Off The Leash - May 2018

WORDSTORM

FESTIVAL FUN

COOL NEW SHOWS

Word nerds unite at the annual NT Writers' Festival

Think, dance, listen and eat your way into the Dry

Darwin Entertainment Centre is back

MAY

20 18

MUSIC

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PERFORMING ARTS

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VISUAL ARTS

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BOOKS & FILM

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FOOD & DRINK

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COMMUNITY

Yo u r fre e what ’s o n g u i d e TO TH E TO P E N D

A National Gallery of Australia Exhibition

Tony Albert, The Hand You’re Dealt (detail) 2016, Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf Photo: Sam Noonan

National Collecting Institutions Touring & Outreach Program

The National Gallery of Australia acknowledges funding support from the Visions touring and the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Programs, both Australian Government programs aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.

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INSIDE

OFFTHELEASH.NET.AU

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cool, salty breeze, clear blue skies and dragonflies – thank you Dry season. With a plethora of outdoor events, the month of May is set to send you spinning from one alfresco affair to the next.

Wordstorm, the annual NT Writers’ Festival, heads to Darwin this month with a full program of panels, book launches, talks and workshops – including plenty of activities for the NT’s youngest word lovers – see page 4.

Top Enders come together in a cross-cultural collaboration to celebrate the annual Harmony Soiree. Try your hand at the ancient craft of hand block printing. Spend a Dry season Saturday buying up on local art and craft – spoil a loved one or keep it for yourself. The team behind the ATMOS: listening parties treat us to two instalments – see Around Town.

F R OM T H E

Ed

May sees the 2018 festival season well and truly underway. Take a stroll along the stunning Nightcliff foreshore at the Seabreeze Festival and celebrate the talents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at Garrmalang. Take a trip to the Pine Creek Gold Rush Fest, check out Katherine’s Junk Sculpture challenge or get dusty at Wide Open Space. Darwin Festival early release goes on sale – see Festivals.

Indigenous food is at the forefront this month. Zach Green’s new pop-up restaurant, Elijah’s Kitchen, celebrates Indigenous culture through stories and seasonal produce. Head to World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park to learn about bush cuisine. Indulge in an afternoon of local food and Australian wine at Graze. Raise money for a worthy cause at an Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea event or Share the DigniTEA – see Food & Drink.

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Last month’s NT Youth Week was a resounding success – thanks to our friends at LAUNCH for sharing some of their favourite pics. Want a sneak peek at a couple of BASS artists? Check out Sounds @ Sunset for a night of music and food on the foreshore – see Youth.

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From comedies and animated movies to Warwick Thornton’s acclaimed Sweet Country and Naina Sen’s The Song Keepers – there’s film for all ages. The best local and international short films head to Darwin while the NT Travelling Film Festival heads to Tennant Creek and Alice Springs – see Books & Film.

AROUND TOWn | 5 FESTIVALS | 8 FOOD & DRINK | 10 Youth | 12 Word on the Street | 17 BOOKS & FILM | 18 Performing ARTS | 20 Visual Arts | 22 Music | 25 calendaR | PULL-OUT

ATMOS: BIG WEATHER | 5

The Darwin Entertainment Centre re-opens this month, complete with a swanky new air con and a multitude of shows – including the highly anticipated Green Day’s American Idiot. Catch an outdoor rendition of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The Turquoise Elephant takes an absurdist look at the near future – see Performing Arts.

Nomad Art Gallery, a stalwart of the Northern Territory arts community, closes its doors this month – don’t miss their final show. Salon Indigenous Art Projects launches its first exhibition – see Visual Arts.

Live music buffs will be busy this month with BASSINTHEGRASS, NT News Live on Fridays, Songs from the Parisian Belle Époque, the Darwin Symphony Orchestra Opera Gala and the APIA Good Times Tour – see Music.

A TASTE OF KAKADU | 10

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May 2018

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FEATURE “What grabs my attention?

Anything that affects my heart.”

– Mayank Austen Soofi Pennyrose Wiggins, 'Kingswood Country' (detail), 2017, oil and acrylic on found car boot, 131 x 93cm

As the Wet season skies clear, word nerds come out to mix and mingle at Wordstorm. The NT Writers' Festival hits the Top End every two years, so clear your diaries for the jam-packed program of panels, book launches, talks and workshops.

WHEN AT COST INFO

THU 24 – SUN 27 MAY VARIOUS LOCATIONS VARIOUS ntwriters.com.au

by Tamara Howie or the last 10 years blogger, author and photographer Mayank Austen Soofi has told the stories hidden in plain sight in Delhi.

His acclaimed blog The Delhi Walla is an honest and raw depiction of life in a city home to more than 25 million people.

“I wake up in the morning wondering, and in fear, if I’ll be able to meet stories,” he says.

“But I always do, often as soon as I step outside my house. It could be a woman sitting on the pavement, or an old door, or a young man with a strange new kind of hairstyle, or a half-ruined tomb… it could be anything, anyone.

“Everything, everyone is special and as unique in the big wide world as your fingerprint.

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“What grabs my attention?

Anything that affects my heart.”

Soofi is heading “down south” to Australia for the first time as a special guest and panellist for Wordstorm, the annual NT Writers’ Festival organised by the NT Writers’ Centre.

Darwin is a long way from, and far less crowded than, his home in Delhi and Soofi says he’s excited to see what stories Darwin has to offer.

“When I look at the map, Darwin seems so remote, so out from everything I know,” he says.

“And yet I know, when I’ll be there, that it will be the centre of my world.

I am looking forward to that thrill.”

Soofi will be joined by Darwin journalist and author Christopher Walsh (Crocs in the Cabinet), Buzzfeed correspondent, commentator and podcaster

Amy McQuire, and Indonesian writer and lecturer Intan Paramaditha for a panel discussion ‘Beyond the margins of the newspaper’.

Soofi says he feels newspaper will stay relevant through intelligent presentation of how to make sense of the world, rather than breaking news.

“I think increasingly if newspaper dailies have to survive they will have to give stuff to their readers that cannot be found online initially, and can’t be created by anybody with a net connection and cell phone camera.

“Ultimately, the newspapers will have to hire really smart people, reporters, writers, observers, with sharp minds but who are rooted enough to reach out to readers.

“It’s like, you know, everyone can draw, or write, but only a few can really make an art out of it.”

The Wordstorm program is packed with panel discussions, book launches and special events.

Kicking off the celebrations will be a free event in the Brown’s Mart courtyard where a special guest will reveal the short list of the biennial Territory Read Book Awards.

Legendary musician and artist Tom E. Lewis will sit down with young songwriter Stevie Jean to talk about their songwriting processes with MC and fellow songwriter Sam Carmody.

Novelist Michelle De Krester will discuss her fifth novel This Life to Come over a literary brunch.

There’s plenty on for the youngest word lovers with readings and workshops for kids all weekend.

In traditional Wordstorm style the festival will end with a comedy debate asking wordsmiths, ‘Critics: Excrement or Guardian Angels?’.

Mayank Austen Soofi Michelle De Krester

AROUND TOWN

HAND BLOCK PRINTING Harmony Soiree THERE’S A PRETTY SPECIAL EVENT HAPPENING AT THIS YEAR’S HARMONY SOIREE. Production manager Jenny Milne says this year’s soiree is more than just each community group showcasing their traditional dancing and music.

“We’ve developed a real crosscultural collaboration – you don’t get one dance group after another, they are all working together,” she says.

“Seeing the new music coming out of the collaboration is really quite exciting and it’s what Australian music is about – an amalgamation of all the different cultures together.”

Milne, who is originally from England, has a long history with the Harmony Soiree and the multicultural groups in the Top End, and has been the first smiling face to greet refugees when they arrive in Darwin.

She says the soiree is more than just a celebration and showcase of culture; it’s an opportunity to welcome newcomers and show them what’s on offer in the Top End. “It’s just about making people feel at home in Darwin,” she says.

“I think some of the refugees are isolated and the soiree brings them together and they can see everyone else and what they’ve achieved.

Hand block printing is an ancient craft with historical roots in many parts of the world, including India.

Printer Raju Rathi is passionate about his craft and opened Jatin Handicraft in Pushkar, India in 2009.

Jatin Handicraft’s vision is to support and help develop the traditional handicrafts of the women in the Barmer region of southwest Rajasthan and Rathi ensures the majority of profits go directly to the artists.

“They can meet Vietnamese refugees from way back and see the path they’ve taken.”

Rathi will be in Darwin in May for a residency at Accomplice, and will be sharing his skills and knowledge at two workshops.

Milne says the annual festival is a fantastic way to learn more about the multicultural diversity in Darwin – learn how to play Greek musical instruments, make Chinese dumplings or play Gaelic football.

“The focus of the residency at Accomplice is to exchange two native skills, and make a fusion of two art forms to create something that represents both nations,” he says.

“I have never been to Australia before but have a keen interest in Aboriginal art and am very much looking forward to being a part of this native art craft project.”

Rathi wants to keep traditional, local art alive and encourage new artists, while working with locals and the wider community to make a sustainable future for his artists.

Rathi travelled extensively around India and learned from the locals about the different textile traditions in each region.

“It’s difficult to say how old this technique is, however, much research has been carried out and it has been said it may have its origins in the 15th century,” he says.

“It is also found in ancient Indus valley civilization Mohenjo-Daro.”

“Block printing by hand is a slow process”.

“It is however capable of yielding highly artistic results, some of which

are unobtainable by any other methods.”

Rathi was brought up in the Barmer area of Rajasthan where he was exposed to native block print techniques and began to learn from printers who had been working in this way for the last 40 years.

Rathi now teaches the younger generation to integrate traditional art with styles of the modern era.

His workshops in Darwin will cover all the basics of the art form.

“Participants will be learning the basics about wooden block print – how to prepare fabric, colour and to apply wood block on fabric step by step,” Rathi says.

“Participants may follow a design or make their own design with wood block.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 12 & 19 MAY | 10AM-4PM ACCOMPLICE $130 creativeaccomplice.com.au

“Everyone comes together to show off their different craft or food,” she says.

“It’s interesting to see how they’ve made Darwin home while retaining their culture – I think it’s important they value their cultural roots while living in Australia,” she says.

In the evening, beautifully decorated lanterns will be released onto the lagoon and the event will conclude with a spectacular fireworks finale.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 27 MAY | 4-8.30PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE waterfront.nt.gov.au

ATMOS:

BIG WEATHER

EVERY WONDERED WHAT THE WEATHER IS LIKE ON NEPTUNE? Or the wildest storms to have hit the Australian coast?

Meteorologist Jackson Browne takes audiophiles on a journey through the solar system for one of this month’s instalments of ATMOS. “It’s going to be quite varied,” he says.

“I want to take the listeners on a journey through weather and to different places with extreme weather and big weather situations outside of the solar system.”

Browne says astronomers are now able to piece together what weather is like on distant planets.

“It can be quite boring on Mercury.

There’s no atmosphere so it’s the temperature of an oven on the sun side and on the dark side it’s minus 180 degrees.

“But once you add an atmosphere

you get the gases that mix around.

“You look at Neptune, they have the fastest winds in the solar system with winds up to 2000km an hour and clouds of methane and temperatures minus 220 degrees.”

After an auditory trip through the solar system Browne will draw the listeners back home with stories from major weather events on Earth.

As a meteorologist Browne is mates with plenty of people who have been instrumental in issuing alerts when a cyclone is rolling in.

“I’m interviewing them and finding out what emotions and thoughts are going through their head when they’re in the hot seat when a cat five is coming towards the Queensland coast,” he says.

Before the wild weather kicks in later this month, the first listening party looks back on the history of the Vic

Hotel. Producer James Mangohig is the man behind the audio for ATMOS: The Pub That Took A Punt.

“The Vic Hotel gave original music a chance to be heard,” Mangohig says.

“Emerging artists were supported in a way rarely seen by mainstream pubs and locals loved it.”

ATMOS: The Pub That Took A Punt WHEN MON 7 MAY | 6.30PM AT VIC ARCADE COST $20 INFO storyprojects.com.au/ atmos

ATMOS: Big Weather WHEN WED 30 MAY | 6-9PM AT TOWN HALL RUINS COST $10 INFO storyprojects.com.au/ atmos

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GOLD RUSH

FESTIVAL

1-3 JUNE

FRIDAY NIGHT • Art Exhibition Prize Night • Joy Greer - live music

SATURDAY NIGHT • Family Concert • Bunny & Bernie On Tour

SATURDAY • NT Goldpanning Championships • Nugget hunt • Market stalls • Music • Entertainment • Food & Drink

SUNDAY • Uke Slam!

Proudly supported by

INFO For further information contact Pine Creek Service Centre 08 8976 8211 or visit vicdaly.nt.gov.au

May Events Mothers’ Day Saltwater Craft Fair Saturday 5 May 9am to 3pm

Spoil mum with a unique gift from some of the Territory’s best arts and crafts people.

Handmade wares will include glass textiles, ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, sculpture, candles and more.

Free movie under the stars The Boss Baby (PG) Saturday 12 May 7pm | Free

Experience the magic of the moonlight cinema every night at the Darwin Waterfront in the dry season.

Darwin Symphony Orchestra Saturday 19 May 6:30pm to 9pm Fireworks finale at 8:45pm A spectacular evening of arias and unforgettable numbers by renowned operas.

Harmony Soiree Saturday 26 May 4pm to 8:30pm

Celebrate our thriving multicultural community and enjoy all of the food, performances and festival atmoshphere on offer.

Sponsor

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Supporter

All events are alcohol and glass free waterfront.nt.gov.au

Mother’s Day

AT COST INFO

The best gifts are often the ones that come from the heart, but if it’s been a while since you sat at a sewing machine or pulled out the knitting needles, the stallholders at Tactile Arts’ Saltwater Craft Fair have you covered.

Malak Marketplace Enjoy fresh produce at this local organic farmers’ market, or grab a bite to eat from the delicious food stalls.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN EVERY SAT | 4-9PM AT CHAMBERS CRESCENT

CARPARK, MALAK INFO malakmarketplace.org.au

Milonga Join the Northern Tango community for a night of social Argentine Tango dancing.

Saltwater Craft Fair

LISTINGS

This is your opportunity to not only spoil mum or a loved one but to also get your hands on some locally hand made art and craft.

