Off The Leash - October 2021

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

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

OCTOBER

20 21

PAINT THE TOWN

LIKE A PHOENIX

JAYSON GILLHAM

Darwin Street Art Festival

Darwin Fringe rises from the ashes

Performs at DEC

IMPORTANT MESSAGE Events listed in this edition of Off The Leash are subject to change.

The situation around COVID-19 is evolving and information provided within this publication is correct – to the best of our knowledge – at time of print.

INSIDE

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#OTLmag

GPO BOX 2325, Darwin NT 0801

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

get pretty excited this time of year. As the clouds grow taller and darker, checking the BOM radar becomes a daily thing. And boy, do I dig it.

But, until the heavens fully open and Hector the Convector more frequently visits the skies above the Tiwi Islands, we’ve got October to sink our teeth into.

How amazing are the incredible pops of colour being splashed around the place for this year’s Darwin Street Art Festival? Over 20 artists, most of whom are locals, recently took to the streets to leave their creative marks around the Top End.

F R OM T H E

r o t i d E

This incredible, colourful festival grows bigger by the year, with new large scale works taking up residence on walls in the CBD and the ‘burbs. Download the app, hit the road and take a turn around town to see these amazing, super scale works.

They say you can’t keep a good thing down, and Darwin Fringe is a darn good thing, it would appear, that you really can’t keep down. After the difficult decision to pull the pin in July, Fringe 2.0 emerges from the ashes this month with three jam-packed days of showbiz. Throw your support behind this creative community that has been through a tricky time over the past 18 months or so.

Get ready to get weird, Darwin.

Gracing the stage is Brisbane’s shake & stir theatre co., bringing George Orwell’s 1945 classic novella Animal Farm to life. I had a chat with the play’s director, Michael Futcher, about their multi-award winning theatre production, and how excited the crew is to be bring it to the Top End. After a brief and unexpected pause, this creative cohort is raring to go – don’t miss this one!

Darwin Symphony Orchestra teams up with SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre to present Pictures. Blending live performances of music inspired by films, with specially choreographed dance pieces from some of the Top End’s brightest young stars, Pictures is an immersive feast for the senses.

Speaking of bright stars and flicks, our days of pulling up the deckchairs at Deckchair Cinema for 2021 are numbered. Head along any night of the week to catch some cinematic gems on the big screen, and enjoy a feed with local flavours to make a night of it.

FEATURE | 4 Around Town | 6 Performing Arts | 8 FESTIVALS | 9 Books & Film | 13 Visual Arts | 14 Food & Drink | 16 Music | 17 calendaR | PULL-OUT

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS | 6

ANIMAL FARM | 9

Of course, there’s a range of exhibitions to peruse at our wonderful Top End art galleries, music gigs for a sweaty boogie, and school holiday fun for the little ones.

Whatever you get up to, I hope it’s a hoot and a half.

MOVIN' TO THE MOVIES | 19 OTL is proudly supported by Tierney Seccull Managing Editor and Development Manager

Rita Horanyi Editorial Assistant

Sarah Novinetz Graphic Designer

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

S T R A T E G I C

A C C O U N T A N T S

The Water Tower Series

Tasty baked goodies at @cornercafe85

Bush Bands Bash @allgoodproject_

#o tlmag Use our hashtag for a chance to see your pics here @ivorcoleart's Swan Song

Detail of mural by PRESSplay, Amelia Luscombe and Jocelyn Tribe, located at the Aralia St shops in Nightcliff.

Storytime with Brother Moon

WINNER 2019 & 2020 NT MEDIA AWARDS A Tropical Pagan Musical wedding!

Tropical wedding cake by @c_bella_m Sweet treats.

Yummo!

Walking in Gagudju Country Book Launch

Cover proudly sponsored by Darwin Street Art Festival.

Best Magazine or Lift Out

Although Although all care is taken to ensure information Off The Leash correct, it is subject to change.

We recommend checking offtheleash.net.au updates. all care is taken to ensureininformation in is Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change.

We recommend checking for offtheleash.net.au for updates.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Off The Leash relies on advertising revenue to underpin printing costs each month. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, printing a hard copy edition of OTL will be assessed on a month-by-month basis.

October 2021

3

FEATURE

Jesse Bell

Bidjipidji ART

By Tierney Seccull

4

Since its origins in the 60s, street art has adorned the walls, nooks and crannies of big cities and small towns across the globe. Starting out as a movement of free creative expression, street art has progressed over the decades to be the celebrated art form it is today. And we just can’t get enough of it.

PAINT THE TOWN

Shilo

ou might have noticed new works popping up on walls across Darwin, featuring bright illustrations of flora and fauna, powerful Larrakia imagery and local icons immortalised in large format masterpieces – from Paulie, Julio’s dearly departed cockatoo, to the iconic NT Draught stubby.

Delivered by local business Proper Creative, administered by Activate Darwin and funded by the Northern Territory Government, Darwin Street Art Festival (DSAF) returned for its fifth instalment last month to literally paint the town red. And yellow. And green. And blue. And any other colour you can imagine.

DSAF’s founding father, local artist and Proper Creative boss man David Collins, says the festival’s inception came as a bit of a surprise.

“I was doing some work for NT Major Events and we were planning a mural for them. It was kind of a throwaway comment. I said, ‘you know, we actually need a street art festival’, and they said ‘that’s a great idea’. We pushed it out in six weeks with their support to get the festival off the ground,” Collins says.

PRESSplay

“Street art festivals are not my idea – they’re something that exist throughout the world – but I just wanted a locally managed festival to empower local artists and give them collaboration ops with visiting artists. As far as festivals go, a lot of interstate artists tell me they like that it’s Proper Creative running it.

We are artists ourselves, and even though it’s getting big and slick, it’s still grassroots.”

And he’s right. This year’s festival features the work of over 20 artists, most of whom are locals.

“I feel like we’ve nailed a varied group of people across a range of styles. There’s huge diversity, including people with disabilities, a great mix of male and female artists, queer and trans artists.

At the Babes Paint workshops, everyone could get involved which was pretty magic – Tiwi ladies were painting alongside young people.”

Breaking free of the confines of the CBD, responding to the theme ‘journeys’, this year has seen large scale artworks plastered on empty walls of the ‘burbs in Nightcliff, Casuarina, Wulagi and Parap.

Painting his first mural just three years ago, 19-year-old Caleb Schatz (aka Mr Calebdude) was allocated

Mr Calebdude

a wall in Wulagi just around the corner from where he grew up in Anula. The young artist says he’s stoked to be involved.

“It’s great to meet other artists and chat about what they’re up to, what their walls are like and the trials of them – like being blasted by the sun or pipes getting in the way,” he says.

“It’s really exciting to be able to actually follow my dreams. People say you can do whatever you want, but I’m really getting to do that.”

Local artist Jesse Bell was honoured with the task of painting a mural to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Wave Hill Walk Off. “The brief asked to include the iconic photo of Gough [Whitlam] and Vincent [Lingiari], which was taken by Mervyn Bishop – the first Indigenous photographer to work for a metropolitan newspaper.

"I also wanted to include something that gave a nod to the other people involved in the Walk Off and sourced historical photos that I felt captured this. I still have a few little extras I’ll be adding to the mural, including a quote in language from Vincent,” he says.

Catherine Miles & Julio

“Being involved with the festival as a local headlining artist is a great opportunity – not only do I get to paint my hometown, I get national and international exposure as an artist and I often get to collaborate with some of the best artists around the country.”

Miss Polly

Tylah Saunders

The purpose of the festival is to entice locals and visitors to get out and about soaking up the art and culture of the NT, beautifying our tropical city and supporting local artists, with a flow on effect to surrounding businesses.

Grabbing a laksa or juice at the markets after checking out the work of Shaun Edwards and B4mble in Parap is a morning well spent. And a cheeky cocktail at Dom’s after marvelling at masterpieces by Miss Polly and PRESSplay in Nightcliff sounds like a great plan to us.

Take a tour around town and beyond, and treat your peepers to the incredible street art this colourful festival has splashed around – not just this year, but since it started.

