Flood Fundraisers
In the tradition of picking themselves up and dusting themselves off – or in the case of the flood; squeegeeing out the mud, the communities on the Far North Coast are gathering together to raise funds to help out their brothers and sisters with their recovery.
Tree of Ecstacy. Matt Ottley
Ecstasy and sadness flood fundraiser
The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness is a groundbreaking, large-scale multi-modal project weaving together the worlds of literature, music and visual art in the poignant story of one boy’s journey into mental illness.
Readers and listeners are offered a mesmerising visual and auditory tour de force about beauty and resilience, society and belief, that at its heart expresses hope for a greater understanding and embracing of difference.
The narrative unfolds around the metaphor of a tree, growing within the boy, whose flower is ecstasy and whose fruit is sadness.
This luminous, multi-faceted work is inspired by the experiences of its award-winning creator, Matt Ottley, who has lived with bipolar disorder all his life and been hospitalised on numerous occasions in mental health facilities. Having personally experienced the prejudices and challenges that come from suffering a mental illness, Matt’s aim is to offer a sensory insight through words, music and images into the experiences of those who suffer from such debilitating illnesses, particularly psychosis.
Images and music from The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness will be screened with a Q&A with Matt Ottley afterwards.
All funds raised on the night will go to the flood appeal.
Wednesday, 30 March, 6.30pm at the Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah.
Tickets and information: the-regent.com.au/live-events.
Button Collective saying farewell and helping raise money in Bangalow
So long, farewell flood fundraiser
The floods have completely decimated the city of Lismore NSW, so the boys from the Button Collective have decided to donate the proceeds of their last ever show to the good people of Lismore. On Sunday bring your best friends and your generous community spirit to the A&I Hall Bangalow. The Button Collective invite you to pitch in and lend a hand to the beautiful and resilient community of people that is Lismore. With the generous support of Sara Tindley, Paddy McHugh – and you the community – the Button Collective will make this a night to remember.
Sunday 7.30pm at the A&I Hall Bangalow
Byron Taiko project
Global Beats Flood Fundraiser
About half of Australia’s citizens were born overseas or have a parent from overseas. Our nation comprises more than 200 countries of origin, claiming 300 spoken languages!
On Sunday Byron Multicultural Inc will celebrate cultural harmony and diversity by introducing unique cultural experiences through a stellar line-up of music, dance, and rhythms at Byron Theatre to raise funds for flood recovery.
The line-up includes: Jannali Doncaster, Aloha Hula, Shivam Rath, Byron Taiko, Happy Africa, Yoyo, and belly dancers.
Entry is free, but there will be donation buckets for the Byron Community Centre Flood Relief Fund.
Sunday 3pm, Byron Theatre Byron Community Centre.
Wil Anderson
Hilarious flood fundy in Bruns
Wil Anderson is returning to the Brunswick Picture House in March for a Whatchu Talkin’ ’Bout Wil? flood relief fundraising gig. Profits from the shows will be donated to local not-for-profit organisations who are working on the ground to provide emergency relief and support to our community, including the Byron Community Centre’s Flood Relief Fund and the Northern Rivers Community Foundation.
Whatchu Talkin’ ’Bout Wil? is a completely improvised night of stand-up comedy. Every show is completely different, made up on-the-spot with the help of the audience. It’s comedy without a safety net. Don’t miss a (literally) never-to-be-repeated experience.
Saturday 26 March, 7pm, Brunswick Picture House.
Dune Rats at the Beach Hotel
Flood Aid aims for $1,000,000 in one month
Today, Secret Sounds has announced a range of fundraising initiatives to assist with recovery across the region, with a fundraising target of $1 million in one month and a commitment that 100 per cent of the money raised will go directly to flood affected communities.
Co-CEO of Secret Sounds, Jessica Ducrou, says it’s deeply personal. ‘Many of our team live and operate businesses in the region and some of them have been directly impacted. We have also run our events in the area for decades. We are part of this community and we’re heartbroken to see the pain that’s being felt right across the region.’
Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival Byron have kicked off the fundraising with a $100K donation each and the Bank of Queensland has also jumped on board as a key sponsor to help make the concerts happen.
From fundraiser gigs and limited-edition merch items to auctions, there’s a range of ways the public can get involved to help the cause.