WHEN AT COST

INFO

WHEN TUE 1 & 8 MAY | 6-8PM AT RELATIONSHIPS AUSTRALIA NT COST $50 PER PERSON INFO nt.relationships.org.au

Stillness Within Join Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Dornying and explore how to find peace and stillness through the practice of meditation and modern Buddhism.

First Thursday GLAMR Social Group GLAMR: Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Records Management. 21st century technology is changing our professional information industry. Gather with colleagues each month to collaborate and discuss.

SUN 13 MAY | 10AM-2PM FREDS PASS RESERVE DONATION | $10 CAR COMP ENTRY facebook.com/varietynt

WHEN WED 16 MAY | 7PM AT CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY COST $30 INFO meditateindarwin.org

Warisan Budaya

WHEN THU 3 MAY | 5-7PM AT RORKES BEER WINE FOOD COST FREE | REFRESHMENTS AT OWN COST INFO 0419 844 603

Couple Connect Create a lasting relationship through researched communication and connection skills. Fine tune how you connect as a couple, building on friendship, trust and intimacy.

WHEN WED 9 & 16 MAY | 5-7PM AT RELATIONSHIPS AUSTRALIA NT COST $50 | $80 COUPLE |

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL INFO nt.relationships.org.au

Throwing On The Wheel Join local ceramicist Cecily Willis and learn the fundamentals of working with clay on the wheel, along with basic glazing techniques at this workshop suitable for beginner/intermediate ceramicists.

EVERY SAT 12 MAY – SAT 16 JUN | 1-4PM TACTILE ARTS $340 | $300 MEMB tactilearts.org.au

Holden vs Ford Show and Shine This great family day out has a kid’s corner, live music, auction prizes, raffles, hot food, licensed bar and lots of classic cars on display. All proceeds go to support Variety NT.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 5 MAY | 9AM-3PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE tactilearts.org.au

To Stay Or To Go? This two-session workshop aims to assist people experiencing indecision about the future of their relationship.

WHEN

AT COST INFO

Aqua Zumba Join the Zumba pool party for a cool calorie burning dance fitness session at Darwin’s Wave Lagoon.

What better way to spend a Dry season day than perusing a tropical outdoor gallery by the water, shopping for a loved one?

WHEN AT COST INFO

AT RELATIONSHIPS AUSTRALIA NT COST $150 | BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL INFO nt.relationships.org.au

Fringe Festival Fundraiser Test your trivial knowledge or just buy your way to success at the Darwin Fringe Festival Fundraiser.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 27 MAY | 6.30PM DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB $20 darwinfringe.org.au

Royal Darwin Show Royal Darwin Show entries are now open. No matter what your interests – craft, cattle, cakes or cats – there're hundreds of competitions to enter.

Social Tennis Do you enjoy a hit of tennis but don’t want the pressure or commitment of a serious comp? Learn to play or advance your skills in a social setting at Tennis Palmerston.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 19 MAY | 5.30-9.30PM GOYDER SQUARE FREE palmerston.nt.gov.au

Family Fun Day Celebrate Library and Information Week with an action-packed day of fun including stories, a tech zone, fun bus, face painting and more.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 20 MAY | 10AM-2PM CASUARINA LIBRARY FREE darwin.nt.gov.au/libraries

Rebuilding After Separation or Divorce This six-week course is designed to address mixed emotions, anger or regret and assist you to find new and fulfilling ways to live life following separation or divorce.

WHEN EVERY TUE 22 MAY –

TUE 26 JUN | 6-8PM

EVERY SUN | 9AM DARWIN WATERFRONT $12 | $8 U15 waterfront.nt.gov.au

LET’S DANCE

WHEN ENTRIES CLOSE FRI 15 JUN INFO darwinshow.com.au

Indonesian Festival Celebrate Indonesian culture with food and live entertainment.

LIVE DARWIN HUB FREE | BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL eventbrite.com.au

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY TUE | 7-8.30PM TENNIS PALMERSTON $15 tennispalmerston.com

Mindil Beach Sunset Market As the sun dips into the Arafura Sea feast upon Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian and Greek food – to name just a few options – take a wander through the palm lined boulevards for some unique gifts or soak up the sunset and entertainment.

WHEN EVERY THU & SUN | 4-9PM AT MINDIL BEACH INFO mindil.com.au

FUNdamentals Of Music With Melody Mel Make your own instrument using recycled materials, join in music games and learn basic music concepts at these free workshops.

Recommended for ages four to 12, parental supervision is required and bookings are essential.

WHEN EVERY SAT & SUN

UNTIL SUN 20 MAY

| 10-11.30AM

Sweet Bachata Learn this sweet, romantic dance form from the Dominican Republic.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY MON | 6.30-9.30PM TRACKS DANCE $18 salsitadarwin.com.au

Hot Salsa Salsa is a contagious and addictive dance that has taken the world by storm. These practical, fun and easy classes will help you feel confident on the dance floor.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY TUE | 6.30-9.30PM DANCE WORLD STUDIO $18 salsitadarwin.com.au

No Lights No Lycra A weekly dance jam in the dark – no teacher, no steps to learn, no alcohol, no talking – no worries! Just dancing and great tunes. Perfect for all ages, shapes and sizes. No need to book, just turn up when you’re in the mood for a boogie.

WHEN AT

COST INFO

EVERY WED | 6-7PM HAPPY YESS THEATRE, BROWN’S MART $7 nolightsnolycra.com

Argentine Tango Tango is a fun, social activity that can be danced by anyone, regardless of age or physical ability. It’s an improvised dance, and one that will exercise your mind as well as your body.

WHEN EVERY THU | 7-9PM AT COCONUT GROVE HALL COST $12 | $15 TWO CONSECUTIVE CLASSES INFO facebook.com/nthntango

Grey Panthers A unique seniors dance group of Territory women and men over the age of 60. Want to be part of the fun? Join in weekly to learn new dances and rehearse for special performances.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY FRI | 9.30-11AM TRACKS DANCE STUDIO $5 tracksdance.com.au

Argentine Tango Practica Hosted by the Northern Tango dance community, join fellow tango dancers to practice, refine tech-

nique, build musical skill, inspire each other, talk tango and spend another night of the week enjoying tango.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY SUN | 4.30-6.30PM STUDIO 13, COCONUT GROVE $5 facebook.com/nthntango

FRI 25 MAY | 8-11PM COCONUT GROVE HALL $5 facebook.com/nthntango

PALMERSTON LIBRARY

palmerston.nt.gov.au/library Brick By Brick – A Lego Exhibition Join the fun at Palmerston Library and let your creativity run wild.

Design your own capital city using Lego or build an iconic Canberra institution. Do you accept the challenge?

WHEN UNTIL THU 10 MAY COST FREE

Gadgets & Games Club For kids five to 12 years who like hands-on, problem based learning activities. Gadgets and Games is based around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) learning activities and the equation that learning plus games equals fun.

WHEN WED 2, 16 & 30 MAY

| 3.30-4.30PM

Lego Club Hone your building skills with fortnightly activities and challenges.

Create your own masterpiece and display it in the library. Suitable for ages five to 12 years.

WHEN WED 9 & 23 MAY | 3.30-4.30PM

Storytime Say goodbye to quiet libraries! 1-5 year olds and their caregivers will love singing, dancing, listening to stories and engaging with puppets in these fun, interactive sessions.

WHEN EVERY TUE & THU | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

Drop-in Youth Zone Chill with friends after school.

Check out the PS4 elimination games for your chance to win prizes or BYO board games or cards to share. Suitable for ages 12 and above – no bookings required.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 3-4.30PM COST FREE

Nursery Time You’re never too young to enjoy reading. Treat your baby to songs, puppets, nursery rhymes and movement to enhance their early literacy development. Suitable for 0-1 year olds.

WHEN EVERY WED | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

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FESTIVALS Nightcliff

Seabreeze Festival

THE NIGHTCLIFF SEABREEZE FESTIVAL IS EXPANDING ITS WINGS from a single day breezing along the foreshore, to two full weeks of festive fun.

and we would be thrilled and say, ‘my goodness we’ll promote it for you’.

Over the last few years the crew behind the festival have noticed more and more people wanting to be involved, who couldn’t always make their event happen on the day or on the foreshore.

The main event will sees the Nightcliff foreshore transform into more than one kilometre of activities.

Festival coordinator Bryn Wackett says the Seabreeze Sideshows straddling the main day means the action is spread over two weeks throughout the northern suburbs.

“Just because you’re not situated on the foreshore, doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the Seabreeze program,” she says.

“If something wasn’t able to be done on the big day, that business or organisation would say ‘I want to do this but I’ll do it the day before’,

“It grew from there.”

A new music stage has been born at the old Seabreeze Hotel site after Cyclone Marcus ripped through and left parts of the foreshore unusable. “(The hotel) got blown over in Tracy,” Wackett says.

“We said 'let’s use this old site to celebrate that we’ve come out the other side of Marcus and survived the second most damaging cyclone since Tracy'.”

A Day on the Foreshore sees plenty of action, kicking off with a sand sculpture competition. There will be

music stages staggered throughout, with the Foreshore Café Acoustic Stage, the Top End Folk Club and Sunset Music Session Stage and, of course, the main Banyan Tree Music Stage.

For the Seabreeze Sideshows there'll be a creative experience at the Aralia Street shops on offer, environmental nature walks with the NT Field Naturalists Club and a sunset soiree among the bursting program.

Seabreeze Sideshows WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 5 – SUN 20 MAY VARIOUS VARIOUS nightcliffseabreeze.com

A Day on the Foreshore WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 12 MAY | 8.30AM-9PM NIGHTCLIFF FORESHORE FREE nightcliffseabreeze.com

LIMBO

GOLD RUSH

FESTIVAL

THE LITTLE TOWN OF PINE CREEK SWELLS IN NUMBERS EVERY YEAR with punters testing their skills panning for gold.

More than 1000 people are expected to venture up and down the Stuart Highway for the annual Pine Creek Gold Rush Festival.

Organiser Gaye Lawrence has been involved since the early days of the festival more than 20 years ago.

“Pine Creek is historically a gold mining town and this is a way to acknowledge and celebrate our heritage,” she says.

The festival kicks off on Friday night with an art and photography exhibition at the Station Master’s House, followed by music from Joy Greer at the Railway Resort.

The full day festivities begin on Saturday and include the NT Gold Panning Championships for beginners to experts.

“The festival and the gold panning event is really good for families,” Lawrence says.

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“It doesn’t matter if you’re five

years old or 50, you can get gold out of a bucket of sand,” she says.

Saturday night and Sunday are full of music at the Lazy Lizard Tavern to wind down the weekend.

Lawrence says the festival is a great excuse to explore the region and learn more about the history of the Top End. When gold was discovered during the 1870s construction of the Overland Telegraph the town grew to more than 3000 people in the 1890s, with more than 15 mines operating in the area.

These days a humble 350 locals call the town home and love the chance to show it off at the festival each year.

“The town is beautiful and we still retain a lot of our heritage buildings from the gold rush days,” Lawrence says.

“People are always pleasantly surprised when they come here.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 1 – SUN 3 JUN PINE CREEK FREE victoriadaly.nt.gov.au

DARWIN FESTIVAL- Early Release DARWIN FESTIVAL IS STILL A FEW MONTHS AWAY, but the team have released a sneak peek into what’s in store this year. There’s comedy, ballet and a boxing storytelling theatre experience, plus the return of The Aurora Spiegeltent.

Home-grown hip-hop legend Baker Boy will bring his full show to Darwin after a hugely successful year around the country.

“It feels so amazing to know that I will have my feet firmly planted back on my home ground after running around in this concrete jungle world that's become my life,” he says.

“I can't wait to see all my family and friends and just marryuna with all the mob”.

Baker Boy says there’s a lot planned in the next three months before his DFest show, hinting

there’s more in store for Top End fans.

“I'm releasing more music and announcing a second national and lots of secret things I'm not allowed to talk about – there's more good news on the way for Darwin,” he says.

The much-loved Aurora Spiegeltent will be home to LIMBO, an intoxicating mix of cabaret, circus and acrobatics from the creators of last year’s sell-out show BLANC de BLANC. See the skills of a sword swallower, aerial artists and contortionists under the glittering roof of the pop-up cabaret hall.

Engrossing storytelling meets the visceral thrill of live boxing in a tough and unforgiving theatrical experience in Prize Fighter. Fleeing the Congo as a child, playwright Future D. Fidel lived in a Tanzanian refugee camp for eight years before

being granted refugee status in Australia. Prize Fighter is inspired by his story.

For the first time, the Santos Opening Night Concert is set for a full theatrical stage show at The Amphitheatre, as the hidden story of Aboriginal country music comes to life under the stars in Buried Country Live in Concert.

For dance lovers, The Australian Ballet will perform their charming comedy Coppélia and those looking for an added laugh can check out comedian Urzila Carlson’s show Studies Have Shown.

Grab tickets when they go on sale on May 3, and keep your eyes out for the full program, to be released on June 21.

WHEN THU 9 – MON 26 AUG INFO darwinfestival.org.au

WHEN FRI 25 – SUN 27 MAY AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST VARIOUS INFO yourcentre.com.au

GARRMALANG FESTIVAL DARWIN’S OWN INDIGENOUS ARTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL is fast becoming a must-do activity for locals and visitors.

Garrmalang celebrates the talents and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from all over the country, on Larrakia land.

Skinnyfish Sound System

Artistic Director Gary Lang says this year’s program is one to get excited for with a great line up of visual art, traditional dance and music.

“It’ll be a beautiful festival,” he says.

“It’s going to be brilliant.”

Kenbi Dancers

Skinnyfish Sound System

The festivities begin with an opening ceremony and the Kenbi Dancers’ bunngul, followed by music from Shellie Morris and Dhapanbul Yunupiŋu. Skinnyfish Sound System will have people dancing 'til midnight to round out the first day.

Skinnyfish Sound System producer James Mangohig says they are riding high from their show at the Commonwealth Games and are ready to bring the energy back home to the Top End.

Each year more than 1500 people get dusty, and quite often glittery, at the Ross River Resort about 80km out of Alice Springs for three days of music, art and desert dancing.

This year a huge mix of local, national and international acts are heading to the Red Centre, including Regurgitator, Remi and Alice Ivy. Regular performer and attendee Jeremy Conlon, aka Cooperblack, says there are plenty of highlights – including the annual Desert Mirage Pool Party with DJ duo Cutlery –

“We turned a sit down on the lawn, family friendly event into a get up and dance party.