Darwin’s been firmly placed as a hotspot on the national street art hit list, and there’s darn good reason for it.

INFO darwinstreetartfestival.com.au

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SCHOOL HOLIDAY THERE’S NO NEED FOR THE KIDS TO BE BORED THESE SCHOOL HOLS, WITH A SWAG OF GREAT ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO GET KIDDOS OF ALL AGES ENGAGED AND CREATIVE.

CORRUGATED IRON YOUTH ARTS corrugatediron.org.au

FUN

WHEN WED 6 OCT | 9AM-4.30PM COST $130 | $100 CIYA STUD

Ready, tech, go! (Tech Lab) Tech Club equips emerging tech enthusiasts with the skills they need to confidently use industry standard equipment in a live context, culminating in the opportunity to operate the tech requirements for the live production of Bartleby the Horrible Magician.

WHEN WED 6 OCT, 4.30PM –

Creative Lab #1 Young folks can test the boundaries of their imagination with this hands-on day, exploring a range of art forms including circus, visual arts and music.

THU 7 OCT, 5PM

COST

$150 | $130 CIYA STUD

Bartleby, the Horrible Magician Bartleby is a horrible magician. So bad, that his magic recently got him into a lot of trouble… This show for kids of all ages that will have their sides splitting with laughter – then magically put back together again!

SAT 9 OCT, 1PM & 3PM

COST

$15 | $12 U12

WHEN MON 4 OCT | 9AM-4.30PM COST $130 | $100 CIYA STUD Creative Lab #2 Young people are invited to this performance-focused day exploring physical art forms such as circus, dance and drama.

NOMINATE TODAY

6

Roller Disco Join Darwin Skate School and Darwin DJ Hire for this fun Roller Disco Skate night. A pop-up roller rink creates a safe enclosed space to roll around on wheels, the Darwin Skate School crew on hand to help you learn and have some fun. Bring your own skates!

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 1 OCT | 5-7.30PM STOKES HILL WHARF FREE waterfront.nt.gov.au

Hilton Darwin Art Workshops Keep the littlies entertained these school holidays with this fun series of DIY art classes. Kids can craft some terracotta vases and tiles, or create their own clocks. Parents are welcome to attend and a light lunch is also included.

WHEN FRI 1 & SUN 3 OCT 11.30AM-1PM

AT COST INFO

WHEN TUE 5 OCT | 9AM-4.30PM COST $130 | $100 CIYA STUD

PALMERSTON School Holidays at Palmerston Library Head to City of Palmerston Library this school holidays to enjoy a range of free activities for schoolaged children, including arts and craft sessions, African drumming and plenty of fun family flicks to watch.

WHEN FRI 8 OCT, 1PM & 3PM

Georgia O’Keeffe Artist Study

Screen Lab This intensive gives young peeps aged 12-19 the chance to learn how to write for screen and deliver work in front of a camera.

Participants come away from this fun workshop with their own film content, perfect to add to a show reel!

DARWIN

(EXC. WEEKENDS) | 2PM

COST

FREE

KATHERINE katherine.nt.gov.au

WHEN TUE 5 OCT | 10AM–12PM COST $25 INFO tactilearts.org.au

KNOW SOMEONE WHO’S passionate about helping the community? Now is the time to show your appreciation for the hard work and dedication of those special people who give their heart and soul to helping others by nominating them for the City of Darwin Citizen Awards 2022.

2021 Citizen of the Year, Sharm Bali (pictured left), who runs community service business Territory Care and Support Services, was humbled to receive the award.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN FRI 1 OCT | 10AM-12PM AT GIRL GUIDES HUT Build Up Skateboarding Workshops

WHEN MON 4 OCT

9.30-10.30AM (8-10)

10.30-11.30AM (11-13)

11.30AM-12.30PM (14-17)

AT

KATHERINE SKATEPARK

Wurli Free Movie Day Children aged 4-17 and their families are invited along to these fun family flicks. Pick from two films and enjoy some lunch.

$60

WHEN WED 6 OCT | 10.30AM-

facebook.com/hiltondarwin

2.30PM

FRI 8 OCT | 10AM-1PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE

KATHERINE CINEMA 3

For Bali, it’s all about giving back to the community that gives to him.

“I get the satisfaction that you can make a difference in some people’s lives.”

WHEN SAT 2 & SUN 3 OCT 9.30AM-4PM

AT

TUMBLING WATERS

HOLIDAY PARK

COST INFO

$350 jacquelinefgribbin@

gmail.com

October Babes Paint Jam Come and paint with a fun and welcoming community of creative people. Babes Paint aims to create an inclusive street art space for creatives in the queer, non-binary, gender diverse, trans and female community.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 3 OCT | 4-7PM AUSTIN LANE FREE facebook.com/

babespaint.darwin

Camp Dog Sculpture Class

WHEN WED 6 OCT | 1-4PM AT GODINYMAYIN YIJARD

RIVERS ARTS & CULTURE

CENTRE

The Katherine Museum Open Day

WHEN THU 7 OCT | 9AM-4PM AT KATHERINE MUSEUM

waterfront.nt.gov.au

“Anybody who does volunteering work like I do, they share whatever they have, whether that’s their time or resources. A lot of people do a lot more than I do, but I was the lucky one to be chosen by the Darwin community.”

Learn the fundamentals of traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking in this engaging, hands-on two-day class.

Kentish Fun with Plants

AT Children aged 5-14 are guided by Frances Ricketts to create a big flower painting using watercolours and pastels, inspired by the work of Georgia O’Keeffe.

Japanese Woodblock (Mokuhanga) Weekend Class

WHEN FRI 1 – FRI 8 OCT

HILTON DARWIN

Tip Top Animals and Ponies Take a walk on the wild side and meet some Rad Reptiles and Pretty Parrots with the team from Party Animals Darwin. There are also pony rides, free face painting and craft activities.

LISTINGS

AROUND TOWN

There are three categories you can nominate deserving individuals for – Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Event of the Year. The last category can be presented to either an individual or a group that has staged the most outstanding community event.

Jump online, nominate your local legends and give a little back to those who’ve made a difference to the lives of others.

INFO

darwin.nt.gov.au

Dealing with Stress and Anxiety In this series of meditation classes, learn ways of thinking that transform your response to difficult situations, helping dissolve inner tension and conflict.

WHEN AT COST INFO

MON 4 & 11 OCT | 7-8.30PM ONLINE $10 | FREE MEMB kadampa.live

Graphic Novel Club Across four Sunday studio sessions, get stuck into storyboarding, sketching characters, and working with pencil, ink and iPads to produce your very own short graphic novels.

Led by local animator, illustrator and writer Jonathan Saunders, these workshops are perfect for anyone aged 13-17.

WHEN SUN 10, 17, 24 & 31 OCT 2-4PM

AT COST INFO

CASUARINA LIBRARY FREE ntwriters.com.au

Chess & Cocktails Channel your inner Queen’s Gambit and hit up Dom’s for a night of chess and cocktails.

available for 2022 and 2023, make tracks to Cas to learn what the Essington Experience is all about.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 13 OCT | 6PM DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE FREE facebook.com/

Ghostly Gatherings at Gateway GRAB YOUR FREAKY friends and make tracks to Gateway for a day of frightening fun this Halloween. With plenty of creepy flicks to enjoy, like Hotel Transylvania, a haunted house to explore, an eerie virtual reality experience to be immersed in and scary activities for the kids, there’s plenty of freaky fun to keep the whole family entertained.

