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Things are heating up, and so is our events calendar.
Before we hit Christmas, there’s plenty to see, do, eat, drink and watch. Here are 55 things to put in your diary.
Special events + festivals
Christmas in the City
Celebrate Christmas in the City as City Walk is transformed into ‘Christmas Walk’ with uniquely Canberran Christmas decorations, a 16 metre renewed tree and a packed program of fantastic offers from local businesses.
Whether you’re popping out for a bit of Christmas shopping, celebrating with friends or getting that classic (sometimes stressful) family photo with Santa, there’s a bit of festive fun for everyone.
Thursday 1 December until Saturday 24 December | City Walk, Canberra City | christmas.inthecity.com.au
Canberra Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is back in Canberra! It’s the first free, live-audience performance of the Carols since the pandemic began, and the choir is very much looking forward to leading the audience in a selection of carols old and new. So pack a picnic and grab a blanket, it’s time to channel the Christmas spirit.
Saturday 10 December, 7 pm – 10 pm | Stage 88, Commonwealth Park | facebook.com/events
EMILIA
Over 400 years ago, an exceptional woman raised her voice—but the world didn’t listen. Now, the story of 17th century poet and revolutionist Emilia Bassano is being told, calling out across the centuries to pay tribute to the riotous, witty, and trailblazing life of a woman who refused to take no for an answer.
Following acclaimed seasons at Shakespeare’s Globe and the West End, the ground-breaking triple Olivier Award-winning ‘mock-history’ stage show EMILIA will take audiences through the comedy, fury, and rebellion of being a woman in a man’s world. See you there?
Friday 2 until Sunday 4 December | Canberra Theatre Centre | Tickets here.
Cressida Campbell Archie Rose Gin Making Masterclass
Love gin? Join the National Gallery and Archie Rose Gin for an exclusive tasting at the Canberra Centre! Taste the limited-edition Cressida Campbell gin while you hear from the exhibition Curator and Archie Rose mixologist and learn it’s history of gin, how it’s made and how the specific Cressida Campbell gin came to be.
Friday 9 December, 6 pm – 7 pm | Canberra Centre | Tickets here.
Queens Christmas
Coming for one weekend only, Queens Christmas is a variety show dedicated to the naughty, and also to the nice. Zoo Bar has the finest, fittest and most Christmasy Queens. Dress up, show up, and be entertained with naughty or nice games and many prizes to be won. Expect a mix of diverse, intimate performances and a delicious food package to go alongside it.
Friday 16 until Saturday 17 December | Zoo Bar, London Circuit, Canberra City | Tickets here.
Pet-friendly Santa Photos
Want to get your furry friend in the Christmas spirit? Free, pet-friendly Santa Photos (with speical guest Mrs Claus) are being held at Dickson shops—complete with a Christmas-y backdrop. Want to know the best part? It’s free!
Festoons lighting and Christmas decorations will also be hung throughout the Dickson Shops with local community choirs bringing cheer to the shops every weekend while the Santa photos are operating.
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 and Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December | Dickson shops (next to the library) | facebook.com/events
Wine Island
Already dreaming of December? Well, we have some news for you—the forecast for the first weekend is 100% fun as Wine Island comes to Canberra!
Get ready to experience the ultimate island getaway (without needing a passport) as Wine Island floats into the capital from Friday 2 until Sunday 4 December, transforming Queen Elizabeth II Island on Lake Burley Griffin into a wine lover’s paradise over three glorious days. And after a very wet winter, you have to admit that indulging in a chilled glass of wine from a sun-drenched bar has never sounded so good.
Friday 2 until Sunday 4 December | Queen Elizabeth II Island | wineisland.com.au
Canberra Nara Candle Festival
After being postponed due to wet weather, the Canberra Nara Candle Festival is back to celebrate the Canberra Nara Sister City relationship and promote the values of peace and goodwill. Head along to see the Nara Peace Park at Lennox Gardens light up with thousands of candles and experience Japanese cuisine, music, dance and demonstrations.
Saturday 3 December | Canberra Nara Peace Park, Flynn Drive, Capital Hill | events.canberra.com.au/nara
A Gorgeous Excuse
Gather your best girlfriends, this is a gorgeous excuse to catch up over gorgeous food, wine, fashion, and retail therapy at the Hotel Realm. With a two-hour package of bottomless wine package (and accompanying sweet and savoury delights) take some well-deserved ‘time out’ with your besties to experience some of the amazing array of beauty, wellness, fashion, and accessories that Australia has to offer.
