This has come in which will no doubt be quite exciting to literary bods:
The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and the 2013 judges, will be announcing the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award Winner, tomorrow Wednesday 19 June 2013.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia’s oldest and most prestigious literary prize [...]

[ 20 June, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

In Canberra Tonight is Canberra hottest talk show, and our esteemed editor will be returning to tell Canberra what news it liked the most over the past month.

As a bonus, we’ve managed to get Johnboy over his crippling addiction to cold and flu drugs so this time he’ll probably remember where he is at all [...]

[ 5 July, 2013; 7:00 pm; ]

Breathe Dance Studios are a new dance school opened in Canberra by local dance wizard Alex Ewans. To celebreate the end of their second semester, they’d like to party with and dance for you.

So its that time again! End of term 2 performance party for Breathe Dance Studio!
Please come support and enjoy an evening [...]

Today Joy Burch formally launched this year’s Voices in the Forest event at the National Arboretum today, which is a little confusing as the event isn’t on until late November.
Ahh well, no harm is getting excited early.
I have never made it to one of these events, but Rioter Poetix wrote us a review of last [...]

The second annual University of Canberra Book of the Year competition has just announced the shortlist of novels, as well as the panel of judges. Margaret Pomeranz joins the judging panel this year, which is awesome because she is awesome.
The shortlist, announced today, is the following five novels, drawn from books that have been Commonwealth [...]

Derek Scott is a talented man, and he will be running a 3 hour clowning workshop at the Street Theatre on July the 5th.
It sounds pretty amazing.
Derek Scott is an internationally acclaimed actor, clown, director, producer and teacher, who has performed around the world, including on Broadway and London’s West End.
He has performed and [...]

The National Gallery of Australia has made a lengthy statement on their ongoing ownershop of a 12th century bronze sculpture of Shiva as a result of the man they bought it from facing criminal charges for looting.
The Gallery is quite rightly insisting they have followed all the protocols and await the result of the trial.
[Photo: [...]

Canberra’s most majestic ambassador, the Skywhale, is heading down to Hobart for the weekend to appear in the Dark Mofo festival.
The Dark Mofo festival apparently celebrates “the dark through large-scale public art, food, music, light and noise” and I am wondering why I’ve never heard of it before because it sounds brilliant.
Centenary of Canberra Creative [...]

Turbobelco, headed by the always charming Baron Von Kreep, play Selfdestructo Bust at the Phoenix Bar.
Enjoy.

[ 19 June, 2013; 7:30 pm; ]

Canberra’s most serious and longest running poetry event is coming back to the Phoenix Bar this month on the 19th of June.

This month we will be featuring Queensland’s finest entertainers Ghostboy and Sir lady Grantham who will be providing music, words, and sex appeal.

Get to it.

[ 15 June, 2013 to 16 June, 2013. ]

Critically praised Doctor Who based comedy theatre coming to my Canberra?

Pinch me.

I am so there, any other Rioter Whovians going to heed the call?

Doctor Who is about to face his greatest challenge: his number one fan. Melbourne comedian Rob Lloyd puts The Doctor on trial in WHO, ME, a comedy show about obsession and it’s [...]

Joy Burch has announced the appointment of Nola Anderson to Chair the Canberra Glassworks (That thing Brodburger is in) taking over from Andrew Sayers:
Ms Anderson was appointed a member of the Board earlier this year, and will take up her new role of Chair on July 1. Also appointed to the Canberra Glassworks’ board were [...]

[ 7 June, 2013 to 9 June, 2013. ]

The wheel turns, the Game of Thrones season approaches its end, and we’ve got another weekend coming up.

What’s worth seeing and doing around Canberra this weekend?

Just leave your suggestions in the comments.

Phil Moriarty has facebooked the rather exciting news that the Canberra derived Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen have taken out Best Cabaret Act at the Brighton Festival’s Latest Fringe Awards.
This is the award for the Best Cabaret Act, Latest Fringe Awards, Brighton Festival 2013 won by Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen. Hooray [...]

Pam Merrigan, previously the artistic programs manager, has now taken the director’s seat at Canberra’s favourite beard and banjo festival.
Merrigan has been involved with several folk festivals around Australia and founded Yass’ Turning Wave Festival, and she comes into the National’s directorship role after a rather successful 2013 for the festival.
Best of Luck Pam.

Has anyone noticed problems getting subtitles on SBS One HD using their set top boxes or TV?
I’ve noticed that I can access subtitles on the standard definition version of SBS One only. I think this started happening around about the time the new NITV station started broadcasting.
Computer digital tuners seem ok at picking up [...]

