Off The Leash - September 2024

Winner 2019-2023 NT Media Awards, Best Magazine or Lift Out

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DESERT MOB

Darwin International Film Festival

Darwin Kite Festival returns

Country, community and culture

SEPTEMBER

20 24

A CROSS CONTINENTAL FEAST

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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EXPLORE

YOUR FREE WHAT’S ON GUIDE TO THE NT

INSIDE

OFFTHELEASH.NET.AU E: editor@offtheleash.net.au T: 08 8941 7413 GPO BOX 2325, Darwin NT 0801

F R OM T H E

I

know. I start most of these letters by commenting on how fast the year is going, but really, September? If you thought you could have a breather after the whirlwind that was August, think again friends.

r o t i d E

Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF) returns to celebrate the best of Territory cinema whilst showcasing cinematic gems from across the globe. In fact, the 2024 DIFF features work from all continents – you can’t get more international than that!

Exciting additions this year include the new satellite site over at the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service and a Wes Anderson showcase at Darwin Waterfront.

With food vendors and local musos featured every night, plus the return of industry events like the NT Screen Summit, DIFF delivers yet again. I’m particularly excited about the opening night screening of Like My Brother, a documentary filmed over the course of six years that follows the journey of young female AFL players from the Tiwi Islands. Check out the main feature to find out more.

Festival season has very much hit its stride in the desert. The creative and cultural celebration that is Desert Mob returns with 30 Art Centres in tow, from early this month until late October. Enjoy a beautiful program packed with workshops, talks, after-dark events, a huge Desert Mob exhibition, and the highly anticipated marketplace.

FEATURE | 4 & 5 FESTIVALS | 6 AROUND TOWN | 7 PERFORMING ARTS | 10 FOOD & DRINK | 12 BOOKS & FILM | 13 EXPLORE | 17 VISUAL ARTS | 18 MUSIC | 23 CALENDAR | PULL-OUT

Our good friends at Red Hot Arts also return to present Desert Festival, a three-day celebration of art, music, dance and culture at the beautiful Olive Pink Botanic Gardens.

Up in the Top End, blue skies pop with colour, as the bright and colourful Darwin Kite Festival returns for a second year – this time, across two huge days. The free event offers a bunch of free, family-friendly entertainment, plus shuttle buses so you don’t have to worry about parking. Nice. Perhaps the sweetest thing about this beaut lil' festival is the look of absolute astonishment on young faces as they gaze up at the colourful characters and shapes in the sky. Cute as, Baz. It's gig city this month. Enjoy a very special performance from Chali 2na at Bustard Town – who was an absolute delight to chat with! – celebrate 20 massive years of Music NT's Bush Bands Bash, and James Range Band from Pitjantjatjara community and their Melbourne mates, Floodlights, embark on a massive Central Desert regional tour.

DELIGHT IN DESERT FESTIVAL | 6

THE VISITORS | 10

In OTL news, we recently welcomed Jenna Kirkham to the team as our first ever Assistant Editor. Great to have you on the dream team, Jenna!

There’s so much to get amongst in the NT this month.

September, you're lookin' pretty sweet to me.

CHALI 2NA | 23

Tierney White Managing Editor & Development Manager

Jenna Kirkham Assistant Editor

Betty Sweetlove Contributing writer

Jenna Hoare Copywriter

Danny Crichton Graphic Designer

OTL is proudly supported by

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

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

A C C O U N T A N T S

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Cover proudly sponsored by Darwin International Film Festival Cover image: Like My Brother Screening at DIFF Opening Night Thu 12 Sep

September 2024

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FEATURE

A Calling all film buffs, filmmakers, music fans, and foodies – you’re invited to feast at the 2024 Darwin International Film Festival (DIFF).

Celebrating 15 flick-filled years, DIFF returns to present a jam-packed program with features and shorts from every continent around the globe.

By Jenna Kirkham & Tierney White

CROSS CONTINENTAL FEAST

D

ESTINED TO DELIGHT across 11 star-filled evenings of cinema, music and fare, the action unfolds across three Darwin Waterfront locations, including the beloved home of DIFF and Territory film, the Deckchair Cinema.

Featuring major award-winning films from Sydney Film Festival and Sundance, a stellar line-up of actors, directors and major industry players, and the second-ever international guest, the 2024 DIFF is a biggie.

“There are films from every continent, and the real highlights this year are that we’ve expanded the festival to include a much bigger shorts program,” says Festival Manager James Parker.

“We’ve got incredible shorts from Australia and New Zealand, but especially from Central Australia and in the Northern Territory. We’ve got shorts screening with all the early features, and we’ve got dedicated short film programs that are playing separately as well.”

Two dedicated shorts programs screen at newly enlisted satellite venue, The Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The Short Film Showcase features 100 minutes of fun, insightful, moving and inspiring Australian shorts. The Best of Timor-Leste Shorts features seven films that celebrate the rugged landscapes and raw natural beauty of Timor-Leste, and includes a visit from DIFF’s second-ever international guest, Bernardino Soares, here to present his film Titir Husi Maubisse.

“I am very proud that our film is recognised internationally, and that it serves as a musical and visually stimulating medium to promote tourism to Timor-Leste,” he says in a comment translated to English from Tetun.

The three sites are a delightful stroll or shuttle bus to and from one another, making it the perfect site for the lights, camera, action to unfold.

“You can do it all in the Darwin Waterfront. There’s also the Darwin Waterfront lawns, with a free, four film Wes Anderson retrospective. You can catch a film at 5pm, you can catch a film at the Deckchair at 7pm, and then a film later in the evening,” Parker says.

Darwin International Film Festival WHEN THU 12 – SUN 22 SEP COST FREE - $25 | FESTIVAL PASS AVAILABLE

INFO

diff.net.au

Background image: Andamooka

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Foodies are well catered for with nightly feeds at the Deckie, plus an exclusive feast and film event at Hilton Darwin. Enjoy a screening of Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros, a fascinating four-hour documentary about a Michelin star restaurant owned by a French family, as you tuck into a four-course feast.

Staying true to its ethos of fostering local film development and providing opportunities for Territory filmmakers, DIFF welcomes back the two-day NT Screen Summit, something Parker says is the flagship industry event for the Northern Territory.

“There’s no other event where you have this many people under one roof together, networking, doing panel discussions, workshops, the works. You’ve got interstate special guests, major distributors, streaming services, and funding agencies. It’s a real opportunity for the local industry to meet, network and get their foot in the door of a difficult industry."

Also making a return is the SPARK NT Short Film Initiative, showcasing shorts funded by Screen Territory specifically to premiere at DIFF. Join 2024 SPARK directors Rebecca Parker, Damon van der Schuit and Samantha A. Laughton for the world premiere of their three films, Live From Alice, Fence, and Bear.

Riding on the coat-tails of SPARK success is filmmaker Mara Jean Quinn, whose first feature film, Andamooka, screens at this year’s DIFF after her short Desert Metal Dreaming screened as part of SPARK in 2021. Reflecting upon amazing female led talent, it would be remiss not to mention this year’s spectacular opening night feature, Like My Brother, coming to you from NT filmmakers, Danielle MacLean and Sal Balharrie.

“We’re incredibly lucky this year to have such a strong film to open with,” says Parker.

“Like My Brother features four young women from the Tiwi Islands who are rising AFL stars … it follows on into their lives and the challenges that come with family life versus taking on this career and being from the Tiwi Islands … and the challenges this represents.”

MacLean and Balharrie are joined by stars of the documentary Rina, Freda, Julianna and Jess, who take part in a special Q& A after the screening.

Not a festival to shy away from creating an immersive experience, DIFF offers a local caterer each night and live musical talents of some of Darwin’s fave locals, including Alice Cotton, Crystal Robins, Reverie, and Jigsaw Collective to name a few.

If you’re keen to make the most of your experience, grab a Film Pass or Full Access Passes to milk the 11-day film fest, set to provide a wholly unique experience each night through sight, taste and sound.

A very exciting development to this year’s festival is that it’s breaking beyond the boundaries of Darwin, and making the trek down the track, with DIFF Down the Road in Katherine later in the month, and Mparntwe/Alice Springs International Film Festival early next month.

Wherever you find yourselves in the Territory, there’s the chance to catch some cinematic gems on a big screen near you.

FESTIVAL

HIGHLIGHTS

Like My Brother - Opening Night with Special Guests Follow four young talented Tiwi Island women as they navigate the social and physical hurdles of following their dreams to AFLW stardom. With the support of their community, they face triumphs and setbacks as they navigate cultural expectations, distance, and financial barriers. Filmed over six years, this is a triumphant and inspiring documentary.

SPECIAL

EVENTS

All events at Deckchair Cinema unless otherwise noted

Titir Husi Maubisse Presented by The Asia Foundation, the New Zealand Government and Fundação Oriente, Titir Husi Maubisse follows traditional artists in Maubisse as they learn and experiment with traditional instruments. Join director Bernardino Soares as special guest for insight into how the film was made.

WHEN FRI 13 SEP | 5PM COST $11-$21

WHEN THU 12 SEP | 7PM COST $11-$21

RFDS Retro Screening four timeless classics, RFDS Retro brings a few golden oldies back to the big screen. Proof and Black Robe are presented by the National Film and Sound Archives digital restoration program, NFSA Restores.

Proof SAT 14 SEP | 5PM Lunana: A Yak in a Classroom SUN 15 SEP | 5PM Mary And Max FRI 20 SEP | 5PM Black Robe SUN 22 SEP | 5PM

COST

$8-$10

The Monk and the Gun Set in 2006, Bhutan embraces all things modern, with the introduction of the internet, television, and democracy. In preparation for voting, a mock election is held for its citizens, however those in rural communities remain sceptical. As an election supervisor travels to remote areas where religion often outweighs politics, he discovers a monk is planning a secretive ceremony on election day.

