All posts tagged: events

‘Tanna’ film screening plus Q&A

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It’s always nice to be able to get behind new Australian films, and this one sounds as though it may be really worth the effort. The Melbourne premiere of ‘Tanna’, the first feature film to be shot entirely in Vanuatu, will be held next Tuesday 20 October at Cinema Nova in Lygon Street. The event will include a post-screening Q&A with the directors Bentley Dean and Martin Butler and cultural director Jimmy Joseph Nako, plus a special Yakel dance performance by the cast, who are largely non-professional actors from local communities. ‘Tanna’ won the International Critics’ Week Audience Award for best film, and also scooped the critics prize for cinematography at the Venice Film Festival. Based on a true story, the film tells the story of forbidden love and tribal warfare on the tiny island of Tanna. Here’s the trailer: If you can’t make it to the premiere, keep your eyes peeled for screenings at Melbourne’s independent cinemas where it’s bound to make the rounds. ‘Tanna’ film screening plus Q&A Date: 20 October 2015 Time: …

The Night Market Cinema

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Everyone loves a good night market. The food, the bustle, the twinkly lights — it’s all pretty winning. Melbourne’s biggest and best-loved night markets happen every summer and winter at the Queen Victoria Market, with this year’s winter season kicking off on Wednesday 3 June. But this year, it gets better. The 2015 Winter Night Market has just become a little more exciting with the announcement of a new addition to the event: a screening of short films programmed by a new guest presenter every week. It’s always great to see local institutions supporting and celebrating local artists, and of course very cool to have a free weekly cinema event to hit up during the winter months. Check out the Night Market website for a run-down of upcoming screenings. So grab a noodle box, folks, and settle in for some short film fun every Wednesday night for the next couple months.   The Night Market Cinema   Dates: Every Wednesday, 3 June — 26 August 2015 Time: 5pm–10pm Venue: Queen Victoria Night Market, Melbourne CBD

Peel Street Block Party 2015

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Everyone loves a block party. This Saturday, the Peel Street Block Party will rock it with live music, a fashion show, food and market stalls, and live art. Presented by Three Thousand, Northside Records and The Social Studio — a fashion school-slash-label focussed on providing training and employment opportunities to youth migrants and refugees — this event will feature acts including Banoffee, Baro, Queen Magic and performance poet Abe Nouk. Check out the event’s Facebook page for all the juicy details. This is exactly the kind of event that Melbourne does well — casual, creative, multicultural. Get down to Collingwood to soak up the vibes from 12pm to 6pm.   Peel Street Block Party 2015 Date: 14 March 2015 Time: 12pm–6pm Address: Corner of Peel St and Oxford St, Collingwood Damage: Free

Sidney Myer Free Concerts 2015

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It’s summer in Melbourne, which means the annual Sidney Myer Free Concerts are fast approaching. This year, the three concerts will be held over eight days from the 14th to 21st of February (Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday). Each concert will feature a soloist (soprano, piano and violin respectively) and is arranged around a theme: A Musical Valentine, Summer Nights in Budapest, and Bohemian Rhapsody. If you’ve attended these free concerts in the past, you will know that the venue fills up fast — you will have to arrive a couple of hours early to nab a decent spot on the grass. If you haven’t been before, go. It’s rare to have the chance to hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for free, and even rarer to be able to sit with friends and listen under the stars. If you’re in Melbourne this summer, lap it up. And a note to my readers — this Melbourne Local is not, in fact, currently in Melbourne (cheers from Dili, East Timor!) so apologies for the lack of updates of late. I’ll be back in …

Sunset Series 2015

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Melburnians don’t need much coaxing to get out and enjoy the city’s parks during summer, but in case you need some extra motivation, the Sunset Series in Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens should give you a kick where you need it. For the next two weekends, there will be free entertainment on Saturday and Sunday evenings, including two dance workshops. The Saturday events — each featuring four music acts — will start at 5pm and last till 8.45pm, while the Sunday dance workshops will also begin at around 5pm. There will be food trucks on site if you can’t muster a picnic. Here’s the full line-up: Saturday 10 January: 5–5.45pm Beautiful Beasts 6–6.45pm Dash 7–7.45pm APES 8–8.45pm Echo Drama Sunday 11 January: 5pm Melbourne Salsa Dance Workshop with Live Latin Band Saturday 17 January: 5–5.45pm Dan Flynn and the State of Things 6–6.45pm The Tiger and Me 7–7.45pm Passerine 8–8.45pm Madre Monte Sunday 18 January: 5pm Rhythm and Spice Bollywood Dance Workshop A couple years back I saw the Bollywood dance workshop and it was a lot …

