The Art of John Turton
Perth-born John Turton exhibits his latest work Earth to Sky at the Lone Goat Gallery in Byron from 29 May till 10 June. Although John uses landscape as a means of inspiration, it is colour that most interests him. He works predominantly in acrylics and oils on canvas, but also enjoys the technique of working on paper with dry pastels and an oil wash.
Turton’s career highlights include his times spent as artist-in-residence; most particularly the three months spent in the Gascoyne region of WA after being chosen by the WA Arts Council. He has also had residencies at the Crocodile Hotel in Kakadu (1990) and more recently at Cataract Gorge, in Launceston, Tasmania (2013).
Since appearing on Colour in Your Life in 2013 Turton has been in demand, teaching workshops from Atwell Arts Centre in Perth to ArtEscape in Cairns (2014 and July 2015) to USQ in Toowoomba in September this year.
Turton has work hanging in numerous private and public collections here in Australia, as well as internationally. The National Gallery in Victoria acquired a painting in 1979. To see John’s work catch it at the Lone Goat, or have a preview on www.johnturton.com.au.
Airport Art
Northern Rivers Community Gallery’s (NRCG) Art at the Airport program proudly showcases the poignant and beautiful abstract works of local Indigenous artist Michael Philp, on show until 30 June.
All artworks exhibited in Art at the Airport are available for purchase via the Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina.
Rising and Falling
The Royal Opera House presents a new production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s furiously impassioned opera satirising the pursuit of money and pleasure, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, filmed for screening in cinemas worldwide. The three-year genesis of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) spanned the entire partnership between Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill – one of the shortest and most fruitful musical collaborations of the 20th century.
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, sung in English, screens at Palace Byron Bay Cinema on Sunday at 1pm and Wednesday at 11am.
Tickets $15–24.
Rose gets the Goat
This is the moment of fruition for the long-anticipated solo exhibition by well-known local artist Rose McKinley. The exhibition is the result of Rose McKinley’s direct experience from living in the rainforest and rural Australia, and her observations, where her artwork features swimming holes and swing-bridges, and merges the border between wilderness and farmland, native habitat and human settlement. Open 10am–4pm daily with work on show until Wednesday 27 May.
Doing it Hard
Acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love, Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) returns to the National Theatre with his highly anticipated new play The Hard Problem, directed by the National’s outgoing artistic director Nicholas Hytner (Othello, Hamlet, One Man, Two Guvnors). Hilary, a young psychology researcher at a brain-science institute, is nursing a private sorrow and a troubling question at work, where psychology and biology meet. If there is nothing but matter, what is consciousness? This is ‘the hard problem’ that puts Hilary at odds with her colleagues.
The Hard Problem screens at Palace Byron Bay Cinema at 1pm on Saturday 23 May and 12.30 pm on Monday 25 May. Tickets $23–25.
Theatre of Life
Husband-and-wife team Adrian Brett and Philippa Williams of Theatre Of Life, joined by Frauke Huhn of Cicade, are running six new courses at The Ocean Shores Community Centre starting at the beginning of term three on 15 July.
There are sessions and groups for under-fives, disabled adults, children (after-school and holiday classes), teens and adults. The Ocean Shores Youth Theatre, which they will run on a Thursday evening, will be a much-needed forum for young people in the Ocean Shores area to meet up and get creative. The first production is planned for January 2016.
They are also offering Trinity College exam coaching in speech and drama. No experience is necessary and there is an earlybird discount of 10 per cent for all bookings made before 15 June.
All bookings and enquiries to Philippa on 0422 882 319, or see the website at www.theatre-of-life or oceanshorescommunitycentre.org.
Young people tackle drugs
Byron Youth Theatre presents Altered States, shining the light on illicit drug use (alcohol, cannabis and ice). This thought-provoking and emotive work can be seen at the Drill Hall on Sunday from 6pm.
Going Deep for Love
How Deep is Your Love is a monologue written and performed by Mark Swival. The one-man show is a wonderful ride through Bangladesh, with the Bee Gees on the car stereo, and a dreamer at the wheel trying to fit the world in his head. It’s a great show for anyone interested in the big bad world, international development, or if you just like good stories and a laugh. At the Drill Hall 29, 30, 31 May.
I scream for crowdfunding
As part of Screenworks’ upcoming Steps to Successful Crowdfunding seminar, two local film projects will have the opportunity to leap ahead towards getting the money they need in order for their film to be made. The one-day seminar will be held in Byron Bay on Friday 29 May with crowdfunding genius Thomas Mai. Thomas, who has run more than 17 crowdfunding campaigns (of which 13 were successful), will use two local projects as case studies while he demonstrates how to put in place an effective crowdfunding campaign. Screenworks’ Steps to Successful Crowdfunding is being held at the Byron Regional Sports and Cultural Complex on Friday 29 May, 9.30am–4pm.
Tickets $80 / $35 Screenworks. For more information visit screenworks.com.au or call 6687 1599.
Raw and Sensory
This Friday RAW presents Sensory, bringing together 30 local emerging artists spanning fashion, music, visual and performing arts, music and more for a one-night extravaganza at the The Byron Bay Brewery. Tickets at the venue.
Laugh it up!
After six weeks of touring her bag of comedy tricks up and down the east coast with the tour of her latest book Home Truths, including three sellout shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Mandy Nolan is back doing what she does best – performing her regular comedic download as MC of the edgy and uber-popular Bellylaugh Comedy at the Byron Brewery. With new and upcoming comics travelling from as far away as Brisbane for the honour of five minutes with the Byron crowd, this is one fabulous night of financially and spiritually FREE comedy! Thursday at 8pm at the Byron Brewery! New and visiting comics welcome.
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