1 October 2020

Eleven things to do in Canberra this week (2 - 8 October)

| Sharon Kelley
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Enjoy a Spring High Tea at Parliament House this weekend. Image: Supplied.

Enjoy a Spring High Tea at Parliament House this weekend. Photo: Supplied.

School holidays are here and there are plenty of opportunities around Canberra to spend some family time together, including at the Treasures in Timber exhibition and sale at the National Botanic Gardens. The Warehouse Circus in Haig Park can teach the kids circus skills at lunchtime, while ANU Thrive is holding Art for Mental Health Workshops for everyone.

The Italian Film Festival is on at Palace Electric, providing a feast of film for cinema-goers, while lovers of theatre should head to the Belco Arts production Mess this week. Or, if you’re into more traditional entertainment, you can enjoy Opera by Candlelight on the lawns of St John’s Church in Reid.

Online this week, the Moon Festival kicks off and the Canberra Environment Centre is holding a ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ seminar.

As Floriade Reimagined continues, take a tour of the Spring Gardens at Parliament House, and book in for a delicious High Tea in the Members’ Hall.

Don’t miss the opportunity for a morning Man Walk with the Vikings Group and Mengineering on Sunday, to mark the start of Mental Health Month.

Have a great week Canberra!

All weekend

Belco Arts new production Mess

Belco Arts new production Mess, offers a unique theatre experience, with original sound and captivating set design. Image: Supplied.

Belco Arts Production: Mess

Where: Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen
When: Thursday, 1 October and Friday, 2 October, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $25 for concession and $35 for adult, book tickets here.

Join exciting new director Natsuko Yonezawa on a journey into physical theatre that plays with the shadows and light found in isolation and self-made mess.

In collaboration with performers Miriam Slater, Christopher Samuel Carroll, set design by Byrd and with an original sound design by Marlene Radice, Belco Arts’ Mess will be an experience that is not to be missed. The show runs for 45 minutes with no interval and is suitable for ages 16-plus.

Canberra's Moon Festival is going virtual in 2020. Image: Canberra Moon Festival Facebook.

Canberra’s Moon Festival is going virtual in 2020. Image: Canberra Moon Festival Facebook.

Canberra Moon Festival 2020 – Virtual event

Where: Online
When: Thursday, 1 October to Sunday, 4 October, various times
Cost: Free.

This year, the Canberra Moon Festival is going virtual. Running across four days from 1 to 4 October, there will be heartwarming festival memories, greetings and cultural performances from selected artists and groups, as well as moon festival-themed food topics.

This year’s theme is ‘We Are One’, taking the festival back to its original objective of reunion and harmony. Keep an eye on the event page for more details.

APH

Take a tour of the formal and peripheral gardens at parliament house this weekend. Photo: Supplied.

Floriade Reimagined: Spring gardens tour of Parliament House

Where: Parliament House
When
: Friday, 2 October and Saturday, 3 October, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm
Cost: $35 per person, tickets through Humantix.

This walking tour covers, quite literally, a lot of ground, visiting the Formal Gardens and the Peripheral Gardens outside of Australian Parliament House, while also sharing (a few of) the interior courtyard gardens, and our exhibition Voyage of Discovery: Joseph Banks’ Florilegium.

The Formal Gardens are currently displaying Floriade Reimagined plantings (and looking spectacular), and for many guests, this may be the first time they have explored our native species plantings in the exterior gardens. Usually off-limits to the general public, the interior courtyard gardens are a delight of blossoms, and the guides will help interpret the gardens and share stories of maintaining the landscapes.

Please note this walking tour covers 2 km of varying terrain, from carpet to uneven landscape surfaces, so wear appropriate footwear and inform the organisers in advance if you may require any mobility assistance. Your ticket also includes a souvenir copy of the Parliament House Landscape and Gardens Walk booklet.

Treasures in Timber at the Australian National Botanical Gardens

Treasures in Timber at the Australian National Botanical Gardens. Image: Supplied.

ACT Woodcraft Guild Annual Exhibition and Sale, Treasures in Timber

Where: Crosbie Morrison Building, Australian National Botanic Gardens
When: Friday, 2 October 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm; Saturday, 3 October and Sunday, 4 October 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; Monday, 5 October 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Cost
: Free or join the kids’ workshops from $5 to $15.

Discover the finest work of the ACT Woodcraft Guild, meet the members, and see them in action in a variety of woodworking demonstrations at the annual ACT Woodcraft Guild members’ exhibition and sales event.

Free demonstrations throughout the exhibition include turning ‘green’ bowls, spoon and stool carving, wood carving, pyrography (the art of burning designs into wood), scroll saws and musical instrument making. There will be a large range of handcrafted items for sale, including turned pens, furniture, chopping boards, bowls, toys, boxes and much more.