“Kids were dancing, adults were dancing, black people, white people – everyone was dancing.”

On Saturday the serious business starts with the free panel discussion ‘From womb to tomb – Indigenous lifelong learning and education – where are we and where do we want to be’, looking at issues of national significance in Indigenous education, training and employment.

The panel features Professor Peter Buckskin and Professor Jack Beetson, Cheryl Godwell and Dr Stephen Hagan.

Dan Sultan fans can rejoice as the legendary singer and musician returns to Darwin for his highly praised solo set – head to page 26 to read more.

Sunday night will see SPUN: True Stories Told in the Territory return to the festival with an all-Indigenous line up of storytellers.

Top 5 Arts and Cultural Activities

Wide Open Space FEstival THERE ARE NO FESTIVALS NESTLED IN THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY QUITE LIKE WIDE OPEN SPACE.

“We had incredible show at the Commonwealth Games,” Mangohig says.

Apmereke-artweye – Welcome Ceremony The Red Room Dirty Word OLA’ LAB Petal and Pan Top 5 Music Acts

and no two festivals are ever the same.

“It’s kind of a funny festival… by the end of the three days you know pretty much everyone,” he says.

This year Cooperblack will perform his electronic dance set for a full hour, with reinterpretations of his tracks dating back to 2000.

“The set is really dependant on how the crowd is, we bring a little projector and smoke machine and a quite dark and minimal lighting set up,” he says.

Conlon gave us the low-down on his top acts and tips for the festival and what else you should have on your list while you’re in the region.

Junk Sculpture Festival A TRIP TO CHERNOBYL HAS GIVEN LAST YEAR’S JUNK SCULPTURE FESTIVAL WINNER INSPIRATION FOR HIS LATEST CREATION.

Bauer began making metal sculptures in his workshop a few years ago, but the annual festival gives him the opportunity to really put his creativity to the test.

Mechanic and minister Patrick Bauer won the gong last year with a metal skeleton fixing its heart, and this year is working on a giant angel.

“I was bored in the shop one day about three or four years ago and saw a bunch of parts that looked like a spider, so I made a spider and then started making weird creatures,” he says.

“I got inspired by a recent trip to Chernobyl,” he says.

“We went there because it’s a fascinating place.”

Bauer and his wife went to the site of the nuclear reactor meltdown in October and the ideas have been stewing for a few months.

“I woke up in the middle of the night at the end of March and woke my wife up and said ‘I know what I’m going to build this year’,” he says.

“It’s going to be a large terrifying angel. I’ve got it all figured out, hopefully I’ve got time to make it.”

His first entry two years ago earned him 3rd place, before taking out the title last year.

“This year the pressure if off so it's just having some fun,” he says.

“Then the Junk Festival came along and I thought it would be cool to display some stuff.

“Now a few of my mates who are mechanics throw things together – we never thought we had it in us, but now it’s an opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and make stuff.”

The festival is more than just showcasing mind-blowing sculptural skills from talented Katherine-folk, there’s a stellar line up of music, comedy, good food and junk fashion.

Katherine Regional Arts is hosting workshops throughout May to help locals let their creative sides shine.

WHEN SAT 2 JUN | 5PM AT LINDSAY ST COMPLEX, KATHERINE INFO junksculpturefestival.org.au

Haiku Hands DinoB1tch Double Dinghy Regurgitator Snakes Top 5 Festival Tips Water Snacks Bring a hat Dress up Love and respect Top 5 Things to do in Central Australia Redbank Gorge The art centres Sleep under the stars Listen to people’s stories Be open

WHEN AT COST

INFO

FRI 4 – SUN 6 MAY ROSS RIVER RESORT $210/$100 YOUTH | $110 DAY/$50 YOUTH wideopenspace.net.au

!

M G A

5.30 TUESDAY 15 MAY AT HAPPY YESS 12 SMITH ST WWW.HAPPYYESS.COM KEEPING DARWIN MUSIC AND ART WEIRD SINCE 2006 9

FOOD

&

DRINK

Image courtesy of Parks Australia

Image courtesy of Parks Australia

Clayton Donovan

ATaste of

Kakadu

AS A YOUNG KID CLAYTON DONOVAN WAS A RAT-BAG, A SELF-CONFESSED “OBNOXIOUS, NAUGHTY BOY”.

But giving his mum grief as a fouryear-old set him on a path for his future.

“I was giving my Mum a hard time one day, and my Aunty Jess turned around and said ‘he’s driving you crazy, let’s take him outside and show him some cultural food’,” he says.

“She showed me jaaning (Gumbaynggir for wattle tree), some berries and wild carrots and native foods you could find in the bush – I loved it so much.”

Zach Green

Elijah’s Kitchen THE STORIES OF FOOD AND INDIGENOUS CULTURE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF DARWIN’S NEWEST ‘COMMERCIAL KITCHEN ON WHEELS’.

After the success of chef Zach Green’s pop-up restaurant Elijah’s Kitchen around the country, he is setting up in some of the most picturesque places in Darwin.

The new restaurant will be al fresco dining at its finest, with full table service and stories of seasonal produce.

“We still follow seasonal calendars split into six season,” he says.

“This is the season of the native berries in Kakadu National Park so Kakadu and the local aboriginal people will have a big part to play in the initial dishes.

“In northeast Arnhem Land, where I have family, this is the season to go out and get mud crab and kangaroo and native herbs like water lilies.”

Green first discovered his Indigenous heritage when he was 12 years old, and has been passionate about bringing Indigenous culture into the kitchen ever since.

When tragedy struck Green and his fiancée, Yolngu woman and Marngrook Footy Show panel member Leila Gurruwiwi, and the pair lost two babies through miscarriage, Green became focused on ensuring the spirit of his son Elijah lives on.

“It’s not all about celebrating Indigenous culture through food, it’s also about having Elijah’s essence live on and knowing he’s still around me and the food and stories,” Green says.

Elijah’s impact on Green has also guided him through the daunting world of running a business.

“I’m always worried if I make a wrong decision, am I letting down my son? Or if I cook a meal wrong or do a dish and present it in the wrong way, am I failing him?” he says.

“But I’m getting to the point where I’m comfortable in my skin to make those crucial decisions as a business owner and to know how that will have a positive or negative impact.”

10

WHEN

INFO

EVERY THU, SAT & SUN, TAMARIND PARK | EVERY FRI, EAST POINT | 6 -9PM facebook.com/elijahsfood

Donovan grew up on Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung land in NSW, and is now the star of ABC’s Wild Kitchen, and owner of the restaurant Jaaning

GRAZE

Tree. He says the key for anyone wanting to use bush food in the kitchen is knowledge.

“The foundations of it all is knowledge and research,” he says.

“Everyone is lucky they’ve got Google, so go online, read books, and understand what the ingredient is first so you have more of a depth of understanding before you start cooking with it.”

Donovan will be in the Top End for A Taste of Kakadu – an Indigenous cuisine festival in the heart of the national park.

“I want to learn a bit of the culture and see the country and landscape and meet some elders and learn some stories,” he says.

The Indigenous cuisine festival began last year to showcase Kakadu’s iconic produce.

If an afternoon of indulging in the best food and wine Darwin has to offer gets your tastebuds tingling, pack you picnic rugs and get ready for Graze.

Food from local boutique suppliers and wines sourced from around the country will be on offer at the tropical event, now in its third year.

Eliza McClelland, owner of Pony and Sid catering, says she’ll be whipping up antipasto boards for food lovers this year.

“There will be mustard seeds and warm marinated olives and I’ll be doing some rosemary and polenta chips with garlic aioli,” she says.

“Last year I did arancini – they were great but I thought I’d try something different this year.”

McClelland started her business at the end of 2016 after returning to Darwin following a spell in Byron Bay where she immersed herself in the food culture.

“I worked for a catering company in Byron called 100 Mile Table and learned a lot of things from them – they were really incredible,” she says.

When McClelland moved back to

Territory locals Ben Tyler and KylieLee Bradford launched Kakadu Kitchen at the inaugural event and this year they’ll be running bush tucker tasting walks along Jim Jim Creek and supporting the Kakadu Billabong Safari Camp for an exclusive camping and bush tucker experience. “(We’ll focus) on Bininj An-meh (Kakadu Indigenous foods) where visitors can learn and taste the different fresh seasonal ingredients in traditional and gourmet styles of cooking that highlight Indigenous culture and the versatility of Indigenous ingredients from Kakadu,” Tyler says.

WHEN FRI 18 – SUN 27 MAY AT KAKADU NATIONAL PARK COST VARIOUS INFO parksaustralia.gov.au/ kakadu/taste

Darwin she initially tried to move out of the hospitality industry, but she was pulled back in and it wasn’t long before Pony and Sid was born.

“I just wanted something different to what Darwin normally sees,” she says.

“I try to use the best quality ingredients I can and I take a lot of pride in presentation.”

Graze co-founder Dimity Walker says the event is all about shining a spotlight on the talented local food industry and businesses like Pony and Sid. “It’s an opportunity to showcase some of the best local food businesses and people can come and enjoy our beautiful tropical surroundings with premium Australian wines,” she says.

“It’s an afternoon to indulge – think antipasto and wine, and good friends and a DJ under a shady tree.”

WHEN SAT 19 MAY | 3-8PM AT BICENTENNIAL PARK COST $40 INFO facebook.com/pg/ grazeevents

Ben Tyler

Community

COOK CONNECTING PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACE

ALTHOUGH EDIBLE SEA CREATURES AND FISH ARE PROBABLY MORE WIDELY KNOWN, the colourful treasures of edible native fruits and hidden roots are scattered throughout our native Top End landscapes.

Kakadu plums (Terminalia ferdinandiana) are ripe and falling and are from a very common native tree found in in our savanna woodlands. Incredibly high in vitamin C, they can also be grown as a feature tree. Once deseeded, the fruit can be added to smoothies, cakes or other treats – and of course just eaten on their own, sour and delicious. They are among a huge array of wonderful edible natives that are easily found or grown throughout the year, including many lilly pillies

(Syzygiums), native figs and green plums (Buchanania obovata).

Recognising our native plants goes hand in hand with acknowledging the traditional owners, and in the Darwin area that's the Larrakia people. Leslie Gordon is a Larrakia

lady, and we have connected over the years through food gardens and community events. Growing up in Darwin, she often spent her childhood holidays collecting bush tucker and hunting and learning from her sisters. She has a deep connection to this land and shares some of her childhood memories and connections by sharing local shellfish and fruits along with stories with the Darwin community. One food she loves to cook is long bums (with the wonderful scientific name Telescopium telescopium), collected from the mangroves, cooked on the coals of a fire and cracked open to eat. They are an amazing green colour with a slippery and salty texture.

Grow your own native edible plants - taste & try Presented by Greening Australia.

WHEN AT

COST INFO

SAT 19 MAY FREDS PASS RESERVE, PADDOCK TO PLATE SHOW ENTRY APPLIES tasteofthetopend.com

LISTINGS

Leslie Gordon

Kakadu plum smoothie shots 400ml coconut milk or coconut and almond milk 100g grated palm sugar or 100ml local honey I cup fresh or frozen Kakadu plums – stones and skin removed * 1 tsp tangy vitamin C powder (if using frozen fruit) 1 tsp local lime juice or tamarind pulp (to taste) 5-6 small ice cubes

Emma Lupin is a tropical plant specialist and local food enthusiast with a passion for sustainable living and community connection. She is an environmental educator and artist and encourages connection to the beautiful natural world, particularly our tropical home.

FOLLOW tasteofthetopend.com | @tasteofthetopend

Pop ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. You can serve this straight away, chill or even freeze. The Kakadu plum is exceptionally high in Vitamin C, so only a shot glass or small cup is needed. Banana can also be added. * You must get the landholder's permission to collect any native fruit on a property that isn't yours.

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Fill your kettles, bake your cakes, get the tea trolley ready and host an event to raise much needed funds for the Cancer Council.

WHEN AT INFO

THU 24 MAY REGISTER TO HOST AN EVENT biggestmorningtea.com.au

Biggest Afternoon Tea Fundraiser Enjoy an afternoon of canapés, sparkling, fun and entertainment whilst raising money for Cancer Council NT. WHEN SUN 27 MAY | 3-5PM AT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DARWIN COST $30 | $50 FOR TWO INFO hiltondarwin.events@ hilton.com

Share the DigniTEA

SHARE THE DIGNITY FOUNDER ROCHELLE COURTENAY WEARS THE TITLE OF ‘PAD LADY’ PROUDLY. She earned the title after collecting more than 750,000 packets of pads and tampons for homeless women in Australia in just two years.

It all began in 2015 when Courtenay began collecting sanitary items in her local community to give to local shelters, and before long the message caught on.

These days her charity has expanded nation wide with more than 3000 volunteers and more than one million packets of sanitary items collected for women in need.

One of the biggest fundraisers for the charity each year is the Share the DigniTEA events held in every state and territory in recognition of International Menstrual Hygiene Day. Top Enders can do their part and raise money for the cause while enjoying a high tea and bubbles at the NT event in Darwin.

The fun-filled afternoon of food, drink and entertainment is an easy way to give to those in need.

WHEN AT COST

INFO

SAT 26 MAY | 1-4PM SKYCITY DARWIN $69 | $650 TABLE OF 10 | $780 TABLE OF 12 sharethedignity.com.au

11

YOUTH

Sounds @ Sunset FIVE YOUNG DARWINITES ARE SET TO TRANSFORM THE NIGHTCLIFF FORESHORE THROUGHOUT THE DRY THIS YEAR. Andre Price-Quinter, 17, is one of five young producers being mentored in event management by LAUNCH Darwin to organise a night of music and food on the foreshore for Sounds @ Sunset.

LAUNCH

Night Series

The tournament for 12-18 year olds pairs basketball with workshops covering everything from tertiary education opportunities to how to deal with cyber bullying.

Coach Sean Hutton says the program is a great chance for young people of all levels to learn some new skills while throwing the ball around with mates.

Midnight Basketball has had a makeover for 2018 as the LAUNCH Night Series takes over the popular basketball tournament. getting exactly what they want out of it.

Hutton has been a coach since the program started and says one of the best things is seeing everyone growing and learning from each other.