Saturday 3 December, 11 am – 3 pm | 18 National Circuit, Canberra City | Tickets here.
Christmas at the Gallery of Small Things
Already thinking about Christmas shopping? The Gallery of Small things in Watson has a special Christmas show that will make any gifting fears a thing of the past. Rotating every two weeks, head along to explore new artworks from 15 of their artists—think porcelain bud vases in minimalist white by Julie Pennington, tapestries by Lee Leibrandt, woodcarvings wall works by Isobel Rayson, and more.
Ranging from $20 to $500 (or more if you’re looking to splurge), there’s something for even the fussiest friend.
Until Sunday 4 December | 27 Wade Street, Watson | galleryofsmallthings.com
Dried Flowers Arrangement Workshop
Ever popular workshop designer KFlower will be offering an adult Dried Flowers Arranging Christmas Workshop. Returning by popular demand, guests will have the chance to design their own dried floral arrangements, wonderful to last longer. Delicious refreshments and nibbles will also be provided by L’Americano.
Saturday 10 December, 3 pm – 4 pm | Level 1, Monaro Mall (near David Jones) Canberra Centre | Tickets here.
Human Nature: A Christmas Celebration
Human Nature are coming back to Canberra with an exclusive Christmas Celebration that’s sure to have you embracing your inner festive spirit—singing and
dancing your way into the 2022 holiday season.
Sing along to all the Christmas and holiday classics from their chart-topping Christmas album, including Let It Snow, White Christmas, O Holy Night and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer intertwined with the some of the group’s most loved and requested songs.
Wednesday 17 December, 7:30 pm | The Canberra Theatre Centre | Tickets here.
Photobrick Design Workshop for Christmas
Want to make something special for a loved one? Join the adult workshop of Photobrick Art to produce one of three colourful and fun design options, just in time for Christmas gifting. Please book tickets individually and send your choice of design (flowers, bird or blue flower) to [email protected] upon booking.
Delicious refreshments will also be provided by L’Americano.
Saturday 17 December, 1 pm – 2 pm | Level 1, Monaro Mall (near David Jones) Canberra Centre | Tickets here.
Canberra Glassworks
With extended trading hours, why not shop handcrafted Australian glass at Canberra Glassworks this December? Head along from Wednesday 21 December to check out the stunning offerings and explore exhibitions by Hannah Gason and Consuelo Cavaniglia.
Wednesday 21 until Friday 23 December, 9 am – 5 pm | 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | canberraglassworks.com
Markets (Christmas Edition)
Christmas at The Little Burley Market
Some festive fun is coming to the lakeside: The Little Burley Market will be celebrating the festive season every Saturday in December.
Forget the chaos of Christmas stuck inside a shopping center, this year Canberra’s own bespoke market by the lake is bringing a festive shopping experience. And with the chance to have photos with Santa, a relaxing drink and picnic whilst listening to Christmas tunes, and shopping for the perfect gift from local Canberra makers, we’ll be there with (jingle) bells on.
Saturday until Saturday 24 December, 9 am – 1.30pm | Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | thelittleburleymarket.com.au
Canberra Canine Christmas Markets
This is for all the doggos, fluffs, woofers, puppers, good bois and their human servants—a special Canine Christmas Market is coming to Canberra! Head along to enjoy a range of activities, including selfies with Santa (for the doggos), show bags, food vans and drinks, a best dressed competition (so make sure your Christmas outfit is washed and ironed) and more!
It’s time to start saving your paw-ket money.
Saturday 3 December, 10 am – 1 pm | Belconnen Dog Park | facebook.com/events
Pearce Crafters Christmas Sparkle Market
This beautiful bespoke market run by artisans and crafters is the perfect place to find the most thoughtful and unique handmade Christmas gifts. Both days you will find not only gorgeous, handcrafted items, but also food, tea, coffee and live music. It’s the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend supporting small business and locals. You can also have your photo taken with Santa. Proceeds from the stallholder fees, sale of tote bags and raffle tickets all go to helping children in need around the world.
