Groove Therapy Hip-Hop Class
Beach Hotel Byron | Saturdays | 10am | $20
Known for their community projects with refugee girls, at-risk youth and early dementia patients, Groove Therapy have also been running sellout adult dance classes in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Now the gang are bringing their grooves to Byron with an official morning dance class party at the Beachie – and 100 per cent of the profits from this zero-waste event go towards funding their latest community project, a dance program for new migrant and refugee girls.
At Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, you’ll spend 60-minutes learning OG hip-hop dancefloor moves on a Saturday morning to gear you up for your next d-floor battle. Practical life skills for a good cause.
Tix: tinyurl.com/groovebeachie
Big Gig with Dave Eastgate, Mick Neven & Mandy Nolan
Ballina RSL | Thursday 31 May | 8pm | Free
Logie Award nominee and international comedy star Dave Eastgate comes to the Ballina RSL for a very special Big Gig.
Dave’s gift for comedy writing and performance had him (the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family) captivating audiences with his own madeup characters in the theme parks of southeast Queensland as a 16-year-old. Dave has starred in a range of comedy series for the ABC and other networks including the smash hit Ronnie Chieng: International Student, the multi-award-winning A Moody Xmas, as well as Maximum Choppage, Soul Mates, Channel 9’s hugely successful comedy Here come the Habibs, The Comedy Channel’s flagship skit comedy series Open Slather as well as many appearances as a standup comedian on Channel 9’s Mornings, SBS’s The Full Brazilian, Channel 10’s Thursday Night Live and the Comedy Channel’s Stand Up Australia and Just For Laughs at The Sydney Opera House.
Lisa Walker Launches, Melt
Byron Book Room | Thursday 31 May | 6pm
Lennox Head author Lisa Walker has spent a lot of time in snowy places, including working as a back-country ski guide and igloo-building instructor. She drew on these experiences in writing her latest novel, Melt, which is set in Antarctica.
Melt is a fish-out-of-water comedy about a woman who is forced to impersonate a TV science superstar in Antarctica,’ Lisa said.
‘I wanted to write a romantic comedy about climate change and, although I’ve never been there, Antarctica felt like the right place for it. I think it helped that I could visualise the hardships and the beauty of such a snowy environment. I also researched extensively, visiting Antarctic displays in Tasmania and New Zealand.
‘I’ve had many jobs in my life, but the one that always gets people’s attention is the igloo-building instructor. In Melt I set my character, Summer, the job of building an igloo all by herself, which she finds extremely challenging.
‘Writing Melt was an immersive experience. I’ve spent so much time thinking about Antarctica, it almost feels like I’ve been there.
Melt is far from a dark, apocalyptic tale. Instead it takes a playful approach, using humour to tell an important story.’
Lisa’s Byron launch of Melt by Sarah Armstrong. RSVP [email protected] or call 66858183
Gilbert & Sullivan for Ballina Players
Ballina Players | 15 June – 1 July | $22-30
Ballina Players presents the musical comedy HMS Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan, directed and choreographed by Jaime Sheehan, musical directors Warwick Binney and Marie Caldwell. The story takes place aboard the ship HMS Pinafore. Captain Corcoran’s daughter Josephine is in love with a lower-class sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, although her father intends her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. She abides by her father’s wishes at first, but Sir Joseph’s philosophy of all men being equal encourages Ralph and Josephine to overturn conventional social order. They declare their love for each other and eventually plan to elope. The captain discovers this plan, but, as in many of the Gilbert & Sullivan shows, a surprise disclosure changes things dramatically near the end of the story.
Tickets are available now: online at ballinaplayers.com.au/bookings (No Fee) or; at Just Funkin’ Music in River St Ballina near the pedestrian lights ($2/ticket booking fee) in person or on 6686 2440. Opening Night Special: Canapes and FREE glass of champagne from 7.15.
Wedding Crashers
Brunswick Picture House | Wednesday 23rd May | 11am | Adults $15 | Bubs Free
The good people at the Brunswick Picture House continue to think about the social needs of those with babes in arms with a screening of the hilarious Wedding Crashers on Wednesday at 11am. In case you haven’t seen it, the film tells the story of two divorce mediators who crash wedding receptions for free booze and vulnerable women.
Bring your baby
Zion Levy Exhibition
Byron School of Art, Mullumbimby | Friday 25 May | 6pm
A familiar figure in his paint-spattered clothes, local artist Zion Levy Stewart’s next solo exhibition Picasso Would Be Jealous opens at the Project Space. Now 39, Zion has been drawing and painting for almost 20 years. This prolific painter creates art every day and loves working with clay, painting and drawing. His distinctive style captures the people, objects, memories and magic that surround him in his colourful world. Zion’s acrylic paintings illuminate local scenes; his quirky portraits overlaid with sketches often depict his characters gender details under their clothes. His ceramics are glazed earthenware, decorated with animals, birds and fish with brilliant underglaze colours.
Wilsons Creek Market & Garage Sale
Wilsons Creek School | Saturday 25 May | 10am-2pm
Get amongst your vibrant and creative community for the Wilsons Creek Community Market and Garage Sale for food, games, goods and all sorts of fun stuff! Fundraising for the Wilsons Creek Community Hall, where the markets are held! And if you want to be a stallholder, call 6684 0299.
Clements Milks The Sacred Cow
Byron Theatre | Friday 25 May | 7.30pm | $35/30
As a former Buddhist monk in dictatorship-ravaged Burma and a journalist in areas of extreme conflict, including the former Yugoslavia, Alan Clements has a special insight that allows him to riff on issues of violence and nonviolence, compassion and greed, servitude and freedom, meditation and indoctrination, from his personal experience and a rare satirical humour, while giving audiences a captivating expression on how WE — the PEOPLE can safeguard ourselves from spiritual and political propaganda. And in so doing, relearn active citizenry by liberating our own minds from fear, apathy, and cynicism. His show Alan Clements Uncensored: Spiritually Incorrect is a scorching comedic romp that touches on meditation, mindfulness, Ayahuasca, religion, propaganda, indoctrination, Trump, god, guns, gurus, ISIS, sex, war, corporate totalitarianism, climate change, extinction, denial, consciousness… and the mind! Can the world be saved? Find out now. Find out how.
Tix at byrontheatre.com.au
Annual World Environment Day Festival
Knox Park, Murwillumbah | Sunday 3 June | 10am-3pm | FREE
As a council sponsored community event involving three council stalls and several hundred local environmental protectors and kids and sustainable businesses such as Evova Energy and Sunbeam Solar It is the main environmental event in the shire.
The World Environment Day Festival promotes sustainability and protection of the natural environment and encourages people to care for the environment by providing the information, resources and encouragement to reduce our environmental footprint. The Festival will include presentations, demonstrations, stalls with local community groups, schools and sustainable businesses, environmental art, children’s activities, speakers space, musical entertainment and delicious food.
Renewable energy will be showcased by the Tyalgum Energy Project solar trailer producing power from the sun on the day, electric bikes, stalls by Enova Energy, the Northern rivers based community owned electricity retailer, Sunbeam Solar, Stop Adani groups, Zero Emission Tweed, Let’s Waste Less, Northern Rivers Guardians and other local environmental protection groups.
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