He says the goal of the program is to show young people that you need more in life than pure talent.

“There are a lot of different people and walks of life,” he says.

“Attitude is very heavily rewarded, because ultimately the program is about providing good role models and setting good examples for them,” he says.

“Young people are getting life skills out of the program and it broadens their perspective on things they should be considering going into adulthood,” Hutton says.

“For some, it’s a safe space for four hours a night and they can be on a level playing field regardless of their skills, the colour of their skin or how much money they have.

“When they get into the big wide world, what you’re rewarded for is not just being talented or technically good – attitude is a very heavy factor in life.”

Each week the young basketballers are asked for their feedback, which is used to tailor the program so they’re

“We encourage people from all walks of life to get involved because they all rub off on each other and

Registration is now open for the first seven-week tournament, which kicks off on May 12.

Thek

Dishing Up Darwin

Dishing Up Darwin

Street Heat

DJ Tjung and the winners of the Battle of the School Bands solo competition will be getting the vibes going at both Sounds @ Sunset and BASS.

“My dad shared the (call out for applications) with me and it seemed interesting, so I thought why not give it a crack?

“It’s really fulfilling for us as producers to get the experience and build confidence to go on to bigger and better things.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 18 MAY | 5PM NIGHTCLIFF FORESHORE FREE launchdarwin.com.au

They’ll be joined in Price-Quinter’s show by local songstress Stevie Jean, who made it to the top five of triple J’s Unearthed High competition in 2017.

The five producers are mentored by the LAUNCH team and Amy Hetherington to learn the skills they need to present a cracking show each month during the Dry. Price-Quinter says he’s done a bit of stage work in the past and jumped at the opportunity to be mentored and learn more.

NT YOUTH WEEK IMAGES BY @LAUNCHDARWIN

Wee That Was

12

broaden their horizons.”

Price-Quinter is organising a preparty for BASSINTHEGRASS, with punters getting a sneak peak at two local acts performing at BASS.

“I went away to Garma last year and helped out with the stage there and got to meet the Prime Minister which was amazing,” he says.

Image by Alan Buckley

WHEN SAT 12 MAY | 7.30PM-MIDNIGHT AT DARWIN BASKETBALL STADIUM COST FREE INFO launchdarwin.com.au

Reality Engineers – VR Camp

Street Heat

Kids vs Cop Basketball

Street Heat

Aboriginal Bush Traders is 100% not-for profit and provides support to Indigenous people wanting to engage in economic activities in a sustainable way.

CDU ART GALLERY 8 MARCH - 5 MAY

Building Orange 12 Charles Darwin University Casuarina Campus  /cduartgallery

10am - 4pm | Wed to Fri 10am - 2pm | Sat artgallery@cdu.edu.au www.cdu.edu.au/artgallery

A National Exhibitions Touring Support Australia exhibition developed by UNSW Galleries and toured by Museums & Galleries of NSW. The National Touring Initiative is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its principal arts funding body, and by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

Facebook Aboriginal Bush Traders

Email

info@aboriginalbushtraders.com

Insta

aboriginal_bush_traders

Phone

(08) 8931 6650

Shop

www.aboriginalbushtraders.com

Image: Angelica Mesiti, Rapture (silent anthem), 2009, Single-channel video, colour. 10 minutes, 10 seconds. Courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery.

Lyons Cottage, 74 The Esplanade, Darwin

ICONIC NT LOCATIONS TRANSFORMED INTO SPECTACULAR OUTDOOR MOVIE THEATRES SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST IN LOCAL SHORT FILMS AND ANCESTRAL STORIES

ALICE SPRINGS FRIDAY 25 MAY

NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK, KATHERINE SUNDAY 3 JUNE KAKADU NATIONAL PARK SATURDAY 9 JUNE nttravellingfilmfestival.com/tickets

Image from Greedy Emu

TENNANT CREEK SATURDAY 26 MAY

OPERA GALA

Sat 19 May, 6.30pm Darwin Waterfront FREE EVENT

Conducted by

Stephen Pevely

Sharon Zhai - Soprano Rosario La Spina – Tenor With Darwin Chorale

With popular highlights from opera and musical theatre, Darwin Symphony Orchestra and special guests celebrate the start of the Top End’s wonderful Dry Season against the spectacular backdrop of Darwin Waterfront.

This family friendly concert has something for everyone, so bring your picnic hamper and stay for the finale fireworks!

dso.org.au | 8946 6214 13

15 Tue

Mon

7 Social Tennis 7 Hot Salsa 7 Storytime 7 Drop-in Youth Zone 20 The Turquoise Elephant 27 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

21 Mon

7 Sweet Bachata 27 Monday Jam Nights

28 7 Sweet Bachata 27 Monday Jam Nights

16 Wed

Tue

7 Couple Connect 7 Stillness Within 7 No Lights No Lycra 7 Gadgets & Games Club 7 Nursery Time 20 The Turquoise Elephant 20 Circa’s Peepshow 26 APIA Good Times Tour 27 Steven Adler

See Around Town 6

22

7 Rebuilding After Separation or Divorce (commences) 7 Social Tennis 7 Hot Salsa 7 Storytime 7 Drop-in Youth Zone 27 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

See Visual Arts 24

17 Thu

Wed

7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Argentine Tango 7 Storytime 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 19 Poetry & Coffee 20 The Turquoise Elephant 20 Circa’s Peepshow

23 Tue

7 No Lights No Lycra 7 Lego Club 7 Nursery Time 21 The 78-Storey Treehouse 27 Acoustic Jam Sessions 27 Afro Moses

29

24 Outstation (last chance) 7 Social Tennis 7 Hot Salsa 7 Storytime 7 Drop-in Youth Zone 18 Reconciliation Week 21 Creature 27 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

18 Fri

Thu

7 Grey Panthers 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 10 A Taste of Kakadu (commences) 12 Sounds @ Sunset 20 Circa’s Peepshow 20 The Turquoise Elephant 21 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow 22 7 Skins (opening) 26 Live on Fridays 26 Burger Joint 27 Loud at the Library

24

Wed

4 Wordstorm 7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Argentine Tango 7 Storytime 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 11 Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea

30

21 Creature 5 ATMOS: Big Weather 7 No Lights No Lycra 7 Gadgets & Games Club 7 Nursery Time 18 Reconciliation Week 27 Tex Perkins

See Around Town 7

Fri

7 Indonesian Festival

25

4 Wordstorm 7 Grey Panthers 7 Milonga 9 Garrmalang Festival 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 18 NT Travelling Film Festival 19 Wild Words 22 Darwin Dogs (last chance) 26 Live on Fridays 27 Loud at the Library 27 Basic Rocket Science 27 Acoustic Jam Sessions

See Performing Arts 21

19

Sat

Thu

4 Wordstorm

5 Hand Block Printing 7 Malak Marketplace 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 10 Graze 11 Taste and Try 18 FlicNics 20 The Turquoise Elephant 20 Circa’s Peepshow 21 Kevin Bloody Wilson 25 DSO Opera Gala 25 Vera Blue 27 BASSINTHEGRASS 27 Freds Pass Show

See Feature 4

Steven Oliver

31

7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Argentine Tango 7 Storytime 17 LOL Thursdays 17 The Magic Pill 18 Reconciliation Week

20

Sun

Sat

7 Family Fun Day 7 Mindil Beach Market 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 7 Aqua Zumba 7 Argentine Tango Practica 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 20 Jimmy Barnes 23 Darwin Art Trail 27 The Cyclones

26

7 Code Club 7 Malak Marketplace 9 Garrmalang Festival 11 Share the DigniTEA 18 NT Travelling Film Festival 18 FlicNics 23 Big Wet, Little Wet (last chance) 23 We Hold Strong (last chance) 26 Dan Sultan 27 Bangers & Mosh 27 Afro Moses

See Festivals 8

Sun

8 Seabreeze Sideshows (conclude)

27

4 Wordstorm 5 Harmony Soiree 7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Aqua Zumba 7 Argentine Tango Practica 7 Fringe Festival Fundraiser 9 Garrmalang Festival 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 10 A Taste of Kakadu (concludes) 11 Biggest Afternoon Tea Fundraiser 17 Fab U Lash

AROUND TOWn Books & fILM Performing Arts YOUTH Visual Arts Word on the STREET Food & Drink Music FESTIVALS

offtheleash.net.au

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

Tue Wed

Mon

5 ATMOS: The Pub That Took A Punt 7 Sweet Bachata 27 Monday Jam Nights

Thu

7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Argentine Tango 7 Brick By Brick (last chance) 7 Storytime 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 20 The Turquoise Elephant 22 H A R M O N Y (last chance) 25 Songs from the Parisian Belle Époque

10

7

7 No Lights No Lycra 7 Gadgets & Games Club 7 Nursery Time 19 French Film Night

2

Calendar

1 7 To Stay Or To Go? 7 Social Tennis 7 Hot Salsa 7 Storytime 7 Drop-in Youth Zone 19 Capricornia Film Awards – entries open 27 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

Wed

See Around Town 5

9 7 Couple Connect 7 No Lights No Lycra 7 Lego Club 7 Nursery Time 20 The Turquoise Elephant 22 The Artists of Ampilatwatja Survey Show (opens) 27 Acoustic Jam Sessions

3 Thu

Fri

7 First Thursday GLAMR Social Group 7 Mindil Beach Market 7 Argentine Tango 7 Storytime 8 Darwin Festival – early release 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 17 First Thursdays Comedy 20 American Idiot

11

7 Grey Panthers 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 20 The Turquoise Elephant 20 Circa’s Peepshow 23 The Blood Moon (opening) 26 Live on Fridays 27 Loud at the Library 27 Emma Rowe

4 Fri

7 Grey Panthers 9 Wide Open Space Festival 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 17 Croc Bite Comedy 19 Flickerfest 20 American Idiot 22 Darwin Dogs (opens) 24 Outstation (opening) 24 Between Nature & Sin (opening) 26 Live on Fridays 27 Loud at the Library

7 Saltwater Craft Fair

See Around Town 7

20

5

Sat

7 Malak Marketplace 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 8 Seabreeze Sideshows (commence) 9 Wide Open Space Festival 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 18 FlicNics 20 American Idiot 21 Twelfth Night 23 People Like Us (last chance) 27 Stevie Jean 27 Angus & Julia Stone 27 Have Fun with Brass

Sun

See Visual Arts 24

Sat

13

7 Holden vs Ford Show & Shine 7 Mindil Beach Market 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 7 Aqua Zumba 7 Argentine Tango Practica 20 Circa’s Peepshow

10 Elijah’s Kitchen

5 Hand Block Printing 7 Throwing On The Wheel 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 7 Malak Marketplace 8 Seabreeze Festival 12 LAUNCH Night Series 18 FlicNics 19 The Boss Baby 20 The Turquoise Elephant 20 Circa’s Peepshow 24 Exit Art (last chance) 27 The Audreys

12

18

MAY See Performing Arts 20

20 Circa’s Peepshow

6

Sun

20 American Idiot

Tue

7 Mindil Beach Market 7 FUNdamentals Of Music 7 Aqua Zumba 7 Argentine Tango Practica 9 Wide Open Space Festival 10 Elijah’s Kitchen 21 Twelfth Night 27 Seaside Sounds 27 First Sunday Blues

8

20 The Turquoise Elephant

7 Hot Salsa 7 To Stay Or To Go? 7 Social Tennis 7 Storytime 7 Drop-in Youth Zone 27 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals

See Food & Drink 10

Zach Green

See Performing Around Town Arts 5 20

Mon

See Performing Arts 20

14

7 Sweet Bachata 27 Monday Jam Nights

NORTHERN TERRITORY WRITERS’ CENTRE

8941 2651 ntwriters.com.au executive@ntwriters.com.au Workshops | Monthly Events | Opportunities 16

WORD ON THE STREET

REVIEWS, TIPS AND ADVICE FOR TRAVELLING THE WORLD WITH KIDS

THE BEGINNING OF THE DRY HERALDS SO MANY THINGS I LOVE ABOUT LIFE IN THE TOP END. It's all about getting amongst it and enjoying the outdoors. The beauty of living in these parts is that, within a hop, skip and a jump away from the CBD, there are tons of options for families looking for easy and kid-friendly walks where you’ll feel like you are miles away from it all.

QR code, download the map and off you go. And beginners have no fear – phew – there’s an easy level.

My map reading skills are very rusty these days, but orienteering is something I’d love my kids to have a crack at. An interactive Tree Walk with YouTube videos was also launched in the botanical gardens last year, which sounds intriguing.

One of our favourite walks at East Point Reserve is the Mangrove Walk. The last bit of the walk is the highlight – a raised platform takes you through the middle of the mangroves and out to the harbour.

On a high tide the water laps at your feet just below the platform.

Afterwards, make a beeline to the Salty Plum Café (weekends only) and sink into a beanbag, grab a cuppa and take in the views while the kids do some beach combing.

Down the road from the action at the Leanyer Recreation Park you’ll find Holmes Jungle – a tranquil Top End monsoonal rainforest refuge that’s home to loads of local critters, plus a couple of easy walks.

Being around 30 to 40 minutes return, they are ideal for mini hikers and their parents.

Did you know there’s a free DIY orienteering course at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens?

Neither did I! Once there, all you need to get started is to scan the

Fogg Dam, anyone? This is somewhere we take our interstate visitors who don’t have the time to get out to Kakadu. And every time we go, I always leave saying it’s so close and we should go more often.

I’m always impressed with how many birds we see and I reckon the viewing platforms are great. There are also a couple of really nice walking tracks, which are totally under rated in my book. Pack the scroggin!

And last, but not least, there’s Howard Springs. A little stroll to the springs is well worth it. The Howard Creek Walk, like the name suggests, meanders along Howard Creek.

Combine these little walks with some zip-line action and a splash in the shady man-made rock pools at Howard Springs and you’ll have a winning, family friendly outing.

Happy hiking!

Clean eating has been a passion since my awakening about the food I was eating four years ago. At the age of 40 I began to experience issues with my eyesight. I was told I had to get a pair of glasses to use at the computer. This turned into the beginning of a huge downhill drop in my overall health.

SHOWCASING TOP END COMICS AND LOCAL STAND-UP PERFORMERS

The Mechanics of Comedy – Part 4 Having previously explored various sub-genres of comedy including Misanthropes, Character Assassins and Surrealists, I cast my eyes to the ever-popular comedy movement, the Train Wrecks.