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December, 10 am – 2 pm | Pearce Community Centre, Building 1, Collett Place, Pearce | facebook.com/events
Christmas Village Markets
Braddon is getting into the festive spirit with their annual Christmas Village Markets! Whether it’s meeting Santa, having a relaxing drink and picnic with loved ones or shopping for that perfect gift from local Canberra makers, they have you covered. Head along to enjoy new Christmas-inspired stalls and more.
Sunday 4 December | Haig Park, 14 Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Philippine Christmas Festival
The Philippine Embassy is opening its doors and warmly welcomes you to experience a taste of the Philippines with the much-awaited Pasko sa Canberra (Christmas in Canberra) festival. Enjoy an array of colourful performances, cultural displays, food and product stalls that create the ambiance of a traditional Filipino Christmas celebration. Have fun and fiesta the Filipino way!
Sunday 4 December | Embassy of the Philippines1 Moonah Place, Yarralumla | facebook.com/events
Handmade Market
Canberra’s favourite handmade food and design market is back, just in time for Christmas shopping. Browse jewellery, beauty products, art, clothing, food, drink and more—there’s sure to be something you want to leave under the tree.
Friday 9 until Sunday 11 December | EPIC Park, Corner of Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, Mitchell | handmadecanberra.com.au
Ginninderry Christmas in the Park
Head along to Paddys Park and watch it come to life with live music, kids activities, carols, a Santa photo booth, food and market stalls, and much more! Name a better way to spend a Saturday (for free)?
Saturday 10 December, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Paddys Park, Corner Asimus Avenue and Pro Hart Avenue, Strathnairn | facebook.com/events
The Canberra Christmas Market
Gather family and friends and get into the Christmas spirit: over two-days, shoppers will uncover wonderful gifts, specialty items, gourmet foods and more…many items not available in regular retail outlets or shopping mall stores.
Listen to wonderful carols, meet Santa and get the kids to help decorate gingerbread houses—this is a one-stop shop for all your Christmas needs.
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December | Fitzroy Building, Exhibition Park, Mitchell | canberramarkets.net.au
Canberra Potters 2022 Christmas Fair
When you’re looking for Christmas gifts, where can you go for something truly unique? The answer: the Canberra Potters Christmas Fair. Between the fair and the shop you’re sure to find the perfect gift at the perfect price, and you’ll know that you’re buying from a local maker. Browse a wonderful selection of ceramic art and pottery and enjoy coffee, cold drinks and poffertjes from Sylvie & Bruno.
Saturday 10 until Saturday 18 December, 10 am – 4 pm | 1 Aspinall St, Watson | canberrapotters.com.au
Food + wine
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience
Basil, Manuel and Sybil are back in town—and they’re bringing a healthy dose of mayhem to your door. With two hours of comedy and three courses of food, this show is fully immersive, highly interactive and completely original—and with 70% of the show improvised it’s never the same twice.
Friday 2 and Saturday 3 December | Mercure Canberra, Corner of Ainslie & Limestone Ave, Braddon | Tickets here.
Festive Long Lunch
Did someone say leisurely lunchtime feasting? Start with antipasti featuring charcuterie, then tuck into glazed ham, roast turkey with braised leeks and figs and roast potatoes with chimichurri and vegetables followed by pavlova with seasonal fruits and whipped cream (it is a festive occasion, after all). It’s the perfect dose of holiday cheer.
Sunday 4 December | Pialligo Estate Glasshouse, 18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo | thepialligoestate.com.au/festive-long-lunch
IKEA festive dining experience
IKEA Australia is bringing the cheer with an elaborate Christmas dining experience available in stores nationwide. Hosting a range of festive activities, (including lucky door prizes and Christmas craft workshops) IKEA will also be putting a Swedish twist on Christmas classics and serving up a delicious three course meal packed with a tasty array of delights including Kalles Kaviar, iconic IKEA meatballs and turkey roast topped off with a sweet treat of Daim cake or Christmas plum pudding.
Friday 9 December | 1030 Majura Rd, Pialligo | Tickets here.
Introductory wine appreciation with Pique Nique
Wine-not learn the basics of your favourite beverage this December? In this class you’ll discover the essential elements of wine, how wine is made, and food and wine pairing—and you get to do all this by tasting through a hand-picked selection of quality Canberra wines.
