Off The Leash - September 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

SEPTEMBER

20 21

OUR CREATIVE TERRITORY

IVOR COLE'S SWAN SONG

COLIN "SMILEY" PETERSEN

NT Performing Arts Awards

A life of art, music and mayhem

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

e like to look at the positives here at Off The Leash, the silver linings, the sunny side of the street, the bright side of life.

So I’m going to kick this edition off with one... You’re holding in your hot little hands the September edition – it exists!

Due to the continuous impacts of, well, you know, this edition very nearly didn’t happen. (That lil’ disclaimer on the bottom right of this page will give a bit of context.) But here it is, folks, and we hope you enjoy it.

F R OM T H E

Gary Lang’s NT Dance Company returns to the stage to present cross-cultural collaboration, Forbidden. Inspired to create the work to bring about his own healing, Lang hopes the work helps others that have suffered. I also caught up with David Collins of The Umbilical Brothers to chat about their hilarious show, The Distraction. News flash – they’re doing a run of five shows – which was news to Collins, but he was stoked all the same!

r o t i d E

This month’s cover is a bit of an attention grabber. It’s a promo shot from GUTS Dance’s latest work, Value for Money. GUTS is a contemporary dance organisation based in Central Australia, and we thought this image was perfect to make a song and dance about this year’s NT Performing Arts Awards.

Contributing a whopping $375.4 million into the NT economy each year – yep, million – it's fitting to hold an annual awards event acknowledging the incredible contribution of the Performing Arts sector to the NT, economically, creatively and culturally.

Back for a third year, and growing in popularity and reputation, the awards recognise and celebrate those working under the spotlight and behind-the-scenes.

Nominations are now open, with the awards night pegged for November.

In very sad news, local moustached character, former radio presenter and forever visual artist, Ivor Cole, prepares to say goodbye. But in true Ivor style, he’s throwing one last art sale and exhibition – backed to the soundtrack of his impressive vinyl collection, of course! Head along to Swan Song, and celebrate his wonderful life of art, music and mayhem.

Original Bee Gees member Colin “Smiley” Peterson hits the stage for a wonderful night of tunes and storytelling, while the NT’s brightest young stars take to the stage for this year’s Beat Festival, the epic multi-school production back for a 42nd year.

Performing Arts | 5 Around Town | 8 Books & Film | 13 Visual Arts | 14 Food & Drink | 16 Music | 17 calendaR | PULL-OUT

DANCING TO HAPPINESS | 5

THE UMBILICAL BROTHERS | 6

Huge shout out to this month’s contributors, our wonderful graphic designer Sarah and her flexibility in rolling with the punches (deadline during lockdown!), Adelaide Wood, and Minister for Arts, Culture and Hertage, Chansey Paech for helping us get this *lil’ edition that could* over the line. Enjoy!

THE BEAT FESTIVAL | 18 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

@munupiarts & @jilamaraartsandcrafts exhibitio opening

A C C O U N T A N T S

@darwinartfair's Nina & Shilo getting a load of the August edish

#o tlmag Use our hashtag for a chance to see your pics here Royal Darwin Show 2021

Faux Golden Guitars at Wagait Beach

Value for Money, promotional image, GUTS Dance, Central Australia.

Photo: Jonny Rowden

Pressed bouqet crafternoons

WINNER 2019 & 2020 NT MEDIA AWARDS Nightcliff twilight hangs

Kingswood sell-out at Tropical wedding cake by @c_bella_m @darwin.railway.club

OTL board members Sally and Kate checking out Pauline Sunfly at @pauljohnstonegallery

Cover proudly sponsored by the NT Performing Arts Awards.

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.

September 2021

3

FEATURE NT Performing Arts Awards

WHEN MON 18 OCT,

NOMINATIONS CLOSE

INFO

tracksdance.com.au

brownsmart.com.au corrugatediron.org.au

By Tierney Seccull

The Final Front Ear, Brown's Mart Theatre. Photo: Paz Tassone.

On a hot and sweaty Wet season evening of December 2019, the inaugural Northern Territory Performing Arts Awards (NTPAA) were held within the air-conditioned walls of Brown’s Mart Theatre. Six creative Territorians were recognised, for the first time on a Territory level, for their contribution to the Performing Arts industry in the NT. Now, for its third year, the awards are back.

With gusto.

Top: Kelly Beneforti and Jess Devereux, Tracks Dance Company. Photo: Duane Preston.

Middle: I've Been Meaning To Ask You, Corrugated Iron Youth Arts.

Photo: Tony Lewis for Darwin Festival.

Bottom: Corrugated Iron Youth Arts

he rich diversity of the Northern Territory’s Performing Arts industry sees works created and presented in varying Territory landscapes, from the middle of the Red Centre’s dry, vast desert to the lush surrounds of tropical gardens in the Top End. This sense of place also transports audiences from purposely lit bricks and mortar theatre spaces to the outback, down the highway, and into the incredible imaginations of Territory playwrights. Kids on community get the opportunity to flex their creative muscles on Country, their teachers making tracks to bring creativity to them.

Considerable amounts of energy and work go into putting on these creative events, both on stage and behind the scenes. But appreciation on a Territory level of this hardworking creative industry had gone without formal recognition, until the inaugural awards were established in 2019.

Identifying this lack of acknowledgement of the hard work of Territorians involved in the NT Performing Arts space, We3 – a strategic alliance made up of Brown’s Mart, Tracks Dance Company and Corrugated Iron Youth Arts – took matters into their own hands “to publicly recognise and celebrate the value and achievement of the individuals who contribute to the Performing Arts in the Northern Territory.”

Outgoing Brown’s Mart Theatre Artistic Director, Sean Pardy – also a performance artist of almost three decades with 14 years’ experience in the NT – says it’s been a long time coming.

“It’s a pretty big part of our community and economy, and yet for years and years, there’s been no recognition and no celebration of the amazing achievements of performing artists,” he says.

“The Territory punches well above its weight with Performing Arts on the national stage – every other state jurisdiction has its own awards, and we felt that was deeply missing. “[Former Corrugated Iron Executive Producer] Jane Tonkin and I said enough is enough! So, we hatched a plan to create the awards, approached Tracks Dance to see if they’d like to join our initiative, now We3, and self-produced the first awards in 2019.”

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Pardy’s not lying when he says the contribution to the economy is a hefty one.

Findings in the first ever Creative Industries Strategy, launched just last year, noted the Performing Arts industry contributed a whopping $735.4 million per annum to the Territory’s economy. That’s almost three times that of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, for comparison.

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Chansey Paech says the Performing Arts industry is an important thread in the fabric of the Territory.

“The performing arts sector has a key role in our community, sharing our unique stories and cultural practices as well as contributing to the vibrancy and liveability across the Territory’s urban, regional and remote regions. The Northern Territory is geographically and culturally diverse and this is reflected in our performing arts and other genres. There are loads of fascinating stories to be told and the Territory’s stage is the perfect platform to bring them to life,” Minister Paech says.

“While audiences usually only see the performers, it takes dedicated teamwork and a huge talent pool to pull a show together and it is important to recognise the valuable work that happens in the background. We value our creative industries and acknowledge the important economic contribution and job creating opportunities they generate.”

Nominations for the 2021 NTPAA are open until October across a range of categories, both on stage and behind the scenes, the awards night set for November.

With a view to hold the awards annually, each presentation night will alternate between Darwin and Alice Springs – because let’s face it, the broad spectrum of artistic expression reaches the far corners of the NT. With the Performing Arts industry still reeling from the impacts of the pandemic, and without the recognition it so genuinely deserves, there’s never been a more important time to give our resilient Performing Arts mob kudos for their efforts.

Pardy says the awards are a movement that’s fast-gaining momentum, well deserving of its time under the spotlight.

“They’ve grown in popularity, and I’m pleased to say in reputation.

Hopefully it can get bigger! We can approach with the same energy as other industry awards like sports awards, tourism awards, and even chef awards.

We’ve been missing out for far too long.”

PERFORMING ARTS

Photo: Duane Preston

DANCING TO HAPPINESS

ART HAS AN incredible way of traversing the globe, breaking free from the confines of borders to reach out and impact another, miles away. And when one creative force joins forces with another, somewhere else, magic can happen.

Larrakia man, choreographer, dancer and artistic director Gary Lang is one such creative, dreaming up ways to collaborate with different cultures, art forms and worlds to tell a story.

Forbidden

WHEN FRI 3 & SAT 4 SEP | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$40 | $35 MEMB/CONC yourcentre.com.au

Company, NAISDA Dance College – Australia’s foremost First Nations dance performing arts training organisation – and Miku Performing Arts of East Arnhem Land takes you on one man’s journey through hardship, peer pressure and conformity, as he navigates a world that forbids him from openly expressing his darkest emotions.