WHEN SUN 15 SEP | 7PM COST $11-$21

The 2024 Australian Cinematographers Society NT Awards The Northern Territory’s finest cinematographers are recognised at this night of celebration and recognition under the stars, featuring multi-award winning Guest of Honour Peter James, one of the greatest cinematographers of his generation.

WHEN SAT 21 SEP | 5.30PM AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA COST $130 Northern Territory Screen Summit This two-day industry event supports NT screen professionals, game developers and people considering a career in the NT screen sector.

The Summit explores craft, creativity and innovation with some of Australia’s most well-known screen specialists, and provides valuable networking opportunities for the local film industry.

WHEN SAT 21 & SUN 22 SEP AT CDU, DARWIN WATERFRONT CAMPUS

COST

Andamooka On the precipice of turning 30, Alex finds her whole life falling apart before her eyes. Seeking a glimmer of hope for her birthday, she retreats to Andamooka, a secluded opal mining town, to find comfort with her best friend. Set against the breathtaking landscape of remote Australia, Alex immerses herself in the magic of the outback.

Under Streetlights An aspiring Aboriginal hip-hop artist in the desert forms an unexpected friendship with the daughter of the policeman who arrested his father.

United by their love of music, the pair set out on a journey of healing and self-discovery. Based on a true story, the film follows an incredible story of resilience against all odds.

With special guests Georgie Neave, Mara Jean Quinn, and John Schmidt.

With special guests Jakob Harvey, Madison Hull, Leighton Mason, Danielle Loy, and Ken Lechleitner!

WHEN MON 16 SEP | 7PM COST $11-$21

WHEN WED 18 SEP | 7PM COST $11-$21

Wes at the Waterfront Wes Anderson takes over this year’s Waterfront Screen with a selection of family-friendly faves. Find the eccentrically charming and distinctive visual style of this filmmaker across four fun, flick-filled nights. Bring your blankets and settle in for this quirky journey of colour and motion picture magic.

Rushmore - SAT 14 SEP | 7.30PM Moonrise Kingdom - SUN 15 SEP | 7.30PM The Grand Budapest Hotel - FRI 20 SEP | 7.30PM Fantastic Mr Fox - SUN 22 SEP | 7.30PM

COST

FREE

FREE

Film Festival Feast The ultimate dining and film experience for the cinephile foodie!

This one-off event consists of a four-course dinner, drinks and the four-hour long mouth-watering film, Menus-Plaisir - Les Troisgros, set in a three-Michelin-star French restaurant. Oui!

WHEN SAT 14 SEP | 5.30PM AT HILTON DARWIN COST $175 SPARK The SPARK Short Film Initiative returns for its ninth edition, with three incredible local short films making their world premiere. Join special guests and local filmmakers in welcoming this year’s selection of shorts for one of the festival’s most awe-inspiring nights. Hot tip – this one always sells out – so get onto your tix quick sticks.

WHEN FRI 20 SEP | 7PM AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA COST $11-$21

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FESTIVALS

Delight in

Photo: Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore

DESERT FESTIVAL

Emily Wurramara

The Red Centre’s beloved Desert Festival returns for a celebration of art, music, dance and culture, taking place at the beautiful Olive Pink Botanic Gardens.

By Betty Sweetlove

E

XPECT A WHIRLWIND of multi-arts experiences themed around powerful voices, positive growth, and alternate realities. From immersive installations to musical and physical theatre workshops, enjoy a spectacular line-up of desert talent.

Inspiring this year’s theme are the local artists developing fresh new festival works.

“I took some inspiration from the Project Seed works that were already in development and these budding ideas around town,” says Creative Director Kim Haworth.

“Common themes that kept coming up were this perception of time and reality, and how they’re different in different spaces.”

Desert Festival WHEN FRI 27 – SUN 29 SEP AT MPARNTWE/ALICE SPRINGS INFO desfest.com

Project Seed provides dedicated support to get new works onto the stage each year.

“It’s supporting local artists,

Festival

HIGHLIGHTS

Synth School Plug into the world of electronic music in this fun workshop series led by Desert Festival artists. Learn the basic skills of electronic sound production and get to know how to use synthesisers. No experience needed.

WHEN MON 16 & TUE 24 SEP

supporting local arts workers and contractors, but then also bringing in other artists for mentorship.

It’s about building communities of practice, sharing all of these experiences and skills,” says Festival Producer Zoe Blow.

“I think that's probably where the festival provides something that other events don't, in skills and mentoring.”

Amongst the stunning debut performances is Clown by Kate Emery.

“Kate’s previous show was really well received when it had a performance at Desert Festival last year, and they've taken this development as a chance to sort of really dig into, like, what can I do in this space? It’s really exciting,” says Haworth.

Ashleigh Musk and Ivan Trigo Miras also debut their collaborative installation, CRISÁLIDA, which

Exhibition Opening: Portals Transformative Encounters Head to Watch This Space to meet the incredible Stick Mob Studio team, Seraphina Newberry, Alyssa Mason, Wendy Cowan and Declan Miller. Their evocative exhibition celebrates the power of collaborative storytelling and the launch of their new graphic novel.

blends video, objects, and sound.

“I don't think they've done a project like this together in this particular art form, but it is obviously blending skills that they already have in this new, exciting way. We saw a preview for that last week, and it looks really special and meditative and soft,” Haworth says.

Visual art lovers can join powerhouse creatives Stick Mob Studio at their immersive exhibition, Portals - Transformative Encounters.

“They're going to do another graphic novel launch as part of it and a comic art making workshop as well as their exhibition, which is taking what's usually on the page into a 3D format. It’s very cool,” says Haworth.

With workshops running all weekend, why not pick up a new skill at this year’s festival?

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$10

Deadly Funny: Comedy Workshop & Performance First Nations comedians and storytellers share five minutes of hilarious material. Workshop registrations are open for entrants to polish their skills with a seasoned pro!

“We've got [Territorian] Emily Wurramara and Dallas Frasca, who will be mentoring the Music NT Desert Divas, and they'll be performing as well,” says Haworth.

“Coloured Stone will help close out the festival and be a big celebratory moment.”

Celebrate the bounty of the Centre, the fruits borne from Project Seed, and delight in desert culture.

Mparntwe/Alice Springs Stomp Join Brisbane-based physical theatre company Zen Zen Zo as they share their specialty training methods in this action-packed workshop. Led by company founder, Dr Lynne Bradley, registrations are open to all performers, directors, teachers and emerging artists.

WHEN FRI 27 SEP WORKSHOP 3-5PM

WHEN FRI 20 SEP | 6-8PM COST FREE

Not to mention the powerful line-up of interstate artists making their way to the desert.

“The Saturday programming

WED 2 & THU 3 OCT

COST

showcases Sleep D and electronic production more broadly. We’ve got some Synth School workshops happening, so people who might not necessarily usually have access to electronic instruments can come in and learn and delve a bit deeper into the genre,” Haworth says.

SHOW 5.30-6.30PM

COST

FREE

WHEN SAT 28 SEP – WED 2 OCT COST $160 WEEKEND | $190 3-DAY $280 5-DAY

AROUND TOWN

Skies spanning the Cullen Bay Lawns pop with colour this month, as the bright and bold event that is the Darwin Kite Festival returns for a second year, this time, across two huge days.

By Tierney White

SEND IT SOARING A

FTER LAUNCHING KITES at the hugely successful inaugural event in 2023, the Darwin Kite Festival returns to give kite-gazers – young and old – something extra special to peek at, with hundreds of giant and colourful kites expected to take to the blue Top End skies.

Darwin Kite Festival invites revellers to look up, yes, but also down and sideways – there’s more to this sweet little festival than what floats above.

Enjoy local fare from a wide range of local food trucks and nearby eateries, and free kids’ entertainment with bouncing castles, facepainting, music, roving performances, and more.

Little ones get the chance to decorate their own kites, and can order one ahead of time to partake in the decorating workshops before they take flights in the public fly zone. A delight for young and old alike, one Darwin daddio says he’s definitely taking his two small children along.

“I guess nothing like this necessarily comes to Darwin very often, and kids love the magic of seeing these huge things in the sky, it’s pretty awesome,”

he says.

“It’s appealing to kids – and to grown-ups – and there’s other cool stuff there, too. It’s outside, near the beach, and heaps of other families go along. It’s pretty exciting.”

New this year is The Kite Express and Kite Shuttle, free and dedicated bus services to get you and the family safely to and from your sky-gazing experience.

So get your Mary Poppins on – let's go fly a kite and send it soaring!

Kite Festival Darwin WHEN FRI 20 & SAT 21 SEP AT CULLEN BAY LAWNS COST FREE INFO activtedarwin.nt.gov.au

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LISTINGS

DED – Creating Community and End of Life Doulas Join Dr Annetta Mallon from Gentle Death Education and Planning to learn about end-of-life consultants (also known as death/end of life doulas and death walkers). As well as building a compassionate community to avoid carer burnout during end of life.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 7 SEP | 2-4PM DARWIN COMMUNITY ARTS FREE deathcuriousdarwin@ gmail.com

Cocktail Movie Lounge Father's Day Don't forget to spoil the dads and dad figures in your lives, or surround yourself with loved ones if it's a challenging day for you. Take a trip down to the jetty and try for a barra, hit a few balls at the local golf range or simply head out for a nice feed..

WHEN SUN 1 SEP Darwin/Garramilla Climate Café The Climate Café offers a supportive space to help like-minded community members reflect and share personal feelings and experiences around today’s climate crisis, ecological collapse and current world affairs.

Theatre Makers

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY ARE YOU A Territorian with a creative idea bubbling away? Keen to explore some creative career development? Need some dosh to make it happen? The NT Arts Grants Program can help!

