We farewell winter and welcome spring this weekend, 30 August – 1 September.
Soak up the sunshine while celebrating Dad at Googong’s Kitefest, a family fun day that will leave you flying on a high.
EVENTS
Korean Film Festival: In its 15th year, the captivating exploration of Korean cinema shares spine-tingling thrillers, heartwarming rom-coms and more. Palace Electric Cinema, 31 August-1 September; koffia.com.au
Blessing of the Animals: All pets are welcome, bring a photo or toy if they can’t join you. For safety and control, all dogs need to be on leash and other animals in appropriate containers/ carriers. Tuggeranong Uniting Church, Sunday 1 September 9:30am; tuc.org.au
Kitefest: Googong’s utterly uplifting free kite festival is back with many flying friends, including dragons, rabbits, a stingray, and a flying pig! Treat your father to lunch from food vendors or bring along a picnic. BYO kite or relax and enjoy the kite spectacle while the DJ provides inflight entertainment. Rockley Oval, Googong, Sunday 1 September 11am-2pm; googong.net/news-and-events/events
LIVE PERFORMANCES
The Peasant Prince: The children’s version of Li Cunxin’s iconic autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, an extraordinary production of a remarkable story – of a peasant boy turned dance giant. Canberra Theatre Centre, 30-31 August; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase Tour: A night of entertainment featuring a line-up of festival favourites and emerging talents. Canberra Theatre Centre, Friday 30 August 7:30pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Smiths@Belco: This edition of the live music event sees traditional and experimental fusion artist William Crighton take the stage. Belconnen Arts Centre, Saturday 31 August 7pm; belcoarts.com.au
HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr: Experience the life of Hollywood starlet and inventor Hedy Lamarr on stage in this extraordinary one woman show. The Street Theatre, 31 August 7:30pm; thestreet.org.au
Art Song Canberra: Michael Burden performs works by Monteverdi, Lambert, Charpentier, Dowland and Purcell accompanied by harpsichord and viola. Wesley Music Centre, Sunday 1 September 3pm; trybooking.com
EXHIBITIONS
Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams: The acclaimed contemporary artist presents a dynamic and vibrant exhibition that explores the ongoing consequences of colonisation, climate change, greed and consumerism. National Portrait Gallery, 24 August- 2 February; portrait.gov.au
Belconnen Arts Centre: Showcases four new exhibitions- Light and Shade by Donna Lawrence; The Materialisation of Testament by Kerry Martin; The Walls Once Built by Holly Meehan; and Over Seas by Canberra’s migrant communities. 30 August- 13 October; belcoarts.com.au
Sean Martin: The self-taught artist showcases a series of drawings and paintings in Anonymous Sentiment. Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka, 30 August- 8 September; ccas.com.au
Other Worlds: Photographic exhibition by Aart Groothuis. A personal journey showing images from several countries and different subjects. Each image tells a story and evokes an emotional response. Join us for the opening on Saturday 31 August 2pm and Artist Talk on Sunday 1 September 12 noon. Humble House Gallery, Fyshwick, 31 August- 29 September;humblehouse.com.au
Plate to Plate: Local artist collective Hands on Studio! Collaborates with Robbie Karmel, Caren Florence and programs at Mulch! Community gardens in this exhibition. Megalo Print Studio, 31 August- 12 October; megalo.org
Change: Stories from your pocket: The Royal Australian Mint curates an exhibition exploring the stories our coins tell about our history. Canberra Museum and Gallery, until 31 August ; cmag.com.au
Beaver Galleries: Showcases two exhibitions- The Memory of Place by Peter Boggs and Tidal Threads by Benjamin Edols and Kathy Elliott. Until 31 August; beavergalleries.com.au
Photo Access: Presents two exhibitions- Memory Sites by Fletcher Aldous, Kailum Graves, Starry Kong and Remi Siciliano and Experimental Fields by Xi Li. until 7 September; photoaccess.org.au
Discovering Ancient Egypt: On loan from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities is a deep dive into the culture of the ancient society with more than 220 objects, spanning more than 3,000 years. National Museum of Australia, until 8 September; nma.gov.au
Ella Barclay: Presents works developed whilst on residency at ZK/U The Centre for Art and Urbanistics I Berlin. CCAS, Lakeside, until 14 September: ccas.com.au
ANCA Gallery: This is Not a Solo Show (v2) by Peter Sharp and Michelle Cawthorn explores how couple engage, collaborate or ignore each other’s arts practices. ANCA Gallery, Dickson, until 15 September; anca.net.au
Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2024: The 12 finalists for the Little Darlings competition that saw students from kindergarten to year 12 respond to the theme My Story through different mediums. National Portrait Gallery, until 15 September; portrait.gov.au