The American template for Train Wrecks is the 1960s sitcom I Love Lucy – with the loveable and strongwilled – but naïve and accidentprone – Lucy at the centre of the chaos. The UK sitcoms Only Fools and Horses, Steptoe and Son and Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em similarly comically trade off the misfortunes of their loveable characters.

Image courtesy of George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens

FOLLOW growinguptroppo.com | @growinguptroppo

CLEAN LIVING IS BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY, mindful of keeping a healthy home and work environment, and mindful of your environmental footprint.

CORNER

Train Wreck comedians are a variant on the tragi-comedy school of storytelling. American comic novelist J. P. Donleavy is one of the masters of this art form. In addition to the usual element of schadenfreude, Train Wrecks require an affection for the lead characters that enables ironic delight as they descend towards inevitable failure and humiliation.

Libby Larsen Travel is, and has always been, Libby’s passion and she believes that this shouldn’t stop when you have kids. Libby knows that the best travel advice and tips come from other parents and so she started Growing up Troppo.

It has loads of inspiration about hip places to stay, play and eat with kids that, importantly, parents love too.

DISCOVER, LOVE, SHARE

COMICS'

I was not happy with this vision of the future and something didn’t quite add up, so I started reading numerous health books on quitting sugar and clean eating. This new way of eating high fats, loads of vegetables and small amounts of high quality, wild caught or grassfed protein truly fascinated me.

It all made sense. In a short period of time, my eyesight had improved so much so that those expensive designer glasses are sitting in my office drawer.

From that moment, I was a true believer that food is our medicine – that we need to do our very best to shop differently, go to our local organic farmers’ market, ask how produce and products are made and buy the best quality local, seasonal and fresh clean food we

Lina Paselli is the joint owner of Clean Living in the Tropics, an online publisher dedicated to championing clean living individuals and businesses in the Top End. Lina is also the co-founder and General Manager of award-winning Malak Marketplace, Darwin’s premier organic, sustainable farmers’ market and eco-tourist destination. She also owns Paleo in the Tropics.

FOLLOW cleanlivinginthetropics.com.au

| facebook.com/cleanlivinginthetropics

can get our hands on every week.

The investment in my health through food choices was returned ten-fold as I felt more energised, less stressed and free from anxiety and depression. It felt as if I had slowed down the effects of ageing and had more clarity and calmness than ever before.

To learn more about clean eating and its life changing effects see the documentary:

The Magic Pill WHEN THU 31 MAY | 7.30PM At COST

INFO

DECKCHAIR CINEMA $16 | $ 12 CONC | $8 CHILD | $35 FAM deckchaircinema.com

Fawlty Towers is the doubtless highwatermark of Train Wreck sitcoms – the narratives ensure that for the frustrated Basil and the vulnerable Manuel, disaster and humiliation await around every corner. Another excellent Train Wreck is Ricky Gervais’ The Office. David Brent, similar to John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty, was so skillfully drawn that, despite Brent’s unattractive mélange of insecurity, insensitivity and lack of self-awareness, audiences both willed him to succeed and fail in equal measure.

Another delightful British Train Wreck is the brilliant The IT Crowd. Richard Ayoade’s Moss, Chris O’Dowd’s Roy and Katherine Parkinson’s Jen are perhaps the funniest combination of Misfits to board a Train Wreck. The episode in which Moss and Roy try to fit in at a soccer match is pure genius, as is ‘the internet is stored in this box’ episode.

In Australia, Mother and Son, Frontline, Utopia and Rake are the leading Train Wreck sitcoms. Rob Sitch’s hapless character in Utopia

plays the sympathetic hero battling the insane world of government bureaucracy in the similar way that Jason Bateman’s Michael Bluth shines in Arrested Development as the sane character left to battle his deranged family who appear to have lost their bearings.

Australian stand-up comedians Judith Lucy and Celia Pacquola both employ Train Wreck tactics to tell stories that take audiences on awkward journeys to unfortunate destinations. Jack Whitehall is another who draws heavily on the Train Wreck tradition to enthrall audiences with his various life fails.

To catch some great local stand-up comedy and perhaps spot a Train Wreck head to:

First Thursdays Comedy – Hold my Beer WHEN THU 3 MAY | 7.30PM At BROWN’S MART COST $10 INFO facebook.com/ topendcomedy

Croc Bite Comedy – May the Fourth Be With You WHEN FRI 4 MAY | 8PM At MAYFAIR GALLERY COST $10 INFO facebook.com/ crocbitecomedydarwin

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow WHEN FRI 18 MAY | 8PM At DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $45 | $40 MEMB, CONC INFO yourcentre.com.au

Fab U Lash WHEN At COST INFO

SUN 27 MAY | FROM 5.30PM THE CAVENAGH HOTEL $20 | $35 INCLUDES DINNER darwintickets.com.au

LOL Thursdays WHEN THU 31 MAY | 8PM At BEACHFRONT HOTEL COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ topendcomedy

Will Crawford is an up-andcrawling comic. He moonlights as a land rights lawyer and policy activist.

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& The Song Keepers - Daphne Puntjina

Deckchair Cinema

Finding Maawirrangga

While flying from Sydney to Alice Springs, filmmaker and projection artist Naina Sen found herself in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

The result was an epic four year journey through Central Australia, to Germany and back.

The Song Keepers

WHEN

AT COST

INFO

MON 29 MAY – SAT 2 JUN | 7.30PM DECKCHAIR CINEMA $16 | $12 CONC | $8 CHILD | $35 FAM deckchaircinema.com

On the flight she was told about the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, a group of women from different communities who sing choral music given to them

by German missionaries 140 years ago in their Western Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara languages.

Intrigued, she emailed the choir director Morris Stuart about doing some projection work or a documentary for them.

José Da Costa in Sumatra

Reconciliation Week “He called me and said ‘you know this projection idea, I think it could be really great because we’re developing this new show to take to Germany’,” she says.

Over the next four years Sen gained the trust of the 32 women in the choir, and documented their personal stories and their incredible journey to Germany.

“He was totally nonchalant. I said ‘Morris, are you telling me these songs, brought by Germans 140 years ago to Central Australia are going be taken back to Germany? Am I understanding this correctly?'

“It was almost like everything I’d done to that point had been leading to this four year journey,” she says.

“He said ‘yes, like a boomerang’.

"I said you have to let me tell this story.”

From there Sen met the women in a tiny church in Alice Springs to hear them sing live for the first time.

“It literally took my breath away,” she says.

“I grew up in India and am used to listening to music in other languages, but the depth of emotion and culture that emanated from them when they sang really hit me.”

“You have these moments in your life where you’re exactly where you’re meant to be – and that’s what it felt like.”

Sen will be in Darwin for the screening of her film The Song Keepers, as part of the Deckchair Cinema’s Reconciliation Week program.

The program opens and closes with Warwick Thornton’s acclaimed Sweet Country, and also features Gurrumul, The Magic Pill, Westwind: Djalu’s Legacy and After The Apology.

FlicNics

NT Travelling Film Festival A troppo noir thriller will be screened in some of the most picturesque places in the Top End.

bars that don’t exist anymore, palm trees and some escort services were thrown in there.

Short film Sumatra, created by Matt Garrick and Mark Roy through the Darwin International Film Festival’s SPARK program, is on the road for the NT Travelling Film Festival.

“We had this idea to write a story about an immigrant crooner named Frank Sumatra, we just thought that was funny to begin with, but it evolved and became this creepy thriller where Sumatra gets caught up with a risky world of intrigue in Darwin’s seedy underbelly.”

“The idea for Sumatra was born of a muggy afternoon trip to the Shoal Bay tip shop where we found a box of old matchboxes that were coated in the branding of all the old, seedy pubs and hotels from back in the heyday of Darwin in the 1980s,” Garrick says.

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“They had all these pictures of old

The curated 126-minute program includes 10 quintessentially Territorian short films and travels to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Nitmiluk National Park, Barunga Festival, Kakadu National Park and Nhulunbuy this May and June.

WHEN AT

COST INFO

FRI 25 MAY | 7.30PM SNOW KEDDA PARK, ALICE SPRINGS FREE nttravellingfilmfestival.com

WHEN AT

COST INFO

SAT 26 MAY | 7PM BARKLY REGIONAL ARTS, TENNANT CREEK $12 nttravellingfilmfestival.com

FlicNics

THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE TO SEE A MOVIE THAN LYING ON A PICNIC RUG UNDER THE STARS AND LETTING THE KIDS RUN AROUND.

Palmerston’s Goyder Square once again transforms into a free outdoor cinema with a captivating line-up of films.

Held every Saturday in the Dry, the films cater to all – with everything from comedies to animated movies for the city’s youngest film fans.

This month features Zathura: A Space Adventure, Beauty and the Beast and The Incredibles.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY SAT | 7PM GOYDER SQUARE FREE palmerston.nt.gov.au

Flickerfest THE BEST LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS ARE HEADING TO DARWIN – with Territory filmmakers once again demonstrating their skills on the national stage.

Alice Spring’s filmmaker Dylan River’s Coat Of Arms (2016) was selected from more than 2500 entries for Flickerfest and the NT leg of the road show.

The film, shot by fellow Centralian Warwick Thornton, follows a Japanese tourist on the trip of a lifetime, and the moment he is confronted by Australia’s Coat of Arms.

Flickerfest director Bronwyn Kidd says more and more NT filmmakers WHEN

AT COST

INFO

FRI 4 MAY | BEST OF AUSTRALIAN SHORTS 7.30PM | BEST OF INTERNATIONAL SHORTS 9.30PM DECKCHAIR CINEMA $16/$24 DOUBLE SESH | $12/$18 CONC flickerfest.com.au

are entering the annual festival and she is always surprised by the creativity of filmmakers.

office sales or concerns, which means they can be free to tell really contemporary stories,” she says.

“There’s a real mix of creative, fresh and inspirational short films this year,” she says.

The Best of Australian Shorts features seven films including Fysh, a story of an old man and the fish that changed his life, and Second Best, a dark comedy about the power of identical twin sisters and the unbreakable bond between them

“Some are really insightful and interesting social commentary films, others are hilarious comedies.

“The thing that unites them is the real excellence within the storytelling and the talent of the filmmakers.”

Kidd says independent short filmmakers are in a special position to be able to push the limits of film and storytelling in the industry.

“They’re not influenced by box

LISTINGS

Second Best

Miranda Tapsell; @deckchair_cinema

The Best of International Shorts features An Imagined Conversation: Kanye West and Stephen Hawking, an animation which is exactly what it sounds like, and Watu Wote: All of us, a German film about life in Kenya after a decade of terrorist attacks from al-Shabaab.

Capricornia Film Awards – Entries Open Recognising excellence in the NT screen industry, entries are now open for the biennial Capricornia Film Awards. Content completed after September 2016 is eligible and categories include Short Film, Music Video, Documentary, Corporate, Web/New Media and Feature Film.

Fysh

INFO

diff.net.au/capricornia

French Film Night Enjoy the French comedy, Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, along with French cheese and wine at this monthly Alliance Française de Darwin event.

WHEN AT

COST INFO

WED 2 MAY| 6.30PM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY $20 | $14 MEMB, STUDENT afdarwin.org

The Boss Baby A suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby teams up with his seven year old brother to stop a dastardly plot.

people. Coleman’s debut novel is Terra Nullius, the winner of the black&write! fellowship and currently shortlisted for the Stella prize.

Terra Nullius is a radically fascinating work of speculative fiction. It is a novel that has left me thinking about colonial implication and literary craftsmanship.

OFF THE SHELF REVIEWS FOR READERS Welcome to my column where each month I’ll take a book from the shelf to share. It’s a review of sorts, but also hopefully a nudge of encouragement, to say go on – there’s a lot great reading out there!

With the upcoming NT Writers’ Festival in mind, I’ve chosen a book that corresponds with the festival. One visiting guest is Claire G. Coleman, a writer from Western Australia who identifies with the South Coast Noongar

For much of Terra Nullius you are reading an historical novel. Specifics of place, including details of the missions, stolen children, domestic slavery, ‘Native troopers’ and the ‘Devil’ character – who can only be A.O. Neville, the notorious WA ‘Protector’ – leads you to believe this is colonial Australia. But as the narrative progresses you realise the setting is not a past but future apocalypse.

Subverting the assumptions one makes as reader – like many, I read Aboriginality into the first-person perspective within this tale of oppression, despite this never being identified – Coleman reveals nonIndigenous Australians as among the oppressed.

Both dystopian and historical therefore, Terra Nullius is an ambitious project and an impressive structural achievement. Particularly notable is Coleman’s fictionalised archive that not once feels false or overworked.

Being tripped up and flipped around is a tricky thing for a reader to experience however, and I found the narrative pace of the second half harder to engage. I was also left wondering what imagining a second invasion achieves for non-Indigenous readers? How do we read ourselves, the real Settlers, as potential victims without diminishing our accountability and responsibility for the historical events of colonisation?

But then there are moments of such revelation and intense clarity – where the strength of the metaphor eclipses the realm of science fiction to shed profound light on Aboriginal experience. The connections established by this inverted perspective are as disturbing as they are profound.

The realisation of massacre at the conclusion of the novel is truly

affecting. Having positioned the reader with the ‘Natives’, Coleman offers no peaceful conclusion, no saviour or reconciliation. The Settlers are a colonising force – they are unjust, unforgiving and ultimately successful. The truth that lies at the core of this conclusion is a necessary and urgent reminder of Australia’s colonial legacy.

Kate Rendell works as a Communications Manager in the arts. She is also a freelance writer and researcher. First and foremost though she is a reader.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 12 MAY | 7PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE waterfront.nt.gov.au

NT WRITERS’ CENTRE ntwriters.com.au

Poetry and Coffee Connect with fellow poetry lovers and share your favourite verses, or your own originals. No criticism, just enjoyment. Simply turn up and drink coffee in the relaxing company of poetry.

WHEN THU 17 MAY | 10-11AM Two Bites AT EAT AT MARTIN’S COST FREE

Wild Words Here’s your chance to try out a new poem, rant or rave in front of a friendly live audience. Usually held on the last Sunday of the month, the event returns to its old haunt of Happy Yess this May as part of the NT Writers’ Festival.