The Byron gigs feature Wolfmother, Dune Rats, Tex Perkins and Jez Mead, Waax, Kobi Dee and Mylee Grace.
Byron Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, Saturday 26 March, from 2pm.
The Brissy gig features Bernard Fanning, The Rubens, Cub Sport (DJ set), Last Dinosaurs, Stevan and Hanni.
The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – Saturday 26 March, from 6pm.
Tickets at: secretsounds.com/tours/flood-aid.
Z Star
She’s gotta rock RAAAAAAA!
Great Southern Nights presents She’s Gotta Rock! featuring Z-STAR + Special Guests.
Z-STAR (pronounced ‘zee-star’) is the Psyche Soul Blues Rock band created by Zee Gachette; frontwoman, singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist and producer, featuring a collective of powerhouse musicians on lead guitar, bass, keys and drums.
Z-STAR’s high octane transcendental live shows have lit up stages worldwide with performances at some of the most legendary festivals and venues including; Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, The Great Escape, Standon Calling, Brighton Fringe Festival, Dingwalls, Caloundra Music Festival, Jazz Cafe, Guitare En Scene, Festival Nuits Du Sud, Zik Zak, Le Chainon Manquant, MaMA, Le Trianon, Hotel Cafe, Zanzibar, The Roxy, Circolo Degli Artisti, MTV Live, Premio Tenco, Villa Ada, Salumeria Della Musica, 16 Tons and Usaba Jazz Festival.
Z-Star says ‘This is it friends. She’s Gotta Rock – a thought-feeling vibe fundamental need-becoming-reality on our first voyage into physical cosmic sweat, feel it in your bones – RAAAAA! Can’t hold back the desire to dance, sing, play? Oh, hell yeah! Breathtaking, beautiful, bombastic music, visuals, energy. Come join us. It’s time to make it better.’
Friday, Byron Theatre, 8pm. Visit: byroncentre.com.au.
Casey Barnes
Casey at Blues
Australian country artist Casey Barnes continues to propel country pop/rock further within the Australian music scene. It is Casey’s undeniable talent, paired with those iconic foot-stomping performances, and his happy-go-lucky attitude that have all attributed to his ongoing success in Australia and abroad.
Despite the global pandemic setback, 2020 was an epic year for Casey Barnes, seeing him nominated for ARIA’s Country Album Of The Year Award with his ARIA #1 Australian Country Album, Town Of A Million Dreams.
Since then, Casey has lapped up four Golden Guitar nominations as well as an APRA nomination and an AIR nomination.
See Casey Barnes on Friday and Saturday at Bluesfest.
Visit: www.bluesfest.com.au.
Flickerfest: Beautiful They
A celebration of Northern Rivers’ talent!
Flickerfest celebrates masterful Northern Rivers’ filmmakers in Best Of Australian Shorts, and IQ-inc announces 12 local finalists for Byron All Shorts.
Fresh from its ten day Bondi event in late January, Flickerfest, Australia’s largest short film festival returns to The Northern Rivers for its 25th year. The Island Quarry Inc and Flickerfest will present their satellite event at the A&I Hall Bangalow from Thursday 31 March to Saturday 2 April, sharing a smorgasbord of over 40 incredible short films from its Academy and BAFTA Qualifying short film festival. Including recent Academy® nominees, much loved festival award winners, and exciting local talent.
This year Flickerfest is thrilled to be celebrating an abundance of masterful, creative and engaging storytelling from Northern Rivers’ filmmakers, who will be sharing their work on the big screen with the best of short films from Australia and the world.
Locally connected highlights, straight from their Flickerfest premieres in Bondi will be screening in the Best Of Australian Shorts Programme on Friday 1 April, at 8pm, and include: the intimate and moving surf drama Beautiful They, by local director Cloudy Rhodes, who grew up in Mullumbimby and now lives in Lennox Head; the finely crafted thriller Run South, produced by and starring Possum Creek resident Paul Henri, who grew up in the area; and sibling drama You And Me, Before And After starring Yael Stone (Orange Is The New Black) and Emily Barclay (Baby Teeth), produced by Liam Heyen, who grew up in Ocean Shores and went to school in Murwillumbah.
Joining these gems across the weekend will also be an exciting range of films from our region’s next generation of filmmakers. Now in its 17th year, the Byron All Shorts Competition 2022 will again celebrate our unique local culture and approach to storytelling.
