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Want to fill your week? As always, there’s plenty happening around town.
Book into a safari-style yoga session, head along to the ultimate makeup masterclass or sit back and enjoy Australia’s largest Short Film Festival. Read on for your curated guide to what’s on in Canberra—and for even more inspiration.
Special Events and Festivals
Flickerfest Canberra Tour
Flickerfest, Australia’s largest Short Film Festival is returning to Palace Electric Cinemas, showcasing its Best of Australian Shorts programme, handpicked from over 3200 entries received. The 9 short films screening on the night are all entertaining, inspiring, award-winning and fresh from their premieres in competition at Flickerfest Bondi, giving Canberra Flickerfest audiences a window into the hottest contemporary shorts in the world today.
Highlights include stunning films with Canberra connections like the moving drama ‘The Pleasure Of Meeting Someone’, ‘Marionettes (And The Virtue Of A Lotus Flower)’, ‘White Lies’, ‘The Overflow’ and more. Enjoy a festive atmosphere with a complimentary drink on arrival and introductions by the local filmmakers and the festival team!
Thursday 18 May | 2 Phillip Law Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Sephora 70s Make Up Masterclass
If you’re looking to rekindle your love for beauty looks inspired by the decades, the Sephora 70s Make Up Masterclass will see you shopping this season’s top beauty buys while learning from the best in business. In this special hour-long session, Sephora Collection’s own makeup artist will be demonstrating how to integrate the 70s retro make-up styles into today’s most up-to-date look.
You better prepare to walk away inspired to change up your makeup routine (after trying the cocktails and ‘70s nibble of course).
Saturday 20 May, 1 pm – 2 pm | Canberra Centre, Level 1, Monaro Mall (Near David Jones) | Book here.
Wild Yoga
Here to shake up your Saturday, Wild Yoga! is roaring into Canberra’s cutest cultural institution to raise money for Give Me 5 For Kids—a local charity that works to improve the lives of sick kids in the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children—while offering the chance relax with the rhinos and greet the sun with a giraffe. Once done, there will also be plenty of hot drinks and breakfast items to snack on as well as the opportunity to take home a free MIX106.3 yoga mat so you can continue your practice at home (minus the giraffes and rhinos of course).
With limited spots available, get in quickly—you don’t want to miss this wild experience.
Saturday 20 May | National Zoo & Aquarium, 999 Lady Denman Drive, Yarralumla | Book here.
Ana de la Vega and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
It’s promising to bring world-class performances to Canberra—and now Red Hill’s newest concert hall is finally open to the wider community. Named the ‘The New Wonder-Flautist’ by Germany’s leading newspapers, Ana is thrilled to be kicking off the International Series with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra on Saturday 20 May, promising that audiences can expect to see a series of performances that will enrich not only Canberra but the surrounding region.
Saturday 20 May | Canberra Grammar School, Snow Concert Hall, 40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill | Book here.
Canberra Wool Expo
Love wool? Head along to the Canberra Wool Expo to meet and speak with wool producers, craftspeople and artists, see demonstrations—from hand-spinning to weaving—and watch shearing demonstrations. And if it can be created in wool, you may just find it at the markets.
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May | 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au
Canberra Winter Gemcraft and Mineral Show
The Canberra Lapidary Club Winter Show is back! Featuring minerals, fossils, opals, rough and cut gemstones and jewellery. There will also be plenty of food and drinks available.
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May | EPIC Park, Federal Highway, Mallee Pavilion, Watson | canberralapidary.org.au
BRICKS @ The Woden School
Raising money to support students with special needs, head along to BRICKS @ The Woden School to see LEGO displays, take part in competitions and raffles, explore stalls, and more! There will also be sensory time on Saturday 20 May from 4pm until 5 pm.
Saturday 20 until Sunday 21 May | 127 Denison Street, Deakin | thewodens.act.edu.au
Black Dog Trivia Night
Raising funds to support the Black Dog Institute—an organisation is dedicated to understanding, preventing and treating mental illness—this night of fun will see your knowledge tested with questions of various genres. Along with a charismatic host, a raffle and games and a light supper, it promises to be a good time.
Saturday 20 May | Ainslie Football Club, 52 Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie | Book here.
Volunteering Expo 2023
The Volunteering Expo is the perfect opportunity for Canberrans to find volunteering opportunities while enjoying great food and music. Pop in to try out some volunteer roles onsite and have fun while doing it. Accept the volunteer challenge and bring your family and friends!
Saturday 20 May | Main Hall of Campbell High School, 15 Treloar Crescent, Campbell | volunteeringact.org.au
Festival of Everyday Art
The Festival of Everyday Art will transform the streets into a giant outdoor art gallery using the power of white gallery labels and your imagination! Perfect for the family, join workshops, treasure hunts and self-guided trails through the city, check out an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery, and win prizes! And the best part? All of the events are free.