The journey is that of Gary Lang himself, inspired to create the work to bring about his own healing.

“I live by the motto that I will work with anyone who wants to tell my story. My dance company uses multicultural dancers, who reflect the ethnic demographic of Darwin to tell my peoples’ stories. The sharing of culture in immersive and creative ways removes ambiguity and inspires knowledge,” Lang says.

“In 2018, I suffered heartbreak which lead to me landing in a deep dark ugly place filled with helplessness. Forbidden is a reflection of my story, which begins when my life was turned upside down and continues to follow the journey as I slowly began to repair, eventually arriving at the happy place I am today,” he says.

“Cross-cultural collaboration allows other Indigenous artists opportunities to come to the Territory, to learn, to grow and to honour their talent and their own culture whilst sharing my stories. It is my dream to one day be able to employ these beautiful, talented artists at NT Dance Company.”

“… I had to be brave sharing such a personal story but I wanted to show the entire community that life does get tough and sometimes you want it all to end, but you know what, you can get better and it was important for me to share how happy I am now – hopefully to help others suffering the same pain I did.

Following recent collaborations in the UK and with the West Australian Ballet Company, Gary Lang’s NT Dance Company premieres its latest creative work, Forbidden, at Darwin Entertainment Centre this month over two moving performances.

“The mood of Forbidden becomes a happy one, which shows how I feel now about myself and NT Dance Company’s journey four years later.”

This cross-cultural, cross-border collaboration between NT Dance

Experience the emotional reactions of an uncontrollable spiral of events stemming from Lang’s encounter with hardship, and his journey to peace and happiness.

By Cj Fraser-Bell

BECHAMEL TEST

EVENING READS

BROWN’S MART’S SCRIPT-INHAND play reading series is back this month with a brand-new work by local playwright Danielle Aquilina.

The teenagers of today have been online their whole lives – how does that change the experience of being a 14-year-old girl? Wasn’t it hard enough already?

Danielle might be a familiar face to OTL readers, having performed and hosted many events over the last few years. She’s also a comedian and published writer, and last year completed Brown’s Marts Fresh Ink Playwriting program.

“I think it’s important that we see the hard, uncomfortable and sometimes challenging aspects of modern life on stage. And the stage is a great tool for big questions to be asked,” she says.

Her new play, Bechamel Test, was penned at a writers retreat in Katherine as a response to wanting to create more roles for young women on stage. It’s a funny, candid and revealing take on young women and the internal and external pressures they face in a rapidly shifting world.

“Relatability is probably the adjective I would use [to describe the play]. Every time I read the dialogue between these four girls, I’m thrown back to my chubby 14-year-old self and all I want to do is hug her.

“I want audiences to be able to relate to each of the characters

because they all embody some integral part of each of us, whether we want to admit it or not.”

Bechamel Test is presented as a performed reading, meaning audiences get to immerse themselves in the words and performances, stripped back – just actors and scripts. One audience member from a previous Evening Reads performance remarked, “It’s electric.

The minute the reading stopped the audience collectively exhaled before the applause. I didn’t even realise I’d been holding my breath.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

THU 9 SEP | 7.30PM BROWN’S MART THEATRE $15 brownsmart.com.au

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Get distracted with

THE UMBILICAL

BROTHERS

SINCE THE LATE 80s, David Collins (pictured left) and Shane Dundas have been making audiences belly laugh as comic duo The Umbilical Brothers – their quick wit, impressive sound effects and distinctive sense of humour winning them a legion of fans across the globe.

This month, they’re bringing their award-winning show to the Top End for five huge performances. Tierney Seccull caught up with David to chat about The Distraction, screen addiction and blowing up people’s heads.

Tell us about The Distraction – what inspired it?

We started developing it before COVID hit, and when it did, we were meant to premiere it at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2020, but of course that didn’t happen.

Even before our addiction to screen during the coronavirus, screens were our life. They still are now – I’ve had two Zoom calls this morning, I’ve written scripts on my screen, I’ve read the news on a screen.

So, screens were so much a part of our lives and we thought, what would happen if we brought a live audience to the theatre – you go the theatre to watch a live show, that’s why you go there – what if we bring them to the theatre, we put a massive screen above them, and did a live show projected onto the screen above?

Doug Bayne, who is a visual effects master, is on stage with us, and he’s putting special effects in, and foreground and background visuals, so the audience can choose to either watch what’s happening on stage in front of the green screens or watch the shiny, visual effects version on the big screen.

Basically we’re bringing people to the theatre to not look at the people on the stage!

That sounds very, very interesting.

And Sydney Morning Herald described it as “Marcel Marceau on really good drugs” – how does it feel to get a review like that?

Yeah [laughs]. You couldn’t pray

The G.O Photo: Tony Lewis for Darwin Festival

at Corro

6

By Johanna Hayes

INFO

corrugatediron.org.au

for a better review than that, and it’s spot on, it’s spot on. We’ve met Marcel Marceau, in London. Yeah, I accidentally trod on his foot.

He didn’t say much, apparently.

I stepped back and accidentally stepped on his foot, and Shane said, “mate, do you know who’s foot you’ve just trodden on? That was Marcel Marceau!” But he didn’t say anything.

Maybe he was on really good drugs?

[Laughs] Yeah, what a review!

You guys have been in the biz since 1988, making folks worldwide laugh ever since. How does it feel as performers to still be so relevant, to still be putting on shows?

It feels really special to have been able to manipulate our talent in different directions. We’ve evolved, our shows have evolved, our performance has evolved, and our audience has evolved as well.

It wouldn’t have been humanly possible to do have done this show 30 years ago, but right now, this is the perfect show for this time.

WE’VE BEEN ALL about collaboration at Corrugated Iron, lately.

Kicking off Darwin Festival opening weekend with four standing ovations (naw, shucks!) I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You saw 18 of our young creatives drop some truths... and the mic. Created by the Good Room, the Corro cast and crew were stupidly excited to bring this riotous, funny and heartfelt show to life.

While all that was going down, there was quite the buzz in the Corro performance space as we threw open the doors for some very special interstate guest artists.

I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You

We welcomed Zen Zen Zho graduate, Travis Wesley, Simon Wright from Splash Test Dummies and Mike Finch, former Artistic Director of Circus Oz, to connect our young

It feels really good to have been able to keep our audiences interested, but even more than that, keeping ourselves interested in what we do.

On the topic of what you do, no one does sounds effects quite like The Umbilical Brothers. Any sounds you haven’t quite been able to crack?

It just comes naturally to Shane, he’s absolutely phenomenal. Just breaking glass or jingling keys are about the only things he can’t do. High-pitched sounds, like a bell, it’s very hard for a human to do a bell. Ding, ding, ding. That’s onomatopoeia – it just sounds like somebody doing it with their voice.

Everything else he can do, he’s a beast.

And you’ve got five shows lined up for the Top End? I didn’t realise we were doing so many shows! I think I had it in my calendar wrong and I mustn’t have done the thing where is says it ends on this date, I just had the start date. Oh god, I’m so excited!

It’s a f—king great show, and we all

and emerging artists with industry professionals.

A visit from international physical theatre company, Briefs Factory, allowed us a sneak peek into their exciting new work, Dirty Laundry.

We also welcomed NT Dance Company into the performance space, as they rehearsed for this month’s production, Forbidden.

Gary Lang also generously hosted a Larrakia smoking ceremony, celebrating a new chapter of growth and friendship between our companies.

After all that hosting, it was our turn to be the visitors, so we stopped by to see our friends at Ludmilla Primary School to develop a residency to merge art and science. We teamed up with Science Week and Inspiring NT to

need a laugh.

For anyone on the fence about getting a ticket, what might tempt them?

They’ve never seen anything like this before. And also, there’s a very, very big chance your head will explode during the show. In fact, after the show, if your head didn’t explode, I’ll guarantee everybody – and we always do a Q&A after the show – if they put their hand up and say, “can you explode my head?” I will put them on the screen and explode their head. You will get the best Instastory or Instagram post in your life if you come to this show!

The Umbilical Brothers The Distraction

WHEN WED 29 SEP – FRI 1 OCT,

8PM | SAT 2 OCT,

5PM & 8PM

AT

DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$55 yourcentre.com.au

create a music making shed (yes, you read correctly!) affectionately known as the STEAMpunk Shed, where students can learn scientific concepts through play and hands on experience.

But now, we want to invite our most important collaborator yet – you!

We’re currently planning an exciting line-up of multi-art form masterclasses for the next lot of school holidays, as well as hosting an exciting new children’s show Bartleby: The Horrible Magician directed by Kyle Walsmley and featuring Corro alumni Thomas Midena, with sound by Serina Pech.

Everyone’s welcome – whether you’re young or young at heart.

We’ll keep you in the loop, but let’s hang out soon!