For the kids, there are two workshops where they can try their own hand at crafting a toy or spinning top. For more information, visit the event page.

Saturday

Man Walk

The man walk provides an opportunity for men to get together to walk, talk and support each other in a regular and healthy way. Photo: Supplied.

The Man Walk

Where: Viking Park, Wanniassa
When: 8:30 am
Cost: Free, registrations essential.

The Man Walk provides an opportunity for men to form social connections and to feel like part of a supportive and inclusive community, and in doing so, build social capital, resilience and support networks for men in communities throughout Australia and the world.

For more information, visit the event page.

Enjoy a Spring High Tea at Parliament House this wekend. Image: Supplied.

Enjoy a Spring High Tea at Parliament House this weekend. Photo: Supplied.

Spring High Tea at Parliament House

Where: Members Hall, Parliament House
When: 11:15 am arrival for 12:00 pm service
Cost
: $80 per person, $100 with walking tour, book tickets through Humantix.

Parliament House is hosting an exclusive Spring-themed High Tea experience prepared by executive chef David Learmonth, served under the flagpole in the Members’ Hall. The menu offers a delicious array of delicacies such as alpine trout triangles, crab egg benedict croissants, Batlow apple savarin and much more.

The Spring Tea is served with a welcome cocktail or sparkling wine, with options to purchase more by the glass/bottle. Non-alcoholic drinks are also available.

Sunday

Enjoy opera on the lawns of St Johns Church

Enjoy opera on the lawns of St Johns Church in Reid this Sunday. Image: Supplied.

Opera by Candlelight

Where: The lawns of St Johns Church, 45 Constitution Ave, Reid
When: 4:00 pm arrival for 5:00 pm start
Cost
: $80 per ticket, book here.

Glamorous musicians and singers will perform wonderful tunes, with the lovely old sandstone church as a glorious backdrop. Dress in floral (no Hawaiian shirts allowed), bring your own picnic and invite your friends along to enjoy the performance. Find out about the artists here.

There are only 100 tickets available for each performance. You must read and understand the weather contingencies before you book.

Monday

The Italian Film Festival 2020

Palace Electric is hosting the 2020 Italian Film Festival. Image: Supplied.

2020 Italian Film Festival at Palace Electric

Where: Palace Electric at NewActon Nishi, 2 Phillip Law St
When: 10:30 am – 10:30 pm
Cost
: Tickets available from the Italian Film Festival.

The Italian Film Festival 2020 is launching at Palace Electric on Monday. With a range of Australian premieres, heartfelt dramas and hilarious comedies, the 2020 Festival will transport cinema-goers to some amazing locations in Italy, including Rome, Naples and Palermo. Never has there been a better time to escape to the cinema. The festival runs until Sunday, 18 October.

Tuesday

Warehouse Circus Skills Program

City Renewal Canberra is hosting the Warehouse Circus Skills Program at Haig Park. Image: supplied.

Warehouse Circus Skills Program

Where: Haig Park, Braddon
When: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Cost
: Free.

Have you ever wanted to bring out your inner clown or acrobat? These school holidays you can have the opportunity. The Warehouse Circus and City Renewal Authority are providing the opportunity for kids to live their circus dreams, teaching them juggling, trick sticks, poi and hoops skills.

There will be something for all ages, as kids old and young learn circus skills.

Participant and community safety are the first thing in mind with this event. A number of steps are being taken to ensure everyone’s health and safety, including sign-in on arrival, hand sanitising stations and use, all items will be cleaned and sanitised throughout the day, numbers will be monitored to ensure the maximum number of participants, and physical distancing will be in place.

Love Food Hate Waste

The Canberra Environment Centre is holding an online Love Food Hate Waste seminar. Image: Supplied.

Love Food Hate Waste online seminar

Where: Online
When: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Cost
: Free, register via Eventbrite.

Learn everything you need to know about fighting food waste in this free online workshop.

From shopping smarter to clever recipe ideas, storing your food correctly and getting into meal planning, this workshop will leave you feeling fully equipped to save food and money in your household.

The course is online via Zoom and has been created in collaboration with the ACT Government’s Love Food Hate Waste program.

Wednesday

ANU Thrive

ANU Thrive is hosting events throughout October for Mental Health Month. Photo: Supplied.

Art for Mental Health at ANU – Reconnecting through the Arts

Where: The Australian National University, Acton
When: 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Cost
: Complimentary, booking necessary.

Get ready for your life to become a little more colourful this October!

ANU Thrive is hosting Art for Mental Health workshop – an art exhibition and talks from students who use visual arts as part of their mental health recovery journey. There are three art therapy workshops and two art workshops available throughout October. The exhibition and talks will be available to the public online.

To find out more, please visit the ANU Thrive Facebook Event, and book your ticket through the ANU Eventbrite page.

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