magical night of celebration, storytelling and music, settle in under the stars to celebrate Australia’s brightest stars in Indigenous music.

National Indigenous Music Awards

WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 7PM AT DARWIN AMPHITHEATRE COST $40 | $33 CONC | FREE U12 INFO nima.musicnt.com.au darwinfestival.org.au

By Kate Conway

composer Aaron Copland is a pretty, romantic piece, that follows a young pioneer couple on their wedding day.

“There are so many beautiful melodies in this concert,” Watts says.

“Even though the Siduri Dances is quite modern and contemporary, it’s also rooted in the classical structure and with beautiful melodies that evoke lots of feelings in the listener.”

King Stingray

Photo: Hannah Herbert

AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

By Tierney Seccull

Nathan Cavaleri

If the name Nathan Cavaleri rings a bell, there’s a good reason for that. He was the cute little guitar playing kid with regular appearances on Hey Hey It's Saturday, and was such a prodigy, he was signed to Michael Jackson’s music label, MJ personally winning out in a bidding war between Prince and Madonna.

AFTER GETTING – AND beating – leukaemia at a young age, anxiety, insomnia and chronic fatigue impacted his capacity to perform, so he hit the pause button on his career. But in 2020 came the renaissance of Nathan Cavaleri with the release of his first solo album, Demons

“Creatively, in terms of getting back out there [in 2020] as a musician, I didn’t believe that I’d have the psychological and physical capacity to perform again, so as far as I was concerned, my career was over,” he says.

“But I kept writing music and I'd see other areas of my life open up the more I was applying what I had learned, and that’s what made me think, ‘I wonder if it’s gonna be the same with music? Maybe I should just lean into this.’”

And so, he did.

“I didn’t want to let fear completely detach me from what I’d done my whole life … I had all of these songs, because I continued to create almost like I did as a kid – it wasn’t about career or about whether it was gonna get played on radio, it was just self-expression. So, I just gave it a go. That was the moment I dipped my toe in the water.”

Cavaleri notes Angus and Julia Stone and Queens of the Stone Age among

Up All Night with The Waifs

By Betty Sweetlove

his influences, plus older artists like Shuggie Otis and George Harrison, but has carved his own unique style, vibe and sound that is different from the young fella you might remember from the telly.

“There's a lot of light and shade, and I think I probably sit between alternative and rock, but with blues tones as well. I draw a lot on psychedelic textures – I love a lot of 60s and 70s psychedelic music – I try to incorporate some of that, and it seems to fit, that combination seems to align with the emotions and sentiments of the song."

Three years after his debut solo album, Cavaleri's hit the road on a national tour to celebrate the release of his second solo album Miracles With shows in Darwin and Mparntwe/Alice Springs, he says he’s keen to return to the NT.

“I have such great memories of touring, particularly in Darwin – they were some of the biggest crowds I played as a kid. I’m absolutely looking forward to coming back.”

Witness what can only be described as utter wizardry of this singer-songwriter-guitar legend, as he shares stories from his life between original tunes. He’s all grown up, and his star is as bright as ever.

Darwin WHEN SUN 30 JUL | 7PM

AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST $21.50

Alice Springs WHEN FRI 4 AUG | 8PM AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE COST $24

INFO nathancavaleri.com

Beloved Aussie folk rock band The Waifs hit the Territory with shows in Alice Springs this month, and Darwin next, on their national anniversary tour. early 90s and have been coming back ever since – it’s such a unique part of the country and the people reflect that. They love Aussie live music,” she says.

20 YEARS MIGHT seem like a long time, but returning to The Waifs’ 2003 hit album, Up All Night, with their signature folk-rock sound is as captivating as ever.

Arguably the busiest band in Australia this month, The Waifs are midway through an epic national tour celebrating the album’s 20-year anniversary. The raconteur recording included breakthrough singles ‘London Still’, ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Fisherman’s Journey’, winning the band four ARIA awards upon its release.

The trio are no strangers to the NT, having performed up and down the Stuart Highway in their lengthy career. Founding band member Vikki Thorn says they are excited to be back, with fond memories including busking at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.

