CW brings you the latest art’s and entertainment news from around the Capital. This week a new exhibition hopes to urge action on climate change, alternative arts hub offers free belly dancing lessons and Canberra’s own cabaret star returns to her hometown.

Step Change, exploring the climate crisis

Step Change, the third and final collaborative work of Alexander Boynes, the late Mandy Martin, and Tristan Parr, will be showing at the Belconnen Art Centre until 21 August.

The piece is a large-scale painting, video and sound collaboration that explores the urgent need to transition to the age of climate crisis. Featuring an industrial area in Western Australia, the piece moves between real and sublime, light and dark, as it asks what kind of planet we plan on leaving for future generations.

The final work in the series brings together the creative talents of Mandy Martin, an environmentalist who passed away in July 2021, Tristan Parr, a classically trained cellist, and Alexander Boynes, who is an artist, curator and manager at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space.

At Belconnen Arts Centre until 21 August; belcoarts.com.au

Cabaret in the Capital

Queenie Van de Zandt is returning to her hometown and helping local cabaret singers to find their voice at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

After an audition process, 20 lucky artists will be offered the chance of a lifetime to work with a who’s who of Australian cabaret in a series of workshops. Applications are open to artists of any genre of live performance to learn how to write, perform and produce their own cabaret shows.

The successful candidates will showcase their new skills in a performance on 28 August. On Saturday 27 August, Queenie herself will take the stage in her new show, Choose Your Own Adventure, where attendees get the opportunity to choose the night’s entertainment through their phones.

Auditions are open until 15 July; head to tuggeranongarts.com for your chance to be a cabaret star.

Flazeda offers free belly dancing

Long-time professional belly dancer Kirsty is patterning with alternate performing arts hub Flazeda to offer five lucky locals the opportunity to attend two five-week beginner belly dancing classes, open and accessible to all bodies. Kirsty, who has over 15 years’ experience teaching and performing the art form, has recently spent a month in Egypt with a master belly dancer and has returned keen to expand and diversify participation.

Flazeda believe in supporting individuals who may benefit personally or professionally from learning the craft, having created these positions for people who may not have been able to access it otherwise.

Applications close 15 July; flazedahub.com

New youth production to change everything

Echo Theatre presents their first youth production, This Changes Everything, at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre this July.

The play follows a group of young women who have ditched their lives and moved to an isolated platform out at sea. Their plan is to create new kind of society – one that is free of capitalism, and inequities bred by exponential growth and the failure to act on important issues like climate change. When they are done, they will present their new selves – The Community – to the world and share what they have learned. 

Created by British playwright Joel Horwood as a reaction to the lack of roles for girls and young women in writings for young actors, he begs to answer the question of what the world would look like if everyone was equal.

Catch This Changes Everything at The Q, Queanbeyan, 22-30 July; theq.net.au

Ainslie & Gorman appoints new CEO

The Arts Capital Board of Directors has announced Carly Davenport Acker as its new CEO and Director of Ainslie and Gorman Art Centres.

Major transformations are on the way for the art hubs, including a new strategic planning cycle and centenary renovations for both centres. Davenport Acker’s focus will be to implement collaborative pathways for all those involved with the arts and the centres.

Having previously worked in senior positions at major arts institutions nationally and internationally throughout her 25-year career, Davenport Acker believes this experience will help put the Centres on the map.

“I believe that excellence begins ‘at home’ and what we create here can be valued locally and globally,’ Davenport Acker said.

Megalo Print studio launches Editions

The Megalo Print studio has officially launched its new contemporary collaboration in printmaking, Megalo Editions.

The print initiative brings prints from multidisciplinary artists to the homes of Canberra locals. The first installment features the work of four artists, Tom Buckland, Joel Arthur, Tony Curran, and Naomi Zouwer, who have been working closely with Megalo printer to produce technically complex and visually striking works in lithology, etching and relief printmaking.

The project aims to establish meaningful relationships between artist and printer, while allowing artist to explore and expand their practice with the support of experienced printers.

To find out more about the works, head to the Kingston studio or visit megalo.org

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