Saturday 10 December, 1 pm – 3 pm | Canberra Visitors Centre, Regatta Point, Parkes | Tickets here.
Christmas Gin Festival
It’s time to get you gin-gle bells on: the Christmas Gin Festival is back with even more distillers! Dress up and have some fun, as you sample G&T’s to take home and share over the festive season. Whether you like a dry gin or something a bit fruitier, you’re sure to find a winner (or a few)!
Friday 16 until Monday 18 December | National Convention Centre, 31 Constitution Ave, Canberra City |ginevents.com.au
The Wizard’s Den
Witches and wizards of Canberra, behold! Get ready to unleash your inner magical being as you brew potions, cast spells, and drink more mead than you can shake a wand at—at this pop-up bar, you’ll concoct devilish brews for good (or evil), all under the watchful eye of their wise potions master.
Until Tuesday 31 January 2023 | Zoo Bar, London Circuit, Canberra City | Tickets here.
Cressida Campbell: Grazing by the Garden
Inspired by Cressida Campbell’s love of gardens and shared food between friends, the National Gallery is hosting Grazing by the Garden. Design your own grazing experience and choose from a selection of delicious scones with ribbon sandwiches, local grazing boards or a rustic pizza flatbread prepared daily. Espresso coffee, specialty tea or wine and beer will also be available, perfect for a light lunch in the Gallery’s dining room with scenic views of the Sculpture Garden and Lake Burley Griffin.
Until Sunday 19 February 2023 | National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au
Stage + screen
Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase
Forget hitting the highway, to see the best of the Sydney Comedy Festival all you need to do is jump the boarder to Queanbeyan! The Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase will feature some of the festival’s hottest acts live on stage for an incredible two hours of hard-hitting laughter. Boasting a line-up of veteran favourites and some of the freshest emerging talents, this jam-packed night of pure entertainment will leave you sore from belly laughs.
Friday 2 December, 8 pm | 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan | Tickets here
A Stellar Lineup
Celebrating the power of inclusion, Stellar Company and Liz Lea present A Stellar Lineup—a stunning lineup of Canberra’s most engaging community dance companies that will be closing 2022 with a bang, aligning with International Day of People with Disability.
Working across generations, across abilities, across cultures and across Canberra, expect performances from ZEST Dance for Wellbeing, Deaf Butterflies, Subsdance, Canberra Dance Theatre’s GOLD company, Project Dust and The Chamaeleon Collective, Canberra’s first inclusive dance company.
Friday 2 and Saturday 3 December, 7 pm | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Tickets here.
A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas
The Canberra Comedy Festival has a very special Christmas present for you. Bringing some of the best comedians back to the stage, head along to this two-hour comedy gala to get into the festive spirit and have a giggle in the process.
Saturday 3 December, 7:30 pm | Canberra Theatre Centre | Tickets here.
Finucane & Smith’s Travelling Dance Hall
From the creators of the World’s Most Provocative Variety shows, and Australia’s longest touring burlesque spectacle Caravan Burlesque, comes the whole-of-community shindig, Dance Hall!
Born out of Finucane and Smith’s love affair with regional and remote Australia, and packed with songbirds and showgirls, disco divas and dancing stars, opera arias, local legends, burlesque twirlers and go-go groovers, when the Dance Hall touring party of four (Maude Davey, Mama Alto, Jazida and Chris Burgess) roll into Tuggeranong,
Until Saturday 3 December | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Tuggeranong | tuggeranongarts.com
The Torrents
Canberra’s newest theatre is opening on Wednesday November 23 with the bold production of a witty Australian gem, The Torrents by Oriel Gray. In this 1890s screwball comedy, an all female and non-binary cast take to the stage to turn back time—and touch on themes that are still are as relevant today as when it was written.
Until Saturday 3 December | Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, 1 Dairy Rd, Fyshwick | Tickets here.
Sense and Sensibility at Canberra REP
This is some quite sophisticated nonsense. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, Kate Hamill’s Sense and Sensibility, this playful new adaptation follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood shortly after their father’s sudden death. Head along to experience a story that stands the test of time…and the perfect springtime rom-com.
Until Saturday 3 December | Canberra REP Theatre (formerly Theatre 3), 3 Repertory Lane, Acton | Tickets here.
