Events Diary
What’s happening in Melbourne and Regional Victoria for July 2009 including festivals, sports events, exhibitions, theatre shows and more
Melbourne
OPENING THIS MONTH
Jersey Boys, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, from 4 July
“Too good to be true” raved the New York Post about Jersey Boys, the 2006 Tony Award winning Best Musical about the rock ‘n roll group - The Four Seasons. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids, including lead singer Frankie Valli, became one of pop music’s great success stories. They wrote their own songs, invented a new sound and sold 175 million records world-wide – before they were 30!
For more information: www.jerseyboysaustralia.com.au
Media contact: Suzie Howie, Howie & Taylor Publicity 0416 066 507 or email: suzie@howietaylor.com.au
The Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition, Melbourne Recital Centre,
1 – 5 July
The new Melbourne Recital Centre plays host to a competition for the very best emerging musicians from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Young artists compete for the Musica Viva Australia Tony Berg Award. Staged in Melbourne every four years, the event showcases piano trios and string quartets and is a stepping stone to the International Chamber Music Competition. It is also a great opportunity for audiences to hear wonderful music by talented young musicians.
For more information: call Mr Benjamin Woodroffe on (03) 9682 3411 or go to www.chambermusicaustralia.com.au
Media contact: Nicola Archer 03 9534 1285/0419 002 769
Melbourne Boat Show, Melbourne, 2 – 6 July
The annual Melbourne Boat Show with be held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank. The show is Australia’s biggest and best exhibition of boats and marine equipment. Fishing and boating enthusiasts will be delighted by the informative and interactive displays.
For more information: Boating Industry Association on 03 8696 5600 or visit www.biavic.com.au
Puppet at Federation Square, 6 –12 July
Head to Fed Square these school holidays for a week long program of puppet shows, roving performances, workshops, films and parades. In collaboration with ArtPlay, Snuff Puppets and Polyglot Puppet Theatre, Fed Square will host a range of free and affordable activities for children of all ages. Roaming Puppets Giant seagulls, elephants and snails will rove through Fed Square each day entertaining both ‘little’ and ‘big’ visitors with their crazy antics.
For more information: www.fedsquare.com
2009 State of Design, Melbourne and regional Victoria, 15 – 25 July
The annual State of Design Festival is Victoria’s peak design event. The festival provides both local and international conversations on design, with a focus on Victorian design. The festival demonstrates and communicates how the Victorian and Australian design profession can improve living conditions, create sustainable development opportunities, and generate new and innovative products and services.
For more information: www.stateofdesign.com.au
Len Lye - An Artist in Perpetual Motion, AMCI, 16 July - 11 October
In the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of his work to date, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in collaboration with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery will open the world premiere retrospective of internationally acclaimed 20th cent! Len Lye will feature art works and materials never exhibited before - ranging from early sketches, paintings and batiks, through to his photographic work, animation and documentary films, and extraordinary motorised kinetic sculptures.
For further information: www.acmi.net.au
Media contact: Lior Opat Ph: (03) 3 8663 2475 or email lior.opat@acmi.net.au
Reader’s Feast – Crime and Justice, 17 – 19 July
Head to the Abbotsford Convent for an exciting literary event when some of the world’s leading crime writers gather to participate in Reader’s Feast – Crime and Justice. Be enthralled by writers’ talks and debates on one of the most popular writing genres – crime fiction.
For more information: www.crimeandjusticefestival.com or call Readers Feast Bookstore on (03) 9662 4699
Ern Malley: The Hoax and Beyond, Heide Museum of Modern Art, 22 July - 15 November
Through a range of artworks, original documents and publications Ern Malley: The Hoax and Beyond explores one Australia’s greatest literary hoax and its impact on Australian cultural history has resonated for more than sixty year. In October 1943 Sydney poets Harold Stewart and James McAuley composed sixteen modernist-style verses by the fictitious poet Ern Malley. They sent them to Max Harris, the co-editor with Heide founder John Reed of the radical cultural journal Angry Penguins, the aim was being to ridicule the perceived modernist pretensions of Angry Penguins, its editors and contributors. Harris and Reed fell for the ruse. Impressed with Malley’s talent, they devoted an entire issue of Angry Penguins to the poems, which Stewart and McAuley then exposed as a hoax. Within days the story was a sensation in the local press, and was soon international news,.