SAT 30 OCT | 10AM-2PM CASUARINA SQUARE FREE essington.nt.edu.au

domsbarandlounge

Escape – Find Freedom Within Online Meditation Class In this Friday evening talk with senior Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Dornying, learn how to create the inner space needed to feel peace, regardless of external circumstances.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 15 OCT | 6.30-8.15PM ONLINE $15 | FREE kadampa.live

Coopers Blue Water Classic Anglers from right across the Territory are invited to compete in the biggest Blue Water fishing competition in the NT. Enter to be in with a chance to win prizes from a pool of $40,000. Everyone’s encouraged to have a go and participate in this fun-filled, exciting event for the whole family.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 15 – SUN 17 OCT FREE | $200 COMPETITOR dtbc.com.au

BICENTENNIAL PARK $20 | $10 CHILD | $55 FAMILY eventbrite.com.au

THU 28 OCT | 6PM LUCKY BAT CAFÉ FREE facebook.com/

environmentcentrent

Car Boot Sale One person’s trash is another’s treasure, and this is your chance to have a good clear out and make some coin or pick up a bargain.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 30 OCT | 6-11PM THE LANDMARK $120 facebook.com/

ntirishassociation

Too Much Stuff Recycling Upcycling Flea Market Head along to this cute and fast-growing flea market to sell or pick up second-hand goodies.

Sellers, buyers, recyclers, upcyclers are all welcome!

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 31 OCT | 9AM-12PM ALAWA HALL FREE facebook.com/

Free Lunchtime Meditation Class Escape the stress and be guided through simple meditations that relax the mind and body, leading to a deep experience of inner peace and contentment.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY TUE | 12-12.30PM ONLINE FREE kadampa.live

Skate Nights Head to Jingili for free music and skating at the park. Newbies and spectators welcome. These fun skate nights include anything on wheels including skateboards, skates, BMX bikes and scooters. Boards and helmets are also available.

FREE dtbc.com.au

Essington Pop-Up Booth Check out Essington School’s special pop-up booth at Casuarina Square for a friendly chat with the team. With limited vacancies

SAT 30 OCT | 9AM-4PM GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTRE FREE palmerston.nt.gov.au

Get dressed in your hair-raising

PALMERSTON LIBRARY palmerston.nt.gov.au/library Gadgets and Games Club

WHEN EVERY TUE | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE Storytime

WHEN EVERY TUE & THU | 10-10.45AM

COST

FREE

Nurserytime

WHEN EVERY WED | 10-10.45AM COST FREE Geek Squad If you’re aged 13-19 and have a love for all things geeky, from anime to gaming and everything in-between, join Geek Squad. Spend an hour with like-minded peeps and make new friends.

WHEN EVERY THU | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE

LET’S DANCE Salsita Classes

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY TUE | 6.30-9.30PM DANCE WORLD STUDIO $20 salsitadarwin.com.au

Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

WHEN WED 13 & 27 OCT | 6-8PM AT JINGILI WATER GARDENS

SKATE PARK

COST INFO

FREE launchdarwin.com.au

SAT 30 OCT | 8.30AM DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB

WHEN AT COST INFO

toomuchstuffdarwin

SUN 24 OCT | 7AM-1.30PM

Green Drinks Head along to this informal meet up to chat about all things green.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB

New Beginnings Fun Run Rise with the sun and head out for a fun run to help raise vital funds for Catherine Booth House Women’s Refuge. Get started bright and early, with a fun-filled Zumba class, refreshments, plus activities for the little ones.

WHEN AT COST INFO

Halloween Masquerade Ball In ancient Ireland it was believed Oíche Shamna (Halloween) was a time when the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead became blurred. The Celts would wear masks and costumes to disguise themselves and keep safe from evil spirits. To celebrate this tradition, join the NT Irish Association for a night of food, drink, Irish dancing, prizes, a live band and a few spooky surprises!

Get dressed in your hair-raising best (or worst!), book your slot to go trick-or-treating, and go in the running to win some thrilling prizes.

Seriously spooky, frightfully fun!

Yoga by the Bay Join Karuna Yoga for a 50-minute weekly class and leave feeling stretched, centred and oh so Zen.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY WED | 7.45-10PM DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB $10 | $5 MEMB swingdancent.com

Movement Medicine

EVERY SAT | 8.30-9.20AM

WHEN EVERY SUN | 10-11.30AM COST $15 INFO movement.magic

DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB

@yahoo.com

$10 karunayogawellness.com

7

PERFORMING ARTS

ANIMAL FARM Evening Reads

W

hen a group of farm animals have had jack of humans running the show, they decide to take things into their own hands, revolting against the self-serving greed of humans to seek a better life.

The pigs have assumed control on Manor Farm, with all animals fuelled by enthusiastic camaraderie and guided by a set of self-imposed rules. But it’s not long before these rules become the shackles that bind them once again.

This multi-award winning, critically acclaimed interpretation – created

by Queensland’s shake & stir and directed by Michael Futcher – is set to be one of the most shocking, relevant and wickedly funny theatre events of 2021.

Futcher says, although penned many moons ago, the play still holds significant relevance today.

“It’s a story that was written in the 1940s about the abuse of power, about how the common people can be manipulated and lied to, and how revolutions can be corrupted.

All of these things George Orwell was writing about then, I feel, are

NT Performing Arts Awards

Know someone who's made a real difference to the NT performing arts scene, under the spotlight or behind the scenes?

Get their hard work and dedication recognised by nominating them for the NT Performing Arts Awards. Shows, performers, artists, arts workers and other contributors are all eligible, so jump online and show these legends some love!

WHEN MON 18 OCT

NOMINATIONS CLOSE

INFO

tracksdance.com.au

brownsmart.com.au

8

corrugatediron.org.au

Iphigenia in Splott still so relevant to today,” he says.

“The thing about the way the story has been created is that it is so accessible for a modern audience, a general public type audience – you don’t have to be au fait with literature or Orwell, the story stands on its own.”

Although the characters are animals, Futcher has steered clear of typical costumes.

“We decided very early on that we wouldn’t try to look like animals, per se, because we thought it would almost become a bit like a children’s pantomime … we’ve decided to use a sort of minimalistic form of theatre where the style we are using is highly physical,” he says.

“Even though the actor is not dressed like an animal, the actor gives the impression of the animal because they are physicalising it and also vocalising, to a degree.

The audience will get a sense of the animal, and sometimes, it does actually sound like a farmyard!”

Kicking off the tour in New South Wales back in April, the shake & stir cast and crew have been lucky

to sneak in a few appearances across the country without too many hiccups. With their regional Victorian leg shelved due to obvious reasons, they’re champing at the bit to get to Darwin.

“They’ll be really raring to go by the time we get to Darwin, let me tell you! We have a wonderful creative team that have contributed to the show. The actors obviously carry the story but we have such an amazing team in Josh McIntosh as the designer, Guy Webster with an amazing soundscape and Jason Glenwright’s lighting, which is so organic, it follows the subtleties and nuances of the scenes so well.

“These three wonderful creatives demonstrate what I think is the wonderful thing about shake & stir, in that they’re a company of great collaboration … all of the team is involved from day one, even before day one, before rehearsals even start.”

WHEN TUE 12 OCT

10.30AM & 7.30PM

AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

$42 | $38 MEMB/CONC $30 STUD

INFO

yourcentre.com.au

STUMBLING DOWN THE street drunk at 11.30am, Effie’s the kind of the girl you’d studiously avoid making eye contact with. But in Welsh playwright Gary Owen’s Iphigenia in Splott, this month’s featured work for Brown’s Mart’s play reading series, audiences come to see that people like Effie are the ones that pay the price for society’s failings.

Directed by star of the Darwin theatre scene, Ciella Williams, the one-woman play reworks the ancient Greek myth of Iphigenia to explore who is sacrificed in contemporary society. The reading features performer, theatre-maker and community artist Alyson Evans in the part of Effie, who has Welsh heritage herself.

“It’s about someone living in an area of Wales where they’re bottom of the rank when it comes to class, and therefore the ones who are always trodden on,” Evans explains.

“Growing up in the Welsh mining valleys, which is a very working class place to grow up as well, I definitely recognise a lot of the scenes in the play and the things that the character’s battling.”

Despite some similarities in their backgrounds, Evans admits Effie is very different to her.

“She’s very hard – you know, she abuses people on the street – so for me, even for a reading, it’s about looking at my voice and my physicality, to change that to bring that hardness to me.”