Winging It: The Musical
Canberra’s premier unscripted comedy troupe is back to combine the mischief of improvisation with the magic of musical theatre!
Each night, the Lightbulb players and musicians will create a brand new musical before your very eyes, complete with memorable characters, captivating songs, spirited dance routines, and epic story lines, with the razzle-dazzle of a Broadway show.
Thursday 8 until Saturday 10 December | Canberra Theatre Centre | Tickets here.
Decadence and Debauchery
You can’t miss this. Decadence and Debauchery is back this month at the Belconnen Arts Centre! Expect some of Canberra’s best performers and some international headliners—including Kelly Ann Doll, who was voted in the Top 10 Most Influential Burlesque Artists in Australia by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine!
Saturday 10 December, 8 pm | 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | Tickets here.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
Brimful of song, humour, love, and lashings of festive joy, A Christmas Carol is a grand-in-scale production—and it’s coming to Canberra. Complete with live music, yule-tide carolling, innovative video design, lavish costumes and, of course, snow, it’s the perfect amount of Christmas magic.
Tuesday 20 until Saturday 24 December | Canberra Theatre Centre | Tickets here.
Sunset Cinema
Sunset cinema is back for summer and with even more screening nights, and food options (hello popcorn and burgers from the Hungry Brown Cow) you better be excited. Screening weekly Wednesday to Saturday until February 2023, it’s the perfect opportunity for movie lovers to bask in the warm nights while enjoying some of their favourite films.
Until Saturday 25 February 2023 | Australian National Botanic Gardens | sunsetcinema.com.au/canberra
Music
Canberra Choral Society: Handel’s Messiah
Perfect for the lead up to the Christmas season, the Canberra Choral Society (CCS) invites the Canberra community to come and enjoy the most performed and loved work in the choral repertoire: Handel’s Messiah.
Beloved of audiences and performers alike, this extraordinary work balances sublime solos with some of the most beautiful choruses ever written and brings the chorus to the centre of the drama of the story of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection.
Saturday 3 December, 7:30 pm | Llewellyn Hall, The Australian National University | Tickets here.
Maruki Community Orchestra Concert: Summer magic
Maruki Orchestra is looking forward to presenting its final concert for 2022. The program will comprise The Magic Flute Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hymne à Sainte Cécile by Charles Gounod featuring violin soloist Peter Ellis, Symphony No. 103 by Franz Joseph Haydn and Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major ‘Eroica’ by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Sunday 4 December, 3 pm–5 pm | Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave | Tickets here.
On the Road to Christmas
The Wesley Music Scholars are here to make December festive. The final Wednesday Lunchtime Concert for 2022 is an opportunity to hear, appreciate and encourage this wonderful group of musicians as we look forward to the festive season and a new year. The Scholars performing in this concert are: Zoë Loxley Slump oboe; James Monro cello; Ronan Apcar piano; Yona Su viola. The program will feature Claude Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor plus works by Ross Edwards and Brad Mehldau. Christmas refreshments for performers and audience follow the concert.
Wednesday 7 December, 12:40 pm – 1:20 pm | 20 National Circuit, Forrest | Tickets here.
‘Merry and Gay’
Canberra Qwire is hosting a concert full of beautiful, fun and queer vocal music that will bolster your spirits and propel you into the festive season with a full heart. Held on the eve of thier 30th anniversary year, Qwire is raising funds to support an LGBTIQ+ choir from Timor Leste.
Sunday 11 December, 2 pm |Q theatre, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | Tickets here
Full Swing
A great afternoon’s entertainment for the whole family, this concert at the Harmonie German Club will see a range of music played, reflecting the musical journey of Canberra’s big band, Full Swing. The band will be led by Musical Director (MD) Beth Way, and there will be several alumni appearing as special guests including former MD Nathan Sciberras.
Sunday 11 December, 3 pm – 5 pm | 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah | harmonieclub.com.au
Exhibitions
Femmes Fatales on the Frontier
Grainger Gallery hosts “Femmes Fatales on the Frontier”. These six female artists are dangerous women who, through their femmes fatales, invite you to a quirky and irreverent exhibition on the power of feminine beauty as viewed through the female gaze.