“We first toured the NT back in the

This month’s gig at Araluen Arts Centre sees the band play the album in full plus a handful of fan favourites, which is something Darwinites can look forward to at Darwin Entertainment Centre next month.

With songs evoking the open road, the band’s commitment to touring is how they connect with their vast fanbase.

“I enjoy the long drives, meeting people who want to share their stories and show their appreciation that you came to their town,” says Thorn.

Ticket-buyers can opt to embellish their night with a VIP package and

get their hands on some extra-special merch, which includes a limited edition signed copy of Up All Night, lovingly remastered and issued on vinyl for the first time.

Embark on a nostalgic, musical trip back to the noughties, and join The Waifs in celebration of their classic album.

Alice Springs WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 7.30PM AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

COST $85 INFO araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

Darwin WHEN FRI 22 SEP | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST $75-$89 INFO yourcentre.com.au

Photo: Jarrad Seng

GIG guide

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

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

Lunch on the Lawn

There’s two more chances to enjoy blissful tunes from local musos at Lunch on the Lawn. Pull up on a patch of grass under the shady trees of Bennett Park and make your lunch break wonderful.

WHEN WED 2 & 9 AUG | 12-2PM AT BENNETT PARK COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ lunchonthelawn

James Reyne Way Out West Tour

WHEN FRI 4 AUG | 8-10PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $70-$80 INFO yourcentre.com.au

This relaxing monthly arvo of music is a must-see, must-do, must-hear. Strum a song and belt out a ballad or kick back with a drink in the shade while other talented musos do!

WHEN SUN 6 AUG | 3PM AT TRACY VILLAGE SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ firstsundayblues

Neil Murray – The Telling

Join one of Australia’s finest songmen, Neil Murray, on the next stop of his national tour. Don’t miss the renowned storyteller, First Nations champion, and musical craftsman performing in Katherine for one night only.

WHEN FRI 11 AUG | 7-9PM AT GYRACC COST $30 | $20 CONC INFO gyracc.org.au

National Indigenous Music Awards

WHEN SAT 12 AUG | 6-10.30PM AT DARWIN AMPHITHEATRE COST $33 | $40 INFO nima.musicnt.com.au

Darwin Celtic Music Sessions

Be transported to emerald isles and

fields of gold at this afternoon of traditional and contemporary folk music from Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton and more. All folk traditions are welcome, bring along an instrument and join the fun!

WHEN SUN 13 AUG | 4.30PM AT LUCKY BAT COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ darwintradmusic

Live at the Lake Head to the Sanctuary Lakes lawn for a family and pet friendly arvo of live, local music. Bring along a picnic, blanket, bean bag or chair, and relax and enjoy the music as the sun sets.

WHEN SAT 19 AUG | 4.30-7PM AT SANCTUARY LAKES COST FREE INFO palmerston.nt.gov.au

Darwin Symphony Orchestra –Destiny and Desire

WHEN SAT 19 AUG | 7.30-9.15PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $22-$65 INFO dso.org.au

Jazz Assembly Jam Session

Bring your instrument and jump on stage with the house band at this fun monthly jazz jam session or relax and enjoy the music with a refreshing afternoon bev.

WHEN SUN 27 AUG | 5-7PM AT DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ jazzassemblyjam

Steve Case Live Music

Join outback entertainer and acoustic one-man-band Steve Case for the final shows of his NT in ‘23 Tour.

WHEN DAILY AT ADELAIDE RIVER INN COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ stevecasemusic

Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

Take a glimpse behind the scenes of one of Darwin’s most beloved institutions at the Darwin City Brass Band rehearsals. New members and visitors are always welcome.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 7-9PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST $20 ANNUAL MEMB INFO darwincitybrassband.or.gau

Darwin City Brass Band Learners

Classes

Ever wanted to learn to play a brass instrument? Darwin City Brass Band offers a low-cost opportunity for aspiring and developing brass players of all ages, with tuition on Wednesdays during school terms.

