[ 31 May, 2013 to 11 August, 2013. ] As part of Canberra’s centenary celebrations, the National Portrait Gallery will honour the life and work of Hilda Rix Nicholas.

Autumn evening’s golden glow c. 1942 by Hilda Rix Nicholas, oil on canvas, Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, PerthNicholas, born in Ballarat in 1884, travelled widely overseas between 1907 and 1926 and achieved considerable success [...]

ACT Minister for Education and Training Joy Burch helped launch a new circus space for Warehouse Circus in Kaleen today.
Warehouse Circus are a fantastic not-for-profit business that has helped train some of ACT’s best performers and it’s great to see them expanding their business.
“This unique opportunity opens a new stream of in-school circus programs for [...]

“I am so sorry my friend, if there were any other way…” apologises Johnboy, as I pick up my goods and head out the door.
“…but somebody has to do an Unearthed Review.”
So I go on.
Today the RNG generated the number 1.
The first name on my list of ‘ACT bands with great names whom I have [...]

[ 24 May, 2013 to 26 May, 2013. 24 May, 2013 to 26 May, 2013. ]

24 May
Symmetries – The Australian Ballet @ Canberra Theatre Centre (until 25 May)
Prime Time @ The Q – Queanbeyan Arts Centre, Queanbeyan (until 1 June)
Luke Chiswell Launches New Collection @ Hippo Bar, Garema Place, 5pm
Digest Curated By Scott Chaseling @ Canberra Glass Words (until 20 June)
Public Education Centenary Dinner @ National Press Club, 7pm-11:30pm
Veteran Women [...]

The CSO has made it known that their board has had a refresh:
The Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is pleased to announced its new Board for 2013/2014 with Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, AC, AFC (Ret’d) appointed to the role of Chair at this year’s Annual General meeting.
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, AC, AFC (Ret’d) [...]

The Canberra Musicians Club is doing regular Wednesday night spots at the newly revamped Smiths Alternative in Civic.
Last night I braved the cold and wet to check it out.
The first thing any inner city venue needs is bicycle parking in spades. In this day and age driving to a gig is nothing short of tragic.
Smiths [...]

[ 24 May, 2013 to 26 May, 2013. ]

Morning Rioters, I hope you’ve all taken it easy this week and reserved your energies for the weekend ahead.

Let’s find out what you shall be doing!

You know the drill:

1. Find suggestions I have missed.
2. Put them in the comments.
3. Rock out.

Well I’ve already put up a story about an alien invasion today, it’s time for an Unearthed Review.
15 bands left on our “bands whose names I like and have never heard before’ list. Today the RNG gave me the number four.
A four means I listen to Sharptooth.
This band appears to be named after the terrifying [...]

Featuring works by local and interstate artists, PINup, the latest exhibition at the ANCA gallery opens tonight, 22 May.

Support Pegasus at the inaugural gala dinner.

Entries for the 2013 Harrison Art Show are now open.
Last year the inaugural Harrison Art Show was an extremely successful event with more than 200 guests over the two days and around 13 per cent of artworks sold. This year, we are building on last year’s success with extended opening hours and wider publicity.
Entries for this year’s event are [...]

[ 31 May, 2013; 8:00 pm; ]

Canberra’s hottest bands and burlesque night, Tease and Tearaways, will be injecting you with its latest dose of live music and dance this May by bringing you the next in their event showcase – Leave Them With A Ska!

Leave Them With A Ska  is a runaway train of entertainment featuring local and interstate Ska bands, teamed with a [...]

Hey Rioters with kids (or I guess Rioters who just like storytime),
This sounds pretty cool. A nation-wide simultaneous storytime reading of a children’s book at Libraries around Australia in order to promote literacy. There are a bunch of libraries participating here in Canberra, so why not check one out?
Director of Libraries ACT Vanessa Little today [...]

[ 31 May, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

Those crazy kids over at the Canberra poetry slam are running two slams there this month, this is the second.

They sent us these words about the event, because they like words.

May Poetry Slam Part 2

This month sees the social calendar bookended by two editions of the Canberra Poetry Slam.

Part 2 starts Friday the 31st at [...]

[ 1 June, 2013; 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. ] All right thinking people agree kites are cool.

ArtsACT is giving notice of a kite flying day by Lake Ginninderra:

Kites will fill the skies on Saturday 1 June at Belconnen Arts Centre’s WIND AIR WATER – CENTENARY KITES at LAKE GINNINDERRA. Join Belconnen Arts Centre to celebrate the kites, colours and the cultures from around the [...]