Saturday 20 May until Sunday 16 July | Various locations | facebook.com/PeopleLabCBR
Share the Dignitea
Canberra, it’s time to raise a teacup to help end period poverty! The Canberra high tea is one of eight DigniTea events hosted across each across the country throughout May in celebration and recognition of World Menstrual Hygiene Day (which takes place on 28 May). The event series is set to raise over $450,000 and bring together more than 5,000 people to help those experiencing period poverty. This year the Canberra event will include several panel speakers who will inspire you to make a change for women and girls across Australia.
Sunday 21 May | Rydges Canberra, 17 Canberra Avenue, Forrest | Book here.
The Lab’s Sunday Thrift Market
This Sunday, The Lab studio is converting from your go to beauty spot to your go-to thrift spot! Head along to browse through preloved androgynous apparel for all ages and enjoy a treat or two (because it wouldn’t be a Lab event without nibbles). And make sure to bring plenty of cash—you won’t be able to tap your card at this event.
Sunday 21 May | Level 1/18-20 Franklin St, Griffith | the-lab.com.au
Music
Student Chamber Music Concert
Love music? Support ANU School of Music students by heading along to this concert where they will play a range of music as part of their assessment.
Monday 15 May | Larry Sitsky Recital Room, ANU School of Music100 William Herbert Place, Canberra City | music.cass.anu.edu.au
Echoes of Pink Floyd
Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the iconic Delicate Sound of Thunder Tour, Echoes of Pink Floyd will bring you their painstakingly crafted homage to this amazing concert experience, Signs of Life. Complemented by an impactful visual presentation—drawing out the themes, feelings and messages behind Pink Floyd’s thought-provoking lyrics—you won’t want to miss this.
Saturday 20 May | 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan | Book here.
Masterworks for Winds
Under the baton of Officer Commanding and Music Director, Major Matthew O’Keeffe, the Band of the Royal Military College will be performing five diverse yet brilliant masterworks for wind ensemble penned by leading composers Gustav Holst, Frank Ticheli, Robert Russell Bennett, Kimberley Archer and James Grant.
Supporting the Band for this series are students from the Australian National University School of Music, to help create a sensory experience like no other.
Saturday 20 May | Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music, Acton | Book here.
Stage and Screen
Communicate by the Quantum Leap Ensemble
A triple bill created by choreographers Alice Lee Holland (Townsville), Kyall Shanks (Melbourne) and Lordfai Navinda Pachimsawat (Bangkok) with Communicate, enter the communication world of the next generation. Exploring the language of dance—a language that is felt in the body and soul a lot more than it is understood with the head—this promises to be a unique performance for dance lovers.
Thursday 18 until Saturday 20 May | The Playhouse Theatre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
The Trials
First performed at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in January 2022, followed by a West End run at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in August, Canberra Youth Theatre will stage the Australian premiere of one of the most urgent and galvanising plays of our time.
Confronting, shocking, and searingly relevant, The Trials grapples with the burning questions of our age – what kind of planet are we leaving for our children? Will they condemn us for not taking action when we had the chance? And will they be justified?
Friday 19 until Sunday 28 May | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Caddie Film Screening
Join the National Archives of Australia for a screening of the Australian film, Caddie. Following the story of one woman’s struggle against the social expectations of Australia in the early 1900s, it’s based on the classic novel by Helen Morse. Join a National Archives curator to explore the impact and relevance of this film and others in our temporary exhibition Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world.
Saturday 20 May | National Archives of Australia, Kings Avenue, Parkes | Book here.
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap
The longest-running West End show, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is touring! For 70 years, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has kept millions of people from every corner of the globe on the edge of their seats. This genre-defining murder mystery features a brilliant surprise finish, so expect the unexpected.
Until Sunday 21 May | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
Grand Kyiv Ballet : Forest Song & Don Quixote
From the trauma and heartbreak of war in their home country, to the major cities of USA and Europe, the Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine is taking the stage in Canberra. In Act One, they will be performing Forest Song (a magical love story, full of mysticism alongside the conflict between the human world and nature) for the first time in Australia and in Act Two they will perform Don Quixote— a much-loved romantic comedy.
Sunday 21 until Tuesday 23 May | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
German Film Festival 2023
This May, the 2023 German Film Festival presented by Palace, in association with German Films, showcases the best contemporary German cinema direct from major festivals in Europe plus a selection from its German-speaking neighbours, Austria and Switzerland.
This year has a stunning line-up of 33 films including key selections direct from the Berlinale, a music-focused retrospective, a focus on female filmmakers and the popular sidebar Kino for Kids, presented by the Goethe-Institut.
Until Wednesday 24 May | Palace Electric | germanfilmfestival.com.au
Exhibitions
Speculation Nation: Making Utopia presents the work of seven artists whose works ruminate on an Antipodean utopia, with themes including: the empowerment of First Nations people, the expression of multi-cultural identities, the power of bushfires to inspire action on climate change, and the transformation of waste into precious material.
Working across textiles, jewellery and timber, they explore issues that resonate with their own lived experience and illuminate a possible future.
