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March 27, 2024

Culture Roundup: Thursday July 28

Latest News

Splendour 2024 cancelled

It's offical, Splendour in the Grass 2024 has been cancelled.

Other News

Seize the Decade report outlines benefits of renewables

The Climate Council says many more Australian families can directly benefit from rooftop solar and batteries under a new plan that spells out how we can electrify the nation and cut climate pollution this decade.

We just love him!

If you’re over 50 you might not be a fan of Tom Jones, but you can bet your mum is. If you’re under 40 you might not even know who he is, but your grandmother probably wet her pants at the mere mention of his name.

Hiatus Beers

Launched to market in July 2022, Hiatus Beers is all about brewing crisp, refreshing, full-flavoured, non-alcoholic beer.  The founders...

A seasoned bard

Guy Kachel had an idyllic entry to the world of music. Born in Tamworth, he was raised on the banks of the Peel River. The landscape was a fertile ground for his imagination. Seeing this rustic world change, as Tamworth developed into an inland city and friends grew to sometimes troubled adulthoods, provided insights for the artistry that later powered his career as a performer.

Urgent appeal

At last Thursday’s Byron Council meeting a long and dedicated campaign to save rail tracks and restore trains in...

Safety and preparation saves lives on the water

A large number of boaters are expected to hit the water over the Easter long weekend and Marine Rescue NSW is reminding boaters to be prepared and log on to the Marine Rescue NSW app.

My Radio Heart at Norpa
My Radio Heart at Norpa

Your Radio Heart

My Radio Heart, a co-production between Sydney’s Urban Theatre Projects, NORPA and Performing Lines, premiered at NORPA in 2014 with audiences raving about the emotional and evocative world Tralala Blip created on stage. My Radio Heart is being re-designed and re-imagined at NORPA this year, giving hometown audiences the first taste of its new incarnation before performances at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane and Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre. The new My Radio Heart gloriously blurs the boundaries between music concert, performance and audiovisual experience.

Saturday 20 August at 6pm, Lismore City Hall. Bookings www.norpa.org.au. $25 adult, $18 conc and groups and under 18.

Ocean Shores Art – What Really Matters

Now in its thirteenth year, the Ocean Shores Art Expo offers visual artists a weekend of valuable exposure. From 26 till 28 August, new artists launch fresh works, emerging artists further their art careers, and professional artists engage their followers with new artworks. This year artists are creating to the theme ‘What Matters?’

The results will be as varied as the artists themselves. However, judges will select the standouts and award prizes totaling $5,200.

An Expo prize of $1,000 is selected by the Expo committee. First and second prizes within six categories are selected by the 2016 panel of judges, Hobie Porter, Ros Goodchild, Kate Nutt, Karena Wynn-Moylan and David Hickson.

Opening Night on Friday 26 August features local musicians, gourmet nibbles and wine, and of course sensational art from the region. Put that date in your diary, and party with the arty folk.

But first, artists need to enter the works. Closing date is Sunday 31 July at midnight.

Entry and info online at www.osartexpo.com.

Future Dreamers: Free Spirit Festival Fundraiser 

The first Free Spirit Festival was held in January 2015 at Mt Belmore and set the tone for the emergence of a unique small-scale gathering of like-minded people who love to dance in nature to some of the world’s best electronic music. The idea is to build slowly on the existing event model that has proved so popular at the Kohinur Hall events and crowdfund an awesome experience for the beautiful people who have helped bring that vision to fruition.

Free Spirit Festival is a unique transformational festival based around the sharing of wisdom, electronic music and art. With a strong focus on universal health and wellbeing, Free Spirit will include a wellness village embracing a broad range of disciplines ranging from connected breathwork to massage, iridology and many more.

A series of talks embracing plant wisdom will give festival-goers an insight into the extraordinary and powerful world of plants and the ways in which we can build a healthy relationship with nature through respectful symbiosis with the plant world.

Visionary art is the key to our understanding of our place in the energetic quantum and the festival will be a focal point for this extraordinary emergent form with talks, displays and workshops.
The festival itself will be a living artform manifesting performance, live art and 2D/3D creation.

Music is a key to our relationship with the world we live in and electronic music has held the key to progressive emergence and evolution of a new consciousness for many decades. The festival program will include a carefully selected lineup of the region’s finest DJs and music producers.

Free Spirit Festival is coming up on 27 and 28 August, about an hour from Byron with a launch party/fundraiser at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Friday 5 August.

In the Mick of Time at the Big Gig

One of Australia’s busiest comedians, Mick Neven is just as comfortable onstage at the biggest comedy clubs and corporate functions in the city, and the smallest venues and sporting clubs in the country.

His material is observant, sharp and satirical, highlighting the foibles of modern life in a likeable and relatable fashion. It’s intelligent, hilarious and sometimes political, delivered with high-energy and a neverending stream of punchlines that continually take his jokes to the next level.