The Bright Side of the Moon, Observatory at Royal Botanic Gardens, 28 - 30 July
To celebrate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, in partnership with the Astronomical Society of Victoria, will be conducting a free viewing of the bright side of the moon through telescopes. Friendly and knowledgeable guides from the Astronomical Society of Victoria will provide an introduction to Astronomy, with ASV members bringing their own telescopes for all to use. Discover the rich history of the Melbourne Observatory on a special guided tour with expert guides. This special program commemorates the very first observation of the Moon through a telescope in 1609.
For further information: www.rbg.vic.gov.au
Melbourne International Film Festival, 24 July – 9 August
Movie buffs are in for a treat when the Melbourne International Film Festival screens cinematic sensations from more than 50 countries during 19 days from 24 July to 9 August. The festival also showcases new Australian films by established and emerging film-makers and is regarded as one of the largest and longest running festivals in the Asia Pacific region. Spot the celebrities in the audience, experience all the colour and excitement and see films before they hit the cinemas.
For more information: call (03) 9662 3722 or visit www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au
Media contact: Limelight PR on (03) 8660 4816
OTHER EVENTS THIS MONTH
The Light in Winter, Federation Square until 5 July
In 2009 Federation Square gives us two bright reasons to rug up and head to the city. Directed by Robyn Archer, The Light in Winter is a light-based festival that brings together artists, designers and communities to explore their ideas of light, enlightenment and hope. The Light in Winter will present two elements: Volume, a spectacular installation by British artists, United Visual Artists and The Gift of Light in which more than 10 of Melbourne’s multicultural communities work together with an artist to share the meaning of light in their culture.
For more information: call 03 9655 1900 or visit www.fedsquare.com
Circus Oz, Under the Big Top, Birrarung Marr, until 12 July
Circus Oz returns to wow Melbourne audiences under the Big Top at Birrarung Marr. Enjoy a whiz bang performance from the Circus Oz team that is cheeky, funny and utterly entertaining. Revel in the strength, agility, beauty and irreverent humour of the internationally acclaimed circus.
For more information: www.circusoz.com
For tickets: call Ticketmaster on 136 100 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.au
20PLUS, Flinders Lane Gallery, until 18 July
As a celebratory exhibition, 20PLUS: the sum of us exhibition will feature new works by both long term as well as newly signed artists including Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Greer Honeywill, Valerie Sparks, Damien Elderfield and Garry Pumfrey.
Director Claire Harris, informed by her ten years experience with the gallery, brings a fresh and informed perspective to the Flinders Lane Gallery stable. She has ensured that the artists currently represented reflect the shifting interests and concerns of contemporary practice.
For further information: www.flg.com.au
John Brack, NGV Australia, until 9 August
More than any other artist of his generation, John Brack (1920 – 99) was a painter of modern Australian life. Unlike his contemporaries, Brack painted neither myth nor history and when he focused on landscape it was the urban sprawl of suburbia. This major retrospective at NGV Australia at Federation Square is the first in 20 years and surveys a wide range of Brack’s distinctive works.
For more information: www.ngv.vic.gov.au
Tacita Dean, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, until 2 August
Tacita Dean is one of Britain’s most accomplished and celebrated contemporary artists. In a great coup for Melbourne, fourteen recent projects by this celebrated contemporary artist will come together in what is the largest survey of Dean’s work to ever be shown outside of Europe. Deab won the New York Guggenheim’s Hugo Boss award in 2007, was a Turner Prize nominee in 1998, and has had numerous solo exhibitions in Europe including at The Tate Britain, UK, the Musee d’art Moderne in Paris, France and the Villa Oppenheim in Berlin.
