Arts

Ryan Enns. There is a collective trauma being lived by Bluesfesters and the result is that nobody believed it was going to happen this year because to believe would be to make yourself vulnerable to another disappointment. Well, it did happen and every minute felt like a miracle and every artist erupted with music and love like they’d been holding it in for three years.

It is clear from the extent of the NSW floods that many of the Con’s students, teachers and other musicians have lost their instruments, with most uninsured, and the Con has worked to quickly explore immediate support options for staff, students and the wider musical community impacted by this crisis. The Con itself has also lost much of its musical equipment and not all is fully covered by insurance.

Pam Dillon. The Tennant Creek RSL had the pleasure of meeting Darwin artist, Kerry Sandhu, when she delivered 250 stubby coolers to the RSL this week.  The stubby coolers come in five unique ANZAC inspired designs and are named after the songs that are embedded in each design.  

Emma Pritchard. A proud Graftonian, and a much-loved country music star with a heart as big as her acoustic guitar, Brooke McClymont has been officially announced as the newest Patron of the Grafton Branch of the United Hospital Auxiliary (GBUHA).

Fast becoming a Cape York icon, Lakeland’s Gateway to the Cape was officially opened on Friday ... Now complete, it boasts comprehensive visitor information, as well as a sculpture park that showcases each community in the region.

After sold-out previews at the Croatian Film Festival in Sydney, a locally filmed documentary –  Countryman  – will make its cinema release with screenings that bring the film back home to where the Australian story began.  Tennant Creek’s Joseph Williams is the co-producer and artist of the doco and he is excited to screen it in town next Wednesday at Nyinkka Nyunyu   from 5.30pm.

Local artists Sally Anderson and Kerry Punton are displaying their beautiful works of art at Harcourt General Store. The theme, contemporary chinoiserie, examines the 17th and 18th-century western style of interior design that represents fanciful European Interpretations of Chinese styles.

Alison Bennett Taylor. Waterways producer/director Nari Lees says everyone has a story to tell about their connection to Denmark’s waterways – the river, the inlet and the sea. She hopes to capture as many of them on film as she can during the still days of autumn. Waterways, Love Stories of Place, will share stories of connection to place through an interactive walk featuring QR codes that link directly to the recordings.

The April school holidays are almost here, and with it brings the return of the Critter Trail on Chapman: an interactive experience for young detectives. Coordinated by the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery (GRAG), the Critter Trail is a series of art pieces along the CBD portion of Chapman Road depicting critters that have ‘borrowed’ art from the City’s Collection.

Congratulations to David Berkman and the team of Rockfest for putting on a great show for the Island this year.

The Hive Narrandera is a hub of creativity, bringing together an art gallery, retail space and opportunities for creative classes ... “I’m new to the area. This is my third year in Narrandera and I have seen so many talented people! My idea was to have an art gallery in the front, because it is such a big space and showcase local, regional and rural NSW art”: Melissa Horrell.

Kirstin Nicholson. The memorial park in King Edward Street has another memorial in the form of a colourful yet poignant mural ... With the theme of compassion to your fellow man, the mural features four Australians who have served over our country’s wartime history, standing in front of a field of poppies.

Detective Dave Burrows returns in another breathtaking tale of rural suspense. After the family's devastating tragedy, Detective Dave Burrows is crystal clear that his wife, Mel, is no longer interested in their marriage ... 'Fleur McDonald is a master of the rural suspense novel, her characters and storyline crackle with authenticity.' Family Circle

Elvis: Direct from Graceland opening weekend was a huge success ... Due to your support this was our most successful opening weekend of all time.

Winanjjikari Music Centre held a networking event on Monday evening at the Centre to give those people interested in local music a chance to have a chat and find out all the latest on the local music scene. With people from Music NT, APRA AMCOS and 8CCC Community Radio in attendance as well as local musos, there was plenty of interesting talk going on regarding the future of performing in the Barkly.  

Maldon will host the inaugural Goldfields Gothic Festival of Dark Ideas this July. As part of the town’s annual Maldon in Winter series, the new festival celebrates the dark side of the goldfields with performances, tours, themed food experiences, conversations on dark topics and a range of strange and unforgettable happenings sure to surprise, delight, incite and excite you.

Music is the food of life someone famous once said and that is for sure -  for people of all ages. Music has been proved to be powerful in the management of dementia and related issues ... With over 40 years of broadcasting experience, Gary Thorpe OAM developed Silver Memories in 2007 to address social isolation in the aged in the community. And now it is going stronger than ever.

A perfect autumn evening and the setting sun’s golden haze set the scene for the Sara Storer concert in Wakool, presented by the Australian Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Agency ... 21-time Golden Guitar winner ... Backstage, Sara said it was great to be back on the road after a quiet two years.

Warren Chamber Music Festival's Education Week takes place 3-7 May 2022 in Warren.    Education Week aims to create an immersive and inspiring environment, providing no less than 12 opportunities for music making and learning.

Nancy Whittaker. The Maldon Photography Competition (MPC) for 2021 was opened by Maree Edwards Bendigo West MP, who made the very salient point that photography is more important than ever for documenting history as it is happening in Ukraine. She emphasised the important work EDGE is doing in promoting photography as an art form, as it ensures that history is concrete and not lost.

Gabrielle Duykers. A unique piece of artwork showcasing the natural features of Kingston has been crowned the best mural in the nation. Commissioned by Kingston District Council in the wake of the Keilira Bushfire, ‘Wind Dance’ received the Gold Award for the Best External Mural at the 2021 Australian Street Art Awards announced last week. In a collective statement, the judges said the mural was vibrant, creative and would entice visitors to explore more of the region.

Narranders High School 2021 HSC Industrial Technology and Design and Technology students Amelia Gillespie and Lauren Wickes have won accolades for their work in the Student Category Maker of the Year awards presented by Carbatec.