A regular guest on ABC Grandstand and Melbourne’s 1116 SEN radio, Mick has also appeared on The Circle (See Mick on The Circle) and Hey Hey It’s Saturday (Channel 9). He’s travelled to entertain Aussie troops serving overseas and appeared in his own solo shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and The Adelaide Fringe.

He is this month’s feature comedian at the Ballina RSL for the monthly Big Gig Comedy, with Ms Stella and Mandy Nolan as MC. Catch them at the Ballina RSL on Thursday 28 July. 8pm. Free!

Benoit
Benoit

Living Art Sculptures

France’s most outrageous living-art sculptor, Benoit, presents his latest ‘body’ of work at Lily Pond Garden this weekend. From Rouen, just 100km west of France, it was a world surrounded by the makers of the most beautiful cheese. But Benoit didn’t want to make cheese. He wanted to make sculptures. In nature. ‘My mind goes at lightning speed,’ says Benoit. ‘I love to work with my hands, using my background in horticulture and being able to express myself through the medium of what nature provides me with her seasonal palette.’

Benoit’s Living Art Sculptures and installations are on show at Lily Pond Garden, 60 Hinchinbrook Road, Burringbar, 10am–3pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Entry is $7 and children under 12 may enter free of charge.

Meet the Decision Makers

Screenworks is bringing some of Australia’s leading film and television drama executives to the northern rivers to present at Meet the Decision Makers, a one-day seminar on Monday 8 August. Last time Screenworks brought a panel of guest speakers like this to the region it was a career-changing moment for local writer Rebecca Ingram, who had her drama project optioned by Goalpost Pictures.

For more info go to www.screenworks.com.au.

Getting hammered

Hammer and Hand Jewellery and Metal Collective is having a winter exhibition Melting Point showcasing new jewellery and sculpture.  Friday 5–8pm for fire drums ablaze, mulled wine and hot soup on offer and two new members to be welcomed.

1/4 Ti-Tree Place, Arts and Industry Estate, Byron Bay.

Mocumentary mini-film fest!

The first in a series of Brunswick Picture House ‘weekend mini-film fests’ features the work of acclaimed actor and director Christopher Guest and the pick of his satirical semi-improvised ‘mockumentaries’. In true Picture House style, each film will feature a ‘live’ element!

Screening on Friday is A Mighty Wind, the hilarious but heartfelt tale of a folk-music reunion concert in which three folk bands reunite for a TV performance for the first time in decades. There is also a very special performance from a local underground folk duo making their debut at the Picture House! Show at 7pm.

On Saturday, it’s guests cult opus This is Spinal Tap. The wickedly satirical romp has amassed a huge cult following and spawned the insult ‘so Spinal Tap’ for those rock and metal bands for whom this movie cut a bit too close to home. The Picture House will also be presenting Brunswick’s first ever air-guitar competition. Think teased hair, power ballads, tongue-out, balls-to-the-wall lip-synching and power strumming, riffing and picking. 7pm.

And on Sunday, it’s Best in Show: A quirky film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show and how the slightly surreal personalities and characteristics of the owners match those of their dogs. Before the film, there’s a special Best in Bruns Show, featuring local residents and their canine partners! Bring your dog along pre-show and let your loved one strut its stuff. 4pm!

If you are keen to be part of the Air Guitar Comp and Best in Bruns Show, get in touch with us at [email protected] and stay for the film free of charge.

Write on at Bruns Picture House

The Byron Bay Writers Festival is taking five writers on a five-town road trip over five days once again and we are thrilled to be hosting the stop in Brunswick Heads on Monday. The evening will comprise a chat about books and writing, some readings from the writers’ work and an audience Q&A. They will then play a fun theatre-sports-style game, Tag Team Storytelling. This year’s Fab Five are Jesse Blackadder, Luke Carman, Kate Forsyth, Gabbie Stroud and spoken-word artist Miles Merrill, with Zacharey Jane as MC. Wherever there are readers, the fearless 555 will go. Books will be available for sale and afterwards the writers will be available to chat and to sign their books. Event is free.

Brunswick Picture House on Monday at 6pm


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We just love him!

If you’re over 50 you might not be a fan of Tom Jones, but you can bet your mum is. If you’re under 40 you might not even know who he is, but your grandmother probably wet her pants at the mere mention of his name.

Peter Garrett gives Bluesfest the nod

If I say the words ‘US Forces give the nod’, I can pretty much guarantee that you will hear the unmistakable voice of Peter Garrett ringing in your ears. Your head may even start to bob up and down a bit. 

Save Wallum finalist in NSW 2024 environment awards

The Save Wallum campaign has been named as a finalist in the Nature Conservation Council of NSW Environment Awards 2024. The award ceremony will be held in Sydney tonight, and Save Wallum spokesperson and ecologist James Barrie will be attending with Tegan Kitt, another founding member of the group.

New report highlights gaps in rural and remote health

The second annual Royal Flying Doctor Service ‘Best for the Bush, Rural and remote Health Base Line’ report has just been released. Presenting the latest data on the health of rural and remote Australians and evidence on service gaps, it identifies issues in urgent need of attention from service providers, funders, partners and policy makers.