For further information: call (03) 9697 9999 or go to www.accaonline.org.au
Media contact: Katrina Hall on (03) 9697 9999 or 0421 153 046 or email kathall@ozemail.com.au
Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, Scienceworks until 3 November
Could cars that hover above the ground become the mass transport of the future? Will we ever have droids like C-3PO in real life? Fantasy and reality join forces in Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. This is the first exhibition to showcase more than 80 costumes, models and props from all six Star Wars films.Enjoy this innovative exhibition at Scienceworks in Spotswood.
For more information: www.museumvictoria.com.au/starwars
Media contact: Tatia Sloley Ph: (03) 9419 8837 or email: tatia@tspublicity.com.au
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces – Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire, Until 4 October
Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire is the first comprehensive retrospective of the work of Salvador Dalí ever staged in Australia. The exhibition is drawn from the holdings of the two largest collections of Dalí in the world - the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí in Figueres, Spain and the Salvador Dalí Museum in St Petersburg, Florida. A full retrospective, the exhibition will comprise more than 200 works in all media – painting, drawing, watercolour, etchings, sculpture, fashion, jewellery, cinema and photography. NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
For more information: call: 03 8620 2222 or visit www.ngv.vic.gov.au
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces – A Day in Pompeii, until 25 October
Melbourne Museum has secured the exclusive Australian rights to show the exhibition A Day in Pompeii featuring exquisitely preserved artefacts from the archaeological collection of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei. The exhibition is presented as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. The exhibition tells the fateful and intriguing story of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius on 24 August, 79AD. The exhibition features exceptional objects that lay buried in Pompeii’s ruins for over 17 centuries. Included are room-size frescoes, marble and bronze sculptures and everyday household items - all of which evoke the richness and culture of daily life in the Roman Empire’s favourite vacation resort. Admission fees apply.
For more information: www.museumvictoria.com.au
Regional Victoria
OPENING THIS MONTH:
A Celebration of History & Heritage, Port Fairy, July 3 to 5
Part of Port Fairy’s 2009 ‘Winter Weekends’ programme, running from June through to September is designed to celebrate the arts, heritage, fine food and premium produce that abound in one of Victoria’s favourite harbour villages.
The history and heritage of Port Fairy will be brought into focus this weekend.
The town's Genealogical Society will offer an opportunity to learn more about your family's roles in wars fought over the last century, while a painting of the town's historic lighthouse will evolve before your eyes. Tour the town's historic cottages and streets, meet the ghosts of Port Fairy's famous Cemetery Tour and hear of the lives and times of local 'living treasures'.
For further information: For more information: www.winter.port-fairy.com
Rose Day and Garden Day at Nyerimilang Heritage Park, Lakes Entrance, 5 July
Learn the art of rose pruning at Nyerimilang Heritage Park, Kalimna West, located 10 kilometres north-west of Lakes Entrance. Rose Day features free rose clipping demonstrations, free rose cuttings and gardening advice. Light lunches and Devonshire teas will be available. Entry tickets are $4 per person.
For more information: Nyerimilang Heritage Park on 03 5155 2159 or visit www.nyerimilang.org.au
Beat the Winter Blues ‘n’ Jazz Weekend, 10 – 12 July, Milawa
The High Country’s Milawa region turns up the heat when it hosts a weekend of blues and jazz. Enjoy live music, food and wine in venues through the region including wineries, cafes, restaurants and pubs.
For more information: call Maureen Titcumb on 03 5727 0209 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au
Abundance at Montalto – A Celebration of the Olive, Red Hill, 18 – 19 July
With the joy of harvest passed, the oil pressed and the olives cured, Montalto owners the Mitchell family continue their practice of sharing the natural beauty and bounty of their stunning 50 acre amphitheatre property with produce from the 1500 olive trees.
Stalls for tasting and buying oils, trees, olive inspired foods, wine and natural health & beauty products provide the backdrop for curing demonstrations, olive information & knowledge sharing, live entertainment (including a visit from Popeye & Olive Oil!) and other activities. Enjoy an olive oil massage by Wendy, a tour of the olive grove by John or try your luck in an olive pip spitting competition.
More information: www.montalto.com.au
Mildura Writers' Festival, 16-19 July
The Mildura Writers' Festival brings together some of Australia's best writers in an intimate, winter program of workshops, lectures, and discussion forums with a largely community based audience.