And while the play is set on the other side of the world, Evans believes that it still resonates with local audiences.

“We definitely see the same problem here of people living in low social economic areas, the struggle they have to access good health care and things like that. I think [the play’s] a really good way to reflect on our community in Australia.”

Perhaps after hearing Effie’s emotional story, you might withhold judgement next time you see someone on the street. As Evans puts it, “we all have a story.”

WHEN THU OCT 14 | 7.30PM AT

BROWN’S MART THEATRE

COST

$15

INFO

brownsmart.com.au

FESTIVALS

By Will Crawford

COMICS'

CORNER SHOWCASING TOP END COMICS AND LOCAL STAND-UP PERFORMERS

How did you get into comedy and who are your inspirations?

I got into comedy when I realised that you only live once, and I’ve always loved a good joke and prank. My inspirations are definitely Chaplin, whom I can relate to, and early vaudeville such as the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, and W. C. Fields. Then onto Jerry Lewis and Tim Conway – probably my all-time favourite! – then folks like Robin Williams and Steve Martin, et cetera.

What I think is real magic is someone who can make you laugh without saying anything! Prop comedians and improv comics are one hundred percent my favourite.

Rusty Rhubarb

FOR THOSE THAT haven’t seen Russel ‘Rusty Rhubarb’ Smith on stage, it’s a wild experience. Rusty has a cast of a thousand personas within, one of the most eccentric and daring character and one-liner comics going around. Will Crawford caught up with him for a chat.

What three performers would you invite to a fantasy comedian dinner party?

My ideal three people to have dinner would be Groucho Marx, Robin Williams and Barry Humphries – but throw in Lee Mack and Sammy Davis Jnr as an appetiser. And Tim Conway as the waiter… Greedy, I know!

What advice would you give to new comedians?

Be yourself! This one is the most difficult for me as a character comic, and as someone who has, and still does, suffer from extreme stage fright and fear of failure. If you think it’s funny, go for it. Gotta be brave!

LIKE A PHOENIX

Tell us about your new regular gig at the Waratah Sports and Football Club!

I was approached to run a comedy night, and we’ve already had some awesome nights, including the All Girls Allstar Comedy Gala last month. The club is a great venue and we’re hoping to put on some great comedy nights going forward.

We are hoping to have the wonderful and crazily funniest bogan of them all, Chris Franklin and the Caveman this month – pandemic permitting. Also, all things going well, a big Christmas Comedy special in December. Watch this space…

INFO

facebook.com/

waratahfootballclubnt rustyrhubarb2008@ gmail.com

IF YOU THOUGHT you were going to have to wait until next year to sink your teeth into some Fringey fun, think again… Darwin Fringe Festival is back with bite, serving up three jam-packed days of local shows to keep you entertained as the sweaty season begins.

It was a sad day for many in the Top End’s close-knit arts community when Darwin Fringe announced the 2021 Festival was cancelled due to the July snap lockdown.

“Having to tell those artists about the cancellation was a pretty sh-t day and a lot of tears,” admits Festival Director Hannah Illingworth.

So there’s something almost magical about Fringe’s re-emergence this month with a smaller, but considered, local program that gives some of the artists that worked hard on their shows a chance to perform.

“It was a lot to do with the support of Brown’s Mart and the Entertainment Centre. And the team I have at the moment is so amazing – they’re just the best humans. Everyone gave me a sense that this is possible… there’s a lot of support there from people who are really keen to support these artists,” Illingworth says.

With such an abundance of Territory talent out there, it’s not hard to see why there’s so much enthusiasm and goodwill. Fringe 2.0, as the new program is called, is brimming with circus, theatre, cabaret, dance, music, comedy, spoken word, workshops and, of course, Fringe Club, spread out over three full days at Brown’s Mart and Darwin Entertainment Centre.

True to the Fringe spirit, it’s all about getting up there and having a go, with only around a third of the shows being presented by established performers.

“We worked hard to only work with shows that don’t have an opportunity otherwise, so we’re still maintaining a role in keeping the stage accessible to everyone.

Everyone is really figuring it out, but they’re skilled as!”

One of the impressive debuts gracing the stage is Metamorphosis, a showcase of solo physical theatre, dance and circus acts featuring some jaw-dropping feats, curated by first time producer Samantha Tran.

“It’s sexier than a variety show, and some of the stuff they can do is insane. So giving them a stage feels really good… because a lot of them just practice in their own spaces in their own communities.”

Blending circus and dance with personal storytelling, Metamorphosis takes audiences on an emotional journey from darkness into light, transforming weakness into strength. It’s a theme sure to resonate with many in this time of uncertainty and change.

There are also plenty of platforms devoted to emerging First Nations artists, including Deadly Darwin comedy, which has a whopping lineup of 10 comedians; Sol Code, a new collective aiming to create open mic spaces for people of colour; and Saltwater Divas, MusicNT’s program to develop emerging Indigenous female singer-songwriters.

With a Spooky Artist Party bringing Fringe 2.0 to a close, head on down to this fitting finale and celebrate this incredible program that has risen again from the ashes!

Fringe 2.0

WHEN FRI 29 OCT – SUN 31 OCT AT BROWN’S MART &

DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRE

COST INFO

FREE-$60 darwinfringe.org.au

9

15 Fri

Wed

7 Storytime 7 Geek Squad

Thu

7 Coopers Blue Water Classic 14 Alchemy (opening) 15 DCA Members’ Exhibition (opening) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

21 27 7 Skate Nights 7 Nurserytime 7 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails 14 Still Life (last chance)

See Visual Arts 15

22 Fri

13 Summer of Soul

Thu

13 Two of Us (Deux) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

28

7 Green Drinks 7 Storytime 7 Geek Squad

16 Sat

17 Sun

6 Graphic Novel Club

Sat

15 Welcome to My World (last chance)

See Music 18

18 Pictures

7 Yoga by the Bay 15 Sarah Brown Not Far (last chance) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

23

7 Coopers Blue Water Classic 7 Movement Medicine 13 Thelma and Louise 19 Seaside Sessions

Fri

7 Coopers Blue Water Classic 7 Yoga by the Bay 13 Scattered People 15 Connections (last chance) 15 Art and the Immortal Beethoven (last chance) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

See Books & Film 13

FRINGE 2.0

29

9 Fringe 2.0 13 Ioraam 13 The American Sector 19 Fringe 2.0 Opening Night Party 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

See Around Town 6

24

Sun

13 A Quiet Place II

Sat

6 Graphic Novel Club 7 New Beginnings Fun Run 7 Movement Medicine 19 Seaside Sessions

30

7 Car Boot Sale 7 Essington Pop-Up Booth 7 Halloween Masquerade Ball 7 Ghostly Gathering at Gateway 9 Fringe 2.0 13 The Circus 15 DCA Members’ Exhibition (last chance) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine 19 Tutup Mulut Presents Beats Leaked in from Hyperspace 19 SNACKBOXX: Fringe Club

18

Mon

Sun

8 NT Performing Arts Awards Nominations (last chance) 13 Two of Us (Deux)

See Books & Film 13

31

19 Spooky Artist Party

6 Graphic Novel Club 7 Too Much Stuff Recycling Upcycling Flea Market 7 Movement Medicine 9 Fringe 2.0 13 Hocus Pocus 19 Seaside Sessions 19 Saltwater Divas

19

Tue

Mon

7 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Salsita Classes 13 Sunday Too Far Away 19 Come and Try Brass 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Night 19 Darwin City Brass Band

25

See Music 19

20

Wed

Tue

7 Nurserytime 7 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails 13 Summer of Soul

26

7 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Salsita Classes 13 Ioraam 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Night 19 Darwin City Brass Band

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

offtheleash.net.au

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

Fri

Wed

6 Screen Lab 6 Ready, tech, go! (Tech Lab) 6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 6 Wurli Free Movie Day 6 Camp Dog Sculpture Class 7 Nurserytime 7 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

6

6 Hilton Darwin Art Workshops 6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 6 Kentish Fun with Plants 13 Josee, The Tiger and The Fish 15 Sarah Brown Not Far (opening) 15 DVA Exhibitions (opening) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine 19 Born to Dance, Live to Sweat