Thursday 18 May until Saturday 1 July | North Building, 1, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City | craftact.org.au
The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers
The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers is an uplifting initiative matching teenage artists with western Australia’s most senior citizens. See what 100 years of life looks like in this unique art exhibition and discover how each artist captures a moment of a 100-year life.
Friday 19 May until Sunday 2 July | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
The voice of fire shakes me awake, wild flowers bloom under trees that turn to ashes
This exhibition explores storytelling and re-worlding. Presented by Emma Rani Hodges, in each textile artwork she has incorporate imagery as well as a written prose depicting scenes from Thai mythology as well as scenes from everyday life in Belconnen.
Friday 19 May until Sunday 2 July | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Body of Work
Body of Work charts Annika Romeyn’s artistic journey over recent years, bringing together a selection of ambitious drawings and monotype prints, scaled in relation to her own body. These works aim to immerse viewers in experiences of place and landscape.
This exhibition includes new work created in response to Annika’s time in Mutawintji National Park, on Barkindji and Malyangapa Country, as recipient of the 2022 Broken Hill City Art Gallery’s Open Cut commission, alongside work inspired by travels and residencies from Hill End (Wiradjuri Country), to The Gippsland Lakes (Gunaikurnai Country), Namadgi National Park (Ngunnawal Country), and Guerilla Bay (Yuin Country).
Friday 19 May until Sunday 2 July | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Hold
Ceramic artists from throughout Australia have been invited to investigate the beauty and sense of intimacy experienced when eating or drinking from an exquisitely crafted plate, or vessel. HOLD celebrates ceramic artists producing functional ware that epitomises the essence of good design, aesthetics, and functionality in their work.
Friday 19 May until Sunday 2 July | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Dream City Demolition
Presenting a series of new works by Katie Hayne documenting Canberra’s changing urban places through painting and installation, this exhibition draws attention to the materiality of places and questions the environmental impact of concrete and urban renewal.
Until Sunday 4 June | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Cres, Griffith | m16artspace.com
Sue Lovegrove— Slow Water Paintings
Tasmanian artist Sue Lovegrove’s paintings embody the experience of being immersed within a landscape, harnessing the rhythm and flow of water and capturing the shimmering patterns of light and shadow that dance across the rippling surface.
Until Sunday 27 June | Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin | beavergalleries.com.au
Drift
In this exhibition, Katherine White showcases a series of cyanotypes on paper, exploring the sensation of uncertainty induced by climate change, particularly through first-hand experiences with bushfires. ‘Drift’ delves into personal anxieties about the future and the precarious state of the world while seeking solace in nature.
Until Sunday 4 June | M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Cres, Griffith | m16artspace.com
Sport
Canberra Runners Half Marathon
The Canberra Half Marathon is back again. Kicking off at Flynn Drive in Yarralumla, the 21.1 km course follows the beautiful West Basin loop around Lake Burley Griffin. The finish line, in leafy Lennox Gardens, provides our runners with spectacular finish line photos.
Sunday 21 May | Lennox Gardens, Flynn Drive, Yarralumla | canberrarunners.org.au
Canberra MS Walk, Run + Roll
Walk, run or roll to ensure no one has to face MS alone. Head along to enjoy a spectacular day out at Lake Burley Griffin to support Australians living with multiple sclerosis. Sign up solo, with a mate, bring your dog or get your team!
Sunday 21 May | Rond Terrace, Parkes | mswalk.org.au
Raiders v Sea Eagles
Why not enjoy some Sunday afternoon footy at GIO Stadium as the Raiders take on the Sea Eagles?
Sunday 21 May | GIO Stadium, Battye Street, Bruce | Book here.
Workshops, webinars and more
Wildbark—Night Ark
Join the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA) for an enchanting evening of stargazing, expert speakers, and guided tours where you can meet a Bettong, and enjoy food and wine! General entry includes expert speakers, silent auction, live music with Lewis Delorenzo, stargazing and telescopes, kids activities and canapé dinner but you can also add a guided tour to your ticket and explore the area with a Wildbark Ranger.
Tuesday 16 May | Wildbark at Mulligans Flat, 25 Rosenberg Street, Throsby | Book here.
A morning with Claudia
Fashion designer, author and TV and radio presenter Claudia Chan Shaw (whom you might know from her role on ABC TV’s show Collectors) is coming to Canberra to talk about all things fashion. Head along to enjoy one (or both) of her two talks and a delicious morning tea.
Wednesday 17 May | C3 Church Auditorium, 116 Monaro St, (Rear entry only, Rutledge Car Park), Queanbeyan | Book here
Wild Blooms & Co. Textured Art Workshop
Want to get crafty? During this two hour class, you will be guided through how to create different textured backgrounds and how to create different designs such as arches, abstract shapes and palms. By the end of the class, you will take home two completed canvases of your own to hang at home or gift to a loved one!
Thursday 18 May | 102 Alinga St, Canberra City | Book here.