Bring on the Skywhale merchandise…
I hope this meme isn’t too dead to benefit from a little Skywhale love…

The National Film and Sound Archive are putting together a whole bunch of classic British crime and thriller films of the 1940s, 50s and 60s for the Sydney International Film Festival, which is good news for anyone going to the SIFF.
It turns out it’s good news for Canberrans also as these films will then be [...]

Knit a sheep in a day and help create a flock of miniature sheep in the Gordon Darling Hall. Bring your knitting needles, all other materials supplied.
For all ages and abilities.
Bringing in the sheep c. 1936 by Hilda Rix Nicholas, oil on canvas, Bega Valley Art and Craft Society’s Permanent Collection, Bega Valley Regional Gallery
National [...]

[ 14 June, 2013; ]

Coolio Desgracias has just let us know that Housemouse and himself will be dropping their new EP on us on the 14th of June.

Ready yourselves Canberra!

Housemouse and Coolio made a pact to release something as a duo in 2012 after collaborating on ‘Dubbo Zoo’ and ‘You Got Papped’ on ‘My Private Jet’. Fast forward a [...]

Canberra writer/actors/film makers, it is time to get to work! The Canberra Short Film Festival is calling for entries!
Think big and film short – that’s the cry going out to ACT filmmakers, young and old, experienced or first timers, as the Canberra Short Film Festival launches its official call for entries for 2013 from Cockington [...]

The National Folk Festival is one of my favourite events on the Canberran calendar, and tomorrow they’ll be accepting applications for performers from tomorrow.
Performer applications are open from 1 June to 1 July 2013
To apply visit the festival website
Please ensure you read all the information provided prior to submitting your application.
Also they’re looking for a [...]

The Village was a magnificently odd little festival that snuck in and out of Canberra back in March. Sadly March was the month of hell festival wise and I don’t think it got as much attention as it deserved.
Still for those that headed out a really fun time was had by all.
Also they let Johnboy [...]

[ 1 June, 2013; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. ]

Bluebells, Correa Bells, Parliament House, Black Mountain Tower and even floral bouquets – all made entirely out of sugar – will be on display on Saturday 1 June at a Centenary celebration of all things cake.

The ACT Cake Decorators Association will host the Canberra Centennial Open Day at Weston Creek Community Centre. It will include [...]

[ 1 June, 2013 to 30 June, 2013. ] From our friends at the Canberra Musicians Club:

June 2013

Mon 3 The CMC Presents The Bootlegs @ The Phoenix. 8pm, donation
Monotremes, Coolio Desgracias, Bad Pharmer, Azim Zain

Wed 5 The CMC Presents Wed Nights @ Smiths Alternative.
The Burley Griffin. 7.30pm, free

Thu 5 Bang! Bang! Bang! @ Nigel and Beth’s Place. 7pm, $5

Fri 7 Brass Knuckle Brass Band EP [...]

Canberra has a lot of artists and only so many grant dollars to go between them.
The arts scene becomes a den of serpents when grant time rolls around, backs are stabbed, Macbooks sabotaged, offers of in-kind-support undercut…. it’s a nightmare. *
I myself have had more than one attempt to secure funding fall flat in the [...]

[ 1 June, 2013 to 8 September, 2013. ]

Barcham and I went down to the media preview of the National Gallery’s upcoming blockbuster show Turner from The Tate, The Making of a Master this morning.

It didn’t really justify both of us going, we just both wanted to see it. We were not alone as it was one of the most well attended media [...]

This is a short film (7 mins) filmed & produced by a local Canberran. Please check it out & share,like & comment!!
Falcon Convertible is a short film about two Australian brothers who overcome natural obstacles in pursuit of fun. There is no dialog in the film and the action paints a picture of what Aussie [...]

That amazing collective of creatives, Scissors Paper Pen, just hit us up with some news about a really interesting sounding workshop coming up in June run by the ex-Canberran/now-Vermontian Eleri Harris.
The whole deal costs $15 ($10 for members), has food and drinks provided, and will teach you a bunch of skills on how to make [...]

Ex-Newcastle resident Daniel Ballantyne has recently been given the top job at BCA, coming into the job with 20 years of experience.
Belconnen Arts Centre strives to fuel a love of and engagement with the arts in Belconnen and the broader Canberra region. Daniel will lead Belconnen Arts Centre through to its next stages of development [...]

Artists often like to let their work speak for itself.
More people who view art like to draw their own conclusions.
For everyone else, you can use an app.
I think Piccinini’s work is gorgeous, you may not, but I think we can all agree it’s certainly interesting. Here’s a way to find out more.
A New York company [...]

This month local photographer Denise Ferris took up the role of Head of The Australian National University’s (ANU) School of Art.
More information about her photography and current projects can be found here.
Ferris joined the ANU ranks in 1987, teaching photography for what she thought would only be for one semester.
“I taught a course called The [...]