1

Calendar

Tue

6 Roller Disco

See Around Town 6

5

6 Creative Lab #2 6 Georgia O’Keeffe Artist Study 6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 7 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Salsita Classes 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Night 19 Darwin City Brass Band See Music 17

Sat

See Around Town 6

Sun

14 Clay (last chance)

10 17 Jayson Gillham

6 Graphic Novel Club 7 Movement Medicine 13 The Van 19 Seaside Sessions

9

6 Bartleby, the Horrible Magician 7 Yoga by the Bay 13 Josee, The Tiger and The Fish 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

2 Sat

6 Japanese Woodblock Weekend Class

7 Yoga by the Bay 13 The Mole Agent 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

Sun

See Music 19

Mon

6 Creative Lab #1

4

19 First Sunday Blues

Thu

Wed

7 Chess & Cocktails 7 Skate Nights 7 Nurserytime 7 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

13

6 Ready, tech, go! (Tech Lab) 6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 6 Katherine Museum Open Day 7 Storytime 7 Geek Squad 13 Spark Film Initiative Showcase

7

6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 6 Build Up Skateboarding Workshops 6 Dealing with Stress and Anxiety

See Visual Arts 14

Tue

7 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 7 Gadgets and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Salsita Classes 8 Animal Farm 13 Scattered People 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Night 19 Darwin City Brass Band

12

6 Hilton Darwin Art Workshops 6 Japanese Woodblock Weekend Class 6 October Babes Paint Jam 7 Movement Medicine 19 Seaside Sessions

3

20

21

Mon

OCT See Visual Art 14

11

6 Dealing with Stress and Anxiety

See Around Town 6

8

Fri

Thu

6 Bartleby, the Horrible Magician 6 Tip Top Animals and Ponies 6 School Holidays at Palmerston Library 13 The Mole Agent 13 The Circus 14 Still Life (opening) 14 Lapsed Missing and Working Sculptors (opening) 16 PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine

14

7 Storytime 7 Geek Squad 8 Evening Reads – Iphigenia in Splott

12

&

Deckchair

CINEMA

JERVOIS ROAD, DARWIN WATERFRONT

COST INFO

Josee, The Tiger and The Fish Josee uses a wheelchair, rarely leaving the city apartment she lives in with her grandmother. A chance encounter with college student Tsuneo opens the world up, but new experiences can be fraught with danger. Don’t miss this touching and beautifully animated story from Japan.

WHEN FRI 1 & SAT 9 OCT | 7PM The Mole Agent A moving documentary that follows an octogenarian spying undercover in a nursing home that is sure to touch your heart.

$17 | $13 CONC | $10 MEMB | $9 CHILD | $40 FAM deckchaircinema.com | 8941 4377 | GATES 6PM

for a new generation of audiences to enjoy. Little Tramp is hired as the clown in a circus, but the ringleader soon learns that he can only be funny by accident.

Enjoy this classic female buddy road film under the stars and raise funds for the Association of Independent Retirees (AIR Darwin).

WHEN SUN 17 OCT | 7PM WHEN FRI 8 & SAT 30 OCT | 7PM The Van – Fundraiser for NT Irish Association Set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Barrytown, Bimbo is a baker who loses his job after being made redundant. With the help of his best friend, Larry, Bimbo goes on to set up a successful burger van. You can also enjoy Irish dancing from Rince na hÉireann and food by Territory Spud King!

Two of Us (Deux) Nina and Madeleine have been secretly in love for decades.

Everybody, including Madeleine’s family, thinks they are simply neighbours, sharing the top floor of their building. When an unforeseen event turns their relationship upside down, Madeleine’s daughter unravels the truth.

FRI 8 OCT, 9PM

Spark Film Initiative Showcase Don’t miss seeing this year’s crop of brilliant locally made short films on the big screen. Films include A Dancer for All Seasons directed

by Penelope Paton, Desert Metal Dreaming directed by Nicholas (Pirate) Rossiter, Poleng directed

by Naina Sen, and Uncle Vic directed by Emma Masters. Let the NT’s filmmaking luminaries captivate you with local stories enjoyed under the stars.

WHEN THU 7 OCT | 7PM The Circus A Charlie Chaplin masterpiece, The Circus has been lovingly restored

WHEN SUN 10 OCT | 5.45PM GATES Scattered People This is a story about the healing power of music, the way it brings people, countries and cultures together, while exploring Australians’ attitudes towards people seeking asylum. Scattered People is about the power of music to create change and restore hope.

WHEN TUE 26 OCT, 7PM | FRI 29 OCT, 8.30PM

Sunday Too Far Away A hard-drinking but hard-working gun shearer leads a group of outback sheep shearers into striking after wealthy landowners attempt to drive them from their territory.

In the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed but the footage was never seen – until now. Part documentary, part music film, Summer of Soul pulls together incredible live footage and revealing interviews.

WHEN TUE 19 OCT | 7PM

WHEN WED 20 OCT, 7PM

WHEN MON 18 & FRI 22 OCT | 7PM

WHEN SAT 2 OCT, 7PM

Ioraam The first cinema documentary entirely in Scots Gaelic, Iorram (Boat Song) is a lyrical portrait of the fishing community in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, past and present. Let yourself be taken on immersive journey into the heart of a thousand-year-old community as voices from the past tell stories from the sea.

The American Sector An intelligent and insightful documentary, The American Sector looks at the remains of the Berlin Wall – 75 pieces of history that are on display throughout the United States.

WHEN FRI 29 OCT | 7PM

FRI 22 OCT, 9PM

Summer of Soul A Quiet Place II – Deaf Services Fundraiser Following deadly events at home, the Abbott family must face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Don’t miss this gripping sequel to the smash-hit horror film. Open captions screening.

WHEN TUE 12 & SAT 16 OCT | 7PM Thelma and Louise – Fundraiser for AIR Darwin Two best friends set out on an adventure, that soon turns into a terrifying escape from the police, as they end up on the run from crimes they've committed.

Hocus Pocus – Fundraiser for GTNT After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all.

WHEN SUN 31 OCT | 7PM

WHEN SUN 24 OCT | 7PM

NT WRITERS PRESENTS

KAREN MANTON Congratulations on the publication of your first novel! Tell us, what’s it all about?

It’s about people returning home, and finding more than they bargained for.

KAREN MANTON’S SHORT stories have won five NT Literary Awards and have been published in various anthologies, including Best Australian Short Stories. Her debut novel, The Curlew’s Eye, is an atmospheric mystery that captures the Top End landscape’s eerie side.

NT Writers’ Centre caught up with Karen for a chat about her haunting new book.

What was the inspiration behind the book?

Always hard to pinpoint! A convergence of the curlew’s wail, a friend telling me about a dam where she lived that had totally clear and yet toxic water, and my love of rocks, cycads, storms, clouds. And my interest in how the environment and people engage with each other, especially when people are

unfamiliar with a place – how the outer landscape works on the inner one.

The Curlew’s Eye draws on gothic tropes to explore the haunting impact of the past. What drew you to this particular genre or style?

I’ve always been interested in fairy tales and stories with uncanny or supernatural aspects – I think the gothic has an interesting relationship with the unconscious, and how it seeps into our conscious world.

Any other exciting projects in the pipeline?

I have a couple of manuscripts in

the wings, one of those is calling me. Also several notebooks full of thoughts, story kernels and threads I’m keen to revisit, as well as blank pages waiting for my pen – I’ll see where they take me!

If we were to take a peek at your bookshelf, what kind books would we find there?

Poetry, plays, fairy tales, novels, short stories, reflections, diaries, film scripts, quotes, biography and memoir. Also books about or inspired by the environment, human rights, politics, science, animals, biology, literature, feminism, history,

geography, dreams, symbols, art and culture.

Any Territory authors you’re enjoying at the moment?