Byron All Shorts, reflecting our local life through a range of themes. Byron All Shorts 2022 finalists will enjoy their local premieres on the big screen on Saturday 2 April at 4pm as part of Flickerfest 2022 Bangalow.
For more info visit: flickerfest.com.au.
French Film Festival ‘Lost Illusions’
The French Film Festival will captivate you
Returning to Palace Cinemas Byron Bay, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will captivate audiences with multiple screenings and special events from 30 March–13 April. This masterfully curated showcase of the crème de la crème of contemporary French cinema has something for everyone – from crime fiction and laugh-out-loud comedies, to beautiful tales of romance and seduction, compelling stories and deeply moving dramas.
The festival is wild, liberating and deeply seductive in its 33rd season and artistic director Karine Mauris has shared with Seven her list of must-see movies, including, no surprise really, the opening night’s Lost Illusions – a story of Lucien de Rubempré, a young, lower-class poet, who is madly in love with the Baroness Louise de Bargeton. The risk of scandal forces them to flee to Paris where they hope to live and love freely. Lucien soon feels the sharp end of rejection and he loses the Baroness’s support. He finds himself alone, penniless, hungry, and humiliated… until the day he seeks revenge by writing controversial – yet banal – articles…
Karine’s list also includes: The Young Lovers ; a modern and nuanced romantic drama about a woman who embarks on an affair with a younger man, which is Carine Tardieu’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to Just to be Sure ; Waiting for Bojangles is a passionate love story adapted from Olivier Bourdeaut’s international bestselling novel of the same title; Love Songs for Tough Guys features a delicious ensemble cast led by the fabulous François Damiens and Vanessa Paradis; La Traviata, My Brothers and I tells the story of 14-year-old Nour, who dreams of becoming the new Luciano Pavarotti; Purple Noon , is a ripe, colourful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s vicious novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and is directed by René Clément, starring Delon as Tom Ripley; The Kitchen Brigade (La Brigade); Hear Me Out , and; Happening is the story of a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her who falls pregnant.
For more on the 2022 Alliance Française French Film Festival in Byron Bay, from March 30–April 13, visit: www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/byron-bay.
Magic Bowls
Seniors Festival
The Byron Community Centre brings you a fun filled festival especially for seniors. It is a week of interactive workshops that entice you to turn off the TV, get off the couch and come out to enjoy yourself with friends old and new. This festival is a week of workshops in which seniors can participate, try something new and have a good time. Studies have shown that pleasant interactions and activities with peers are two of the best ways to stay alert and happy throughout our lives.
On Monday 28 March the week starts with a Crystal Bowl Sound Bath in the Byron Theatre brought to you by Camilla Knowles who has many years’ experience using the sounds of the bowls to transport you to an inner world of healing and peace.
Other activities throughout the week include – a therapeutic art workshop with Geraldine Devas; an open Games Room where you can relax and enjoy a good game of chess, backgammon, scrabble and other games; get moving to the rhythms of African drumming with Drum Master Gareth Jones, followed by relaxing chair yoga with Christina Stoevelaar.
There is also a Chinese brush painting workshop with Dianne Brooks, Byron Walkers group with Jenny Groves and Rangimarie Ferguson, followed by choir and beginner’s ukulele with Kim Lesley Davidson; a poetry workshop on ‘Recollections’ with Laura Shore from the local Dangerously Poetic group.
Wednesday evening is celebration night with nibbles and drinks in the courtyard, followed by a piano recital by Temple Nuwanda Coleridge and a screening of the classic movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in the Byron Theatre. There will be a lucky door prize for the most flamboyant outfit.
Toward the end of the week there is Yoga for the Ageing Body; the ‘Descent of Inanna’, a journey of the soul and human development from an ancient perspective; and Kim Lesley Davidson presents a sound healing session using a variety of different instruments to bring you a unique deep inner healing experience.
On Friday morning there will be a specialised computer class for seniors, focusing on safe internet surfing tips, brought to you by Alistair Kingshorn, followed by a deeply relaxing restorative yoga class with Christina Stoevelaar.
All workshops and the celebration night are free entry no booking required.
Go to the website www.byroncentre.com.au/seniors for the full program and timetable of events. Or call 6685 6807 for information. You can collect hard copies of the program at the Byron Community Centre.
Starts next Monday, 28 March.