LISTINGS

Top End Pride Burlesque Don your flawless and risqué attire for a dress up night of burlesque and cabaret! Be entertained by some sensational performances featuring dirty dancing, lace and everything in between. Experience 20 huge acts including dancing, music, drag, aerial, sax and dancers, duet singers and more.

line-up of local comedians, grab a drink and a pizza, and settle in for plenty of giggles.

WHEN SAT 18 SEP | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$45 | $40 MEMB

WHEN WED 29 SEP | 8.30-10PM AT LUCKY BAT CAFÉ & PIZZERIA COST $10

yourcentre.com.au

Geraldine Hickey Live

afternoon of sparkling verbiage from some of the Territory’s most brazen wordsmiths and its brightest newcomers. All welcome, especially if you have something to say!

WHEN FRI 3 SEP | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

Dead Singers Dance Society – Amy Winehouse

CENTRE

COST INFO

Bell Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare’s classic comedy is reawakened in this breathless production brimming with magic, mirth and mayhem. Fast, funny and family-friendly, this is A Midsummer Night’s Dream reimagined.

WHEN THU 2 SEP | 10.30AM & 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

$45 | $40 MEMB/CONC

$30 STUD

INFO

yourcentre.com.au

$75 | $125 VIP | $200 VVIP yourcentre.com.au

Peter Williams Medium Searching Spirit Tour After numerous sold-out performances, hugely popular psychic-medium Peter Williams is back. Known for bringing a modern and refreshing feel to his events, Peter amazes audiences with his ability to communicate with loved ones passed over, but he does so with heartfelt respect. Peter works very closely with the souls passed over to deliver messages to the audience, and adds small educational anecdotes throughout to ensure everyone can walk away feeling positive and uplifted.

A stalwart of the Australian comedy scene, award-winner Geraldine Hickey has appeared on The Project, Tonightly with Tom Ballard, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem. Now, Top End comedy fans have a chance to see her live, deadpan and bang on. Smart, observational comedy has never been so funny, nor so frank.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 26 SEP | 4.30-6.30PM LUCKY BAT CAFÉ & PIZZERIA FREE facebook.com/

wildwords2018

Lucky Bat Laughs

Join the Dead Singers Dance Society – Darwin’s most inclusive ‘exclusive’ society. In this four-week course, learn a fun and achievable dance routine that celebrates the music of a legendary dearly departed singer. This month, move to the soulful, expressive voice of Amy Winehouse.

Get your regular dose of local humour on a school night in the northern ‘burbs at Lucky Bat Laughs. Enjoy a star-studded

5.30-6.45PM

WHEN SAT 25 SEP | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$35 | $30 MEMB/CONC

WHEN EVERY THU, 2 – 23 SEP

yourcentre.com.au

Wild Words Head along to the Bat on the last Sunday of each month for an

AT COST INFO

TRACKS DANCE STUDIO $40 tracksdance.com.au

By Will Crawford

COMICS'

CORNER SHOWCASING TOP END COMICS AND LOCAL STAND-UP PERFORMERS

With an elfish and cheeky younger brother vibe, Ty Gray charms with his well crafted one liners and loveable anecdotes. He’s what Billy Connolly would be like if he was a hobbit comedian from the shire.

Will Crawford has a chat with one of the rising stars of the Darwin comedy scene.

So you’re a recent Darwinian, welcome! What are some of the big differences between the Darwin and Melbourne comedy scenes?

Darwin’s comedy scene is a lot smaller than Melbourne’s, but I

think that also makes us more tight-knit. We tend to get behind each other, support each other and try to bring each other up more in Darwin.

How do you like living in Darwin?

It’s much easier to get out of bed in the mornings.

What was it that kicked off your comedy career?

Went to watch my cousin in a Melbourne open mic, and with all the arrogance of an 18-year-old, I just kind of went, “pfft, I could do that!”

What’s your reason for staying in comedy?

An irrational need to be the centre of attention, even if it’s only for five minutes sometimes…

Have any comedians have influenced you or your style?

I’d say I’m more influenced by Australian comedians than I am by international comedians. People like Matt Okine, Becky Lucas, Rhys Nicholson and Anne Edmonds I really look up to.

What advice would you give to others wondering if they should try stand up?

Pretend your mum is in the audience for your first set – or even

better, invite her along!

Who’s your favourite comic writer?

One of my favourite all-round writers is Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino. He got his start writing for 30 Rock, and more recently has created his own show Atlanta, which is one of the most interesting comedies of our time.

Do you have a favourite comic performer?

Bit of a guilty pleasure, but I’ve always loved Will Ferrell movies. I guess they’re silly enough that you can enjoy them as a kid, but when you grow-up they’re still fun.

y t i v i t a e r c g n i Ignit for the young t r a e h t a g n u o y and

rm 3 Enrolling Now for Te Circus ~ Drama All ages ~ Aerial ~ ston Nightcliff & Palmer n.org.au www.corrugatediro

Any hot YouTube picks?

Rohan Ganju is one of my best friends in comedy, and a few years ago his RAW Comedy set went viral after Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz retweeted it. Just search “Rohan Ganju - 2015 RAW Comedy National Grand Final” – it still makes me laugh to this day!

Any Netflix tips?

Rhys Nicholson Live at the Athenaeum, Aunty Donna’s Big Old House of Fun, or Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America.

Support Australian comedy!

INFO facebook.com/ ty.gray.comedy

7

AROUND TOWN

IVOR COLE'S

SWAN SONG HIS MONTH IS the last ever exhibition and art sale from muchloved local personality, moustached music lover and visual artist, Ivor Cole.

According to folklore, a swan sings most beautifully just before it’s about to pass away, so Swan Song seems fitting for his last hurrah.

“Ivor’s prognosis isn't great, so it’s a very sad time for all of us,” says KC, Ivor’s loving wife of over 31 years.

Ivor Cole, 'Finale', 2013

And though his days are dwindling, Ivor’s given life a fair old nudge.

From deejaying in seedy clubs in South London in the 60s, to working in film and TV, to exhibiting in some

of the most prestigious galleries in Australia, his life has been diverse to say the least.

Arriving in Australia in the 70s, and in Darwin 20 years ago, the former Pom has worked at ABC Radio – many of you have enjoyed his company on Weekday Evenings as he spun his favourite tunes, especially the blues – spent time running public art initiatives and galleries, always painting and exhibiting along the way.

Swan Song is celebration for Ivor’s life and achievements, a coming together of his old friends – both his painted works and in human form – for one wonderful evening of stories, art and music.

“Painting has always been his passion. He always knew he wanted to be an artist, a painter in oils, and has exhibited for over 50 years,” KC says.

and his last show and art sale is no exception.

“What I’ve always tried to do is cut through the bullsh-t of art. The pretentious, hushed tones in art galleries, the pithy sayings of art critics and the packaging of art. Art galleries are just shops selling art, they should be fun.”

“The most obvious features of Cole’s work are his striking use of colour, familiar landscapes and everyday objects, and his wry humour. Ivor’s work often seems safe, but is anything really what it appears to be at first glance?”

For a fun night celebrating one very colourful person, his life of art, music and mayhem, go and hear, see and feel Ivor Cole’s Swan Song.

Ivor’s spent his life making some noise, going against the grain, being unapologetically himself,

24 GARDEN HILL CRES

INFO

facebook.com/vinyldog78 KC: 0411 552 770

Swan Song

WHEN FRI 3 SEP | 5-9PM AT GALLERY 5

Photo: Georgia Glen

GRANTING WISHES HAVE YOU GOT a great idea to get people out and about, or engaging in something unique and fun in Darwin? City of Darwin wants to hear from you!

Each year, they dish out some serious cash to support events and ideas in the Darwin municipality through the Community Grants Program.

Round two for the year is now open for projects set to be undertaken from January to June 2022, where community groups and organisations can apply for up to $10,000 to deliver meaningful activities, programs, or events.

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Enjoy the sounds of Ivor’s impressive vinyl collection as you peruse his art works, many hung together for the first time in years, or at all.

Ivor Cole, 'Bye Andy', 2017

Weaving workshop with Aly de Groot

Last year, Darwin Community Arts (DCA) threw their name in the hat and successfully scored some dough to run the Together While Apart skill share series, later renamed Intermingle.

Intermingle organiser Georgia Glen of DCA says the grant went a long way to make the project happen.

“The grant program assisted us to launch our Intermingle workshop program by covering the costs of local artists and materials.

We offered a huge variety of visual art activities, including cyanotype printing, relief printing, weaving, whittling, screen printing, drawing and more. Over 300 Darwin participants enjoyed the 25 workshops we delivered over the year.”

making, and imagining events and activities that are in direct response to the needs of the community,” he says.

City of Darwin General Manager Community and Regulatory Services Matt Grassmayr says the grants are about bringing the community together.