There’s a bunch of grants up for grabs across a range of categories, giving creatives financial support to explore their arts practice, development and ideas, including Quick Response Grants, Professional Development Grants, and Creative Communities Grants.

A fantastic initiative is the NXT Gen ARTS Grant, which sees young people aged 18-25 employed in established arts organisations. Some previous participants have gone on to gain ongoing employment within the Territory arts sector, which is ultimately the dream scenario.

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The Arts Projects Grants provides up

to $30,000 to support the creation and showcasing of arts, including a new touring category that supports performing and visual arts touring activity within the Territory.

Betty Sweetlove and Jasmine Story are creatives from Mparntwe/Alice Springs, who received funding to support their Theatre Makers Program in 2024, created to support the connection of theatre makers at any level to enrich theatre skills, and provide a hub for researching, developing and making new work.

Sweetlove says this financial support has been instrumental for the program.

“It has been amazing … we have extended the program since 2023, taken on 10 local artist facilitators who can run workshops, and also brand-new this year is they each provide mentorship for our 15 participants,” she says.

WHEN SUN 1 SEP | 10-11.30AM AT DARWIN COMMUNITY ARTS STUDIO

By Tierney White

“This support from Arts NT means that Jazzy and I can be paid properly as producers … we can’t grow the sector without proper pay and working conditions, and it’s massive professional development for us.”

So throw your creative ideas out there or explore creative development opportunities. The arts sector in the NT is strong, and oh so worthy of investment.

COST

FREE | DONATIONS

INFO

climatecafedarwin@gmail.com

ACCEPTED

An Enlightened Life: 5 Part Series A life guided by wisdom allows you to be truly successful and fulfilled.

In parts five of this series learn further teachings on avoiding some of the pitfalls you may find on your spiritual journey, as well as how to practically and successfully apply ancient wisdom in your daily life.

WHEN SUN 8 SEP | 5-7.30PM AT NIGHCLIFF COMMUNITY

nt.gov.au/artsgrants

WHEN AT COST INFO

COST INFO

FREE

WHEN AT COST INFO

MAGNT FREE magnt.net.au

DOM'S BAR & LOUNGE FREE domsdarwin.com.au

WHEN SAT 21 SEP | 10.30AM, 12PM & 2.15PM

AT

CHARLES DARWIN

COST INFO

$75

darwin@asmy.org.au

THU 5 SEP | 11AM-12PM

SUN 15 SEP | 7.30PM

Reinvent Yourself: How Meditation Changes Everything Want to live a happier life with clarity and focus? Join Buddhist nun Kelsang Monlam for a one-day workshop and discover how meditation can help you take back control of your mind!

CENTRE

Talk Transformations – The Changing Nature of the Territory Join Dr Richard Willan, Curator Emeritus of Molluscs, on International Museums Day to explore MAGNT’s best-loved permanent gallery, the Natural History Gallery.

INFO

The Princess Bride “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya.

You killed my father. Prepare to die.” What a classic line from a classic flick! Dom's returns with the movie of the month, so grab your friends and enjoy a throwback to the eighties with The Princess Bride.

A fab movie and cocktails? As you wish...

UNIVERSITY meditateindarwin.org

Silent Pages: A Shared Reading Experience It’s hard to make time to read when life is full of distractions. Come along and enjoy a serene space where you can escape with a good book and enjoy some together alone time. Whether you come with friends or solo, it's a perfect way to unwind midweek.

DOWN 2 CLOWN JOIN PERFORMER/FACILITATOR Anna Thomson for an eight-week series in contemporary clowning. Through solo, duo and group exercises, driven by movement and working through the body, embrace the joy in letting go of preconceived ideas of what funny is, to embrace and celebrate your innate ridiculousness.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 25 SEP | 6.15-7.30PM THE LAST SUPPER FREE thelastsupper.com.au

Italian Inspired High Tea Enjoy Italian fare at The Last Supper, where you're treated to a variety of sweet and savoury Italian inspired delights. Grazie mille!

WHEN AT COST INFO

COST INFO

RICH LIFE HEALTH & FITNESS $15 | FREE MEMB rlhf.com.au

infomania@internode.on.net

Food Trucks at Cullen Bay

Kirtan Immersion with Yadu & friends Enjoy a night of non-stop kirtan with special guest, Yadu, and friends. A total kirtan immersion with heart-felt tunes and mantra chanting to wash your worries away.

WHEN SUN 1 SEP | 5-7PM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY

$109 FOR 2 | $149 FOR 3 thelastsupper.com.au

SUN 29 SEP | 1-4PM CASUARINA LIBRARY FREE

CENTRE

All hail the Dry season! Round up the gang and head on down to Cullen Bay for a magical evening.

Tuck into a range of food trucks to delight your tastebuds, accompanied by the best sunsets in the Top End.

WHEN EVERY FRI, SAT & SUN 5-8PM AT CULLEN BAY FORESHORE INFO facebook.com/ cullenbaymarina

launchdarwin.com.au

WHEN EVERY MON | 9-11AM AT THE QUARTER, CASUARINA SQUARE FREE casuarinasquare.com.au

InVogue Dancing Pop on your dancing shoes every Friday and enjoy a weekly mix of standard ballroom and Latin American sequence dances. Everyone's welcome, and it's seniors friendly, with tea and coffee provided.

LUDMILLA $290 | $260 CONC facebook.com/annathomsoncomedy

good fortune and eliminating problems at a deeper level. Drop in any week, no booking required.

$8

THE LAST SUPPER

Tiny Tots Playgroup Let your little stars shine bright at this free weekly playgroup. Suitable for children aged six months to four years, this walk-in event does not require tickets. Fun!

COST INFO

CENTRE

AT COST INFO

SAT 28 SEP | 12-1.30PM

Geek Up This free event for young people aged 15-25, held on the last Sunday of the month, offers three fun activities. Enjoy board games, Dungeons and Dragons, and digital art with special guest artist Mayushii.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN EVERY FRI | 10AM-12PM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY

EVERY WED, 4 SEP – 30 OCT | 6-8PM

Ken's Crepes Mindil WHEN EVERY SUN | 8AM-1PM AT EAST POINT RESERVE INFO facebook.com/ kenscrepesmindil

MIND & BODY

COST INFO

FREE darwin@asmy.org.au

TRE (Tension/Trauma Release Exercises) WHEN MON 9 & 23 SEP 6.30-7.30PM

AT COST INFO

THE WELLNESS HUB DARWIN nebula.net.au

World Suicide Prevention Day Forum This two-day forum is aimed at providing world-wide commitment and prevention towards suicide.

Participate and learn from local and national keynote speakers, presentations, panel discussions, workshops and training.

WHEN EVERY MON | 10-11AM

8.30AM-5PM

AT COST INFO

SENIORS COMMUNITY HALL

CDU, CASUARINA CAMPUS $25-$125 sabrinasreach4life.com.au

Meditation Classes: Happiness, Success & The Law of Karma Why are some people naturally happy while others experience problems and obstacles? Explore this universal law and learn how to live in harmony with it by creating

RED HOT ARTS FREE MEMB ntwriters.com.au

Pizza Nights

$15 meditateindarwin.org

Sunset Yoga Watch the sun set over Cullen Bay Beach, as you relax into this flowing yoga class on the grass with smooth transitions between postures. BYO mat or hire one from the friendly team. All abilities welcome.

WHEN EVERY WED | 6PM AT RICH LIFE HEALTH & FITNESS

COST INFO

EVERY THU | 5.30-7.30PM

EVERY TUE | 7-8.15PM

$20 | $18 SEN | FREE MEMB

Got a craving for pizza? Scratch that itch and grab a hot slice every Thursday at Epilogue Lounge.

Whether you choose to share a few with your mates or want a hot disc of deliciousness all to yourself, there's plenty to go around.

rlhf.com.au

$20

WHEN TUE 10 – WED 11 SEP Mums and Bubs Pilates Join Rich Life Health and Fitness for baby-friendly Pilates. Strengthen, stretch and rejuvenate with your baby, and say hello to flexibility and strength. For mums with babies under one-year-old, bring a mat for your little one. If your baby is asleep during class, there's plenty of space for prams.

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

Movement Medicine WHEN EVERY SUN | 10-11.30AM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY THU | 5-10.30PM EPILOGUE LOUNGE $14 PIZZA | $6 HOUSE BEER epiloguelounge.com.au

CENTRE

COST INFO

$20

Margi and Taco Saturdays

movement.magic@yahoo.com

RED CENTRE Emerging Writers Group Want to get writing and meet other writers in Mparntwe/Alice Springs? The Emerging Writers’ Group is a place for would-be writers, not quite writers, and anyone who needs time and space to put words onto the page. Each session, members facilitate a series of exercises and sharing opportunities in a supportive and stimulating environment. Sessions are held in-person for NT Writers Centre members.

Turn your Saturday into Saturyay, amigos, with margs and tacos on the Epilogue Lounge Rooftop. Feel like busting a boogie? Lucky they have a pumping dance floor. Muy bien!

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY SAT | 5-10.30PM EPILOGUE LOUNGE $8-$35 TACOS | $15 MARGS epiloguelounge.com.au

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Photo: Daniel Boud

PERFORMING ARTS

THE VISITORS Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company have joined forces to present The Visitors based on the critically acclaimed play by Jane Harrison – a riveting and deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history.

By Tierney White

WHEN TUE 10 SEP | 7.30-8.45PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

S

EVEN CLAN LEADERS gather on a sandstone cliff overlooking the harbour in January in 1788, where they laugh, share a meal, and compare notes. But beyond the friendly banter and hospitality is a significant decision they must make.

As a mysterious fleet of giant nawi (tied-bark canoe) gather in the harbour, they must decide unanimously whether to send these strangers on their way or welcome them.