Spectacular Christmas Spectacular

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If you’re keen to get down and Christmassy this festive season, why not kick things off with the Spectacular Christmas Spectacular. This concert, to be held at the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday, is presented by The School of Hard Knocks, an organisation that aims to empower disadvantaged people through the arts. The show will feature a whole bunch of local choirs, including the Choir of Hope and Inspiration, formally known as the Choir of Hard Knocks (made famous by the popular five-part ABC documentary a few years ago). Here’s a short (heavily edited) clip from the documentary: If this video is anything to judge by, you’re in for a weepy evening of spine tingly goodness. Spectacular Christmas Spectacular! Date: 13 December 2014 Time: 7.30pm Venue: Melbourne Town Hall Address: 90–120 Swanston Street, Melbourne Damage: $35 full / $25 conc / $16 under 12s

Free Opera in the Bowl 2014

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Ooh! Free opera! This Opera in the Bowl event at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on the 13th will feature five singers performing a selection of chorus pieces and arias from popular operas including Madame Butterfly, Carmen and The Pearl Fishers.     These free events are always incredibly popular so turn up early if you want a spot on the grass. Gates open at 4pm so I’d recommend taking a picnic and a good book and arriving as early as possible. As we all know, opera tickets are far too expensive in this country so if you enjoy classical music it’s really worth taking advantage of this rare free event under the stars.   Mazda Opera in the Bowl Date: 13 December 2014 Time: 8pm start (doors open at 4pm) Venue: Sidney Myer Music Bowl  

West Writers Our Stories Forum

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There’s something special about the Footscray Community Arts Centre. I have only recently been introduced to this organisation, but its reputation as one of the country’s leading community-based contemporary arts centres precedes it by a mile. When I finally made it there for the centre’s recent 40th birthday celebration, I found an inclusive, unpretentious gathering place for west Melbourne’s multicultural arts community — the sort of place where everyone seemed to know everyone. Its lovely riverside location is just an added sweetener. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit the FCAC, this Saturday is the perfect opportunity. The West Writers Our Stories Forum will feature panel discussions, presentations, launches, workshops and story walks, including a 1.5-hour workshop with award-winning author Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap, Loaded), a panel chaired by The Lifted Brow‘s editor-in-chief Sam Cooney, live performances by Still Nomads and the launch of Ascension Magazine. The event aims to examine the significance of stories in Australia’s diverse communities, and how this diversity is represented in the country’s literary scene. The forum runs …

Queen Vic Night Market returns

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Heads up, people. The Queen Vic Night Market returns next Wednesday (5 November) for another season of yum food, cool tunes, twinkly lights and sweaty crowds. Yes, it’s full of overheating tourists and it can be nigh on impossible to find a seat, but come here on a balmy summer evening and you’ll feel like you’re on holiday (or perhaps you are on holiday — in which case, soak it up!). The market runs every Wednesday night until 25 March 2015 except Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.   The Night Market Dates: 5 November 2014 — 25 March 2015 Time: 5pm–10am Where: Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne  

Melbourne Zombie Shuffle

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Looking for something to do this weekend? Why not get some fresh air and join the undead for a touch of spring marauding at the Melbourne Zombie Shuffle? Sure, you could saunter through an art gallery, relax at a pretty picnic or just generally enjoy being alive, but what’s that compared with limping, drooling and rotting your way down Collins Street whilst terrifying small children? Yes, people, the Melbourne Zombie Shuffle is actually a thing. Whether you’re keen to join the walking dead or just run from them screaming, this Saturday is the time to do it. The Shufflers will gather at 11am at the Treasury Gardens, then stagger their way down towards the Queen Victoria Gardens (opposite the NGV). See the MZS Facebook page for full details. If you’re wondering about the dress code, check out this photo gallery for some inspiration. You may also want to consult the MZS’s five rules of participation (the general idea being ‘no dickheads’). Happy ravaging!   Melbourne Zombie Shuffle 2014 Date: 11 October 2014 Time: 11am Meeting …