“Recipients of past community grants have contributed to the development of a vibrant, inclusive and diverse community. Community grants have celebrated our history, supported vulnerable people, raised awareness about environmental issues and supported the arts.”

“This year, Council endorsed a further $40,000 for grants funding for arts initiatives. We are still working through the details for the arts specific grants but hope to launch these alongside the community grants in September.”

“City of Darwin’s community grants support grassroots groups and individuals who are creating,

INFO

darwin.nt.gov.au

LISTINGS

Seniors Expo 2021 DON’T MISS COTA NT’s sixth Seniors Expo celebrating Territorians’ resilience, strength and unity for a day of festivities and fun. This year’s Expo shines a spotlight on multicultural diversity and, in anticipation of the inaugural NT Grandparents Day in October, on intergenerational activities.

Enjoy a free morning tea from the

Darwin Youth Forum This all-inclusive forum for young people aged 12-25 gives you the chance to develop and express your opinions about recent global events.

WHEN AT COST INFO

INFO

facebook.com/

toomuchstuffdarwin

Spinner Ring

CASUARINA LIBRARY FREE darwinyouthforum

Darwin Pride Festival Get your feathers, sequins and dancing shoes ready – Darwin Pride Festival is here! Over three fun-filled days, you’re invited to celebrate the diversity, creativity and vibrancy of our LGBTQIA+ community. Celebrations kick off with a Welcome to Country, followed by a swag of musical and cabaret performances, dancing, a boat cruise and beach party, and family fun for all.

WHEN SUN 5 SEP

WHEN FRI 3 – SUN 5 SEP INFO darwinpride.com.au Finding Direction Meditation Workshop In an increasingly uncertain world are you beginning to feel purposeless and lost? This course reveals how to transform daily life into the path to happiness, giving every moment direction and meaning. Open to meditators of all levels.

WHEN SAT 4 SEP | 10AM-3.15PM AT THE HALL, PARAP COST $75 | $40 ONLINE

FREE MEMB

INFO

kadampa.live

Milkwood Bush Dance The Milkwood Bush Dance is back!

Enjoy live music from local bush band Four Bars In, as well as line dancing, gourmet food and beverages, games, raffles and more.

Dress in your favourite bush dance outfits and enter fun competitions with great prizes up for grabs.

SAT 4 SEP | 5.30-9PM MILKWOOD STEINER SCHOOL $5 | FREE U12

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

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 8 SEP | 6PM DOM’S BAR & LOUNG FREE facebook.com/

domsbardarwin

Mayali Mulil Festival Hit the road to Kakadu for the Mayali Mulil Festival, a yearly gathering to share and connect with the diversity of Aboriginal cultures.

Postponed from August, the festival takes place on Murumburr Country in Murdudjurl community. Enjoy three jam-packed days of bush walks and talks, food and art stalls, and more.

WHEN FRI 24 & SAT 25 SEP AT KAKADU BILLABONG

SAFARI CAM

COST INFO

$150-$250 | U17 FREE kakadubillabong

safaricamp.com.au

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.

No registration fees or sign up required, just rock up to the club car park to set up before market kick-off.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 25 SEP | 8.30AM DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB FREE dtbc.com.au

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!

milkwood.nt.edu.au

Father's Day If there’s someone in your life you

WHEN SUN 26 SEP | 9AM-12PM AT ALAWA HALL COST FREE

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 4 SEP | 10AM-2PM CDU MARRARA STADIUM FREE cotant.org.au

ONLINE

PALMERSTON LIBRARY

FREE

palmerston.nt.gov.au/library

EVERY TUE | 12-12.30PM

kadampa.live

Gadgets and Games Club

WED 1 SEP | 6PM

@gmail.com

WHEN AT COST INFO

call Papa Bear, Old Man or Dad, then don't forget to tell them you love ‘em this Father’s Day. To all the fathers and father figures out there, we hope you have a magical day!

team at Mindil Beach Resort, stalls, kids activities, music, entertainment and more. Don your national dress if you wish and bring along the grandkids – be they three or 43!

Learn to make your own handcrafted silver spinner ring with Glass and Jewellery artist Debra Senjuschenko.

The techniques of measuring, texturing, sawing and finishing are a good starting block if you wish to learn jewellery making. Participants are also provided with a handout of the list of tools and materials used, including recommended suppliers.

WHEN AT COST INFO

Beginners Dragon Boating Darwin Waterfront Warriors Paddlers Club welcomes all beginner paddlers to give it a go. Dragon Boating is the ultimate team sport, and no previous experience is required for these fun sessions. It’s suitable for any level of fitness over the age of 12, and beginners receive three free sessions.

SESSIONS)

INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

THU 30 SEP | 6PM

COST

FREE

Nurserytime

WHEN EVERY THU | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE

tactilearts.org.au

Green Drinks Green Drinks is an informal meet up network taking off across the globe, where you’re invited to chat about all things green.

WHEN EVERY TUE & THU 10-10.45AM

Geek Squad

$210 | $190 MEMB

TACTILE ARTS STUDIO

Storytime

WHEN EVERY WED | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

WHEN EVERY TUE | 5.15-6.30PM AT CULLEN BAY MARINA COST FREE (FIRST THREE

SUN 26 SEP | 10AM-4PM

WHEN EVERY TUE | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE

darwinwaterfrontwarriors.

org.au

Skate Nights Head to Jingili every second Wednesday for free music and skating at the park. Newbies and spectators welcome.

LET’S DANCE Salsa Classes Salsita Dance School is back for Term 4, teaching various genres of Latin dance in practical, fun and easy classes.

WHEN AT COST INFO

TUE 28 SEP | 6.30-9.35PM DANCE WORLD STUDIO $20 salsitadarwin.com.au

LUCKY BAT CAFÉ & PIZZERIA FREE facebook.com/

environmentcentrent

Tension Release Exercises Tension and Trauma release exercises are a simple set of exercises that release muscle tension and relax the mind. The body’s innate movements of shaking and stretching help to regulate the nervous system to create more calmness, focus and joy. Head along and learn an easy way to de-stress the mind and body.

WHEN EVERY MON | 7PM AT CASUARINA LIBRARY

MEETING ROOM

COST INFO

$12 nebula.net.au

Free Lunchtime Meditation Class Escape the stress and busyness of modern life to discover the peace of meditation for yourself in these free 30 minute meditation sessions.

WHEN WED 1, 15 & 29 SEP | 6-8PM AT JINGILI WATER GARDENS

SKATE PARK

COST INFO

FREE launchdarwin.com.au

A Complete Guide to Meditation

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY THU | 7-8.30PM ONLINE $10 | FREE MEMB kadampa.live

Yoga by the Bay Join Shauna from Karuna Yoga for a 50-minute weekly class and leave feeling stretched, centred and oh so zen. This Vinyasa flow style practice is open to all abilities and ages, and is designed to increasing flexibility, strength, balance and clear the mind. Om!

WHEN AT COST INFO

Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails Join Swing Dance NT at the Darwin Railway Club every Wednesday for a fun night of swing jazz and social dancing. Entry fees go towards the band, so head along for a night of great music and good times.

WHEN AT COST INFO

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

Movement Medicine Ecstatic Dance Darwin This guided free-form dance class with music takes you on a journey where your movement becomes your medicine.

WHEN EVERY SUN | 10-11.30AM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY

EVERY SAT | 8-8.50AM

CENTRE

DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB $10

COST INFO

karunayogawellness.com

@yahoo.com

$15 movement.magic

9

17 Fri

18 Beat Festival 2021 – Tides

Thu

13 Three Summers 14 Sweet Dreams and Gut Reactions (opening) 19 Friday Knock Offs at Dom’s

23 15 Trashlight – Waste in a different light (last chance)

Tue

7 Dead Singers Dance Society 9 A Complete Guide to Meditation 9 Storytime 9 Geek Squad 19 House of Jade – Live Jazz

28 9 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 9 Beginners Dragon Boating 9 Gadget and Games Club 9 Storytime 9 Salsa Classes 19 Darwin City Brass Band 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Nights

See Music 18

See Visual Arts 15

See Performing Arts 6

18 Sat

Fri

7 Peter Williams - Medium Searching Spirit Tour 9 Yoga by the Bay 15 DVA Exhibitions (last chance)

24 Wed

9 Mayali Mulil Festival 14 Avians at Audit (last chance) 17 Fannys at Happy Yess 19 Hammers Yeah Mate!

National Tour with Captives 19 Friday Knock Offs at Dom’s

29

6 The Umbilical Brothers The Distraction

7 Lucky Bat Laughs 9 Skate Nights 9 Nurserytime 9 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

19 Sun

13 The Croods

9 Movement Medicine 19 Seaside Sessions

See Music 17

Thu

17 The Best of the Bee Gees featuring Colin “Smiley” Petersen

30

13 Fist Full of Films (entries close) 6 The Umbilical Brothers The Distraction 9 Green Drinks 9 A Complete Guide to Meditation 9 Storytime 9 Geek Squad 19 House of Jade – Live Jazz

See Books & Film 13

25

Sat

7 Geraldine Hickey Live 9 Mayali Mulil Festival 9 Car Boot Sale 9 Yoga by the Bay 14 Salon des Refusés (last chance) 14 Murrŋiny – A story of metal from the east (last chance) 19 Hammers Yeah Mate!