WHEN AT COST

FRI 25 MAY | 9-11PM HAPPY YESS $5 | FREE FOR PERFORMERS, CHILD, NTWC MEMB

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PERFORMING ARTS

Circa’s Peepshow CIRCA’S LATEST MASTERPIECE, PEEPSHOW, TURNS CABARET ON ITS HEAD, LITERALLY. As acclaimed performers embark on a seductive dance through the hall of mirrors that is your imagination, Peepshow lurches from the thrillingly acrobatic to the comically playful.

Expect teetering towers of balanced bodies, extreme bending and devilishly precarious aerials.

Combining some of the finest acrobatic talent on the planet under the direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, Peepshow creates a playfully exhilarating ride into the beautifully bizarre recesses of your mind.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 11 – SAT 19 MAY | 8PM DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE $49-$65 yourcentre.com.au

Adalita, Phil Jamieson & Sarah McLeod

Green Day’s American Idiot WHEN YOU HEAR PHIL JAMIESON’S NAME, IT’S NOT OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH MUSICAL THEATRE.

hedonistic character for the rest of the Darwin shows and shares the role with former Magic Dirt rocker Adalita for the rest of the tour.

But the Grinspoon front man has proven he’s got the chops playing the role of St Jimmy in the theatrical production Green Day’s American Idiot.

The show Jamieson describes as a “gateway musical” follows three young men who live in Jingletown, a small town in the US.

“I was offered the role over email and it seemed a bit different and something out of the box, so I immediately said yes,” he says.

“I didn’t think about the consequences until I got into rehearsals and realised it was going to be quite tricky.”

The Darwin gig on May 3 is the last chance to see Jamieson as St Jimmy as he wraps up his time with the show after 80 performances.

Sarah McLeod from The Superjesus will take over the reigns of the

Nicola Fearn

“They’re isolated, disenfranchised young men that are fed up with living in a small place, being bombarded by social media and they’re disillusioned with their political leaders,” Jamieson says.

“Two of them move to the city and one of them crosses paths with me.

“I live in the alleyways and prey on the insecurities and encourage him to explore a hedonistic way of life.

“I represent the dark side.”

“Some would say I’m a villain, but I see myself as a hero,” he says with a laugh.

Set in the near future, the Griffin Theatre Award winning piece by Knock-Em Down Theatre, directed by Gail Evans, is heading to the Brown’s Mart stage for an absurdist look at a world afflicted by climate change.

20

Writer Stephen Carleton says he was inspired to write the comedy as the

“I heard 'Boulevard' and it stopped me in my tracks,” he says.

“I didn't realise Billie (Joe Armstrong) had that song in him. "'Boulevard really struck me as a massive leap forward as far as songwriting goes – it was a rock opera, which was sprawling, intense and ambitious to the extreme when other bands were recording these short, fast 1.5 minute songs.”

WHEN THU 3 – SUN 6 MAY | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $79-$139 | $49 STUDENT INFO yourcentre.com.au

THE Turquoise Elephant response to climate change becomes more and more absurd.

“I feel she represents most of the people sitting in the audience.”

“It feels a bit like the worse and worse things get, the more determined our political classes are to do nothing about it,” he says.

Carleton doesn’t think theatre is going to revolutionise the fight against climate change, but says it plays an important role in the dialogue.

“It was born out of the frustration of the absurdity of it all.”

AS TEMPERATURES RISE BEYOND 40 DEGREES and Melbourne’s sewerage system floods the city, the characters in The Turquoise Elephant are all still bickering about climate change.

Jamieson has been a Green Day fan since their album Dookie was released, but discovered a new appreciation for the punk band’s musicianship when American Idiot came out in 2004, particularly for the track ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’.

Five central characters represent different players and ideologies towards climate change.

There’s a climate change refugee who found herself in Australia after her island in the Philippines was drowned, another who doesn’t think the issue has anything to do with mankind, and one who’s just thrilled to be alive to witness such a cataclysmic change in the world.

“There’s one character who wants to do something about the issue but doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t feel an individual can make much of a difference,” Carleton says.

“I don’t believe any play on any topic changes the world or causes revolution, but I think it can be an important part of the conversation and it can bolster other efforts that are taking place,” he says.

Jimmy Barnes Working

Class Man

AUSSIE ROCK LEGEND JIMMY BARNES IS BACK with more stories from his incredible life in Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories and Songs.

The honest and raw theatrical production uses his gift of storytelling to reveal the truth behind Australia’s greatest rock ’n’ roll story.

“I feel like everything else has been done and it isn’t working.

The show is the sequel to the award-winning production Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories and Songs, which explored the star’s troubled youth.

“How much science do we need?

How many report from the BOM and CSIRO are needed before we’re inspired to do anything about it?”

This show begins where the last ended – as he leaves Adelaide in the back of a truck with Cold Chisel in 1974.

WHEN AT COST INFO

TUE 8 (PREVIEW) – SAT 19 MAY BROWN’S MART THEATRE $35 | $25 CONC | $15 PREVIEW brownsmart.com.au

Barnes then takes the audience on a 40 year roller coaster ride of fame, addiction and rock ’n' roll to eventually show how it’s never too late to try to put things right.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 20 MAY | 7.30PM DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE $119.90 A RESERVE | $99.90 B RESERVE yourcentre.com.au

LISTINGS

WHEN SAT 5 & SUN 6 MAY | 5.30PM AT SANCTUARY LAKES, PALMERSTON COST $30 | $15 CHILD INFO palmerston.nt.gov.au

Twelfth Night

Love triangles, mischief and a spot of cross-dressing – all the elements of a classic Shakespeare comedy will be on show in Essential Theatre’s rendition of Twelfth Night.

The Australian theatre company is known for their ability to take plays out of a theatre and perform in the same way they would have been done in Shakespeare’s day – outdoors for the people.

Director Amanda LaBonte says the

cast and crew are excited to head back to the Top End and perform Twelfth Night at Sanctuary Lakes.

“You just can’t paint those backdrops and that beautiful lake we performed at last time in Palmerston was amazing,” she says.

LaBonte says a wonderful bond forms between cast and audience when you take a play out of the formal environment of a traditional theatre.

“You develop more of a relationship between the performer and audiences,” she says.

“You can see each other. It’s not a bright light we’re looking out to; we can make eye contact and share the tales. The actors enter up and down the aisle and sit in the crowd – it feels much more accessible in that way.”

“When you go to a theatre, sometimes it feels like you have to sit quietly and clap at the right time – this breaks all those barriers down.

“I feel it’s more for the people – like it was when it was written and performed 400 years ago. It was outdoors and for the masses.”

Twelfth Night is a classic comedy of Shakespeare where young woman, Viola, finds herself washed ashore in a strange but familiar town, Illyria.

To survive, Viola immerses herself into this new land. She discovers a melancholic Duke, a pair of jovial drunkards, a sullen servant and cross-dressing lovers. Mischief ensues – hearts are tangled, pranks are played and poor Viola finds herself right in the middle of a love triangle.

“There’s twist and turns as with all Shakespeare’s work,” LaBonte says.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow WHEN FRI 18 MAY | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $45 | $40 MEMB, CONC INFO yourcentre.com.au

The Kevin Bloody Wilson Show Remarkably loved for his raucous, earthy and in depth rhymes, Kevin Bloody Wilson returns to Darwin with his ‘The Almost Awesome Tour’.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 19 MAY | 8PM SKYCITY DARWIN $69 skycitydarwin.com.au

The 78-Storey Treehouse THE TALLEST TREE HOUSE TO HIT THE DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE STAGE IS ON ITS WAY. The 78 Story Treehouse, a stage adaptation of the Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton book, takes kids on an absurdist and silly journey into the movie-making level of the ever-growing structure.

Freya Pragt, who plays Jill, says there’s a hotshot director in town in the imaginary world.

“The whole idea is that they’ve got a big shot Hollywood film director to make a movie of their lives in the treehouse,” she says.

Pragt performed in The 26-Story Treehouse when it came to the Top End and loves the shows because they’re just good fun.

“It feels like a different breed of kids’ theatre,” she says.

“It’s totally about the adventure and the fun, and nothing to do with overarching morals or any sort of adult world that’s over hanging, that’s disrupting the kids’ fun.

“It’s all about the kids, but there are some cute jokes that adults will get a kick out off.

“It’s 58 minutes of wacky nonsense and joyful tales of friendship and shenanigans.”

WHEN WED 23 MAY | 10AM, 12PM

& 6.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $35 | $30 CONC, MEMB |

$25 U18 INFO yourcentre.com.au

Creature

TOP END BUSH BABIES ARE IN FOR A TREAT with a new theatre show hitting the Darwin Entertainment Centre.

The children’s show, Creature, is based on the 1899 classic Dot and the Kangaroo by Ethel Pedley and takes the audience on a visually spectacular journey through the Australian bush.

Arial acrobatics are paired with interactive projections to tell the classic Australian story.

Co-director David Clarkson says they were drawn to the timeless

themes in Pedley’s book, but did have to bring it into the 21st century.

“It’s the classic story of a girl lost in the bush,” he says.

“Aspects of the original story were quite dated but there are some aspects which are absolutely not.

“There’s a strong environmental message which is as relevant today as it was then.”

The team also brought the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian’s into the contemporary world and have

two Aboriginal cast members who had a great deal of input.

“One of the things that was dated with Dot and the Kangaroo was the relationship between black fellas and white fellas,” Clarkson says.

“We thought it was very important to make that aspect of the story contemporary and stand up to today’s scrutiny.”

WHEN TUE 29 MAY, 6PM | WED 30

MAY, 10AM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $25 | $20 MEMB, CONC, U18 INFO yourcentre.com.au

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VISUAL ARTS

Art U&T

ABO

NOMAD Rose and Angus Cameron

NOMAD ART GALLERY HAS BEEN A STALWART OF THE PARAP ARTS COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS, but this month that journey draws to a close as owners Rose and Angus Cameron redevelop the business and close the shopfront.

They had a chat about what’s ahead for Nomad.

You’re closing the doors in Parap but it’s not a forever goodbye, tell us a bit more about what’s ahead for Nomad Art? We are relocating to a private base in Darwin and will operate only by appointment and online to promote significant works to collectors.

We will take a more historical view point, reflecting on some of the great print making artists in the Top End and central desert over the last 20

Unpeeling Perceptions

ARTIST

Reflection

I FIRST MET WENIKI HENSCH THREE YEARS AGO THROUGH A DEAR MUTUAL FRIEND. We shared several parallel lines of connection, one being that we were both adopted at birth. Since that day we have discussed together many topics of connection and planted the seed for working with each other on a possible project for the future – this manifested in Unpeeling Perceptions.

The days and nights were jam-packed with discussion and many emotional discoveries. It was a very intense time and such a soul revealing topic, yet what unfolded that week was truly magical and a great test within myself, and Weniki also.

We visited the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory to see the Papua New Guinea (PNG) and some of the Aboriginal collections. I am always taken aback when visiting collections within the depths of a museum – a still sound appears when we enter, yet not long into the visit the electricity of these incredible artefacts starts to inspire.

plus years. In addition we will be doing educational and curatorial consultancies and projects within the industry.

period of art making in the Top End over recent years as well as promote and launch new bodies of work.

Why have you closed the shopfront?

It is time for us to liberate ourselves from the retail outlet and have greater flexibility. We will become true Nomads by taking works to collectors interstate and beyond. Our move creates the opportunity for fresh energy to come into the Darwin art space.

What are your fondest memories of your time in Parap?

The projects Replant: A New Generation of Botanical Art (2006) and Djalkiri: we are standing on their names - Blue Mud Bay (2010) with various artists including Djambawa Marawilli, Fiona Hall and John Wolseley with Basil Hall.

What are the advantages of going online?

Focusing online will enable us to promote to a broader market and International audience. We can also work with the print collections in more depth and curate bodies of work for collectors and art lovers. We will be able to reflect upon the dynamic

With these projects we invited artists to work together in a cross-cultural dialogue with other experts in their field. Both of these projects toured Australia and in the case of Djalkiri, has resulted in a major collaborative project with John Wolseley and Mulkun Wirrpanda called Midawarr, to be shown at MAGNT later this year.

WHEN FRI 4 – FRI 25 MAY

WED–FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM-2PM

The Artists of Ampilatwatja Survey Show Salon Indigenous Art Projects is launching an exciting new contemporary art space in Darwin CBD. Opening in the old Viva La Body store in Cavanagh St, the exhibition venue will profile Indigenous fine artists from the Top End and central Australian regions.

the Artists of Ampilatwatja (based near Alice Springs), this exhibition profiles artists who are famous for their unique bush medicine and desert landscape depictions. A point of difference to their work is the application of fine dots and bright, figurative depiction of the land.

Launching with a survey show from

WHEN WED 9 MAY – SAT 2 JUN

Barbara Ngwarraye Long, ‘View of Country’, acrylic on linen, 91 x 91cm

TACTILE ARTS

19 Conacher Street, Fannie Bay | 8981 6616 | tactilearts.org.au TUE–FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT & SUN 10AM-4PM

Dawn Beasley, ‘Lifestages’, 2015, (detail) mixed media batik/painting on canvas, 120 x 120cm

Unpeeling Perceptions opened at Mayfair Gallery. Its owner, David Collins, was a lifesaver, assisting us countless times, for which I am truly grateful. There were many trials and tribulations along this residency and I was very privileged to meet and connect deeply with many people along the journey, listening to their stories of adoption interconnection and also sharing mine.

22

Darwin Dogs are exposed for what they are – yappy, snappy, half-crazed dogmatists, crooked as a dog’s hind leg, lurking with intent behind the wire in the Darwin burbs. Darwin artists Winsome Jobling and Merran Sierakowski have decided that things are getting out of hound. The artists are dog-tired at being ruffed up and plan to bite back with this canine dishplay. After all, every dog has its day and it is our last doggone show at Nomad Art Gallery in Parap.

9/41 Cavenagh St, Darwin 8981 4822 or 8941 2220

I also wanted to have an element of Darwin featured within these vessels, since I was a visitor to the Larrakia Nation – and my birth mother had once lived in Nightcliff and also my sister and her family too. I was fortunate to be introduced to historical metal artifacts from WWII from Nightcliff beach by Weniki’s daughter's father. The eroded metal pieces spoke beautifully to the delicate paper vessels, they almost had the same conversations of fragility and strength, a dialogue that continued throughout the whole exhibition.