I am the glass by Penny Drysdale, Dani Powell’s Return to Dust, an Alice in Wonderland adaptation

by Mary Anne Butler, Songspirals (Gay’wu group of women), Arelhekenhe Angkentye – an anthology by Arrernte women, and For the dry country: writing and drawings from the Centre by Meg Mooney and Sally Mumford.

INFO allenandunwin.com ntwriters.com.au

13

VISUAL ARTS AUDIT HOUSE

CDU ART GALLERY

2 Burnett Place, Larrakeyah | 8981 2848 | nationaltrust.org.au

Building Orange 12, CDU Casuarina Campus | 8946 6621 cdu.edu.au/gallery

MON-FRI 9AM-2PM | SAT & SUN 10AM–3PM

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

Still

Life

By Kate Bussey, Gerald Clapham and Marita Albers

THREE OF DARWIN’S favourite artists – Marita Albers, Kate Bussey and Gerald Clapham – come together in Still Life. Kate and Gerald’s ceramic pieces can sometimes be seen in Marita’s tropical paintings, and the ceramic pieces in turn are inspired by Marita’s iconography and colour. This lush collection is beautifully set against the graceful backdrop of Audit House.

WHEN FRI 8 – WED 27 OCT Marita Albers, 'Urn and Manor' (detail), 2021, acrylic on canvas, 61x78cm

OPENING FRI 8 OCT, 5PM

Jacki Fleet, 'Fire flies', 1998, charcoal and gouache on paper, 58x77cm.

Charles Darwin University Art Collection, CDU1689

DRAWN

from the CDU Art Collection This exhibition reinforces the importance of drawing as a foundational technique to artistic practice. DRAWN from the CDU Art Collection presents sketches, drawings, illustrations and works on paper acquired by the university since 1980. The 60 diverse drawings on display were created between 1976 until 2021, by 30 Australian and Indonesian artists.

WHEN THU 30 SEP – SAT 26 FEB 2022

NCCA

TACTILE ARTS

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art Vimy Lane, Parap | 8981 5368 | 0423 393 897 | nccart.com.au

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

WED-FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT 9AM-2PM

Alchemy

A collection of whimsical artworks from Andrea McKey in a mix of media, made from recycled, gifted and found items, and some purchased raw materials. Vintage objects, items discarded by others and materials left over from larger works are combined with pieces made from copper, glass, wood, stone, wire and more to create miniature world vignettes and an eclectic mix of jewellery.

WHEN FRI 15 OCT – SAT 7 NOV

Andrea McKey, 'Red Herring' (detail), 2021, mixed media

Franck Gohier, ‘A holiday in Cambodia – Khmer Feet’, 2021, acrylic on wood

CLAY Clay features the work of internationally renowned ceramicists from the Tactile Arts ceramic studio collection, including Peter Anderson, Sandra Black, Kevin Boyd, Bill Connor, Annette Copland, Ian Currie, Greg Daly, Janet Deboos, Claire Freer, Victor Greenaway, Vincent McGrath, Kathrin McMiles, Jeff Minchum, Ray Rogers and Bryan Truman.

UNTIL SUN 10 OCT

14

OPENING FRI 15 OCT, 6PM

Kathrin McMiles, 'Untitled' (detail), 1980, ceramic

Lapsed Missing and Working Sculptors FROM 1974-1995, Geoff Sharples was a lecturer in sculpture at the Northern Territory University, now Charles Darwin University, until the sculpture and ceramics courses were discontinued. For this exhibition, he’s got the band back together and invited 11 of his former students to produce new work for this reunion-style exhibition.

Exhibiting artists include Dennis Bezzant, Bill Davies, Judith Durnford, Lia Gill, Franck Gohier, Callum Hickey, Jenjas Isdianto, Robert Mariotti, Aengus Munro, Geoff Sharples, Bilha Smith and Val Stuart.

WHEN FRI 8 OCT – SAT 6 NOV

OPENING FRI 8 OCT, 6PM

UNTITLED GALLERY+STUDIO Unit 3/1 Clocktower Caryota Crt, Coconut Grove darwincommunityarts.org

WED-FRI 11AM-4PM | SAT 10AM–2PM | CLOSED PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

DARWIN VISUAL ARTS

Ground Floor, Habour View Plaza, 8 McMinn St, Darwin | 8981 9351 | dvaa.net.au WED 12–5PM (BY APPOINTMENT) | THU-FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM-2PM

CONNECTIONS Welcome To My World Margie Goodluck, 'You Bring Me Joy' (detail), acrylic paints & inks on stretched canvas, 122x91cm

MARGIE JOY GOODLUCK is a passionate artist who draws inspiration from the environment, embracing the beauty and diversity of the culture, colours and local fauna of Darwin. As a mixed media artist, Goodluck’s exploration of acrylic, pigment inks, watercolours and line making produces vibrant work that brings joy to your day.

THIS EXHIBITION FEATURES a group of artists that have displayed their work individually and collectively at different times and places, locally, nationally and internationally. Their art practice encompasses a range of media, including printmaking, book art, photography, sculpture, textile, and digital art. Through their work, Darwin presents itself as the place to go even when it’s not going places.

WHEN FRI 1 – SAT 16 OCT

TarzanJungleQueen, 2021, screen print on fabric, 60x60cm

Darwin Community Arts Members’ Exhibition This month, Darwin Community Arts (DCA) members have the chance to exhibit in DCA’s first ever members’ exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is ‘There is no art on a dead planet’, responding to DCA’s vision of a Darwin region where art is made and shared by all, where that art cherishes communities and the planet, and where artistic production and distribution is democratised in a fragile world.

WHEN FRI 15 – SAT 30 OCT | OPENING FRI 15 OCT, 6-8PM

OPENING FRI 1 OCT, 6-8PM

Art and the Immortal Beethoven Geraldeen Deutrom THE YEAR 2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig Van Beethoven. From the outset, Deutrom sought to explore the strong connection between her love of painting and her lifelong love of the music of Beethoven, in this instance, his nine symphonies.

Each of the nine paintings in this beautiful exhibition has a connection with one of Beethoven’s symphonies. The tenth painting relates to Beethoven’s exquisite Emperor piano concerto.

Geraldeen Deutrom, 'Symphony No.9 - The Conductor' (detail), acrylic on canvas, 50x40cm

PAUL JOHNSTONE GALLERY

Harriet Place, Darwin | 8941 2220 | pauljohnstonegallery.com.au WED–FRI 10AM-5PM | TUE & SAT 10AM–2PM

Sarah Brown, 'The Big One' (detail), 2019, acrylic on linen, 168x244cm

Sarah BrowN

Not Far

ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION of access to dialysis, Sarah Brown is also a gifted artist. Desert hues of red and blue applied with pointillist precision render stunning desert scenes. Towering ghost gums, spiky spinifex, waterholes and looming thunderclouds are presented in Sarah’s latest exhibition. Those fortunate enough to have visited Central Australia can certainly relate to these desert scenes – the heat, the space, or the tease of a storm in the distance.

WHEN FRI 1 OCT – SAT 23 OCT | OPENING FRI 1 OCT, 5.30PM

15

FOOD

&

DRINK INFO

ponyandsid.com

Pony + Sid here’s nothing quite like pulling up a deckchair by the seaside, popping a bottle of bubbly and tucking in to a delicious feast. Anyone else think it tastes even better if you haven’t had to lift a finger? One local catering biz that consistently records high levels on the taste gauge is Pony + Sid. In 2016, at just 22, Eliza McClelland took the plunge and started her own catering company. Five years on, her little kitchen in Winnellie has won a loyal following, pumping out tasty tucker to delight Top End tastebuds on the daily.

Inspired to create a space in which she could work to the beat of her own drum, Eliza opened the doors

to offer food lovers an exciting new culinary experience.

“I was living in Byron for a few years and worked for a really beautiful catering company … but moved back to Darwin when my dad got sick. I tried really hard to get out of hospitality, I even went to Africa for a little while, but I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do – I just tried doing so many different things,” she says.