A new exhibition exploring the elements and our relationship to the land is opening at the Belconnen Community Centre this Friday.
A collaborative, mixed media exhibition by Warlpiri artist Wanta Jampijinpa, Canberra artist, Lee Anne Proberts and students from the ANU School of Music
Supported by Belconnen Community Service’s Reconciliation Action Plan
May 24-June 7, Monday-Friday, 9am – [...]

It’s just over an hour long, but I still think you should all stop for a bit and have a listen to Professor Schmidt today. It’s on a fascinating subject, and Professor Schmidt is a great speaker.
He’s got a Nobel prize, and if you can’t put an hour aside to learn something from a Canberran [...]

Life is like an Unearthed Review.
Someone who really isn’t qualified to make judgments on you ends up being a jerk to you.
That unqualified jerk is me, and the poor undeserving punter whom I will be mean to is Renegade Peacock.
Here’s what they have to say about themselves:
…
They didn’t fill their BIO in, but seeing as [...]

[ 2 June, 2013; ]

Woo! Cars going fast!

The ACT Speedway will be getting a workout on the 2nd of June. Doors open at 8am, and races start at 10am.

[ 31 May, 2013; 7:00 pm; ]

Facebook brings word that the obscure Magpies Club downstairs next to Gus’s is going to give live local music a shot under the brand of “City Underground”:

Magic Rob Universe, The Feldons and The Naddiks are venturing into the Magpies City Club (City Underground) in Civic for the first time to see if we can vibe [...]

[ 23 May, 2013; 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. ] Robert Guth is a gentleman, an interesting artist, and one hell of a chef.
This will totally be worth you time.

Duration: Thursday, May 23, 2013 – 13:00 – 14:00
Location: School of Art lecture theatre

Robert Guth is best known for two things, firstly his ability to bake bread and secondly for his use of it as an [...]

I know art is subjective, but when I think of creativity I think of something like this – in France’s mechanical animal theme park.
The main piece – the elephant, cost $3.5mil to create funded through EU arts funding, however the public can actually ride this at the cost of 7euro a pop. 
It attracted 285 [...]

Peter has sent this in:
While walking around the lake this pm, I walked past this.
It is of course the National Gallery’s Diamonds by Neil Dawson.
Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

The Centenary have youtubed a lovely timelapse of Skywhale liftoff!
Skywhale – Centenary balloon rides (Time-Lapse)
Skywhale – Centenary balloon rides at Reconciliation Place on Sunday morning 19th May 20123
Music – William Orbit. H – Pieces in a Modern Style, Ludwig van Beethoven – “Opus 132″

As Canberra’s very own zombie flick trundles to completion they’ve released the above “Cannes Trailer”.
Looking forward to seeing what all the hard work and enthusiasm comes to!

Word Play is the latest outing from Boho Interactive and is running at the CSIRO Discovery Centre.
As an experience it is certainly novel. Downright unusual in fact.
On arrival you’re instructed how to get the appropriate app on your phone (SMS to a number can be done with those stuck on ancient platforms who still want [...]

CYTC is a not for profit organisation that has been around for over 40 years teaching Canberran kids theatre skills. Most of the people I know in theatre cut their teeth doing CYTC projects and classes, and I would recommend the company to anyone.
Speaking of me recommending them, they’ve just opened up enrollments for their [...]

Canberra’s very own talkshow In Canberra Tonight happened again last night, and again I missed it because I am a bad person.
Johnboy however, was in attendance last night and not only to tell people the hottest stories from the past month, but also it seems to be crowned the king of the Skywhales. The crown [...]

Introduction paragraphs are for the weak, I am too metal for them!
This is an Unearthed Review! If you do not like it, then I apologise!
I am reviewing The Death Storm, they are a storm of death.
Here is what they have to say about themselves:
Originally formed sometime during 2007 with both Ben and Lance still in [...]

Where’d the month go? It’s already time for the next public viewing night up on the mountain.
Plenty of us members of the Canberra Astronomical Society will be up there with our telescopes. And Saturn plus a new moon will make for great viewing if the weather cooperates. There will be professional astronomers from the ANU [...]

How could we not direct your attention, dear reader, to an article titled “The Ten Most Wonderful Things Committed To Hansard as a Result of the Skywhale”.
It’s worth mentioning such tech luminaries as Jzw and Cory Doctorow have now blogged about skywhale.
The full list of Google News results is staggering.
All hail Skywhale.
[Photo by Gentoopenguin]

If you ever waved a jug over your head in Mooseheads with your trousers around your ankles you’ll be fascinated to hear that Canberra’s Film and Sound Archive have restored a rare print of the historic Eagle Rock video:
Forty two years after the distinctive opening guitar riff of one of Australia’s best loved rock anthems [...]