Directed by celebrated Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch, the theatre work took out Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards. Now, it’s the Territory’s turn to experience this important piece of theatre, with a special performance at Darwin Entertainment Centre as part of a regional tour.

Actor Zoe Walters hails from the NT, and says theatre is an important vessel for truth-telling.

“I think, especially in this post-referendum world that we’re living in, it’s really important to tell these stories, to keep these stories alive, and to not let the defeat of the referendum stop us from progressing and moving forward,” she says.

CENTRE

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COST INFO

$20-$45 yourcentre.com.au

“If there is a silver lining, it is that everyone is talking about the future of this country and moving towards reconciliation in this country, and it’s

really important to keep that conversation alive. I think this story, this play, absolutely just drives this narrative.”

More than entertainment, theatre, music, film and art on the whole is an important part of our cultural and social fabric, with the ability to bring people together, to share humour, sadness and happiness, and, importantly, to learn.

“In the arts … it isn’t just telling people facts. It’s being entertaining and it’s being clever. It’s making people think, and it’s a lot more complicated than sitting down and listening to a speech or listening to someone tell you the facts – it’s making you think and come to your own conclusions,” Walters says.

“It really immerses the audience in a story that otherwise a white audience doesn’t get to experience, hearing those conversations and being part of the story. I think it really brings people together, theatre, and it moves us together.”

Don’t miss the chance to see this incredible theatre work featuring some of our country’s most talented creatives, and experience a hugely entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.

DEADLY FUNNY

By Tierney White

IT’S THAT TIME of year, comedy lovers, as emerging First Nations comics take the mic to dish out their original giggle-inducing material.

Presented by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Deadly Funny unearths the freshest and funniest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talents across our great continent.

Budding comics compete in heats in more than 20 towns and communities across Australia, with winners going on to compete in the Deadly Funny National Grand Final at the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. No gammon.

Photo: T J Garvie

The nation-wide comp has catapulted the careers of deadly comedians including Steph Tisdell, Kevin Kropinyeri, Dane Simpson, Elaine Crombie and Sean Choolburra, to name a few. Heats for rib-tickling Territorians are held in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek this month, and comedy

TIME TO TAKE THE WHEEL

By Jenna Kirkham

lovers are invited to sit in and enjoy the diverse mix of talent as it’s unearthed.

Leon Filewood is a lawyer who was born and raised on Waiben (Thursday Island), Kaurareg Country, in the Torres Strait. He took out the national competition in 2018 after starting comedy for the first time at the age of 37, and joins Dane Simpson to run the pre-show workshops. Filewood says comedy is so much more than just a form of entertainment.

“Humour is part of Mob’s sort of essence of being, you know what I mean? Obviously there’s Sorry Business … but typically, when Mob get together, we always have a laugh, it’s just the way we are I guess,” he says.

“The other big piece for me is we’ve got 236 years of colonial history, obviously intergenerational trauma and those sorts of things, and comedy for us and the space of humour in general, especially

RUNNING FOR ITS fourth consecutive year, SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre continues to bravely take on the hard-hitting topics affecting today’s youth, with their latest production TIME. Created for and by young people, TIME is a response to the troubling and confronting reality of teen deaths and lives lost on Territory roads each year. With this in mind, it’s never been more apparent for teens to understand the risks that come with the responsibility of having a driver’s licence.

Photo: David Hancock

TIME follows five teens as they rocket down the Stuart Highway, the wind in their hair as the speedometer clocks twice the speed limit. They excitedly embrace their newfound freedom, only to find their liberation is short-lived.

This incredibly powerful, bold and proactive response weaves music, words, movement and relationships to convey the confronting consequences that are all too real for the young people of today.

with Mob, is healing, you know?

There’s so much Sorry Business in our communities … we need every opportunity to be able to reflect and heal, and comedy is a big part of that.”

Get set for a night of laughter near you to find out who could be reppin’ the Territory at the national final in 2025. Too deadly.

Darwin WHEN TUE 24 SEP | 7.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST

$15

Alice Springs WHEN FRI 27 SEP | 5.30PM AT OLIVE PINK BOTANIC GARDENS

COST

FREE

Tennant Creek INFO comedyfestival.com.au

youth-led performances to communicate important messages to youth, the dance company refusing to shy away from critical youth-based issues.

Although challenging, SLIDE has delivered and crafted a beautifully honest and powerful performance, acknowledging the anguishing reality of the topic whilst reminding us that life is precious.

Hoping to inform novice drivers on the unknown risks they may face, TIME has been deemed essential viewing for all young drivers and has already been watched by over 6,000 Darwin and Katherine students and community members.

Aiming to inspire wiser decision making and ultimately save young Territory lives, the unique and though-provoking choreography of TIME is sure to leave a lasting impression.

WHEN WED 11 - FRI 13 SEP, 10.30AM & 7PM | SAT 14 SEP, 7PM

AT

DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SLIDE has a great track record of using powerful and educational

COST INFO

$20-$35 yourcentre.com.au

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LISTINGS

FOOD & DRINK

The Beat Festival Made up with over one thousand 12 to 18-year-old students, Beat Festival brings to the stage an impressive 300-voice choir, 30-piece orchestra, dance groups, rock bands, soloists, music ensembles and vocalists, in this annual performing arts showcase. Talk about Territory talent!

RED CENTRE Open Contemporary

Barkaa and Nooky enjoy a tacodile!

WHEN WED 4 – FRI 6 SEP | 7-8.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

COST INFO

$24-$36 yourcentre.com.au

Peter Williams - Return of the Medium Psychic-medium and author Peter Williams returns to Darwin after sell-out shows across the world. Is your dearly departed waiting on the other side to make contact? Head along to find out.

Join GUTS Dance for an introduction to contemporary dance, including technique, floor work, improvisation and choreography. These classes are great for anyone looking to start from scratch or get back into dance in a comfortable rhythm, focusing on getting your bones and muscles moving in a relaxed and fun environment.

WHEN EVERY TUE | 6-7.15PM AT GUTS STUDIO, ARALUEN ARTS

From Bush TO PLATE

By Jenna Kirkham

From humble beginnings as a small artist co-op out of Brown’s Mart, Aboriginal Bush Traders (ABT) now offers a beautiful café space, catering service, and retail gallery, all directly supporting the Indigenous community.

CENTRE

WHEN SUN 15 SEP | 7-8PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

COST INFO

$17 | $140 10-CLASS gutsdance.org.au

CENTRE

COST INFO

$55-$75

Chance to Dance

yourcentre.com.au

LOCATED ON THE ground floor of the Charles Darwin Centre, you will find a treasure of Indigenous art and homewares, native jams, teas and spices as well as a tasty bush inspired menu.

Cirque Africa “It’s quite a simple menu, not over the top fancy or anything but every single food in here will have a bush spice or some sort of bush food element,” says Belinda Foster, ABT Gallery Coordinator.

From the director of hit Broadway show Cirque Mother Africa comes Cirque Africa, featuring the best talents from across the African continent. This rhythmic, colourful, and awe-inspiring show features acrobats, dancers, musicians, and contortionists.

WHEN FRI 20 SEP | 7.30-9.30PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT

A beginner’s dance class for adults over 50. Come and learn a mixture of different dance styles in a welcoming space. No dance experience needed, just a desire to move. A fun way to get fit, learn new choreography and meet new people!

WHEN EVERY THU | 6-7PM AT GUTS STUDIO, ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

COST INFO

$17 | $140 10-CLASS gutsdance.org.au

Their signature pepper berry sausage rolls are a delicious take on an Aussie classic that incorporates pepper berry, native thyme and bush spices. ABT Café’s cakes and muffins often feature wattle seed or lemon myrtle, and their rosella iced tea is the perfect refreshment for a hot Darwin day.

Sourced from around Australia and featuring seasonal produce, ABT is conscious of from whom and where they source their materials.

CENTRE

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COST INFO

$79.90-$94.80 yourcentre.com.au

“As long as we’re getting it off a native grower or Indigenous

business, we’re still showcasing bush food provided by Indigenous mob,” says Foster.

“Everything in the gallery, at some point in the supply chain, an Indigenous person’s paved … It might be a collaboration where growers are providing the food to the producer, and a lot of that is showcased here in the café.”

As a non-for-profit organisation ABT is committed to ensuring proceeds directly support community Art Centres and Indigenous artists. All art within the gallery is ethically sourced, with a strong focus on Top End artists.

“We’re trying to educate tourists as well about the Indigenous art sector … showing as many different styles as we can.”

As the gallery showcases all things art, the kitchen is also not afraid to step things up with the introduction of the tacodile. Created as a special request for music sensation and NIMA award-winner BARKAA, the

tacodile is a spin on the Mexican dish using crocodile as the filling.

ABT’s catering menu also shows off some of the best of their unique bush inspired cuisine. Bite into their tasty selection of sandwiches, hot foods and antipasto, or enjoy roast kangaroo sliders with a side of savoury damper and bush tomato relish.

The space is a great multi-purpose setting for the community to connect, offering an ideal location for the public to enjoy. Open to after-hours events, corporate breakfasts and workshops, it’s the perfect place to embrace culture in the CBD. With its central location, traditional tucker inspired menu, a plethora of catering options and delicious tasting plates at the ready, ABT is ready and waiting to delight both your eyes and your tastebuds.

AT INFO

ABORIGINAL BUSH TRADERS aboriginalbushtraders.com

2023 NT Literary Awards Winners

40 Years of Literary Triumph

By Jenna Kirkham

SINCE 1984, THE NT Literary Awards have celebrated the unpublished works of Territorians, and this month, the 2024 winners are revealed.

With over 240 entries coming in hot across seven categories – essay, flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short story, theatre and youth – the awards are an annual highlight for not only aspiring authors, poets, journalists and writers but the award coordinators as well.