“Then my sister was just kind of like ‘you need to try and do your own thing, see how it goes, what have you got to lose?’. I never wanted it to be too big or successful, I just wanted to do something I enjoyed.

But it’s definitely grown bigger than I thought it ever would.”

And boy, oh boy, are we glad she gave it a crack. Starting out as an empty shed, the Pony + Sid warehouse was transformed thanks to support from family, friends and Eliza’s partner – recently fiancé – Adam.

team has lovingly dished up take home meals throughout the week, ingredients sourced locally when possible. With a selection of meals also available at Parap Fine Foods, it’s the hearty homemade classics hungry folk seem to be craving.

“Adam did all of the plumbing and we had a great team on deck to fit out the space. A friend built the mezzanine, and Adam and I did all of the sheeting – we literally put the walls up. And I have such an amazing team, I just love them to bits – we’re all really there for each other!”

“We try to keep the menu fresh and update it regularly, but we also try to keep our customer favourites. Our top sellers are things like lasagne and shepherd's pie – all the pies are really popular – it’s things that the kids can eat, too, I think.”

Suffice to say the hard yakka was worth it.

Since then, the tight-knit Pony + Sid

FESTIVE

FEASTS FOR ALL AFTER JUST ONE year of trade, throwing open their doors midpandemic, Hilton Darwin’s PepperBerry Restaurant was crowned Restaurant of the Year at the 2021 Gold Plate awards.

Hilton Darwin’s General Manager Markus Kaliss says their early success can be attributed to a good mix of teamwork and offering something for the community to enjoy.

“I am very lucky to have such a wonderful team who pride themselves on consistently delivering fantastic service to our customers and continuously go above and beyond,” he says.

A sentiment PepperBerry Restaurant’s Executive Chef Fiona Weir echoes.

16

“The one year anniversary means a lot to us as a team ... we have all grown with each other and have created something very special and close to all our hearts,” she says.

“Each team member puts their heart and soul into every dish that is sent out of the kitchen. While sometimes it may be hectic and crazy behind the scenes, we want every guest to have great dining experience along with great food.”

So what does a one-year-old, award-winning restaurant to do celebrate both a first anniversary and top Territory accolade? Why, they throw a month-long wine and dine party, of course!

Every Friday and Saturday night this month, you’re invited to pull up a lush chair at PepperBerry and tuck into some of the best fare the Top End has tasted. Embark on a culinary journey through five courses, each dish paired with a drop from renowned Australian wineries.

Tantalising pairings include citrus scallop ceviche with finger lime and crispy wonton crackers matched with Shaw and Smith Chardonnay

M3, and red wine braised beef cheek with celeriac mash, steamed broccolini, white truffle oil and parmesan crisp, washed down between sips of shiraz or grenache from The Other Wine Company.

No degustation is complete without something sweet, and we think the lavender panna cotta with mint gel, berry syrup and shortbread crumb is the perfect cherry on top of the proverbial birthday cake. With a sweet nip of Josef Chromy’s botrytis dessert wine, of course!

What better reason to celebrate a birthday than with a delicious feast?

And the good news is, it doesn’t even have to be yours.

PepperBerry Anniversary Wine & Dine WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY FRI & SAT PEPPERBERRY RESTAURANT $135 facebook.com/ pepperberryrestaurant

darwintickets.com.au

Also featuring on the menu is curated charcuterie platters (one of this magazine’s editors faves!), breakfast boxes, canapés and baked sweets, including celebration cakes.

Corporate catering and special

events, like birthdays, is also an option, but the biz is stepping away from weddings to focus on curated culinary experiences, one of the reasons Eliza first opened her doors.

“We ran out of time this Dry to put on some of our special food events, like the Sunday Social lunches at The Trader Bar, so I’m keen to start that up again next year,” she says.

“I’ve got so many ideas, but then the Dry gets so busy and you run out of time. I’m hoping to bring some exciting foodie events to the table in 2022!”

You can bet we’ll be watching this space, and saving some room in our tums.

MUSIC WHEN SAT 9 OCT | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRE

COST INFO

$65 yourcentre.com.au

JAYSON GILLHAM ORN AND RAISED in Queensland, now based in London, Jayson Gillham is widely considered to be one of the finest classical pianists of his generation. Rita Horanyi caught up with the talented musician for a chat about his upcoming solo recital and Darwin debut.

It’s very exciting that you are able to come Darwin and perform live after the year that’s been.

I know, it’s been more than a year since I’ve had a proper concert, so it’s nice to be on tour and playing again. It’ll be my first time in Darwin.

What are you looking forward to the most about your trip to the Top End? I’m looking forward to seeing the local audience and I also want to do a bit of sightseeing.

You’ve been playing piano since you were four-years-old. What was it about the piano that drew you in?

I think, when I started, I was just fascinated with the sound and the instrument, but I had absolutely no idea about what a life in music would be. There are obviously positives and negatives about everything, and you don’t really find out what it’s like to be a musician until you’re living it.

There are so many awesome things about travelling around, and I just love sharing music with people.

I suppose my love of the music itself grew gradually over time, and at a certain point when I was a teenager, I realised there wasn’t really anything else I wanted to do with my life.

You’ve played with some of the most prestigious orchestras in the world.

What do you enjoy most about your solo performances?

It’s nice to go back to what I started out doing. As a pianist, your life is often just you and the piano… but I’ve always quite liked that solitary experience, although with the audience there it’s not a solitary thing at all.

In a solo recital you have the freedom to explore things and play things differently every time. It can be a bit nerve-wracking – if it goes wrong there is nobody to help pick up the slack – but that can be quite exhilarating as well, to think that everyone’s eyes and ears are just on you. It can be a really personal experience … an intimate insight into my relationship with these pieces.

Your performance features much-loved repertoire by Bach and Chopin – what was behind choosing these pieces?

I’ve had a little break from playing and I wanted to come back and play things that I know I love and the audience will love, and also things that I’ve recorded recently. I always like to have things that I’m comfortable with and a mix of newer things. So I’ve put in these Bach transcriptions, which have been really popular. There’s a couple in there I haven’t done before – the Bach Partita and the Bach/Brahms Presta, which was a violin piece.

I say it’s a like a finger twister – a tongue twister but for the fingers – you’re lucky if you can get out of it alive! I’ll be on the edge of my seat for that one.

Can you tell us about any other exciting performances coming up?

I’ve got a concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and something planned for St Martins in the Fields Church in London next spring.

While I’m here [in Australia], one of the live concerts is going to be recorded, so I’m really hoping that will come out well and I’ll be able to release that as my next solo recording, which will be all Chopin études.

17

DSO PRESENTS

MOVIN’ TO THE MOVIES

Photo: Tim Nicol Photography

Stephen Pevely

SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre

ARTISTS OFTEN DRAW inspiration from other artists, reworking the creative visions of others into innovative new forms. Darwin Symphony Orchestra’s latest concert, Pictures – an exciting collaboration with SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre – is a celebration of this kind of artistic influence.

Blending live performances of music inspired by films with specially choreographed dance pieces, Pictures is an immersive feast for the senses.

The concert is also the first time the talented young dancers from SLIDE have had the opportunity to perform alongside Darwin Symphony Orchestra on the big stage, having collaborated with a small DSO ensemble at Darwin Entertainment Centre’s In Motion series last year.

Penguin Café Orchestra’s ‘Perpetuum Mobile’, SLIDE is nevertheless putting their own stamp on things – something Noonan admits was a little tricky with the music from Psycho. The more she listened to the melody, however, the more she came to see the music as reflecting a bustling cityscape, which then informed her choreography.

Another dance piece, set to Philip Glass’ The Orphée Suite, emerged from a more collaborative process, the young dancers working with mentors to create words out of movement.

a personal connection to the eighth movement of Mussorgsky’s work – Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum). The music was inspired

by Hartmann’s painting of the Paris Catacombs, a place he was lucky enough to visit with his family back in 2015.

“They are amazing. There’s all these amazing labyrinths, all lined with skulls and the long bones all stacked up on the sides.”

So does the music capture the atmosphere of the place that inspired the painting?