WHEN EVERY WED | 4.30-7PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST $20 ANNUAL MEMB INFO darwincitybrassband.or.gau

Wednesday Night Swing

Join Swing Dance NT for swing dancing accompanied by the 19 piece Hot and Cold Big Band. Perfect for any age and ability, swing dancing is a great way to meet new friends and get exercise in a fun way. Give it a whirl!

WHEN EVERY WED | 7.30PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST $10 INFO facebook.com/groups/ swingdancent

Fridays @ Dom’s

Don't feel like driving into the city from the northern ‘burbs for a Friday night bev? Enjoy delish cocktails and a two-hour happy hour, as the house DJ eases you into the weekend.

WHEN EVERY FRI | 4PM, HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM AT DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE COST FREE INFO domsdawin.com.au

Bella Maree

WHEN EVERY FRI | 5PM AT ATRIUM BAR & GARDEN COST FREE INFO bellamareemusic.com

Weekends at Willing

Enjoy the weekend at Willing Distillery. Sample their award-wining gin, a cocktail or NT craft beers, and tuck into tasty food from local food trucks backed by chilled live tunes in the evenings.

WHEN EVERY FRI & SAT FROM 12PM AT WILLING DISTILLERY COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ willingdistillery

Sunset Sounds at Cullen Bay Sunday sessions are sorted with live tunes on the lawns at Cullen Beach. Pack a picnic blanket and round out your weekend with a Dry season sunset. Nice.

WHEN EVERY SUN AT CULLEN BAY BEACH COST FREE INFO cullenbaymarina.com.au

DARWIN FESTIVAL darwinfestival.org.au

History of House

Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir joins forces with the legendary DJ Groove Terminator to present a celebration of dance music through the decades. Get funky with 70s disco and boogie to 80s pop, before travelling through the history of smooth, soulful house music, all the way to the noughties.

WHEN THU 10 – SAT 12 AUG 8.30PM AT INPEX SUNSET STAGE COST $40.80-$48

Bamboo Bandstand

Sit back and enjoy live sets from a

huge range of local musos and soak up the Dry season air in the sweet surrounds of Festival Park.

WHEN THU 10 – SUN 27 AUG (EXC. MON) | 6PM

AT FESTIVAL PARK COST FREE

Music at the Rails

Darwin’s home of great live music comes alive during Darwin Festival with performances showcasing an eclectic mix of genres including world, reggae, hip hop, psychedelic rock, pop and more. Each headline show features support from different talented local acts.

WHEN THU 17 AUG

FRI 11, 18 & 25 AUG SAT 12 & 19 AUG | 8PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST $34-$38

27 Club

RED CENTRE

Nathan Cavaleri

WHEN FRI 4 AUG | 8PM AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE COST $24 INFO araluenartscentre.gov.au

Jump Inn Jams

Break up the work week and join the fun at this jam night featuring various artists.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 7-10PM AT JUMP INN CRAFT BEER BAR & RESTUARANT COST FREE INFO jumpinncraftbeerbar.com

Blues Night

Join a swag of Australian rock icons – including Sarah McLeod from The Superjesus and Jebediah’s Kevin Mitchell – at this celebration of musical legends who are forever 27-years-old. Part-performance, part-live rockumentary, enjoy music and stories from the lives of Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix.

WHEN TUE 22 – THU 24 AUG | 7PM AT INPEX SUNSET STAGE COST $40-$44

Regurgitator - Unit25

Catch Aussie alt-rock legends the ‘Gurge to celebrate 25 years of their iconic album, Unit. Performing the album in full accompanied by all your favourite hits, get set for a huge night bursting with the live exuberance the ‘Gurge is loved for.

WHEN THU 24 AUG | 9PM AT FESTIVAL PARK COST $33-$42

Relaxed, acoustic and soulful tunes from local musicians are on the menu every Friday night at Blues Night at the Jump Inn.

WHEN EVERY FRI | 6.30-9.30PM AT JUMP INN CRAFT BEER BAR & RESTUARANT COST FREE INFO jumpinncraftbeerbar.com

4 FRI AUG | VIRJILLIA JOYCE 11 FRI AUG | RHYLEY MCGRATH

Want a chance to see your gig listed here? Upload to our website! Scan for deets.