For more information: www.artsmildura.com.au/writers or call (03) 5021 5100
Media contact: Helen Healy, Festival director on 03 50215100 or email helen@helenhealy.com
Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, 17 - 19 July
Featuring over 28 breeds of sheep, goats and alpacas, this is the largest sheep and wool show in the world, incorporating a wool craft competition, an international fleece competition, wool fashion parades, sheep dog trails and more than 150 stalls. The Australian Sheep and Wool Show is held at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Holmes Road, Bendigo.
For more information: Andrew Ternouth on 03 5439 5094 or visit www.sheepshow.com
Hume Winter Music Festival, 17 July to 9 August
A journey of music and dance - celebrating the vibrant multiculturalism of Hume. Celebrate and explore the beauty of the cultures through the huge arena of musical events to choose from as a smorgasbord of taste, sight and sound sensations are available during the month long event.
For further information: www.hume.vic.gov.au
whiteOUT, 23 – 26 July, Mt Buller
Join in the fun of Australia’s premier gay and lesbian snow event which celebrates its 10th year in 2009. whiteOUT, held at Mt Buller, is aimed at both experienced skiers and occasional snow-frolickers.
For more information: call Dr Ian Hogarth on 03 9018 8398 or visit www.whiteout.net.au
Echuca Moama’s Winter Blues Festival, 24 - 26 July
Relax and enjoy the ambience of the Echuca Heritage Port Precinct and High Street with its colourful restaurants, cafes, pubs, cellar door outlets and attractions during the Echuca Moama Winter Blues Festival. The soulful music is sure to brighten spirits when a number of popular bands perform. On Sunday enjoy free blues in the streets and around the port.
For more information: call Echuca Moama District Tourism on 1800 804 446 or visit www.winterblues.com.au
Stawell Fair Dinkum Farm and Craft Market, 26 July
Visit the Stawell Showgrounds and purchase gourmet food, organic produce, livestock, quality crafts, garden products and farm produce. The market operates from 9am – 1pm.
For more information call the Stawell Visitor Information Centre on 1800 330 080 or visit www.ngshire.vic.gov.au
The Tour of Gippsland, Mallacoota to Paynesville, from 30 July
This five-day bike tour encompasses a stunningly beautiful course showcasing East Gippsland. The tour will be contested by up to 100 internationally-rated professional cyclists from Australia and overseas.
For more information: www.caribou.net.au
OTHER EVENTS THIS MONTH
Fun4Kids Festival, Warrnambool, until 5 July
Head to Warrnambool during the winter school holidays to enjoy the award winning Fun4Kids Festival, which is staged in a large indoor village. Fun4Kids features 12 zones full of activities, interactive workshops and intriguing displays. Two monster stages with non-stop live shows everyday provide fun and affordable entertainment for all the family. There are magicians, musicians, pantomimes, bands, ballet and hilarious creatures roving the venue.
For more information: call Brooke Wilson, Festival Director on 03 5559 4816 or visit www.fun4kids.com.au
Archibald Prize 2009, Bendigo Art Gallery, until 12 July
The Bendigo Art Gallery, will be the exclusive Victorian venue for this event which will feature all 39 short listed works including an image of Ben Cousins seen restless in bed; Neil Mitchell; Dame Elizabeth Murdoch; John Safran; Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu; Richard Clapton; David Helfgott; Jimmy Barnes; Tom Keneally; Marcia Langton and Brendan Cowell.
For more information: www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/home or call Bendigo Art Gallery on 03 5434 6085.
Media contact: Sharon Wells on 03 9417 4665 or 0419 508 619
Remembering & Telling: Goulburn Valley Indigenous Culture, Shepparton Art Gallery, until 9 August
The Shepparton Art Gallery is excited to partner with the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) in a new exhibition, Remembering & Telling: Goulburn Valley Indigenous Culture. Through a combination of artifacts, artwork and personal stories of connection, the exhibition will explore local Koorie identity and stories specific to the Goulburn Valley region.
For more information: www.sheppartonartgallery.com.au
Media Contact: Kirsten Paisley, Shepparton Art Gallery Director on (03) 5832 9517