Vanessa Stockard takes us on a deep dive down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of Alice and her friends, the Infanta, Ophelia and Jane Morris, while Gria Shead’s Kate Kelly rides into town with an arsenal of cigar box femmes. Penelope Boyd’s Victorian gothic girls invite closer investigation as they hide their crimes and misdemeanours. Ella Kilgour’s ladies are odes to Gainsborough and Poussin with a contemporary twist—all neon-powder-puff, Autie pouf and Snapchat Catface, they stare back across centuries of history into hypermodern times.
Hilary Herrmann’s haloed heroines float through the skies like mystical saints, referencing ancient iconography and pointing to the order of the universe. Monika Scarrabelotti’s sensuous bronzes traverse the voyeuristic, engaging the viewer in an intimate response. All in all, these six artists invite you to gaze into the realm of the Magical Real in the Neon-Classical Age!
Until Sunday 4 December | Grainger Gallery, Dairy Road, Fyshwick | graingergallery.com.au
Pictures of You
Have you ever tried to explain it is to be YOU? To a friend, a partner, your family, a professional – even to yourself? Now imagine having a disability; of the prejudices that come with that, and the challenges of engaging people to look beyond the disability to the whole of your personality. This is the focus of the Pictures of You exhibition, which explores a unique approach to self-portrayals of people with lived experience of physical and mental health disabilities – collaborating as equals with a professional photographer to produce a portrait honestly reflecting the whole person.
Saturday 3 December until Sunday 5 February 2023 | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Weird Years
A family who tragically lost their young son to suicide last year are sharing his artistic works to highlight the importance of integrated support for young people struggling with mental health.
Ravi Madan was a Canberra-based artist who, following a degree in industrial design, ventured to explore his own brand of neo-expressionism. The exhibition Weird Years uniquely self-chronicles the later years of Ravi’s life, capturing his experiences of happiness, love, and tragedy. The exhibition comprises of large and small-scale oil paintings, all displaying Ravi’s immense talent and passion for colour, layers, and symbolism.
Tuesday 6 December, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm | 76 Alinga St, Canberra City | smithsalternative.com
Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages
Celebrating the power and diversity of female spiritual beings in cultural traditions and beliefs across the globe, this exhibition explores how goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints have shaped our understanding of the world.
Featuring more than 160 objects from the British Museum’s exceptional collection, this is a timely exhibition that explores and questions feminine power, authority and identity.
Tuesday 8 December until Sunday 27 August 2023 | National Museum of Australia | nma.gov.au
Disrupt, persist, invent
Australia, home of the ‘fair go’. But is it really the free and fair place you’d hope for? What can we change? From noisy protest to quiet persistence, Disrupt, persist, invent explores the many ways people have achieved social change in Australia.
Pop into the National Archives of Australia to discover powerful stories of people and their actions, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Tuesday 8 December until Monday 12 June 2023 | National Archives of Australia | naa.gov.au
The Robert F!NK National Metal Prize
We’re all obsessed with the F!nk jug (hello Christmas present inspo), but did you know that there’s a Robert Foster F!NK National Metal Prize celebrating outstanding work in the field of contemporary metalworking?
Recognising the exceptional skill and innovative design of both established and emerging designers and craftspeople, head along to see the work of 10 finalists and see the winners of the three awards: an established artist, an emerging artist, and an acquisition prize.
Until Saturday 10 December | Craft ACT, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit | designcanberrafestival.com.au
Seeing Seventies: Photography Competition
There’s no denying that Canberra has some iconic architecture—and this exhibition at Craft ACT is the ultimate celebration of design in the 70s. Capturing the best of Canberra’s design and architecture from the decade, the exhibition has over 90 photographs from professional and amateur photographers—perfect for spending an afternoon immersing yourself in architecture and art.
Until Saturday 10 December | Craft ACT, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit | designcanberrafestival.com.au
Clean Slate: Isobel Rayson at the COX Gallery
In this series Isobel Rayson explores the emotional experience of wandering through rural landscapes, national parks or along beaches and the patterns and textures found on the surface of objects that surround her. Documented in photographs and sketches, Isobel considers how these details might translate into a woodblock carving later in her studio.
