Festival forges ahead
The decision to issue a planning permit to this year’s Esoteric Festival was made conditionally at Buloke Shire Council’s ordinary meeting held on Monday night in Wycheproof. The Council had announced its decision to deny a ten-year planning permit late last week following health and safety concerns, as well as emergency services regulations.
Writer of many voices
Author Carmel Bird delighted a packed room of around 30 people on Monday 2 March, in an event hosted by the Maldon Athenaeum Library. She spoke about her writing processes and her inspirations, going back as far as her childhood.
Mime, masks, Monet play a part in artist’s magic
Patricia Gill. South African born Ellis Pearson's love of art and reverence for nature will be revealed in an exhibition which opens at the Denmark Visitor Centre on Friday evening. The former professional actor and alumni of L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris will present 15 oil-on-canvas works.
Leeton celebrates completion of first stage of Roxy Theatre with spectacular Gala Concert
The excitement was palpable at the re-opening of the iconic Roxy Community Theatre on Saturday night as the community was welcomed back officially into Leeton's 'Palace of Dreams'.
World domination begins: RYT take to the stage
Madison Eastmond. Joining forces with other regional artists and teen ensembles in Whyalla and Bendigo for the 2025 Adelaide Festival, the Riverland Youth Theatre (RYT) will bunker down to survive an alien invasion in their new collaboration and retelling of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds.
Festival application refusal
The Buloke Shire Council has advised the organisers of the 2025 Esoteric Music Festival to cancel the event due to Council officers recommending the refusal of a planning permit based on significant health and safety concerns. With the Festival’s previous five-year planning permit expiring after the event last year, an application for a new ten-year permit was submitted in September 2024, with approval required to enable this year’s event to be held in Donald from 6 to 11 March 2025.
A fringe too far for Yorke Peninsula
Sarah Herrmann. Just one act is visiting Yorke Peninsula this Adelaide Fringe season, while regions a similar distance from the city, such as the Clare and Barossa Valleys, are hosting up to 30 events. This has prompted a local arts advocate to urge YP audiences to speak out and, importantly, show up when the time comes, if they want to see more arts offerings here.
After eight years, opera returns to Art Deco civic hall
It’s been a long time coming – the last time there was opera at the Casino Civic Hall was in 2017. The upgraded civic hall will again host a night of country music and opera in May.
Moving creatures moving together
Jordine and Dor wanted to blend their love of dance and movement with their philosophy of helping people become more active and less lonely. They knew they could easily do this at a local level through dance classes but they wanted to reach more people; they wanted to “move the world”.
Exhibition delves into ‘Alchemist’s den’
An exhibition highlighting the exquisite skill of master wood engraver Sir Lionel Lindsay will be on display at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery until Sunday, May 18. The exhibition, Alchemy: Works by Sir Lionel Lindsay, distills the artist’s life, work and legacy through the lens of what Sir Lionel called ‘the strange alchemy of Fate’.
Lake Meran Festival huge success
The second annual Lake Meran Festival was held last Sunday afternoon with hundreds of visitors coming along to enjoy the music, community, a great afternoon by the lake and to take a look at the star of the event, Grumpy the Turtle. Weighing in at almost one tonne, Grumpy was designed and built by Bendigo artist Moz Moresi ...
Get your sunflower fix this Sunday
A property near Clifton is hosting Sunflower Sunday from 10am to 3pm giving visitors the chance for spectacular photographs and to take home their own sunflowers. Sunflower Sunday is a fundraiser for Clifton Community Health Services (CCHS).
Everybody loves a mystery
Honor Auchinleck. What would acclaimed author Elyne Mitchell have said about the 2025 MSRBF Art and Photography and Elyne Mitchell Photo Story Awards’ theme ‘The Man or the Myth’? As her daughter I will tell you some of what I remember. Elyne spoke to people on both sides of the High Country - in the Monaro and the Upper Murray - who remembered Banjo Paterson.
Facelift for Bute beauty
Michelle Daw. Much-needed repairs have been completed to the acclaimed artwork on a silo at Bute. Artist Adam Poole-Mottishaw and his assistant, Shane Cook, repaired sections including the face, hair and hands of the young girl depicted on February 18 and 19.
Uncle Vic Simms
As mentioned on page one, Leroy Johnson and the Waterbag band played the Culture on Country Survival Day concert last January. The original plan had Leroy and band opening the stage for Uncle Vic Simms. Uncle Vic wasn’t feeling so good so he swapped the playing order.
Quietly achieving
Community might know that local man, Kyle Whyman is the bass player for The Black Shadows, but did you know he is also the bass player for Leroy Johnson and Waterbag band.
What are these artists up to now? Something Un-Real I suspect
The artwork for the Un-Real exhibition was arriving at the Cassino Gallery ... Artists were dropping off their work and gallery volunteers were deciding how best to display it. The Un-Real exhibition is about thinking outside the box, being radical, innovative, provocative — so anything goes from an artistic point of view.
Five metre lizard sculpture plus new entrance sign – what’s your thoughts?
Sean Cunningham. Anyone want a five-metre lizard (Eastern Bearded Dragon) sculpture in town and a new entrance sign which could cost $300,000? This was the hot topic of conversation during Narrandera Shire Council’s meeting on Tuesday.
Western Riverina welcomes Flamenco for Everybody
Doscover the toe-tapping energy of Flamenco when award-winning dancer Annalouise Paul and some of Australia’s finest musicians bring Flamenco for Everybody to Regional NSW. This red-hot, live performance features poetry, percussion, Flamenco guitar, contemporary and flamenco dance and storytelling … that comes to Western Riverina from March 3-14 and Outback NSW from April 1-12.
Westbrook’s fortnightly dances proving popular
It’s never too early for a little romance and so it proved as the Westbrook Hall committee held its Valentine’s Day Dance on Saturday the 8th with a very well attended event of Old Time and New Vogue Dances with music by Lyn and Ian.
Race tales paint a vivid history
The storied 150-year history of the Towong Turf Club has been encapsulated in a new book by local author, Dixie Coutts, which is to be launched on the eve of this year’s Towong Cup. ‘Towong Turf Club Tales’ tells the story of an institution that grew from races on the river flats before the turn of the 20th century to become a significant piece of the heritage of the Upper Murray.
Home Ground Sounds
Cohuna is hosting a one day music festival, Home Ground Sounds, on Sunday March 9 at the Cohuna Recreation Reserve with gates opening at 2pm ... The event is a unique opportunity to experience world class musical performances and help support the local community as the night will raise funds for the Cohuna Kangas Football Netball Club, Cohuna Show, Cohuna Athletics and Nondies Cricket.