“The awards have been a highlight of the NT literary scene for 40 years, and Library & Archives NT are incredibly proud to have supported the rich talent of Territory writers since 2002,” says Library & Archives NT’s Senior Director, Tracy Puklowski.

As the NT Literary Awards celebrate 40 years this year, the panel of judges continue to have their work cut out for them, with 22 works shortlisted.

WHEN WED 4 SEP | 5.30PM AT NORTHERN TERRITORY LIBRARY

COST INFO

FREE | REGISTER ONLINE lant.nt.gov.au

This year’s shortlisted entries include Clare Bizley’s creative non-fiction entry Jim Jim Falls (In and Out of Love), Fiona Dorrell’s poem Precious Thing, Dave Clark’s short story Make Some Noise, and Joe Abraham’s flash fiction entry, Sirens.

Abraham won the 2023 Kath Manzie Youth Award for AKAL – In the Shadows of the Slum. The year 12 student, after being encouraged by his teachers, took a shot at submitting his work and was surprised to have won.

“I didn’t expect to win – it was a great shock, and after that I think I’ve gotten a bit more confident in my writing skills. It was just really exciting and the whole process of going through writing a story was really nice,” he says.

“It’s good to see all the works published at the end of the ceremony in the book you get, and when you’re reading through all the great works done by everyone in the NT … it’s a really nice feeling.”

With 40 years of showcasing incredible local talent, the NT Literary Awards continue to be a great opportunity for writers to celebrate their achievements with friends and family, and a boost of encouragement for aspiring storytellers. Winners are announced at the awards ceremony at Northern Territory Library in Parliament House, which is live streamed to Red Kangaroo Books in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.

13

17

25 Mic Night

Tue

Mon

4 DIFF 9 Meditation Classes: Happiness, Success & The Law of Karma 12 Open Contemporary 26 Arrkanala Lyilhitjika

23 9 Tiny Tots Playgroup 9 Mums and Bubs Pilates 9 TRE

See Festivals 6

18

12 Chance to Dance

Wed

Tue

4 DIFF 9 Down 2 Clown 9 Sunset Yoga 25 Hot ‘n’ Cold Big Band 25 Mic Night

24 9 Meditation Classes: Happiness, Success & The Law of Karma 11 Deadly Funny 12 Open Contemporary 24 GUTS TOUR

Sat

19

25 Friday Knock Off

Thu

4 DIFF 9 Emerging Writers Group 9 Pizza Nights 12 Chance to Dance 22 NT Art Awards – DoubleTree Hilton (opens) 24 GUTS TOUR 26 Voices from the Desert

See Music 24

Sun

25 Sunset Sounds

29

6 Desert Festival

6 Desert Festival 9 Geek Up 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Ken’s Crepes Mindil 9 Movement Medicine 22 NT Art Awards – Tactile Arts (last chance) 25 Nat and Max Duo 25 Sunday Music

28 9 Italian Inspired High Tea 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Margi and Taco Saturdays 20 Submerged (last chance) 25 Weekends at Willing 25 Joe Camilleri & the Black Sorrows

20 Fri

4 DIFF 5 SPARK 7 Kite Festival Darwin 9 InVogue Dancing 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 12 Cirque Africa 24 GUTS TOUR 25 Weekends at Willing 25 Friday Knock Off

GUTS TOUR

JAMES RANGE BAND & FLOODLIGHTS See Music 25

25 Weekends at Willing

See Around Town 7

Wed

7 Kite Festival Darwin

25

Mon

8 Silent Pages: A Shared Reading Experience 9 Down 2 Clown 9 Sunset Yoga 24 GUTS TOUR 25 Hot ‘n’ Cold Big Band 25 Mic Night

30

9 Tiny Tots Playgroup 9 Mums and Bubs Pilates 19 Ngurra ma ngu durr warla yibu nginyi ma (last chance)

21

26 Jigsaw Collective

Sat

4 DIFF 5 Australian Cinematographers Society NT Awards 5 NT Screen Summit 8 Reinvent Yourself 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Margi and Taco Saturdays 24 GUTS TOUR 25 Rock The Bay 26 Men Aloud 26 Jigsaw Collective

See Visual Arts 22

22

Sun

26 Jigsaw Collective

Thu

4 DIFF 5 NT Screen Summit 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Ken’s Crepes Mindil 9 Movement Medicine 25 Nat and Max Duo 25 Sunset Sounds 25 Sunday Music

26

22 NT Art Awards – DoubleTree Hilton (last chance)

9 Emerging Writers Group 9 Pizza Nights 12 Chance to Dance 20 Symbol//Signal (last chance) 24 GUTS TOUR

Fri

9 Mums and Bubs Pilates

See Music 26

27

6 Desert Festival 9 InVogue Dancing 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 11 Deadly Funny 24 GUTS TOUR 25 Weekends at Willing 25 Friday Knock Off

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

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.

Sun HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

2 8

Mon

9 Tiny Tots Playgroup 9 Mums and Bubs Pilates

Sun

9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 8 An Enlightened Life 9 Ken’s Crepes Mindil 9 Movement Medicine 25 Darwin Celtic Music Sessions 25 Nat and Max Duo 25 Sunset Sounds 25 Sunday Music 26 Jigsaw Collective

Thu

Darwin International Film Festival

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4 DIFF 9 Emerging Writers Group 9 Pizza Nights 11 TIME 12 Chance to Dance

3 Tue

Fri

4 DIFF 9 InVogue Dancing 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 11 TIME 22 NT Art Awards – Tactile Arts Gallery (opens) 25 Weekends at Willing 25 Friday Knock Off

13

9 Meditation Classes: Happiness, Success & The Law of Karma 12 Open Contemporary

SEPTEMBER 2024

1 8 Darwin/Garramilla Climate Café 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Ken’s Crepes Mindil 9 Kirtan Immersion 9 Movement Medicine 25 Sunday Reggae Sessions 25 First Sunday Blues 25 Sunset Sounds 25 Sunday Music

Wed

See Around Town 9

11 9 Down 2 Clown 9 World Suicide Prevention Day Forum 9 Sunset Yoga 11 TIME 25 Hot ‘n’ Cold Big Band 25 Mic Night

4 Wed

9 Down 2 Clown 9 Sunset Yoga 12 The Beat Festival 13 NT Literary Awards 25 Hot ‘n’ Cold Big Band 25 Mic Night

See Feature 4 & 5

5 Thu Oct web uploads deadline

Sat

8 Talk: Transformations 9 Emerging Writers Group 9 Pizza Nights 12 The Beat Festival 12 Chance to Dance 18 Desert Mob (opening)

14

4 Darwin International Film Festival

5 Film Festival Feast 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Margi and Taco Saturdays 11 TIME 25 Weekends at Willing

See Around Town 7

6

Fri

9 InVogue Dancing 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 12 The Beat Festival 20 Symbol//Signal (opening) 25 Beatrice 25 Drum & Bass Massive 25 Weekends at Willing 25 Friday Knock Off

Sun

See Visual Arts 21

15

4 DIFF 8 Cocktail Movie Lounge The Princess Bride 9 Food Trucks at Cullen Bay 9 Ken’s Crepes Mindil 9 Movement Medicine 12 Peter Williams 25 Sunset Sounds 25 Sunday Music 26 Jigsaw Collective

7

Sat

Mon

8 DED 20 Colour Conference (last chance) 21 Rrambaŋi Bukaway (last chance) 21 Palimpsest of Life (last chance) 21 Embracing Essence: The Beauty Within (last chance) 21 Author, Artist, Activist (last chance) 25 LIM

9

9 Tiny Tots Playgroup 9 Mums and Bubs Pilates 9 TRE

See Music 24

24 Bush Bands Bash 2024

See Music 25

10

25 Horrorshow

Tue

Oct advert bookings deadline

Oct ad artwork deadline

Mon

9 World Suicide Prevention Day Forum 9 Meditation Classes: Happiness, Success & The Law of Karma 10 The Visitors 12 Open Contemporary 23 Chari 2na

16

4 DIFF 9 Tiny Tots Playgroup 9 Mums and Bubs Pilates

See Music 26

16

EXPLORE Desert Song Festival – Ormiston Gorge

DISCOVER T CENTRAL AUSTRALIA HOT MONTHLY TIPS FROM OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT TOURISM CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

HROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER, YOU can deep dive into the culture of the region through music, art, and dance. The array of events explores history, tradition, culture, creativity, and community spirit to bring people together and embrace what makes this region so special.

Indigenous music that allows remote musicians’ voices to be heard live. It is an event where a wide audience of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous crowds unite to celebrate rich Australian cultural heritage. Music fans can dance to the rhythm of rock, reggae, folk, world, and country.

If you’re looking for the ultimate art experience, and perhaps even purchase a piece of Aboriginal art, Desert Mob is the perfect event for you.

One of the nation’s oldest Aboriginal art festivals, it features artists from over 30 Aboriginal Art Centres across the NT, SA, and WA.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Dust off your cowboy boots and chuck on your Akubra for Barkly Rodeo early next month in Tennant Creek. This action-packed afternoon and night of rodeo, seeing some of the best rodeo talent right in Tennant Creek, is a fun event the whole family can enjoy.

Performing arts enthusiasts can immerse themselves in music and dance, with both the Desert Song Festival and Desert Festival. This year’s Desert Song Festival is the last one curated by Morris Stuart, which makes it an unmissable event. The Desert Festival is a multi-disciplinary arts celebration of rich NT culture, located in the beautiful bush surrounds of Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, a true highlight of Mparntwe/Alice Springs.

With so many significant events happening, get out there this September and enjoy the cultural spectacle Alice has to offer.