National Tour with Captives

See Books & Film 13

20

Mon

Sun

9 Tension Release Exercises 19 Pub Choir Cheap Therapy Tour

26

9 Spinner Ring

7 Wild Words 9 Too Much Stuff Recycling Upcycling Flea Market 9 Movement Medicine 19 Seaside Sessions

PROMOTE YOUR EVENT WITH OFF THE LEASH

Sign up for an account at offtheleash.net.au and upload your events for free!

Our website is visited by hundreds of people every day, keen to get out and about and make the most of life in the Top End.

21

Tue

9 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 9 Beginners Dragon Boating 9 Gadget and Games Club 9 Storytime 19 Darwin City Brass Band 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Nights

See Around Town 9

22

Wed

Mon

9 Nurserytime 9 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

27

9 Tension Release Exercises

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.

Wed

9 Darwin Youth Forum 9 Skate Nights 9 Nurserytime 9 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

Tue

8

Thu

Sat

9 Chess & Cocktails 9 Nurserytime 9 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails

Wed

7 Bell Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 7 Dead Singers Dance Society 9 A Complete Guide to Meditation 9 Storytime 9 Geek Squad 19 House of Jade – Live Jazz

2

Calendar

1 7 9 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 9 Beginners Dragon Boating 9 Gadget and Games Club 9 Storytime 13 Three Summers 19 Darwin City Brass Band 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Nights

See Books & Film 13

11

13 Sisters with Transistors

9 Yoga by the Bay 13 Three Summers 18 Storytime – Brother Moon 19 Live at the Lake

3 Fri

Sun

5 Forbidden 7 Top End Pride Burlesque 8 Swan Song 9 Darwin Pride Festival 15 DVA Exhibitions (opening) 15 Trashlight – Waste in a different light (opening) 19 Friday Knock Offs at Dom’s

12

14 Breathing Life (last chance)

9 Movement Medicine 13 Storks 19 Seaside Sessions

See Performing Arts 5

Sat

Sun

Happy Father’s Day!

16 Father’s Day OTT Brunch

5 5 Forbidden

9 Darwin Pride Festival 9 Movement Medicine 13 Blazing Saddles 15 Dhuwarrwarr Marika Rirratjiŋu Woman (last chance) 19 Seaside Sessions 19 First Sunday Blues

Tue

9 Free Lunchtime Meditation Class 9 Beginners Dragon Boating 9 Gadget and Games Club 9 Storytime 19 Darwin City Brass Band 19 Sunset Live Music 19 Jam Nights

14

See Visual Arts 15

9 Seniors Expo 2021 9 Darwin Pride Festival 9 Finding Direction Meditation Workshop 9 Milkwood Bush Dance 9 Yoga by the Bay 13 FlicNics 16 007 Trivia Dinner 18 Marrakai Madness Festival

4 20

21

Mon

SEP See Visual Arts 14

13

9 Tension Release Exercises 13 Sound of Metal

See Food & Drink 16

9

Thu

5 Bechamel Test 7 Dead Singers Dance Society 9 A Complete Guide to Meditation 9 Storytime 9 Geek Squad 19 House of Jade – Live Jazz

6

Mon

Fri

9 Tension Release Exercises

10

19 Friday Knock Offs at Dom’s

16

Thu

15

7 Dead Singers Dance Society 9 A Complete Guide to Meditation 9 Storytime 9 Geek Squad 13 Sound of Metal 18 Beat Festival 2021 – Tides 19 House of Jade – Live Jazz

Wed

9 Skate Nights 9 Nurserytime 9 Wednesday Night Swing @ The Rails 13 Sisters with Transistors 13 Author Talk with Dina Davis 18 Beat Festival 2021 – Tides

12

Deckchair

JERVOIS ROAD, DARWIN WATERFRONT

CINEMA

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

LISTINGS

&

FlicNics – Trolls World Tour Well, folks, the came has come for this much-loved family event in Palmo to wrap for 2021.

Three Summers This breakout film from Brazil unfolds over the course of three summers from 2015 to 2017. Madá, a 50-something caretaker for a cluster of luxury beach-side condos owned by a wealthy Rio de Janeiro family, invests in a roadside snack kiosk while tending to the every need of her condescending employers.

She becomes a bystander in a major money-laundering scandal, and eventually launches a whole new career. With every dizzying new turn of events, Madá manages to retain her high spirits, her sense of loyalty to those who deserve it – and her eagle eye for opportunity.

Sisters with Transistors The history of women has been a history of silence. Music is no exception. Sisters with Transistors is the remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, the composers that embraced machines, and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today.

Sound of Metal Winner of the Best Sound Design Oscar this year, Sound of Metal follows Ruben and Lou, who live together, travelling gig to gig playing their loud, frenzied music. Suddenly Ruben, a passionate drummer, loses his hearing and his world is upended, causing him to struggle with depression and be tempted by past addictions.

The film maps a new history of electronic music through the visionary women whose radical experimentations with machines redefined the boundaries of music.

WHEN MON 13 & THU 16 SEP | 7PM

WED 15 SEP, 7PM

WHEN TUE 7 & SAT 11 SEP, 7PM

FRI 17 SEP, 8.45PM

AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA COST $17 | $13 CONC | $10 MEMB

$40 FAM

INFO deckchaircinema.com Blazing Saddles – Darwin Symphony Orchestra WHEN SUN 5 SEP | 7PM Storks – Palmerston Game Finishing Club WHEN SUN 12 SEP | 7PM The Croods – Waratah Hockey Club WHEN SUN 19 SEP | 7PM

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN SAT 11 SEP, 9PM

Poppy and Branch discover there are six different troll tribes scattered over six different lands.

Each tribe is also devoted to six different kinds of music – funk, country, techno, classical, pop and rock. When rockers Queen Barb and King Thrash set out to destroy the other music, Poppy and Branch embark on a daring mission to unite the trolls and save the diverse melodies from becoming extinct.

Deckchair Fundraisers Fancy seeing a great flick whilst helping out a local community organisation raise some coin at the same time? Check out these great fundraiser flicks this month!

SAT 4 SEP | 7PM

Fist Full of Films Festival The Fist Full of Films Festival is the Territory's homegrown short film festival, celebrating the best shorts, documentaries, music videos and animations, as well as some special awards categories. Submit your films to go in the running for the Golden Galah Awards, plus a shot at thousands of dollars in prize money.

GOYDER SQUARE FREE palmerston.nt.gov.au

WHEN THU 30 SEP | ENTRIES CLOSE INFO fistfulloffilms.com.au

Dina Davis

DARWIN AUTHOR DINA DAVIS has published stories, articles and poems in journals and anthologies.

Her debut novel, Capriccio, was shortlisted in the Fiction category for last year’s Chief Minister’s NT Book Awards. Her latest book, A Dangerous Daughter, draws from her own experiences to tackle the complex subject of eating disorders.

NT Writers’ Centre caught up with Dina for a chat.

Congratulations on your new book! Tell us about A Dangerous Daughter?

Basically, it’s a story of survival against all odds. 13-year-old Ivy is suffering from an undiagnosed illness. After several unsuccessful treatments, she is exiled from her family in NSW and sent to live with relatives in WA. The book details her daily struggle with an entity she calls The Voice, which won’t let her eat. Ultimately, Ivy is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, which was almost unknown in the 1950s, when the story takes place.

What inspired the novel?

I was inspired by two synchronistic events – the first was being invited to take part in an international study on anorexia, which proved that it is an illness with a largely genetic component. This knowledge freed me a lot from the self-blame

that had plagued my life. The second was the discovery of a letter from over 50 years ago, written by the psychoanalyst who had treated me. I wanted to honour her all these years later, by telling my story.

A Dangerous Daughter draws from more personal experiences than your first novel. Did that make it more challenging to write?

Definitely. Rather than being cathartic, it was painful to revisit the lost years of my childhood. I needed to take a lot of breaks in order to distance myself. Because I lost some memories due to having ECT (shock treatment) as a child, I had to rely on my imagination to fill the gaps.

With my first novel, Capriccio, I also used imagination to breathe life into the story of Assia Gutmann Wevill, the woman who came

between famous poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. Because Capriccio wasn’t about me, it was much more enjoyable to write.

What other projects are you working on at the moment?

