CW brings you the latest in arts and entertainment news from around the Canberra region. Highlights this week include music returning to Googong and mysteries on stage.
February music festival in Googong
Returning after a five-year hiatus, Googfest is set to bring some of our best home-grown performers to Rockley Oval, Saturday 4 February.
Bring your dancing shoes and get down to the catchy tunes of Smooth Ops, The Faumuis, Chloe Kay, and the Crusade. Headlining the evening are the ever-popular roots-soaked rock sounds of Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows.
Don’t forget to bring a picnic rug to secure your spot for the firework show. Vendors will be offering a selection of delicious snacks, while free buses are available. The event promises to be a great night out for the whole family.
Check out the beats and vibes in Googfest at Rockley Oval, Googong, 4 February 5pm; googong.net
Snap into Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra audiences will soon be invited to get caught in an elaborate trap – The Mousetrap, that is – when the Agatha Christie classic comes to Canberra Theatre Centre in May.
Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the play was originally written for radio and titled Three Blind Mice, broadcast in 1947 as a present for Queen Mary. Guests are stranded at Monkswell Manor during a snowstorm not long after a local woman has been killed. Soon it becomes apparent that one of them is the killer. Will they make it through the storm?
Boasting the title of the longest-running play worldwide, it debuted in 1952 with a run in the same venue until 1974, when it moved just next door and continues to this day in London’s West End.
Get caught in The Mousetrap at Canberra Theatre, 11-21 May; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
MoAD outlines Australian progress
The Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) has unveiled its newest permanent exhibition, Blueprint.
What is Australian democracy? Is it fair, free, and accountable? This recent instalment outlines what makes our political system unique. Housing interactive elements, see if you would have been eligible to vote 50 or even 30 years ago. Listen to stories of the voices that may have gone unheard, like the 11-year-old who aspires to be prime minister when they grow up.
You can see how democracy was put into action with a ballot box that travelled 500km on the back
of a camel, or a boomerang-shaped petition calling for constitutional recognition for First Nation People. One of the most breathtaking pieces is a gown that was hand sewn for the Federation Ball more than 120 years ago.
Discover our rich history in Blueprint at the Museum of Australian Democracy; moadoph.gov.au
Sounds of us at NFSA
The National Film and Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry again recently grew by 10 extraordinary moments that have shaped our nation.
Each year, audio is nominated for its inclusion on the registry by a public vote, which then goes to a panel of audio industry experts. The panel assesses the chosen snippets on their ability to reflect what life is like in Australia, and its cultural and historical relevance.
Some of the highlights to be inducted last month include Julia Gillard’s iconic Misogyny Speech from 2012, the Neighbours theme song by Barry Crocker (Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent), and Hallam Lord Tennyson’s Farewell address from 1904.
Listen to Sounds of Australia online at nfsa.gov.au
Glassworks explores identity
Hot off the hot shop floor, Canberra Glassworks has opened its first exhibition for the year, Net Worth, on display at the Kingston institution until 26 February.
The exhibition showcases the work of four emerging artists as they try and navigate concepts of identity, social stereotypes, and technology in today’s climate. Each piece is engrained with the history and craftsmanship of glass making.
A commentary on worth, including self, perceived, and financial, exploring how it has changed and may continue to change with evolving technology. Asking what the place of handmade arts and their artists may be in a digitised world.
See Net Worth at Canberra Glassworks until 26 February; canberraglassworks.com
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