WHEN it’s Easter, it’s time for the National Folk Festival at Exhibition Park in Canberra, but while that ‘bigger than Ben Hur’ event dominates the local scene, it’s not quite the only show in town.
Fred Smith at the 2013 Folk Festival
Nonetheless, all eyes will be upon the Budawang auditorium at EPIC from 7 to 10pm tonight for the festival’s opening concert. But apart from that, there are 15 other venues hosting round-the-clock entertainment right through until late Monday, ranging from traditional Celtic folk music, to 60s surf music and slam poetry. Highlights for those who prefer to participate rather than just listen include the Bush Dance tonight at the Scottish Ball on Saturday night. We found that the easiest access to what’s going on is via a grid plan of the Festival accessible online.
A work by Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts
FOR those not heading to EPIC, there is an art opening tonight, Thursday, April 17, on The Electric Wall at Electric Shadows Bookshop in Braddon. ANU School of Art graduate and recipient of the inaugural Murringo Residency & Electric Wall Award, Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts, is unveiling her inaugural exhibition of figurative drawings titled “Like Frostbite”. The art will tease the imagination and the cheese biscuits are to die for. Opening 6.30pm at 40 Mort Street, Braddon, all welcome.
Alex Lewis, “Concave” (detail) 2013, etching
ALSO opening tonight, Thursday April 17, at 6pm in the Contemporary Art Space’s Furneaux Street Manuka gallery is an exhibition of etchings and 3D printed sculptures titled, “Ascend Descend” by one of CCAS’s 2013 studio residents, Alex Lewis. All welcome.
ON Sunday, there’s the continuation of the High Court’s Sunday Music Program with The Latin/Gypsy jazz duo The Night Café (flautist-singer Leila Gato and guitarist Michael Dalvean) performing “Manouche et Tango” – tango, salsa, bossanova, chanson and gypsy swing. Sunday, April 20 at 1pm. FREE entry.
EXHAUSTED parents looking ahead to the coming week might consider the Canberra theatre’s touring show, “Horrible Histories,” on Tuesday and Wednesday April 22 and 23, featuring actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects to bring to life historical figures, specifically nasty Pharaohs and mummies from ancient Egypt. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
NO less enticing to parents and their children will be “Sam’s Animal Adventure” on Wednesday, April 23 at the Street Theatre. This is the younger children and features former Yellow Wiggle, Sam Moran dressed up in his safari suit looking for his lost sound-jars and his animal friends, the Bam Bam Binos in a fun filled ‘musical animal adventure’. Bookings to 6247 1223. Children up to 12 months free of charge on lap.
Four Winds
RELUCTANT as we are to admit it, many Canberrans will already be on their way to the coast where, near Bermagui, the ‘Four Winds’ biennial festival of classic, cultural and world music is already in full swing, running until Sunday April 20. It takes place every second Easter in a parkland bush amphitheatre known as ‘Nature’s Concert Hall.’ This is the classical music connoisseur and attracts top artists from around the country. Details and tickets are available at http://fourwinds.com.au/
A seascape by Greg Liersch
CLOSER to home in Milton former Canberra curator and artist Stephanie Burns is presenting her Easter exhibition, a selection of works by 13 artist that covers a diverse range of painting genres from still lives to seascapes and works on paper. Most of the artists live locally and are inspired by the light and landscape of the area. The exhibiting artists are Andrew Antoniou, Brett Bailey, Stephanie Burns, Jane Edmiston, Greg Liersch, Peter O’Brien, Sue Nagel, Geoff Poll, Simon Reece, Manon Saur, Samantha Tidbeck, Tiffany Titshall and Heidi Yardley. Open over Easter at Stephanie Burns Fine Art, No.10, 23 Wason St Milton.
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