The iconic Bush Bands Bash (BBB) is also back to celebrate 20 huge years, definitely one not to be missed. BBB is a celebration of contemporary

INFO

discovercentralaustralia.com

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Photo: Rhett Hammerton

Photo: Rhett Hammerton

VISUAL ARTS

Images courtesy of Desart

Photo: Ivan Trigo Miras

Cindy Kunoth of Utopia Art Centre at Desert Mob 2023 Marketplace

Desert Mob 2023 Exhibition installation image with work by Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Warlukurlangu Artists

Cultivate Connection at

DESERT MOB

By Betty Sweetlove

F

EATURING ARTIST TALKS , after-dark events and the much-anticipated marketplace, Desert Mob is an annual arts highlight for visitors and locals alike. Curators Hetti Perkins and Aspen Beattie can’t wait to open this year’s gallery doors.

“We're super excited again this year. It's always such a pleasure because it's just such a beautiful time of the year and all the wildflowers are out and everything, so Central Australia is just gorgeous,” says Perkins.

major works, you know, ones that you'd expect to see in state galleries or art museums. So that's really exciting,” says Perkins.

The exhibition centrepiece showcases Maruku Arts, the Anangu-owned arts collective based in Mutitjulu. Internationally renowned Maruku director Rene Kulitja, who’s work Yananyi Dreaming famously covers a Qantas Boeing 737, opens the show.

“We've invited [Rene], and she's very generously accepted our invitation to open Desert Mob this year. So, again, we're very, very excited about that,” says Perkins.

“People can't wait to come for the show and be part of it all. So that's always for us the most exciting thing, that the artists are happy, because it's their event.”

“[Maruku is] one of the original Art Centres that have been a part of Desert Mob from its beginning. They're still here and we're really trying to show them off on their 40th birthday,” says Beattie.

Their creative partnership over the last two years has resulted in an explosion of new events including the all-day Symposium. In 2024, a record-breaking 35 Art Centres feature in the program.

“I've been so privileged to have Hetti kind of be my mentor in this journey, and just see how important it is to be collaborative and, you know, open your ears to the Art Centres and the artists that you're working directly with, making sure that it's artists first,” says Beattie.

ur Co n. o t r Pho to: Rhett Hamme

“We're privileging their voices when we're hanging their work or accepting their work into the exhibition and just giving them that platform to shine.”

“We were really fortunate to be able to work with Verity, who's the CEO at Maruku, to select some Punu works because that's again been something that they're really known for since their first exhibition 40 years ago, since they were incorporated,” says Perkins.

te sy De sar t

Artists and art lovers pour into Mparntwe/ Alice Springs for Desert Mob this month, set to experience a colour-popping program, exhibition and marketplace. Experience the gathering of over 30 Art Centres in this celebration of Country, community and culture.

Desert Mob After Dark curator floortalk

Adding to the opening night atmosphere is the soothing sounds of musician Keanu Nelson Tjakamarra. Attendees can take advantage of the exhibition opening from 5pm, giving visitors an hour to enjoy the artworks before grabbing a spot to listen to opening speeches.

Perkins says they have big plans for the beloved event moving forwards.

“We are very ambitious for Desert Mob. There is no end to the talent and so we're really trying to make sure we can support as many expressions of our culture as we can in this space,” says Perkins.

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Desert Mob WHEN THU 5 SEP – SUN 20 OCT AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE INFO desertmob.com

The sublime scale of the works in this year’s exhibition has to be seen to be believed.

“One of the things that we're really seeing is a lot of the works are quite

“It really is that principle … of culture first. You know, privileging the artist’s voice is at the centre of it, and that's why we encourage people to actually come the first night. The works are only for sale locally, the exhibition's not online, so we do make sure that people living in Mparntwe have first go at the beautiful works on display,” says Perkins.

With so much culture on offer, workshops, talks and after-dark events are in high demand. Explore the full program for an opportunity like no other to experience the richness of First Nations culture.

ABORIGINAL BUSH TRADERS

Shop 4, 19 The Mall, Charles Darwin Centre | aboriginalbushtraders.com MON-FRI, 9AM-3PM

Ngurra ma ngu durr warla yibu nginyi ma (the country is restored after the big rains of the wet season)

A POP-UP EXHIBITION featuring works from Karungkarni Arts, which is based in Kalkarindji, a community 460 km south-west of Katherine.

UNTIL

MON 30 SEP

Richard Long, 'Kurlatarti (bush orange)', acrylic on canvas, 61x61cm

NCCA Northern Centre for Contemporary Art Vimy Lane, Parap | nccart.com

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

TARIPANG / DHARRIPA / TREPANG THE FIRST EXHIBITION of its kind on the subject in NT. The group show celebrates the contemporary cultural legacies shared between First Nations Australians and visiting Macassan seafarers, with newly commissioned work from Aboriginal and Indonesian artists, including recent and historical work from across Northern Australia.

UNTIL

SAT 5 OCT Djambanpuy Dhawu, 'The Tamarind Tale', 2023, photographic still single-channel video, 3min 38 sec

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TACTILE ARTS

GODINYMAYIN CULTURE CENTRE

TUE-SAT, 10AM-2PM

MON-FRI, 9AM-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

Colour CONFERENCE

Lot 3238 Stuart Hwy, Katherine | dvaa.net.au

SUBMERGED

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

Kaye Strange, ‘Hidden Sparrow’, 2024, acrylic on paper, 43x43cm

SUBMERGED CONTEMPLATES THE interconnected relationships that bind humanity to the awe-inspiring, mysterious aquatic and subterranean realms. Brought together by regular drawing sessions, this diverse group of Territory artists embark on a journey to discover the complex threads that tether us to the depths of our planet's waterscapes and beyond.

UNTIL

SAT 28 SEP

UNTITLED GALLERY + STUDIO

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

Symbol// Signal Kathryn Dwyer, 'Electric Ibis', 2023, gouache, 82.2x60.2cm

KATHRYN DWYER IS a Darwin-based visual artist with a keen appreciation for the natural beauty of the Northern Territory. Inspired by birds and nature, and their intricacies and patterns, she brings light, life and nature to paper and wood, offering extraordinary insight into our joyful NT environment.

SYMBOL//SIGNAL USES two formats to represent the interlacing of objects and emotions, focusing on the ability to create, edit, and reinterpret memories. Abbey uses iconic Darwin colours in her prints and still life paintings to reimagine disparate memories of personal themes and events.

WHEN FRI 6 – THU 26 SEP

20

UNTIL

SAT 7 SEP

OPENING FRI 6 SEP, 5PM Abbey Hall, 'A Union (II)', acrylic on canvas

DARWIN VISUAL ARTS

MAGNT Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

WED, 12–5PM | THU & FRI, 10AM-5PM | SAT, 10AM-2PM

DAILY, 10AM-4PM

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

Photo: Benjamin Warlngundu Ellis

8 McMinn St, Darwin | dvaa.net.au

RRAMBAŊI BUKAWAY THE BUKAWAY GROUP based in Nhulunbuy create stunning metal art using the ancient lost wax casting technique. Made from recycled aluminium, their sculptures bring Dreaming stories to life.

Visit the exhibition to experience their shimmering totems and deep connection to North-East Arnhem Land.

Quincy Yarrngu, 'Goanna's nest', 2022, aluminium, 14x10x10cm

Palimpsest of Life

Debbie Walter, 'Tired Dad portrait with end of life paperwork', 2022, bitumen paint and collage on canvas, 90x121cm

THIS EXHIBITION BY Debbie Walter is a thought-provoking visual arts project that reimagines memento mori. This PhD journey connects a personal reflection on death to the global warning of the Anthropocene. Concepts are explored through portraiture and suggested landscapes, reflecting on life's fleeting nature and our collective legacy.

Embracing Essence: The Beauty Within Noli Rictor with his award-winning work, Kamanti

THIS EXHIBITION BY Sarah Strzelecki begins to capture the diverse beauty of the feminine form and intimate moments of life.

Through soft and expressive brushstrokes, this collection celebrates individuality, motherhood, and the innocence of childhood, inviting viewers to reflect on their own personal journeys and the beauty that lies within.

Sarah Strzelecki, 'Poised', 2024, digital painting printed, 42x29.7cm

Author, Artist, Activist

Karen Fletcher, 'Absorbing the message of Change', 2024, acrylic on canvas, 120x90cm

UNTIL

SAT 7 SEP

"I AM A carpenter, painter, mosaic artist, sculptor, and more. My art is diverse and ever-evolving. As a mother to many, I use art therapy to create a sanctuary at home and create thought-provoking pieces for others to own." - Karen Fletcher

Telstra National ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ART AWARDS THE TELSTRA NATIONAL Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) is the longest running and most prestigious awards for Indigenous artists in the country. This exhibition celebrates the diverse artistic practice of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait art from across Australia.

The 2024 Telstra NATSIAA showcases 72 finalists, featuring 42 female artists and 21 emerging artists. Noli Rictor took out the overall prize for his work, Kamanti.

“Noli’s work is a testament to his exceptional talent and deep connection to the Spinifex Lands. His depiction of the Wati Kutjara Tjukurpa at Kamanti offers a powerful glimpse into his heritage, beautifully illustrating the Ancestral narratives that shape his Country and community." - Adam Worrall, Director of MAGNT

UNTIL

MON 27 JAN

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Photo: Charlie Bliss

A Stroke of Genius If you’ve attended any of Tactile Arts’ Makers Markets or exhibitions over the years, you’d know Territory locals are positively brimming with artistic talent. So, an award to recognise said talents makes sense, right? Right. Cue the inaugural Northern Territory Art Award.

AS AN ORGANISATION on the forefront of the NT’s contemporary art scene for decades now Tactile Arts, in collaboration with Darwin Visual Arts (DVA), is thrilled to launch the inaugural Northern Territory Art Award.

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Tactile Art’s General Manager Aneka Truman says, after previous surveys conducted found an art award in Darwin sorely missing, they look forward to bringing an award like this back to the Territory.