I’m thinking of a possible sequel to A Dangerous Daughter. Another long-term project is to rewrite Capriccio with Ted Hughes’ poems included. I’m waiting for copyright to be lifted, so it might have to be published posthumously!

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

A mixture of poetry, fiction and some anthologies. I love the work of Helen Garner and other wonderful Australian women writers, such as Charlotte Wood, Amanda Lohrey and Ceridwen Dovey. For comfort reading, I go back to the classics

– Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the Brontës, and of course Jane Austen.

And for pure escapism, anything by Ian MacEwan, Kate Atkinson or Paul Auster.

Any Territory authors you’re enjoying at the moment?

I’m reading Tanya Heaslip’s latest memoir, Beyond Alice, and finding so many parallels to my own story.

I want to read Joanne van Os’ latest novel. Ditto the prolific Sean Guy, who pours out a novel every year. I love Mary Ann Butler’s playwriting, and Kaye Aldenhoven’s poetry.

Author Talk with Dina Davis

WHEN WED 15 SEP | 5.30PM AT NIGHTCLIFF LIBRARY COST FREE INFO dinadavisauthor.com ntwriters.com.au

13

VISUAL ARTS AUDIT HOUSE

ONLINE

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

salonartprojects.com.au

MON-FRI 9AM-2PM | SAT & SUN 10AM–3PM

Avians

at Audit

by Mandy Edge Tootell

Birds have long been a favourite subject for Mandy Tootell and the NT is blessed with an abundance of avian friends. Her works in this solo exhibition focus on colour and form using fabrics and free-motion stitching to construct exquisite works on paper. As an Artist in Residence at the Territory Wildlife Park in 2019, Mandy explored bird species endemic to the NT. This exhibition features limited edition original artworks with references to Mandy’s previous work as a printmaker.

Mandy Tootell, 'Rose Crowned Fruit Dove', 2021, fabric stitched to ink on paper, 35x50cm

UNTIL FRI 24 SEP

Lennard Walker, 'Tali', 2020, acrylic on linen, 290x200cm. Courtesy Spinifex Arts Project.

Photo Fiona Morrison

Salon des Refusés The Salon des Refusés is an exhibition of works submitted but not accepted into the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Its quality demonstrates the superb standard of art being created

by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and provides insight into where the movement has come from, and where it is heading. This year, the 2021 Salon des Refusés is presented online.

UNTIL SAT 25 SEP

NCCA

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art Vimy Lane, Parap | 8981 5368 | 0402 379 630 | nccart.com TUE-FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT 10AM-2PM | OR BY APPOINTMENT

TACTILE ARTS

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

Murrŋiny – A Story

TUE-SUN 10AM-4PM

of metal from the east

BREATHING LIFE Breathing Life showcases new works on paper and textiles from six Merrepen artists, demonstrating the diverse areas of practice and constant experimentation that’s happening at the art centre. The exhibition features monotypes, woodblocks, and paintings onto finished etchings and on paper. The artists showcase new techniques with textiles using multiple layers of design, such as painting onto hand printed fabric.

Hit by shotguns, burnt by Dry season fires, rusted by monsoonal rain, discarded signs litter Territory roadsides. A group of seven Yolngu artists from Yirrkala have come to rescue, recycle and rework these battered warriors in new ways that have never been seen before.

Murrnginy is the Yolŋgu word for steel. It is also the name by which this nation was known by its neighbours and the first Europeans who encountered them. This name

Wanapati Yunupiŋu working on found street sign

references the shovel nosed spears made here since pre-Cook times.

Old signs are new again.

UNTIL SAT 25 SEP

UNTIL SUN 12 SEP Marita Sambono, 'Goose Eggs in the Billabong' (detail), 2021, acrylic on paper

Sweet Dreams and Gut Reactions A surreal installation by Melbourne artist and photographer, Pamela Kleemann-Passi, Sweet Dreams and Gut Reactions is a bedroom with a playful twist! Meticulously constructed objects have been crafted from offcuts of hair, bodily material normally discarded.

Entangling fantasy, horror, whimsy, irony, beauty and wonderment, it brings into focus the fine line between what’s pleasurable and what’s reviled. It covers many topical areas: illness, wellbeing, body image and personal identity. We all have hair, but used in this way it offers up rich material for robust conversation.

WHEN FRI 17 SEP – SUN 10 OCT | OPENING FRI 17 SEP, 5.30PM

14

Pamela Kleemann-Passi, 'Sweet Dreams and Gut Reactions' (detail), 2019-2021, mixed media

MAGNT

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory DAILY 10AM-4PM

2021 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards The Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) presents powerful new works that interpret history, spark conversations, and celebrate culture and Country. NATSIAA features a range of artworks by some of Australia’s best emerging and established artists.

UNTIL SUN 6 FEB, 2022

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

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

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

Arlya Tuckey, 'Sea of Change', acrylic on board, 40.5x50.5cm

Mark de Souza, 'Trashlight', 2021, glass

Country

Trashlight waste in a different light

Through the Eyes of Nature

Local sculptor Mark de Souza presents a series of lit sculptures challenging our ingrained culture of waste. Assembled from rubbish gathered from Darwin’s coastline, front verges and local dumpsters, the stunning works invite us to seek beauty and utility in discarded items from everyday life, and to refuse the prevailing culture of consumption and convenience.

WHEN FRI 3 – THU 23 SEP | OPENING FRI 3 SEP, 6-8PM

Stories, history, flora, fauna, country.

These are the things that make up the beautiful Top End of the Northern Territory. Two artists born into these surrounds, Jayde Hopkins and Arlya Tuckey, would like to share this country with you in this stunning exhibition.

SONGLINES

55 Stuart Highway, Stuart Park | 8942 4767 | songlinesaustralia.com TUE – FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT & SUN 10AM-3PM

Cathy Hilder, 'Flower petals floating on water', 76x76cm

The Language of Flowers

Few things are as beautiful as flowers, so it’s no wonder they’ve attracted the attention of artists from ancient times to the present. Beyond sheer beauty, flowers provide rich opportunities to play with colour and form.

Don’t miss this stunning exhibition showcasing Cathy Hilder’s work, which expresses a newfound love of floral art.

Nicola Collins The Boneyard Unleashed Out of the boneyard and the fairy portal, Nicola’s work uses the recycled, discarded bones of life to recreate her world, using nature as a starting point and fantasy as a portal. Her art practice includes skull painting, wearable art, finely beaded jewellery, sculpture, and fanged creatures inspired by the natural world.

WHEN FRI 3 – SAT 18 SEP

OPENING FRI 3 SEP, 6-8PM

Dhuwarrwarr Marika

Dhuwarrwarr Marika - Rirratjiŋu Woman In partnership with Buku-Larrnggay Mulka, Songlines presents this incredible exhibition of prints, paintings and sculpture by groundbreaking Elder, Dhuwarrwarr Marika. Daughter of Mawalan (dec.), ceremonial leader of the Rirratjingu tribe, Dhuwarrwarr is believed to be the first Yolŋgu woman authorised to paint scared designers on her own. Born in 1945, she is a living national treasure.

Nicola Collins, Jewellery

UNTIL SUN 5 SEP

15

FOOD

&

DRINK

HILTON HAPPENINGS Father’s Day OTT Brunch GET READY TO celebrate Dad this Father’s Day with lots of love, incredible food and live music. Tuck into a smorgasbord of fare including smoked and grilled meats, fresh seafood and an epic spirit-infused dessert station.

If that wasn’t tempting enough, relish your chance to soak up the

last of the Dry season weather with all-day pool access. Get everyone involved and have a crack at lawn games in the secret poolside garden.

This is an over-the-top buffet worth bragging about. Just like your old man.

WHEN SUN 5 SEP | 11AM-2PM AT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON

DARWIN, 122 THE ESPLANADE

COST

$109 | $69 13-17, $49 6-12,

FREE U6

INFO

ticketebo.com.au

facebook.com/ doubletreebyhiltonhotels darwin

007 Trivia Dinner

PepperBerry

Restaurant

Turns One! Hilton Darwin lights the candles on the cake this month, as they celebrate one huge year of PepperBerry Restaurant.

Renovated during the hospitality shutdown last year, the restaurant swung open its doors last September to offer food and wine experiences and local flavours, much to the delight of locals and visitors alike.

To celebrate, we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win dinner for two on Sun 26 Sep. Keep an eye on our socials for your chance to score a slice of birthday cake!

WIN, WIN, WIN 16

INFO facebook.com/ offtheleashmag instagram/ offtheleashmagazine

Fan of Bond? James Bond? Got a friend that thinks they’re as brainy as Q? Round up your Bond-loving chums and head along to the 007 Trivia Dinner. Test your knowledge and enjoy a delicious four-course dinner with a nice side of trivia.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 4 SEP | 6.30-9.30PM HILTON DARWIN $69 | CASH BAR AVAILABLE darwintickets.com.au | facebook.com/hiltondarwin

MUSIC

Fanny Paq

IS BACK Thanks to Brown’s Mart joining forces with the Happy Yess, keen to present big events for Top End artists and audiences to enjoy, you won’t have to wait much longer.