Lisa Waup was separated from her Gunditjmara and Torres Strait Islander family at a young age. She received a Bachelor of Arts from RMIT University, and developed an affinity with Melanesian culture through her marriage to artist Naup Waup and experience of living in Papua New Guinea. In Darwin, Lisa was in residence with Wenike Hensch at ACCOMPLICE.

DARWIN DOGS

SALON INDIGENOUS ART PROJECTS

This was a time for Weniki to connect with objects from her birth country – at times a rather overwhelming process. I also have great connections to the PNG side. My husband is from PNG and all our beautiful children were born there.

I also have ancestral ties with the Torres Strait, so I was also very inspired and invigorated by seeing this collection.

Our discussions manifested into visual pieces of connection – the more we learnt about each other, the greater the visual interconnections. A great deal of my adoption history lies within governmental paperwork, so I wanted to create a series of pieces that were made from my birth documents and recycled paper. The outcome was many paper vessels, weaving and stitching stories and history. These pieces became a work in progress, discovering and pushing boundaries within this medium.

Winsome Jobling, ‘Milly’, tapestry canvas and wool

7 Skins (before envious time will have fled)

Tactile Arts Members' Exhibition

Intricately depicted Top End natives; gum nuts, golden penda flowers, banksia seedpods and lotus, appear and reappear in different forms across different surfaces. Rich with ‘momento mori’ symbolism and combining processes including batik, digital pattern design, metal leaf, paint and a range of ceramic decorative techniques, Dawn Beasley’s work reveals the dialogue between artist and subject matter as she explores both surface and process.

H A R M O N Y is an exhibition of works created by Tactile Arts members. View the work of local artists and artisans as they respond to the theme ‘harmony’. Works on paper, ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles feature.

WHEN FRI 18 MAY – FRI 1 JUN | OPENING FRI 18 MAY, 5.30-7.30PM

WHEN UNTIL THU 10 MAY

LIVE DARWIN HUB

Smith St Mall | livedarwin.nt.gov.au | 8999 8997 MON–FRI 10AM-2PM

CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY Building Orange 12, CDU Casuarina Campus | 8946 6621 | cdu.edu.au/artgallery WED–FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT 10AM-2PM

Photobiz NT Photographic Exhibition This collection of photographs showcases the 2017 ‘We Are Beautiful’ women’s and children’s photography workshops held in Nauiyu, Kalkaringi, Yarralin, Timber Creek, Pine Creek and Mutitjulu. Also featured are photographs taken by Carly O’Neill (facilitator) throughout the workshops.

WHEN UNTIL FRI 1 JUN

DARWIN ART TRAIL

Various locations | darwinarttrail.com.au

Flowers by Kate Bussey

PEOPLE LIKE US

Daniel Crooks, ‘A Garden of Parallel Paths’ (still), 2012; courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery

This touring exhibition from the University of NSW captures universal aspects of the contemporary human condition in film, animation, digital and interactive art, revealing the many experimental technologies being deployed by artists as they comment on issues confronting us in the 21st century.

WHEN UNTIL SAT 5 MAY

GYRACC

Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre Stuart Highway, Katherine East | 8972 3751 | gyracc.org.au | TUE–FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM–3PM Showcasing local artists in their private studios, the Darwin Art Trail provides an opportunity to talk with, and purchase artworks directly from, the artists. See where the magic happens!

Ngerringkrretj

We Hold Strong

WHEN SUN 20 MAY | 10AM-4PM

Big Wet, Little Wet ABORIGINAL BUSH TRADERS Lyons Cottage, 74 The Esplanade, Darwin | 8942 4023 | aboriginalbushtraders.com MON–FRI 9AM-4PM | SAT & SUN 9AM-3PM

This group show, by well-established and respected members of the Katherine cultural community, meditates on the resilience of local flora in the sometimes-harsh Northern Territory climate.

This world premiere of new paintings, works on paper, sculptural weavings and film is from the remarkable artists of Peppimenarti. Ngerringkrrety emphasise the power and legacy of art from the Durmu Art Centre. The exhibition is co-curated by elder and internationally renowned painter Regina Pilawuk Wilson and GYRACC curator Clare Armitage.

WHEN UNTIL SAT 26 MAY

WHEN UNTIL SAT 26 MAY

Regina Pilawuk Wilson, ‘Wupun (Sun Mat)’, 2018, acrylic on linen

PAUL JOHNSTONE GALLERY

Harriet Place, Darwin | 8941 2220 | pauljohnstonegallery.com.au | TUE–FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM-2PM Jackie Ellis, 'No Foreign Iconography Please', 2018, oil on canvas, 122 x 76cm

Jackie Ellis The Blood Moon Christina Yambeing, ‘Yams’, 2018, acrylic on canvas

DAMIBILA MIMAH: BUSH FOOD FOCUS Focusing on knowledge of propagation, harvesting, preparation and storage of bush foods held by Aboriginal people from communities around the NT, this showcase of paintings, sculptures, textiles and fibre artworks explores part of the incredible inventory of environmental, spiritual and sociocultural knowledge of mimah (food) held by Aboriginal artists and craftspeople today.

WHEN UNTIL FRI 8 JUN

Suspended within the transient light of the Kimberley region is a network of emotional memories. Using gentle forms, shifting light and radiant colours, Jackie Ellis seeks to capture these subtleties while also reflecting the passion and respect she has for the country.

WHEN FRI 11 MAY – SAT 2 JUN |

OPENING FRI 11 MAY, 5.30PM

23

OUTSTATION

2/3 Parap Place, Darwin | 8981 4822 | outstation.com.au TUE & SAT 10AM-2PM | WED–FRI 10AM-5PM

Outstation

With Outstation’s 10th anniversary approaching, gallery director Matt Ward celebrates a shared history with Maningrida artists. The legacy of the Kuninjku leaders – and renowned artists – who led the outstation movement in Maningrida are presented in this exhibition, through the art practice of their children, now acclaimed artists.

Whilst the title of this exhibition is Outstation, it could easily be called Kunred Kadberre meaning ‘our place’ or ‘our country’. The exhibition speaks to the power and importance of outstations, homelands and country in the landscape of Australian Indigenous art practice.

WHEN FRI 4 – TUE 29 MAY | OPENING FRI 4 MAY, 5.30PM

Ivan Namirrkki, ‘Two men try to capture a fish turning into a Ngalyod’, 2018, ochre and fixative on stringy bark, 137 x 53cm

John Mawurndjul, ‘Milmilngkan’, 2018, ochre and fixative on stringy bark, 124 x 73cm

MAGNT

NCCA

MON–FRI 9AM-5PM | SAT & SUN 10AM-5PM

WED-FRI 10AM-4PM, SAT 9AM-2PM, OR BY APPOINTMENT

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher Street, The Gardens | 8999 8264 | magnt.net.au |

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art Vimy Lane, Parap | 8981 5368 | 0402 379 630 | nccart.com.au

BETWEEN NATURE & SIN

Exit Art A celebration of the talents and creativity of the next generation of artists and designers, Exit Art presents the very best contemporary art and design from Northern Territory Year 12 students. The exhibition reflects the diversity of NT artistic practice and practitioners, expressing universal themes of identity, place and environment.

WHEN UNTIL SAT 12 MAY

Patrick Walker, ‘Cellophane series’ (detail) (1 of 5), photograph; Nhulunbuy High School

Paul Nabulomo, ‘Waterholes (Kabumi)’, 2017, ochre and fixative on stringy bark, 113 x 32cm

WHEN FRI 4 MAY – SAT 6 JUN |

OPENING FRI 4 MAY, 6PM

Exploring the darker undercurrents of human existence, David Griggs’ work, predominantly portraiture, focuses on the human condition; drawing on political imagery, underground media, local histories and personal experience. Featuring a decade of paintings, photographs and videos, this exhibition also includes the premiere of Griggs’ first feature film, Cowboy Country.

David Griggs, ‘Magic is Mentally Ill #9’, 2014, digital colour photograph, 26 x 33cm; image courtesy the artist

NORTHERN TERRITORY ARCHIVES CENTRE Kelsey Crescent, Millner | 8999 6890 | naa.gov.au MON–FRI 9AM-4.30PM

Franck Gohier: a thousand miles from everywhere This celebration of Franck Gohier's work places him firmly in the Darwin, the Northern Territory and the Australian cultural landscape.

The exhibition covers some of the major themes of Gohier’s work, from the global influence of Pop art and capitalism through to the bombing of Darwin in World War II and the city itself as subject..

24

WHEN UNTIL SUN 1 JUL

Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial

INSIDE OUT Fannie Bay Gaol

A survey of Australian Contemporary art by 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through a diversity of works that respond to the Triennial theme; the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum. A National Gallery of Australia exhibition.

UNTIL

The stories of three prisoners held at the Fannie Bay Gaol are brought to life by filmmaker and animator Huni Bolliger. Bolliger showcases three short films accompanied by historical artefacts unearthed during her residency at the NT Archives.

SUN 15 JUL Huni Bolliger, 2018, animation and NTAS original photo

WHEN UNTIL FRI 22 JUN

MUSIC Songs from the

Parisian Belle Époque

n the first of the Darwin Entertainment Centre’s 2018 Concert Series, French soprano Laetitia Grimaldi and South African/Israeli pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz offer a program of romantic French songs, presented in the style of a Parisian salon concert. Bushakevitz spoke to Off The Leash about the style of music they will be performing, and the experience he hopes audiences will have.

Can you take us to the Parisian Belle Époque – what was happening culturally at that time in Paris, and how did that influence the music that was being made?

This was an important and flourishing time in France for all culture

– art, literature, music, fashion and architecture. Paris was a bubbling and exciting city attracting many people. It is the time of the 1889 Universal Exhibition with the new Eiffel Tower, a touring symbol of the industrial age and the coming modernity it symbolised.

Every evening one could find several Parisian salons taking place where poets, writers, composers, painters and many more artists would meet to share their new works, as well as to debate politics, philosophy and – of course – ­ share the gossip of the day. We would like the audience to imagine themselves in a Parisian salon surrounded by gilded mirrors and perhaps

WHEN THU 10 MAY | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $49 | $46 CONC, MEMB

| $25 U18 INFO yourcentre.com.au

sitting next to Claude Monet or Marcel Proust.

How do you describe the music that you will be performing as part of this concert?

If anyone has read Proust’s great novel In Search of Lost Time (1908) they will understand the music we will be presenting. Like the novel, the music is typified by a fascination with minute details, often details one would not notice when time passes too fast. The music prefers charm and elegance over sentimentality and overt emotionality. Perhaps I can say that it has the French je ne sais quoi, a romance expressed intimately and delicately. Composers were pushing the boundaries of tonality and were

pressing the last drops out of Romanticism – just as they were doing in visual arts and literature.

What kind of experience do you hope the audience will have at this performance?

We hope to entrust the public with a way to understand French culture through our music. We will be inviting and transporting them on a voyage to the Belle Époque, its culture, its way of loving, its romanticism and its charm through our music.

Many of the songs we will be performing point towards the 20th century and the new forms of art it brought with it. Other songs look backwards, to the age that was

coming to an end – the Romantic Age. Laetitia and I hope that our audience will leave enriched by the music of this exciting time and nourished by its timelessness.

What’s the experience for you, playing this style of music, just you and soprano Laetitia Grimaldi on stage together?

This is a great question because it is one of the most important facets of our concert – the fact that there are no microphones or any modern technology on stage, only us and the music of a bygone age. Modern life can be hectic and it is wonderful to experience the peace and contemplation of such an intimate song recital.

The

Faste Fiv

Darwin Symphony Orchestra presents

Opera Gala EVERY MAY, THE DARWIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WELCOMES THE DRY WITH A SPECTACULAR FREE OPERA GALA UNDER THE STARS AT THE DARWIN WATERFRONT.

Vera

BLUE

As one of the first large-scale Dry season outdoor concerts, the Opera Gala is a celebration of the change of seasons, and showcases Darwin’s incredible local talent from both the Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and the Darwin Chorale, alongside renowned guest artists, exploring the most beloved highlights from opera and musical theatre.

Whose posters did you have stuck to the wall as a teenager?

Oh. My God. Oh my god! When I was a teenager, half of my room – two full walls – were entirely covered (top to bottom) with posters. Zac Efron, the Jonas Brothers, Fergie, J’Lo, Neo, Beyonce… and so many more. I used to collect Girlfriend and Dolly magazines (even though I probably wasn’t allowed to read them) just to get the posters. I loved it. I felt like they were all hanging out with me.

“The Gala is an opportunity to see highly-skilled local musicians sharing the stage with renowned guest artists from around Australia.

“There is something for everyone in this programme. From favourite Italian opera classics by Verdi and Donizetti, to popular numbers from Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. The music in the Opera Gala caters to all tastes.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 19 MAR | 6.30PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE dso.org.au

What’s the first album you ever bought?

My parents would have bought me a few albums, but the first album that I ever bought with my own money was probably Angus and Julia Stone’s A Book Like This. I would have gotten it from the local music shop in Forbes.

It was either that, or Taylor Swift. It was on CD and I’ve still got it, but I don’t really listen to it because I’m not near a CD player very often! I’m usually listening to Spotify and Apple Music – or records. I have a record player and love collecting and listening to vinyl.

If you could see any artist or band – living or dead – this weekend, who would it be?

I would love to see ABBA! I reckon they are the coolest ever. My mum used to listen to them all the time, they are just the best. In particular I remember listening to ‘Mama Mia’. Mum’s siblings live in Sydney and so when we’d do the five hour trip there from home we’d listen to CDs – that was the one that we always played.

DSO General Manager Kate Stevens encourages anyone who hasn’t yet experienced the world class skill of Darwin’s own orchestra, to make this the time to do it.

The DSO relishes the opportunity to play beautiful music outdoors. Set against the magnificent Waterfront backdrop, this is a night for locals and Dry season visitors alike to relax under the stars, enjoy a picnic and the finale fireworks while surrounded by spectacular orchestral music.