“I don’t believe there’s every really been an art award in Darwin. From the 1980s to early 2000s, there was an award called the National Craft Acquisition Award … where, nationally, people could enter amazing craft pieces,” she says.

“MAGNT were showing me these amazing things, and obviously then I had a conversation with my board at Tactile and asked, ‘why aren’t we doing this anymore?’”

With the combined forces of Tactile and DVA, the goal is to make the award as big and as successful as possible for artists in the NT. “It’s really a case of celebrating what amazing talent we have in Darwin and the Northern Territory, and trying to showcase … the best of the best to try and get people to see how amazing everyone is.”

To enter, artists must currently be residing in the NT, with the submitted work having been completed in the past two years. All mediums

By Jenna Kirkham are accepted, with a handsome first place cash reward of $5,000.

“It would be great if people, whether you’re an artist or just a hobbyist, it would be great to have people just entering and exploring art,” Truman says.

“I would hope the NT Art Award will help people to try and get interested in art, try something new.”

Highly commended pieces will be featured in exhibitions in Darwin, at the Hilton as well as the Tactile Arts Gallery.

“Exciting that it’s the first one and hopefully many more to come,” says Truman.

WHEN FRI 13 – SUN 29 SEP AT TACTILE ARTS GALLERY WHEN THU 19 – THU 26 SEP AT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON INFO

tactilearts.org.au

MUSIC

CHALI 2NA TUE 10 SEP | 7-11PM BUSTARD TOWN $35 bustardtown.com

Tierney White had a chat with him ahead of his gig at Bustard Town this month.

Chali, thanks so much for your time.

You’re coming to Darwin – how did we land on your radar?

I mean, you know, my theory about all of this thing when it comes to music is that you go where you’re wanted, and I’ve been to Darwin – in the 20 years we’ve been coming to Australia – maybe twice? I just remember it being on the map with Jurassic for sure, I’m not sure if it was on any of my solo ones, but I definitely remember coming down there at least once, at the very least once. So, I’m happy to go wherever anybody wants me to come, especially if it’s to perform, and it’s an appreciation of the art that I do.

Your bio says you’re a painter that can rap – not the other way around.

Can you tell us a bit about your artwork?

As long as I can remember I’ve been a visual artist, I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t attracted to being able to pull off something visual. I can remember a time when I was with all my cousins – I have several, I have a huge family, okay, let’s start with that – and my cousins would come to hang out and my mum and my aunts and friends and everybody would want to hang out, too. They’d want to get us occupied, put us in the same room, put us in front of the TV, and give us a bunch of, like, construction paper, pens, and markers.

I’d find myself sitting in front of the TV with a big piece of paper and just start drawing and stuff, I can remember that, from as long and as far back as I can remember, so that alone was a love that I had for anything artistic.

Photo: Jorg e Sevilla

WHEN AT COST INFO

With his unmistakable baritone voice and six-and-a-half-foot charm, Chali 2na has established himself as one of hip-hop’s most celebrated and charismatic personalities. Known for co-founding music groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, he's collaborated with some of the industry’s biggest names.

He’s also an established visual artist and a genuinely lovely human.

When hip hop came along, I was instantly attracted to graffiti. I mean, I love the music and everything, but it was kind of commercial for the lifestyle, if you feel, the culture, but I was instantly attracted to anything visual.

I learned how to rap eventually just playing around with poetry and looking at it as audio art, you know what I mean? But I wasn’t as serious about it as I was about painting

until these opportunities came where, you know, hanging out with fellas doing demos turned into real job opportunities [laughs].

That’s the dream! [laughs] We have some amazing street art here in Darwin, you gotta check it out!

So, you’re a founding member of Jurassic 5 and also rock band Ozomatli but having huge success as a solo artist. What’s that journey been like for you?

Well, I will say, it’s always better, in my opinion, when you’re in congregation, if you feel me, with a bunch of guys able to pull off something that is extremely attractive – audio, visual, both – you know what I mean? That being said … I always think it’s better, and the product comes out better, when you have more minds.

But I will say, as a solo artist – being with Jurassic or being with Ozo, or being in both groups at times – where, sometimes, my ideas didn’t fit … I would either swap the two or have this overabundance of work that I could just try to put on different things.

By the grace of God, I was attracting a lot of solo work, and when I say solo work, I mean a lot of collaborations – people calling me to collaborate on a track. So I just had this work in me, and I think after that, because I was really eager to get all of this stuff out, no matter the cost, so to speak, I wasn’t really trippin’ on putting anything out negative in the work because it definitely wasn’t where I was coming from, but I did like the fact that I was being approached by all these outlets and I could do all this music.

It was fun to do, and eventually when I was given the opportunity to do a solo project for the first time, which was Fish Outta Water, I wasn’t really thinking about it like solo, I really wanted the group to prosper … I’m saying this I guess because it’s easy to take care of yourself, right, to know kind of what you like … It’s a harder process as a solo artist, but I feel like, at the same time, it’s more rewarding when the thing that you’re creating becomes something that people like. Sorry, that was a

long answer!

No, I get it – thanks for taking the time to explain it, I really appreciate it. And how does it feel, decades later, to still be doing what you love and still having so many show up for you?

Blessed. I feel blessed. I’m extremely grateful and I look at people like BB King who went until they couldn’t anymore, and I’m wondering if that’s what my path is? I don’t know, I’m willing to accept it if that’s what it is [laughs]. I’m happy that we get these opportunities, I’m happy to have some of my closest friends working around me … I feel blessed. I can’t really put it any simpler than that!

Yeah, why over complicate it? And for those that haven’t had the pleasure, what can punters expect from a Chali 2na show?

Lyrical acrobatics for one, songs, if you’ve ever heard anything that I’ve done you’ll get to actually see it live. We come from the era where being clever meant everything, we come from the era where your show speaks louder than anything you may say out your mouth in an interview, so for me, I like to entertain.

You’ll see a plethora of the different genres of music that I’ve touched, with the school of hip hop, education that I have [laughs] so to speak, right? Also, it spans my career, it’s also like a masterclass, but it’s a celebration of hip hop.

Well, I think something you’ll find a lot of us Darwin crowd doing is hitting the dancefloor, and your tunes lend themselves to that. Any plans while you’re in town?

You know, I’m not certain if we have a day off the day before or after, but if we do, I’ll be there for two days … Usually I would try to link up with the local graffiti artist and do something, so if you know someone?

I do. I know the person, I’ll put you in touch. And you gotta try a laksa and visit a crocodile while you’re here, too!

Are you serious? Okay. [laughs] I will be bringing my camera, that’s the stuff!

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Photo: Ivan Trigo Miras for MusicNT

Photo: Nico Liengme

MUSIC NT PRESENTS The Desert Eagles

Pele

BUSH BANDS BASH 2024

The highly anticipated Bush Bands Bash returns to Mparntwe/Alice Springs this month, celebrating the richness of First Nations music, language and culture from across Australia’s most remote regions.

THIS YEAR’S LINE-UP welcomes 10 incredible acts from different Red Centre and Top End regions, as well as Western Australia. Family Shoveller Band comes all the way from Bidyadanga, 180 kilometres south of Broome in the Kimberley, and Blackstone Daylight Band traverses the border from their vibrant namesake community in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.

As always, the concert reaches audiences far and wide online via a recorded broadcast on ICTV and through CAAMA Radio. ICTV’s coverage of Bush Bands Bash has continued to win awards for its massive viewership across remote communities, and this year’s 20th instalment of the Bash has the potential to break even more records.

But it’s not just the distance they’ll travel to play that makes these acts unique. The breadth of languages featured in the songs of these artists is arguably unmatched for a one-day concert. Attendees have the opportunity to hear music in eight Aboriginal languages from across the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Celebrate the 20th year of this significant artist development program in Mparntwe at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, which has over the years allowed remote artists to refine their skills and share their craft with a diverse audience in a family-friendly, drug-and-alcohol-free setting.

Solo artists from MusicNT’s Divas program also join the ranks to wow crowds. Australian/Luritja artist Jessica LA returns her collaborative soundscapes and personal renditions of pop and R’n’B to the Red Centre, and Bronwyn Stuart from Ntaria graces the stage with her signature country sound.

WHEN AT COST INFO

GUTS TOUR

JAMES RANGE BAND & FLOODLIGHTS All events FREE unless noted

WHEN THU 19 SEP | 7-10PM, AT GAP VIEW HOTEL cost $30

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Bush Bands Bash is much more than a music festival. It’s also the culmination of a four-day intensive workshop where artists and expert industry mentors come together at Ross River Resort to hone their performance skills and build music business knowledge. This annual development program, Bush Bands Business, concludes with the main event concert in front of a keen audience.

INFO

bushmusicfund.org

SUN 15 SEP | 4PM–10PM ALICE SPRINGS TELEGRAPH STATION $10 | FREE U16 musicnt.com.au

GUTS TOUR RETURNS with James Range Band from Pitjantjatjara community and Floodlights, a rock outfit from Melbourne.

Travelling via a solar powered 4WD convoy bus, this tour focuses on including regional and remote

communities located in the Central Desert Region and around Alice Springs. James Range Band shares music and stories about family, culture and Country, and with their friends Floodlights joining them on the road, you know it’s gonna be a good time.

WHEN FRI 20 SEP | 6-9PM AT MUTIJULU

WHEN WED 25 SEP | 6-9PM AT MOUNT LIEBIG

WHEN SAT 21 SEP | 6-9PM AT DOCKER RIVER

WHEN THU 26 SEP | 6-9PM AT PAPUNYA

WHEN TUE 24 SEP | 6-9PM AT KINTORE

WHEN FRI 27 SEP | 6-9PM AT SANTA TERESA

GIG

Rock THE BAY

guide

BACK BY POPULAR demand, Rock The Bay returns for a second year to Darwin Ski Club. Enjoy an unforgettable day of indie rock with Ball Park Music, Merpire, The Rions, The Smith Street Band, and The Terrys.