COLIN "Smiley"

Tamara Howie had a yarn with the brains behind the operation, Mads and Chloe.

PETERSEN rom capturing hearts as a child star in classic Aussie flick, Smiley, to being the drummer in the pop-disco phenomenon, the Bee Gees, Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen has led a fascinating life. Rita Horanyi has a chat with the veteran muso about his latest show, where he shares captivating stories and performs the mega-hits you know and love, backed by the ultimate Bee Gees tribute band.

It must have been quite the experience to be part of such a successful musical phenomenon.

What was the best thing about being part of the Bee Gees?

It’s the excitement of your first breakthrough that really hits home.

Having the opportunity to record our first album, Bee Gees 1st – I did four albums, Bee Gees 1st, Horizontal, Idea and then the double album Odessa – it was the excitement of getting halfway through that album and realising that, the team around us, it was all working and we were all so ready for this.

Robert Stigwood … was a very imaginative manager and he got us into the mainstream newspapers.

Another key player was Bill Shepherd, our musical director, and he came up with those wonderful orchestrations. So we had a team together … the right people coming together at the right time and everyone having the experience to pull it off. And that’s what it takes for something to become big on that sort of scale.

And looking back at my life, I’m so happy that the experience I had

as a pop star happened during the 60s. You have to remember that the 60s in London – it’s hard to describe the excitement and creativity. And as opposed to a lot of people, I actually remember it! [laughs] How does it feel to be performing the old classics you played with the Bee Gees, with different band members?

They’re extremely competent players and it’s very close to the originals. The vocals are really strong and it’s a lovely atmosphere between us all, which is of number one importance. You can have all the best players in the world put together but if the vibe, so to speak, isn’t there and the comradery isn’t there, then it’s just not really working.

It doesn’t cease to amaze me all these years later that those songs have turned into evergreens, that they’re so revered. We would never have thought that would be the case all those years ago when we recorded those songs.

It’s just a wonderful experience and to have the audience really interested in what I have to say is a great privilege.

Which Bee Gees album or song that you worked on did you love the most?

That’s a hard one! A song that I play in the show, is a song called ‘World’ and it was our fourth single. And that’s a great record in my opinion.

But looking at the Gibb Brothers’

songs … one of my favourite songs is a song they wrote for Dionne Warwick called ‘Heartbreaker’.

It just summarises the talent for melody that they had. It’s a stunning melody.

What’s your favourite memory of playing with the Bee Gees?

The first time we got up on stage with an orchestra in London just after the release of ‘Massachusetts’ at a theatre called The Saville Theatre. A really old theatre, and we did a matinee from memory and an evening show, and the crowd went absolutely crazy.

When we went back to the dressing room, there was a whole group of girls in the street, maybe 400 girls in the street, chanting, and Vince Melouney – our fifth member, our lead guitar player – and I went out on the little balcony or leant out the window. It was well publicised that the Gibbs [brothers] had lived in Australia and that Vince and I were Australian – see I’m getting a bit emotional over this, this is such a lovely moment. Vince and I appeared at the window, and there’s all the screaming and all the business, and we gave them a wave, and then spontaneously they all started singing ‘Waltzing Matilda.’

In the middle of London.

For those who aren’t familiar with Fannys, what’s it all about?

Expect to find Darwin’s finest Queer DJs, performers, friendly vibes and plenty of cute meets.

Fannys is beloved in Melbourne, how did it evolve in the NT? It began with Chloe journeying to Alice Springs for a desert change, while Mads stayed back in Melbourne to manage the fort.

Little did we know that Mads would be offered a job in the Top End six months later.

Once we were both here in Darwin, on a night out, we felt there really was this need for a safe, inclusive and friendly space for Queers to inhabit, and most of all feel celebrated – like it was a space for them to truly feel like it was all theirs.

How does Fannys enhance Darwin’s Queer scene?

Darwin has such a wonderful, artistic, welcoming Queer community but there wasn’t a place to gather, spend time together, connect and have a dance on a regular basis.

Fannys is also an opportunity to showcase the abundance of queer talent in Darwin, with an emphasis on female/trans/non-binary singers and performers. We are so proud of what Fannys has become, which is a place for wonderful people to express their fabulous selves in safety – and have a lot of fun while doing it!

What’s in store for this month’s event?

We are beyond thrilled to have Darwin drag royalty Shaniqua TiwiSista performing a drag number, on a fresh outdoor stage under the stars. We are also excited to have Winona Chance back behind the decks and proud to present Crystal Craterr, with a posi post-Covid mix of old and new gay pride bangers for all carbon-based life-forms to enjoy, followed by Top End icon Lay-Dee-Loopin spinning a wild twist of tropical beats.

Fannys at Happy Yess

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 24 SEP | 8PM HAPPY YESS $15

facebook.com/ fannypaqevents

Photo: Flowpyre

DARWIN first experienced Fanny Paq when the renowned queer Melbourne event made tracks to the Top End in March. And after the cancellation of the Darwin Fringe Festival, there’s a thirst for more queer party vibes from the team.

The Best of the Bee Gees featuring Colin “Smiley” Petersen

WHEN SAT 25 SEP | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$79 | $69 MEMB/CONC yourcentre.com.au

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Tides PERFORMING IN THE epic multischool production that is the Beat Festival has been a rite of passage for Territory students for 42 years.

NT Territory Music School Principal Bill Grose says the annual event has never missed a year, and these days, with over one thousand students performing over three nights, it is undoubtedly one of the largest performing arts events in the Territory.

“Almost everyone in Darwin, Palmerston and surrounds has some connection to the Beat – sometimes multiple connections as students, parents and grand-parents,” he says.

“With a 32-piece student concert band in the orchestra pit, many hundreds of singers in the choir, dancers, rock bands, soloists and

Photo: Tim Nicol Photography

Beat Festival 2021

By Anna Dowd

WHEN WED 15 – FRI 17 SEP | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

duos, and student-scripted dramatic interludes, this is a large scale, industry standard performance.”

Darwin legend Jessica Mauboy is just one of the Beat’s former soloists and performers, and Grose says that, while he gets asked about this regularly, it’s more a question of who hasn’t performed in the Beat at some point.

“Everyone from Tom E. Lewis to Phoebe Wear, Stevie Jean and James Mangohig have been in the Beat in their younger years. It’s a rite of passage in the NT,” Grose says.

“This year, we have students as promising as any other year from over four decades, including two amazing rappers from Borroloola, a wonderful singer/songwriter from Katherine, a feature band from the Darwin rural area, and more.”

$35 | $28 MEMB/CONC

$23 3-15

INFO

yourcentre.com.au

For Grose, the secret to the longevity of the festival is the high standards and dedication of all involved.

“It inspires teachers, students, schools, parents, the community, to bring their very best to the project, knowing that their very best will make a difference, and it does. The Beat Festival showcases the creativity, passion, teamwork, courage and talent of our young people, engaged in collaborative performing arts education.

“We continue the Beat tradition for all of the one thousand or so students who participate every year. Some become musicians, some doctors, architects, builders, taxi drivers – who knows. This experience is for all of them.”

Storytime

BROTHER MOON LITERACY COMES IN many different forms. This month, inspire your young ones with a magical, musical, storytelling adventure.

Be enchanted as Wadjigany author, Maree McCarthy Yoelu, reads from her picture book Brother Moon, accompanied by a live string quartet and followed by drawing and storytelling activities.

For Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Concert Master Tara Murphy, the opportunity to add a musical layer to this unique story is an exciting one.

“Netanela Mizrahi was commissioned to write a wonderfully shimmery, lilting, score to accompany Maree’s engaging story, and Samantha’s illustrations,” she says.

“It’s scored for violin and cello, and these two instruments are part of the same musical family, so they blend beautifully.”

Murphy says the event for primary school aged kids includes a drawing activity guided by Brother Moon illustrator Samantha Fry, and other activities to inspire unique ways of storytelling.

“The DSO String Quartet will help guide our imaginations through different creative storytelling

By Tamara Howie

Marrakai Photo: Steve Kelk for Foldback Media NT

Madness Festival

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Fuxache

SOME SAY IF it’s easy, it’s not worth doing. And organising the inaugural Marrakai Madness Festival hasn’t been easy.

The line-up for the underground music festival is evolving as the-virus-that-shall-not-be-named has locked out many of the bands on the first run of posters. The gig features locals FUXACHE, Assailant and Indestructible Horse, but has lost interstate bands including headliners, Whitehorse.