THE LAST TIME VERA BLUE PLAYED IN DARWIN SHE WAS ON A NATIONAL TOUR AND DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO LOOK AROUND. Joining this year’s lineup for BASSINTHEGRASS, the former The Voice competitor – and lover of dogs, chocolates and flowers – is hoping to have a bit more time to check things out, including a little poke around the Botanical Gardens. She answered The Fast Five for Off The Leash ahead of her visit.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Probably a Joni Mitchell song. I really like her song ‘Case of You’. She’s got so many I really love – it’s tough to pick. But that one’s really beautiful.

BASSINTHEGRASS WHEN SAT 19 MAY | 11AM-11PM AT DARWIN BOTANIC GARDENS AMPHITHEATRE COST $75 FIRST RELEASE | $105

SECOND RELEASE | $200 VIP INFO bassinthegrass.com.au

Finish this sentence. The thing people would be surprised to know about me… is I used to be a long jumper! I used to love doing long jump and sprinting in high school. I remember every year I raced against a girl called Kathy Young, and every year she beat me. She was a gun. I did pretty well though, competing in Bathurst, Sydney and Newcastle. But I was too happy doing ballet and being a country bumpkin to pursue that dream.

25

DAN SULTAN LEAVING THE BAND BEHIND FOR HIS LATEST NATIONAL TOUR, Dan Sultan brings his intimate solo show to Darwin this month as part of this year’s Garrmalang Festival, playing music from his latest album Killer.

Live on Fridays THE NT NEWS LIVE ON FRIDAYS RETURNS THIS DRY SEASON, TRANSFORMING BROWN’S MART COURTYARD INTO THE PERFECT VENUE to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the weekend, whilst enjoying the sounds of superb local talent. Joining the line up this May is duo Burger Joint – expat Darwin lads Mark Gray and Gerard Boenkendorf – who can’t wait to get back to the Top End to share their tunes.

You’ve both played music in the NT, but not as a duo. How did you end up joining forces as Burger Joint?

We used to jam at Nirvana jam nights, which is where we really became good mates. We also played in the Natalie Pellegrino Trio, and again in the Moving Targets. We were always mucking around in sound check, which is where we realised we clicked musically. We got together as a duo for the Buskers by the Creek Festival in Currumbin.

We got together for a jam, and in five days wrote an album worth of songs – then we just kept going.

Tell us about the style of music that you play together, and how it differs from the other stuff you’ve done in Darwin.

APIA

Burger Joint

We play music that makes us laugh.

When we used to jam we would just go ridiculous, and there were no other band members to tell us to reel it in, so we suddenly had freedom to just play music that is fun, and most of the time the audiences enjoy it as much as us.

Our music differs from other stuff we’ve done as we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel but just have fun with it. Also the fact that we’re using live looping, drums and guitar and creating a big sound (for a duo) based around funky riffs and humorous lyrics helps set what we are doing now apart from what we’ve done before.

MG: I think I am the feet, keeping the groove and moving it along.

GB: Fingers McGinley.

Darwin - greatest city in Australia - why did you leave?!

GB: The combination of meeting a beautiful woman and being closer to my ageing family drew me to relocate to the coast. I can swim and surf all year ‘round there.

MG: I am still not sure, I still miss it all the time. I guess I just wanted to see what else was out there and also to be closer to my nieces and nephews.

NT News Live on Fridays

If you had to describe your own role in Burger Joint as a body part (don’t be rude), what would it be?

GOOD TIMES TOUR

You’re obviously great mates, with some similar philosophies - is it true you both also ride the same motorbike? Have you done some nice rides together?

Gerard had a Triumph Bonneville first, and once I rode his I had to get one too. We love taking big “band meeting” rides which normally involve us riding as far as possible for a schooner. We cross the border (into NSW) most rides but there are still a few places we haven’t ridden to.

WHEN

AT COST INFO

You’re playing solo on this tour.

When you’re playing at places like the Entertainment Centre, that means there’s a huge space to fill.

Is that scary or exciting?

It’s both. It’s scary and exciting to perform either way. It’s just a different type of scary – you’re always vulnerable as a performer.

On this tour you’ll be playing guitar and piano. How does that work on tour? Do you have to adapt to a new instrument at each gig?

We usually hire the same model of piano everywhere we go, so essentially it’s the same instrument and I don’t have to travel it.

Even though you don’t get to bring it with you on tour, what’s your favourite piano to play?

Probably the one at my house. It’s an old piano – not particularly good

EVERY FRI | 5-7PM | BAR 4.30PM BROWN’S MART COURTYARD FREE brownsmart.com.au

After the huge success of Blackbird, it’s been great enjoying Killer over the last nine months. Which songs have you really been enjoying performing off this album?

‘Reaction’ has been really good to play, and ‘Hold It Together’. There’s good crowd participation for both of those songs, which is always fun.

The last couple of times you’ve played at the Entertainment Centre you’ve mentioned your stint with the Nightcliff Tigers as a young fella. What position did you play? Was this the pinnacle of your sporting career?

I played fullback – and I wasn’t very good. It was a long time ago and I didn’t do anything very memorable.

Was it the pinnacle? It was one of them. I can’t really remember much of it, I think we were ok.

WHEN SAT 26 MAY | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST 49 | $45 CONC INFO yourcentre.com.au Dan Sultan

Burger Joint WHEN FRI 18 MAY | 5PM AT NT NEWS LIVE ON FRIDAYS WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 18 MAY | 8PM RAILWAY CLUB $10 darwinrailwayclub.org

WHEN WED 16 MAY | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $99.90 INFO yourcentre.com.au

THE SIXTH APIA GOOD TIMES TOUR KICKS OFF IN DARWIN THIS MAY, with disco legend Leo Sayer sharing the stage with Brian Cadd, Marcia Hines, Russell Morris and John Paul Young. Sayer spoke to Off The Leash.

Do you all know each other well?

Or will some of you be meeting for the first time on tour?

I was on the 2015 tour, and Russell was on that one, too. It was great fun! I’ve known Russell and John since the 70s, and met Brian and Marcia more recently, but we’ve all shared stages before.

Is there a ringleader amongst you? Who will be encouraging shenaningans after a gig? Who’ll be suggesting an early bedtime?

Well, Brian is the oldest so that should make him the boss! We’ll all get to play ringleader I guess on different nights, and yes there’ll be plenty of shenanigans going on. But we are all sensible (older) folks now – so I don’t think there’ll be too much partying.

26

– but it’s got its own sound and it’s all mine.

L-R: Brian Cadd, Leo Sayer, Marcia Hines, Russell Morris, John Paul Young

Can you tell us a bit about the material you’ll be performing on this tour?

I’ll be selecting the best of my hits, but with only a 20 minute set for each of us, I’m electing to change the songs around night after night – so we get ‘em all in. The most fun will be when we’re all on stage together at the end. We all get to save one big hit for that, and it’s fun to sing those songs together.

Is there a coveted slot in the lineup? Like, no-one wants to be first, while everyone’s still warming up, no-one wants to be last when everyone’s getting a bit tired…

I think we are all pretty even on that, just happy to be there (I’m so diplomatic, aren’t I!).

It’s been three years since you last played in Darwin, will you get the chance to stick around for a bit this trip?

I wish I could, but the show rolls on into Perth and Adelaide straight afterwards, so we’ll all need to get going. Yes, I do have some friends coming to the show, and as everyone knows I LOVE Darwin – so it’s gonna be nice to start the tour there. I can’t wait to get on stage in the Top End again!

MAY

GIG guide

Afro Moses

Afro Moses Afro Moses, the genius of afrobeats/reggae dub, delivers a great balance of infectious energy, connected musicianship and feel-good vibes.

Afro Moses performs around the world sharing his love for life, love and harmony but loves coming to Darwin to share his special energy.

OTL's quick and essential guide to live music in the Top End. Rock on!

Pop down for exceptional souljah spirit music, original African beats and reggae groove.

WHEN WED 23 & SAT 26 MAY | 7-10PM AT DINAH BEACH CRUISING

YACHT ASSOCIATION COST FREE INFO dbcya.com.au

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

/OTL.magazine

@OTLmag

#OTLmag

Steven Adler Guns N’ Roses founding member, Steven Adler ignites his Adler’s Appetite band for a national tour.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Guns N’ Roses’ classic debut album, the band will perform Appetite for Destruction in its entirety.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 16 MAY | 8PM DISCOVERY DARWIN $71.71 discoverydarwin.com.au

BASSINTHEGRASS Darwin’s biggest one day music festival is back, featuring Client Liason, Confidence Man, Dean Lewis, Dune Rats, Illy, Paul Kelly, San Cisco, Spit Syndicate, Vera Blue and the NT Battle of the School Bands winners.

WHEN SAT 19 MAY | 11AM-11PM AT DARWIN BOTANIC GARDENS AMPHITHEATRE COST $75 FIRST RELEASE | $105

SECOND RELEASE | $200 VIP INFO bassinthegrass.com.au

Darwin Symphony Orchestra Opera Gala WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 19 MAY | 6.30PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE dso.org.au

Freds Pass Show – Live Music With Ash Grunwald, David Garnham & the Reasons to Live, Tracey Bunn, Adam Scriven, Stevie Jean, Burger Joint, Gleny Rae Virus and Mark Seymour and the Undertow.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 19 MAY | 12PM–LATE FREDS PASS RESERVE SHOW ENTRY APPLIES fredspassruralshow.com.au

The Cyclones Don’t miss this colourful, upbeat production of ska – with vocalist Angie Sublime from the Sublimes, a bold as brass section and the brightest coloured shirts in town!

WHEN AT

COST INFO

SUN 20 MAY | 5-8PM DINAH BEACH CRUSING YACHT ASSOC FREE DBYCA.com.au

NT News Live on Fridays WHEN

AT COST INFO

EVERY FRI | 5-7PM | BAR 4.30PM BROWN’S MART COURTYARD FREE brownsmart.com.au

4 MAY 11 MAY 18 MAY 25 MAY

SERINA PECH MARK GRAY BURGER JOINT METTAPHOR

Loud at the Library Enjoy free live music at your local library every Friday lunchtime.

Burger Joint

WHEN FRI 18 MAY | 8PM COST $10

WHEN EVERY FRI | 12-1PM COST FREE INFO darwin.nt.gov.au/libraries

Basic Rocket Science

CASUARINA LIBRARY 4 MAY METTAPHOR 11 MAY WAYNE CRISTAUDO 18 MAY ANNA BOUSTEAD 25 MAY TRACEY BUNN

Bangers and Mosh Featuring Assailant, March of Days, Kayoss and Fema.

CITY LIBRARY 4 MAY SCOTT MURPHY 11 MAY KEVIN MCCARTHY 18 MAY CHARLIE POWLING 25 MAY PHILLIP SPENCER

DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 93 Mitchell St, Darwin yourcentre.com.au

Songs from the Parisian Belle Époque

WHEN SAT 25 MAY | 7PM COST $15

WHEN SUN 6 MAY | 4PM-12AM COST $75 | $59.80 PRESALE |

$120 VIP | $99.80 VIP PRESALE

COST INFO

JAM NIGHTS AND OPEN MIC

WHEN EVERY MON | FROM 7PM AT DARWIN COMMUNITY ARTS COST FREE INFO eo@darwincommunityarts. org.au

DARWIN SKI CLUB

WHEN SUN 6 MAY | 2-7PM AT PINT CLUB, MARRARA COST GOLD COIN DONATION INFO facebook.com/firstsunday blues

Angus and Julia Stone

Acoustic Jam Sessions Bring your guitar or any acoustic instrument and song suggestions.

WHEN SAT 26 MAY | 7PM COST $15

20 Conacher St, Fannie Bay darwinskiclub.com.au WHEN SAT 5 MAY | 5PM COST $69.90

Seaside Sounds With Darude, Potbelleez, Chris Royal, DJ Bliss, False Rumours, local artists and silent disco.

WHEN WED 9 & 23 MAY | 8-11PM AT DURACK COMMUNITY CENTRE COST FREE WHEN FRI 25 MAY | 6.30-11PM AT PALMERSTON LIBRARY

FREE eo@darwincommunityarts. org.au | 8945 7347

Monday Jam Nights

Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals WHEN EVERY TUE | 7-9.30PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST $10 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP INFO darwincitybrassband.org. au

Have Fun With Brass Entry level and developing players of all ages welcome.

WHEN EVERY SAT | 10AM-12PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST $10 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP INFO darwincitybrassband .org.au

WHEN THU 10 MAY | 8PM COST $49 | $46 CONC, MEMB |

$25 U18

APIA Good Times Tour

WHEN WED 16 MAY | 7.30PM COST $99.90

Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man Oz rock icon, Jimmy Barnes, brings the second of his best-selling memoirs to life in Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories and Songs.

WHEN SUN 20 MAY | 7.30PM COST $119.90 A RESERVE | $99.90

B RESERVE

Dan Sultan

WHEN SAT 26 MAY | 8PM COST $49 | $45 CONC Sponsor

Tex Perkins

WHEN WED 30 MAY | 8PM COST $99.90 A RESERVE |

$89.90 B RESERVE

RAILWAY CLUB

17 Somerville Gardens, Parap 8981 4171 | darwinrailwayclub.org

LIVE@GFEST18

The Panel

Shellie Morris, Dhapanbal, Skinnyfish Sound System

Womb To Tomb

DAN SULTAN

SPUN

Sat 26 May

Sun 27 May

Fri 25 May

Sat 26 May

Stevie Jean With Kayoss, Joy Greer and DJ Mangohig.

WHEN SAT 5 MAY | 7.00PM COST $15

Emma Rowe With At the Dakota, Phoebe Wear and Broadwing.

WHEN FRI 11 MAY | 7PM COST $15

The Audreys

Killer Solo Tour

True Stories Told In The Territory

WHEN SAT 12 MAY | 7PM COST $27.50

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We’re back!

NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS The Capricornia Film Awards recognise excellence in the NT screen Industry.

We are now taking submissions for content completed after September 2016 in the following categories:

★ SHORT FILM ★ MUSIC VIDEO ★ DOCUMENTARY ★ CORPORATE ★ WEB / NEW MEDIA ★ FEATURE FILM

Visit diff.net.au/ capricornia

6 HOT SHOWS OUT NOW PRIZE FIGHTER LIMBO THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET COPPÉLIA URZILA CARLSON STUDIES HAVE SHOWN BAKER BOY FREE SANTOS OPENING NIGHT CONCERT BURIED COUNTRY

Book now at darwinfestival.org.au #DFEST18 Full program on sale 21 JUNE