Don't miss the music, fun, and great vibes by the beachside.

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

WHEN AT COST INFO

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

Sunday Reggae Sessions Experience the ultimate Sunday session with the incredible Dj Ragga Rae. Let the infectious rhythms of Reggae music wash over you, filling the air with positive energy and good vibes. Bring your friends and enjoy the musical journey with your favourite cocktails in hand.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SUN 1 SEP | 4.30-7.30 PM DOM’S BAR & LOUNGE FREE domsdarwin.com.au

This relaxing monthly arvo of music is a must-see, must-do, must-hear.

Strum a song and belt out a ballad, or kick back with a drink in the shade while other talented musos do!

WHEN SUN 1 SEP | 3PM AT TRACY VILLAGE SPORTS &

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 6 SEP | 7-11PM BUSTARD TOWN FREE facebook.com/bustardtown

Drum & Bass Massive Join resident DJ's Monk and Zinzan with a special guest each month, as they rinse Bustard Town with the hottest ragga, jungle, liquid and jump up drum & bass. Blasted on Darwin's heavyweight hand-built sound system Speargrass HiFi, this one's for the purists.

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 6 SEP | 9PM

WHEN AT COST INFO

FREE facebook.com/ firstsundayblues

Beatrice Beatrice, an electrifying force in Australian music, is a multi-talented producer and performer with Haiku Hands and Kardajala Kirridarra. As a solo artist, she’s collaborated with Suzanne Ciani, Theo Parrish, and more, and has supported heavyweight music acts like Jon Hopkins and Vegyn. !

THE LAST SUPPER FREE topendfolkclub.org

Hot 'n' Cold Big Band Entertaining Darwin since 2009, the Hot 'n' Cold Big Band teams up with the hottest dancers from Swing Dance NT every Wednesday night.

Come along and join in the fun.

WHEN AT COST INFO

BUSTARD TOWN

EVERY WED | 8-10PM

facebook.com/bustardtown

LIM – Dry Season Closing Party No fancy lights, thrills or gimmicks at this free event. Just quality house, tech and rominimal beats all night long with DJs Him & Her (Grace Murphy and Pete Stone) and HoH.

facebook.com/willingdistillery

local musicians backdropped by an iconic Top End sunset. Dreamy, right? Rolling through until September, Sunset Sounds invites you to the Cullen Bay lawns for a relaxing arvo, so head seaside and enjoy live local tunes as the sun sets on another Sunday.

Mic Night Got a hot new act you want to unleash on Alice Springs? Whether you're strumming acoustic tunes, cracking jokes or interpreting emotions through movement, Alice Springs Brewing Co is keen to showcase what you've got!

WHEN AT COST INFO

WHEN AT COST INFO

DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB

EVERY SUN | 5.30-8.30PM CULLEN BAY FORESHORE FREE facebook.com/

facebook.com/ darwinrailwayclub

Weekends at Willing Kick off your weekend at Willing Distillery with local food trucks and chilled live tunes from homegrown musos. If you’re thirsty, there’s award-winning gin, a curated cocktail list and NT craft beers.

WHEN EVERY FRI & SAT

SAT 7 SEP | 9PM BUSTARD TOWN FREE facebook.com/bustardtown

Darwin Celtic Music Sessions Bring your instruments and mates along for good tunes and craic, featuring local and visiting musos playing through an array of traditional and contemporary music from Ireland, Scotland and the Celtic diaspora. All newcomers welcome.

AT COST INFO

WILLING DISTILLERY

RED CENTRE Horrorshow Horrorshow is 10! To celebrate, the hip-hop duo is on a lap of the country, hitting capital cities from coast to coast before finishing in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.

WHEN AT COST INFO

SAT 7 SEP | 7-9.45PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

willingdistillery

Nat and Max Duo WHEN EVERY SUN | 4-8PM AT THE CAVENAGH HOTEL COST FREE INFO thecavenagh.com.au Sunset Sounds Round out your weekend by the beach with the sweet sounds of

ALICE SPRINGS BREWING CO FREE facebook.com/aspbco

araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

Joe Camilleri & the Black Sorrows As one of Australia’s most prolific and enduringly popular bands, Joe and the Black Sorrows are renowned for their high-energy live shows, musicianship and infectious roots-soaked blues rock.

WHEN AT COST INFO

Friday Knock Off Round out the working week with cold bevs, great food and sweet tunes from a live DJ at Epilogue Lounge. With regular food and drink specials, including a suite of spritzes, chicken wings and that warm desert hospitality, it's a sweet way to see in your weekend!

WHEN EVERY FRI | 3-10.30PM AT EPILOGUE LOUNGE INFO epiloguelounge.com.au

$30-$40

FREE facebook.com/

EVERY WED | 7-9.30PM

cullenbaymarina

$10

FROM 12PM

WHEN AT COST INFO

DARWIN SKI CLUB $82-$102

FREE

SOCIAL CLUB

COST INFO

SUN 8 SEP | 4.30-8PM

SAT 21 SEP | 2-10.30PM

SAT 28 SEP | 7.30-8.45PM ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE

Sunday Music Dive into some sweet tunes every Sunday at Alice Springs Brewing Co, and enjoy a few cold ones and a feed in the sunshine with friends and fam. Keen to strum a ditty or two? Throw your name in the hat!

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY SUN | 4-7PM ALICE SPRINGS BREWING CO FREE facebook.com/aspbco

$40-$69 araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au

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By Tierney White

DESERT SONG FESTIVAL MPARNTWE/ALICE SPRINGS desertsong.com.au Arrkanala Lyilhitjika

Join the NIMA award-winning Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir as they present Arrkanala Lyilhitjika. Since performing at the Desert Song Festival in 2015, the choir has appeared at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Concert Hall, Kennedy Centre in Washington DC and the Castleton Festival in Virginia. Don’t miss their beautiful harmonies.

WHEN TUE 17 SEP | 7.45-9.30PM COST $20-$40

Men Aloud

See Men Aloud perform a spectacular showcase concert as part of this year’s Desert Song Festival, featuring voices from the likes of The Shavings, OLGA and The Australian Welsh Male Choir.

WHEN SAT 21 SEP | 7.30-9.30PM COST $20-$45

Hometown

Voices from the Desert

GOT A GIG? The festival was built on a vibrant choral movement that has been building since 2006. Tonight, choirs from the Central Desert will strut their stuff, joined by visiting ensembles from interstate and Europe.

WHEN THU 19 SEP | 7.30-9.30PM COST $15-$35

Want a chance to see your gig listed here?

Upload to our website!

Scan for deets.

THE RIFF RAFF that is Jigsaw Collective is coming to a haunt near you, Top Enders, as the beloved local contemporary soul, jazz and blues band embarks on a hometown tour.

Lovin’

Since forming as a student band at Charles Darwin University in 2004, Jigsaw Collective has delighted the ear holes of many a music fan in the 20 years since. Their high-energy, no-holds-barred performances have a knack for turning each stage they occupy into a dance floor, every note into a party.

With a swag of local gigs and festival appearances across the country including Adelaide Fringe Festival, Wallaby Creek Festival, the bands’ also toured internationally to Indonesia, Cambodia, Greece, and Madagascar.

Fronted by Jack Tinapple, the soul-infused, groove-powered juggernaut has seen band members flow to and from the Collective over the years. Current members include Dylan Bennett, Nick Jack, Paul Easton, and Tommy Anderson, who are joined by Kadek Hobman, Sarah Lynar, Lukas Bendel and Merran Neilson on the hometown tour.

Tinapple says the hometown tour’s been on the cards for a while.

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“We haven’t toured for a while actually, since pre-COVID, and we don’t have the touring circuits we

used to have but we wanted to do a string of gigs … and we thought why not make it a hometown tour? Get a sound we’re excited about and play around town,” he says.

that we don’t know what to expect, so they don’t know what to expect, which is what makes a Jigsaw gig fun – we have no idea what we’re gonna do,” Tinapple says.

Suffice to say the band’s excited to hit the local touring circuit. Tinapple says they draw strength from their local fans.

“I dunno what’s gonna happen, but it’s gonna be great!”

“That’s the strength – it’s your team, your family, your community. You gotta rebalance to get back into the family, the community, your crew,” he says.

“We played a really, really good gig at Seabreeze Festival – we played the main stage for closing night – and it was just gold. The people really embraced what we were doing, it just went off. And it really inspired us with our local crew, after that we did another gig at Bustard Town, and a lot of the crew from the festival showed up and were dancing amongst the pot plants, it was great … it didn’t matter because they were having a good time.”

And that is precisely what a Jigsaw Collective gig does – it guarantees a good time is had by all, as the band members’ deep love for original music and passion for live improvisation creates the perfect mix to get punters in the mood for a boogie.

If you’re ready to groove, let Jigsaw Collective take you on a musical journey where the soul is deep, the jams are wild, and the vibe is always electric.

Jigsaw Collective Hometown Tour WHEN SUN 8 SEP | 5.30PM AT MINDIL BEACH SUNSET MARKETS

COST

WHEN SUN 15 SEP | 5.30PM AT SUNSET SOUNDS COST FREE WHEN SAT 21 SEP | 6.30PM AT HAPPY YESS (HOUSE CONCERT)

COST

$10

WHEN SUN 22 SEP | 2PM AT COX COUNTRY CLUB COST FREE WHEN SUN 6 OCT | 2.10PM AT TERRITORY BAR-BQ FESTIVAL COST $24-$140 INFO

“One thing people should expect is

FREE

facebook.com/ jigsawcollective

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