But thanks to a dedicated event organiser, with the support of Brown’s Mart and Happy Yess – and subject to and health advice – the show will go on.

Organiser and FUXACHE drummer Pete Rawlins says the locals always turn out a great show, and the cancellations have just made the other bands thirstier to sweat it out on a stage in Darwin in the future.

“All the interstate bands are super bummed but super keen to come to Darwin and play. We’ll put another show with a line-up as close as possible to the original one day. I say they need to come in the buildup, ‘cause it’s a denser experience anyway,” he laughs.

The festival was Rawlins’ brainchild to get more bands up for the underground scene in Darwin, with big plans to see it become a multi-day camping festival in, you

By Anna Dowd

guessed it, Marrakai.

“The idea was to have all genres of music – hip hop, punk, metal – all together, and have an annual event where we could bring new music up that we haven’t had before. A friend has a property out in Marrakai and I want to make it an open-air festival one day.”

Rawlins says he hopes the festival will help strengthen the Top End community and encourage a more diverse crowd – on stage and in the pit – with good music, a welcoming crowd, and a feed and beers to make sure no one goes hungry or thirsty.

“I’d like to see a more diverse

activities. Kids can listen to the music and draw, write a story, or create poetry as they listen.”

The event wraps with a chooseyour-own musical adventure, everyone working together to create an original story, translated into a musical soundtrack by string quartet on the spot.

“It’s a great reminder that literacy comes in many different forms, and that stories can be created in many different ways,” says Murphy.

The event, a collaboration between NT Writers Centre and DSO, includes plans for the release of an animated version of Brother Moon, featuring Mizrahi’s original score.

NT Writers' Centre Program Manager Rita Horanyi says they’re excited to team up for this one.

“It’s wonderful to be able to bring Maree McCarthy Yoelu and Samantha Fry’s atmospheric picture book to life through animation and music, and to engage students in literacy and music education in such an engaging interactive event.”

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 11 SEP | 9.30AM & 11AM NT LIBRARY $15 | $5 CHILD dso.org.au

demographic coming to the shows, especially women. Metals shows are very male oriented, like heavy music all around the world.

But Shady, our singer, she’s really cool to watch on stage. My goal is to have a more diverse mix of people enjoy it.”

The ticket price includes a BBQ, with merch packs and other goodies up for grabs. The funds raised will go towards covering the expenses of the interstate bands who are now unable to join.

WHEN SAT 4 SEP | 5:30PM AT HAPPY YESS COST $20 | $25 DOOR INFO facebook.com/ happyyessdarwin

SEPTEMBER

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GIG

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

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HAPPENINGS IN THE RED CENTRE

Hammers Yeah Mate!

National Tour with Captives Hammers and Captives are set to tear up the Darwin Railway Club with their gripping mix of punk and rock as part of their national tour: Yeah Mate! Supported by local legends Kathryn and the Overbytes and Danger Den, don’t miss this rocking night of local and touring music.

WHEN FRI 24 & SAT 25 SEP | 7PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST $20 INFO eventbrite.com.au The Best of the Bee Gees Featuring Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen WHEN SAT 25 SEP | 8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

Live at the Lake Round up your crew, pack your picnic blankets, and make tracks to Palmo for the final instalment of Live at the Lake. This year’s new twist on a much-loved classic, the old Sanctuary Sessions, has boasted a mix of emerging and established home grown talent for you to kick back and enjoy in picturesque surrounds.

Hundreds have enjoyed these local musical showcases each month, and the last hurrah for the year is no exception, with the talents of Daniel Jung and Bella Marie on show.

WHEN SAT 11 SEP | 4-7PM AT SANCTUARY LAKES COST FREE INFO palmerston.nt.gov.au Storytime - Brother Moon WHEN SAT 11 SEP | 9.30AM & 11AM AT NT LIBRARY COST $15 | $5 CHILD INFO dso.org.au The 2021 Beat Festival – Tides WHEN WED 15 – FRI 17 SEP | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

$35 | $28 MEMB/CONC

$23 3-15

INFO

yourcentre.com.au

Pub Choir Cheap Therapy Tour Feeling stressed? Been having a bit of a week, year, life? Pub Choir has the treatment plan for you. Gather some solid (or liquid) mates, grab a ticket and let off some cathartic yells in a room full of strangers. No experience or stress necessary. You might not be any better at singing by the end of the night, but that’s not the point. It’s wholesome, it’s irreverent and – most importantly – it’s a hoot and a half!

WHEN MON 20 SEP | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRE

COST INFO

$79 | $69 MEMB/CONC yourcentre.com.au

Darwin City Brass Band If you’ve ever wanted to play a brass instrument, hit up the friendly folk at Darwin City Brass Band. They offer free lessons and ensembles, and perform as a brass band in the community. No audition is necessary and there are a number of entry pathways.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 4.30-9.30PM AT 2 ABALA RD, MARRARA COST FREE | $20 ANNUAL MEMB INFO darwincitybrassband.org.au Sunset Live Music Every Tuesday at sunset, kick back to the sounds of live local music in the chill atmosphere of Ebb & Flow.

Located by the water in Cullen Bay, there are lounges, daybeds and plenty of relaxed dining options and drinks to choose from.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 6PM AT EBB & FLOW COST FREE INFO facebook/ebbandflowdarwin House of Jade – Live Jazz Fave northern suburbs hangout spot, Dom’s Bar, transforms into the House of Jazz on Thursday nights.

Nightcliff locals House of Jade bring their swing, swagger and sweet sounds, with special guests every week. Kick back with a delicious drink and enjoy the smooth, jazzy sounds of these talented musos.

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY THU | 7PM

domsbardarwin

DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE FREE facebook.com/

Friday Knock Offs @ Dom’s WHEN EVERY FRI | 4PM AT DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE COST FREE INFO facebook.com/

domsbardarwin

Seaside Sessions at DTBC 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 AT DARWIN TRAILER BOAT CLUB COST FREE INFO dtbc.com.au

JAM NIGHTS AND OPEN MIC

IT’S BEEN 30 years since the highly regarded Desert Mob began, all the way back in 1991. To celebrate, this year’s exhibition displays across all four galleries of the Araluen Arts Centre for the first time ever, showcasing not only the usual 240 plus artworks from 30 plus art centres spread across the Central Australian region, but a special retrospective of these 30 years through art.

Every year since its inception, Araluen has acquired work from Desert Mob, building a remarkable collection of contemporary Indigenous art from the region over the decades. This retrospective features a curated body of work from the collection, with art from the 90s all the way through to today, helping us reflect on and acknowledge the incredible evolution of the movement through this annual event.

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 5 SEP | 3PM AT TRACY VILLAGE SPORTS

& SOCIAL CLUB

COST INFO

GOLD COIN DONATION facebook.com/

firstsundayblues

Jam Night Head down to the open mic night every Tuesday and jump on stage or sit back and enjoy the music.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 9PM AT NIRVANA COST FREE INFO nirvanadarwin.com.au

FAVE GIG OR EVENT NOT LISTED? All events listed in Off The Leash have been uploaded to offtheleash.net.au, which gives us the green light to share them – we don't have permission to list events that haven't been uploaded, so uploading to our webby is the best way to get them on our radar.

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Carbiene McDonald Tjangala (Papunya Tjupi)

DESERT MOB

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Photo: Emma Murray

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

The Track

To accompany the show, an in-depth catalogue has been created, filled with stunning artworks and thoughtful words. As with the physical exhibition, the book features this year’s Desert Mob as well as the works in the retrospective.

Artists have been commissioned to contribute stories and reflections, while art centres share photographs of Country, artists and the centres themselves, giving us an insight into the origins and context of the work and, importantly, the voices of their makers.

As for the events surrounding the exhibition, enjoy in-the-flesh festivities. With so many events having to go online, there was a desire from art centres to have a physical opening and exhibition, as well as the much-loved Desert Mob Marketplace. For those lucky enough to be in town for the market, peruse a bountiful extravaganza of colour, mark, texture and chaos, where artists are praised and art-lovers are feverishly ecstatic, and everyone is wonderfully overwhelmed.

The opening night is of similar bounty – a beautiful celebration of the artists and their work, with speeches, live performances and the ceremonial frenzy of audiences whirling about the exhibition.

As is tradition, there’s a myriad of satellite events dotted around town over this first wild weekend, particularly of exhibition openings from art centres and galleries flaunting some of their best work of the year.

With all of these, there’s no doubt this is prime time to be in Mparntwe/Alice Springs to enjoy 30 years of absolutely incredible art.

Desert Mob 30

WHEN FRI 10 SEP – SUN 24 OCT | OPENING FRI 10 SEP, 5PM

MARKET PLACE SAT 11 SEP, 10AM-2PM

AT INFO

ARALUEN ART CENTRE araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

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