Something Wicked(ly) good this way comes .....

I suspect that I'm one of those few has not encountered Wicked before, well in its current musical form anyway. I'm familiar with the film version of the classic L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that MGM delivered in Technicolour to theatre Screens across the globe, as the Wizard of Oz. 

I'm off to join the Circus....

I'm not sure how many times I have seen Circus Oz perform, I think I have seen possibly 10 of their shows and I think between Griffith, Sydney and Melbourne maybe doubled up on one of two of those as well. I didn't get to see the first season 35 years ago, but I do know a local couple who did and they are also still returning to see what this remarkable company of performers and story tellers have to tell and show us. 

CIRCUS OZ - MODEL CITIZEN'S

What is it about theatre in Griffith that keeps audiences away?  Here we have a facility that is world class and consistently features acts from around the world that are world class, and yet more often than not they perform to a theatre that is not full.

Dragon and Boy - Journey of Discovery

Over the weekend I headed off to Canberra to attend the opening of an exhibition of new work by Solomon Grainger.

Dracula is Brilliant, not to be missed.

Rarely do you experience the raw terror, or feel the utter helplessness of the characters as they are pulled into the world which for them is unknown and frightening, a world inhabited by the terrors that hide inside nightmares, and at the same time we are mesmerised by production design and set that is stunning in how it moves the story along and brings with it a grace that enhances the values of the production exponentially , and becomes as essential in the story telling as the actors who play with it. #draculaau

“The blood is the life!”

They're Back!! Yes the Shake & Stir Theatre Company are back to scare us out of our wits with Bram Stokers's gothic tale of "Dracula". As they say "another bloody classic.

and they say Aussie Film making is dead.

You often hear it said that Aussie film making is dead or dieing and that there is no audience for them, can I just say that is rubbish.  Maybe the issue is not lack of audience, but a lack of access to screens which are clogged with big blockbusters that cost way too much, lack a decent story and leave you feeling like you have wasted another hour, but because the distributor has paid a small fortune for it, its locked into as many screens as possible to recoup funds. This leaves us, the audience, without access to some decent Aussie film makers who are delivering outstanding screen experiences. 

"La La Land"

Last night went off to the cinema to see, finally, Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. What a treat it was, not only does it remind you of that swathe of Hollywood musicals from the 40’s and 50’s that we watched as kids as they filled the Television programming in the afternoon, but it is also a modern film which has realistic take on the fairytale romance that was delivered by Hollywood in times past.  But there is much in this film that will have you checking the Netflix classic film collection. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Rogue One is a new generation of Star Wars films, sort of backfill to the existing series, story lines that fill in the knowledge gap that might exist.

2017 Xperience Xplore Xperiment

Tonight Raina Savage launched the Griffith Regional Theatre  2017 Season.  It was a stylish event, showcasing local and regional talent with some highlight performances from returning for one last round of applause and then introducing the program for 2017.

The Legend of Ben Hall NSW Film Premier - Griffith City Cinema

It was all action at Griffith City Cinema with the NSW premiere screening  of Matthew Holmes film The Legend of Ben Hall, which is due for national release on December 1st.  The film was written, produced and directed by Matthew and actually started life as a 40 minute short film funded through Kickstarter, when funding exceeded its production  goal, it began to take on this feature film shape, and I am certainly glad it did.

Our Education Future - what is possible

This week I had the opportunity to participate in the thinking on the Future of Education in our community. I have long believed that our system is failing young people in how it prepares them for the world of their future.

One National Park, Three Rivers and Nine Artists

Something has happened, I'm sure that someone, somehow has picked us up and moved us to a parallel universe. Why? You ask! It's like this, I've been taking notice of the creatives in our community, the people who tell our stories, record our histories and even look into dark inner head spaces and extract the dim and dark moments that haunt us.  The stories have become bold, big and told with a  sense of urgency that says notice me, NO LOOK AT ME and then it grabs, caresses you and flashes its blue eyes at you and you are gone, its like a thunderbolt. You are in love.

LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION

LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION John Waters Friday 24, February 2017 8pm BOOKINGS NOW OPEN

“A deeply felt reflection of the man.  Savour every minute” – NEW YORK TIMES

 

 Created and performed by renowned Australian actor/musician John Waters and esteemed singer/pianist Stewart D’Arrietta, Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, part concert and part biography, reveals the essence of the life and astonishing talent of one of the most admired icons of the past century.

 

In 1992, twelve years after Lennon’s death, Waters and D’Arrietta first conceived and performed Lennon: Through a Glass Onion on a small stage at the Tilbury Hotel in Sydney. The show was an instant success. In the years that followed, Waters and D’Arrietta toured the show and played sold out engagements at venues including The Sydney Opera House. The show performed a three-month engagement in London’s West End.  

 

“Its been fantastic the response the show is receiving, especially from the younger audiences that are coming along, some of whom were not even born when Lennon and The Beatles were recording and releasing their music. It’s a testament to the legacy of the man and his music that still excites and intrigues people to this day” says Waters.

 

For the audience this is either an emotional trip down memory lane or a wonderful introduction to the life and times of one of the most fascinating icons of our time.

Beyond Year 12, The Class of 2016

Well Year 12 team of 2016, its here at last, that time you were told the focus of your school years, the HSC, the exam of exams, and its so important, you were told, that how you score in the various subjects over the next few weeks will determine your life outcomes. 

What a crock of crap. Seriously on behalf of every parent, Aunt, uncle and every teacher who drummed that message home into your head, so now it has become this huge Blob that threatens to consume your life, I want to say "we are sorry, we lied, we told a porky". The real truth lies within the community you live, the communities you will move and the world you are yet to discover. 

CIRCA - Camille Saint-Saëns “Carnival of the Animals”

A story on the Circus, I believe, should always start with a short history lesson.  I actually thought I was going to be telling you about the Roman Empire, and how those great edifices to entertainment, violence and mass slaughter, the Roman Circuses, were the precursor to the modern circus. Those great open air entertainment facilities, were actually great race tracks, big enough for chariot races, sea battles and then the battles of Gladiators. The areas were not circular either, but instead two linear race tracks with a curved enclosure at each end. So lesson learnt, the modern racetrack owes its design to the ancient roman empire and for the modern Circus we have to look to more recent history.

The modern circus began in England after the end of the Seven Years War (thats the one where Britain had a barney with France and Spain, then Prussia, Austria  and Russia got involved, anyway it left Europe in a bit of a mess, laid the foundation for future conflicts, but that is another story.  Our story is about Philip Astley ho created what we now know as Circus in 1768. He established a performance arena he called a circle or as it would become known as “circus”.   Ashley had served in the Seven Years War in the 15th Light Dragons Regiment where he showed great talent with horses, and following the war he chose to imitate the trick riders that were performing across Europe. With trick riders as the start he then started to add other elements he took from theatre, clowns, jugglers, tumbling, and rope tricks.  His “circus’ was built on the talents of his artists their strength, agility and ability to connect with an audience.   

Music Treat's

Emily Wurramara, Brisbane, QLD

Celebrating NAIDOC Week.

Poster is by Wiradjuri artist, Lani Balzan. The theme for this year's celebrations is "Songlines - the living narrative of our nation"  

While Capt Arthur Philip and the rest of the Colonists may have thought the local indigenous people who greeted them were unsophisticated by European Standards and seemingly nomadic. They in fact had a strong and long history with the land, and held their knowledge and history in Songlines that go back to the dawn of time and the Dreaming. 

Passed on from generation to generation, and in some places recorded through complex carvings on trees, or painting on walls of caves, and carved into rock, this ageless narrative tells of a history and connection to people, land and the landscape that extends further than any other culture or civilisation on earth.

The poster while it depicts all the songlines from across the county coming together, is remarkably similar to the Aboriginal Pedagogy which is defined in the 8 ways of learning. 

This Aboriginal learning framework is expressed at its simplest as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. (8 ways Wiki) It is more complex obviously when viewed as each nation, family or group add their own culture, history and important understandings to the system. Learning is not seen as linear, but an interconnected, fluid and evolving.