“The words they have chosen is really about how they feel about the world right now, so it’s quite a beautiful personal piece for the dancers in that they’re looking for joy and hope. This is their voice coming through.”

“Absolutely! It’s big, it’s gloomy … it’s beautiful. And then it segues into the next promenade, which is a beautiful transformation of the opening theme into this incredibly atmospheric, gloomy, and quite uneasy transition.”

“It adds a completely different energy to the way you move because you’re feeding off this live human being making this incredible sound.”

The second half of the concert brings the big sounds with the full orchestra on stage performing two rousing works – Sir Arthur Bliss’ March from Things To Come from the 1936 dystopian sci-fi film of the same name, and Modest Mussorgsky’s much-loved, Pictures at an Exhibition, inspired by the paintings of Viktor Hartmann.

Through multiple layers of artistic inspiration and reinterpretation, audiences can still expect to be transported to an otherworldly place somewhere on other side of the globe. How amazing is that?

Featuring dances set to iconic film music, including ‘Psycho Suite’ from Hitchcock’s famous film and

DSO’s Resident Conductor and Principal Clarinet Stephen Pevely explains he has something of

“They loved it,” says SLIDE’s Resident Choreographer and Director, Joanna Noonan, of last year’s collaboration.

Pictures

WHEN SAT 30 OCT | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

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COST $60 | $50 CONC | $30 U30

$20 U18

INFO

dso.org.au

OCTOBER

By Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts

DOWN

GIG

guide OTL's quick and essential guide to live music in the Top End. To find out more, head to offtheleash.net.au

/offtheleashmag

@OTLmag

#OTLmag

Born to Dance, Live to Sweat #3 – The Ovulators & Gored Matadors Born out of unbridled energy, in a celebration of one of the greatest monthly occurrences and the reason we are all here, The Ovulators celebrate life, feminist rebellion and all things in between. Back for a third fun troppo party, Born To Dance, Live To Sweat, The Ovulators teams up with local blues sensation Gored Matadors. This is one tropical sweat fest you don’t wanna miss.

WHEN FRI 1 OCT | 8PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $10 | $15 DOOR INFO happyyess.com Jayson Gillham WHEN SAT 9 OCT | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$65 yourcentre.com.au

Pictures WHEN SAT 30 OCT | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

$60 | $50 CONC | $30 U30

$20 U18

INFO

yourcentre.com.au

Sunset Live Music Every Tuesday at sunset, kick back to the sounds of live local music in the chill atmosphere of Ebb & Flow.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 6PM AT EBB & FLOW COST FREE INFO facebook/ ebbandflowdarwin

Seaside Sessions Settle in under the green sails with a cold drink and an afternoon of live music, every Sunday afternoon at Darwin Trailer Boat Club. With two cocktails for $20 and world-class sunsets, it’s the perfect way to see out the weekend!

WHEN EVERY SUN | 3-6PM INFO DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB COST FREE INFO dtbc.com.au

The Track

HAPPENINGS IN THE RED CENTRE

Come and Try Brass Ever wanted to have a go on one of the instruments that make up a brass band? Darwin City Brass Band is hosting another free Come and Try Brass event. No previous experience necessary! Come and see what it's like to be part of a fun community band that plays out and about in parks and gardens and all sorts of spaces around the City of

Darwin. This year, they're celebrating their 40th year of providing music for the community, so there's never been a better time to see what they're all about.

DARWIN FRINGE 2.0

Saltwater Divas MusicNT’s Saltwater Divas program develops and nurtures emerging Indigenous female singer-songwriters in the Top End. The culmination of the program is this showcase performance at Fringe 2.0. Don’t miss the chance to catch these truly amazing artists on the next step of their journey as performers.

WHEN SUN 31 OCT | 4-5PM AT BROWN’S MART THEATRE COST $15 | $10 CONC

darwinfringe.org.au Opening Night Party

Join your favourite Fringe dwellers and celebrate Fringe 2.0 at this weird and wild Opening Night Party. Enjoy fun performances from Shalom Kaa and David Lim, before dancing the night away with Panic Bruss, Soul Dog Dreaming and DJ Exterior.

WHEN FRI 29 OCT | 10PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $15 | $10 CONC Tutup Mulut Presents Beats Leaked in from Hyperspace Join Australian-Balinese multi-instrumentalist and producer Tutup Mulut and filmmaker and video artist Jacob Hazeldine for an audio-visual experience straight from the helm of their sonic spaceship.

WHEN SAT 30 OCT | 8-9PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $15 | $10 CONC

WHEN AT COST INFO

TUE 19 OCT | 4.30-6.30PM 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA FREE darwincitybrassband.org.au

Spooky Artist Party It’s All Hallows’ Eve, so don your ghoulish getups and come play with the Fringe freaks as they celebrate the close of Fringe 2.0!

WHEN SUN 31 OCT | 7PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $15 | $10 CONC

JAM NIGHTS AND OPEN MIC

Enjoy a couple of cold drinks and embrace the atmosphere of local live music at the new home of First Sunday Blues, Tracy Village Social and Sports Club.

WHEN SUN 3 OCT | 3PM INFO TRACY VILLAGE SPORTS

& SOCIAL CLUB

COST INFO

GOLD COIN DONATION facebook.com/

firstsundayblues

SNACKBOXX: Fringe Club SNACKBOXX is a collective of local Darwin performers carving out space in the DJ scene to bring more women and non-binary DJs behind the decks. Enjoy plenty of tasty treats with Lady Laksa, Molly Dolly and KlitKat taking you from the depths of classic metal and punk to disco, pop, hip hop, soul and funk.

WHEN SAT 30 OCT | 10PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $15 | $10 CONC

Jam Night WHEN EVERY TUE | 8.30PM AT NIRVANA COST FREE INFO nirvanadarwin.com.au Darwin City Brass Band WHEN EVERY TUE | 4.30-9.30PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST FREE | $20 ANNUAL MEMB INFO darwincitybrassband.org.au

Bring A Plate, Wide Open Space Festival, 2021

Bring A Plate WHEN YOU HEAR the phrase “bring a plate”, you’re general reminded of the wholesome tradition of bringing food along to a gathering to share with others. It’s casual, not fussy – there’s usually an eclectic mix of flavours, and always a community vibe. This is what the social enterprise dance company Bring A Plate (BAP) is all about.

Kicking off in 2017 in Meeanjin/Brisbane, the not-for-profit celebrates our differences and abilities, acknowledging that “everyone brings something different to the dance floor and everyone has something to share”.

Co-founder Zoe Mitchell has been living in the Centre for a number of years now, and earlier this year mustered the courage to test the waters with a session at Wide Open Space Festival. Suffice to say, it was a raging success.

People wanted more opportunities to move and groove to funky beats with no pressure other than to have fun. And now we’re lucky enough to be lapping up workshops on the monthly, providing an accessible space to dance – physically, emotionally and culturally.

Bring A Plate challenges institutional norms of who can dance, how to dance and where. They’re committed to catering to different needs and abilities – recently, they had an 87-year-old join in the workshops!

From the get-go, they instil the message that if anything isn’t possible or feels uncomfortable, that’s okay – there are always alternative ways to move. And although choreography is pre-planned, they are absolutely open to mixing it up if it’s not working for everyone.

In a similar way, BAP doesn’t operate in the typical dance studio, which can sometimes feel a bit intimidating. Instead, it bounces around outdoors between urban and natural spaces, reducing any pressure of expertise, encouraging participants to connect with their surroundings.

If you’re looking for a friendly, no strings attached, accessible space to move your body to some funky beats, this pop-up workshop is for you. Expect a relaxed groovy start to your Saturday morning, a fair few laughs and, if you’re lucky, someone will accidentally misinterpret the name and bring an actual plate of food to share. Sounds like the perfect Saturday, really.

Bring A Plate - Pop-Up Inclusive Dance Workshop

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 2 OCT | 9AM TELEGRAPH STATION LAWNS, MPARNTWE/ALICE SPRINGS $15 bringaplatedance.com | @bringaplatedance

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