How we learn - culture way

1. We connect through the stories we share.
2. We picture our pathways of knowledge.
3. We see, think, act, make and share without words.
4. We keep and share knowledge with art and objects.
5. We work with lessons from land and nature.
6. We put different ideas together and create new knowledge.
7. We work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing.
8. We bring new knowledge home to help our mob.

NAIDOC Week will also see the close of the remarkable Exhibition Murrumbidgee MarraMarra which has drawn record crowds to the Griffith Regional Art Gallery.  

However prior to that happening, the Gallery has played host to a Gala Event to celebrate NAIDOC week.    The evening celebrated the significance of culture in telling stories, Songlines that have passed down through generations, and also reinterpretations of personal stories.  Murrumbidgee MarraMarra is visual art experience, powerful, evocative and filled with both ancient and modern ways of telling story. 

Tonight we heard from one of those visual artists, Ms Veronica Collins.  I met Veronica years ago when she created works for an exhibit at the Cottage Gallery.  Veronica worked alongside Di Tarr and they lived and breathed that local exhibition and the one that followed in Sydney.  Veronica's work is framed within the strong geometric patterns that define Wiradjuri work, and yet is post modernism at its finest.  Veronica spoke of her work and also surprised the audience with a new project is part of.  Her artwork is being reproduced on clothing and it looks wonderful.  Emdar Designs is coordinating and the printing is being done locally as well.  

Music was via what is now regarded as the oldest wind instrument in the world.  Our young artist did an outstanding job in producing the haunting voice of the Didgeridoo. 

The young dancers then began their stories.  The first half reflecting traditional dance.  They emerged from the Centenary Spears Installation and this in itself was very moving.  However i fell apart with the very modern dance that was created to the music of Gurrumul Yunupingu and Blue King Brown "Gatha Mawula Revisited".  Its a stunning song to begin with and this young team of dancers gave it another level of emotion.  Tears Tears Tears.  

Wiradjuri man, John Muk Muk Burke then gave the next part of this extraordinary feast of narratives. Story Telling takes on many many forms.  He told his story of his family and his journey to his awakening as a Wiradjuri man.  He unpacked his own story against some of the great wrongs that been brought upon our First Nation.  Reciting his poems, brought full circle to the Songline theme of the 2016 NAIDOC Week and gave meaning to the narratives of a proud people not just being about something in the past, but that these stories, histories truths and ways of being , knowing and becoming are connected to today and the future.

We are moving forward, our community is slowly lifting itself up and out of ignorance, and racist intolerance.  We have people people who are working together to build up Aboriginal young people and give them ways of telling their own story and also pf participating.  Hopefully as we continue to learn about each other NAIDOC week will become a focus for everyone.  

Tonight was brought together by so many people, Council Staff , community members and I want to say thank you. 

Original Worx - Ben Ceccato Band Live Album Volume 1

I dropped into the post office other day and there waiting for me was a small CD Box, hmm I knew what this was. It was all rush rush to get home and pop this into the CD machine and what for the 1's and 0's compressed and burnt onto the disc to be translated into music to fill my world with and also have a peak into the songwriter and musicians mind and heart.

Murrumbidgee MarraMarra

Recently I walked into the Griffith Regional Art Gallery to view the Murrumbidgee Marramarra Exhibition, and as I stepped into the exhibition space I was overwhelmed with what I saw. 

At this point can I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the Gallery stands and the community I am part of and indeed I have spent my whole life on.  The land of the Wiradjuri Nation. I acknowledge Elders, significantly in this exhibition, those who have already passed on ahead, and those who have taken on this critical role today, they have left an imprint of cultural heritage within the artists who have participated and the community across this region. 

This exhibition of Aboriginal Artists from the Western region of the Riverina is exquisite. Works from Wayne Krause, Ros Lockhart, Sarah Weymouth, William Ingram, Rodney Simpson, Veronica Collins, Cory McKenzie, Alan McKenzie, Sos Hawkins, and Tyneika Powell to name but a few, will seriously bowl you over in their beauty, complexity and shear size.