Until Friday 16 December, 9 am – 5 pm | 1/19 Eastlake Parade, Kingston | coxarchitecture.com.au
Swooming, Shimmering, Sparkling
Tuggeranong Arts Centre is swooning, shimmering, and sparkling its way to the end of 2022 with the Spring exhibitions, Swoon! We are Dizzy with JOY!, by Hands On Studio and All That Glitters by local artists Helen Braund, Tiffany Cole, Romany Fairall, Michele Grimston and Emma Rani Hodges.
Until Saturday 17 December | Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Tuggeranong | tuggeranongartscentre.com
Workshops, webinars + more
Happy Planet Living Book Launch
Join debut author Mia Swainson for an evening of discussion about all things sustainable living as she launches her new book Happy Planet Living. Drinks and snacks will be provided, but if you’d like to see some practical sustainability in action, bring along a homemade jam, chutney or pickle to swap with others at the book event. They’ll put everyone’s homemade goodies on a table and at the end of the evening, you can take home someone else’s creation!
Copies of the book will also be available on the night to purchase, with Mia doing signings.
Thursday 1 December, 6 pm – 7:30 pm | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra City | Book here.
Bespoke Letterpress Gift Wrapping Workshop
Just in time for the lead up to Christmas, gift wrapping experts Bespoke Letterpress will be hosting a special Christmas wrapping workshop. You will learn great wrapping techniques, ribbon tying techniques and how to do small gift wrapping ornaments. Sips and nibbles will be provided by L’Americano.
Saturday 3 December, 1 pm – 2 pm | Level 1, Monaro Mall (near David Jones) Canberra Centre | Tickets here.
Australian Skeptics National Convention
At Skepticon, you’ll get to hear leading speakers discuss Science and Skepticism in a Changed World, as well as get a chance to meet all your long-lost skeptical friends for a chat and a (much needed) laugh! It’s the perfect antidote after another year seeing both the best and worst in humanity—after all science, skepticism, and critical thinking will be vital to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December | National Library of Australia, Parkes | Tickets here.
CBRIN 2022 Innovation Showcase
It’s back! The Canberra Innovation Network is thrilled to have the 2022 Innovation Showcase back in person.
The Innovation Showcase is the Canberra Innovation Networks way of uniting and recognising brilliant local innovators and supporting their efforts to make an impact. In doing so, they aim to strengthen the position of Canberra as a clever, connected, and creative city where entrepreneurs and businesses build on the city’s excellence in research and innovation to create social and economic benefits for all citizens.
Wednesday 7 December, 4 pm – 6 pm | cbrin.com.au | Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen
James Joyce’s Radio Tower of Babel
James Joyce’s Radio Tower of Babel is a program of words, music, sounds, noises, signals, static and interference inspired by Finnegans Wake. Held as apart of the programme of Out of the Ordinary: On Poetry and the World (a three day conference on poetry’s relationship to the extraordinary and Canberra’s first ever carbon-neutral conference) you can’t miss this.
Wednesday 7 December, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm | King O’Malley’s 131 City Walk, Canberra City | Tickets here.
Those Dashing McDonagh Sisters: A Book Launch at the NFSA
A terrific evening of literature, female empowerment and Australian cinema history, head along to the launch of Those Dashing McDonagh Sisters: Australia’s first female filmmaking team by Mandy Sayer.
Mandy will be in conversation with NFSA Program Manager Karina Libbey about these three astonishing sisters, their careers and the book’s deep dive into Australian cinema history, supported by clips and images from the NFSA collection.
Thursday 8 December, 6 pm | Australian National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Cct, Acton | Tickets here.
Portrait Photography Sessions at the National Library
Forget Santa! This Christmas, have your portrait taken at the National Library of Australia by the staff from PhotoAccess ACT. You’ll be able to takeaway a memento of your visit, create a family memory, or perhaps use the photo as a Christmas present for loved ones. And if that wasn’t enough to sway you to skip the queue for Santa, did we mention that the pictures will be taken on large format cameras?
Saturday 10 December | National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes | nla.gov.au
Choices in Childbirth
Are you expecting? Have you considered a doula? The Canberra Doulas are holding monthly information sessions for all those expecting to find out more about what a doula is and all that they can offer during pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Learn how a doula can support you in preparation for your birth and how they can also assist you once you bring your baby home.
Saturday 10 December, 10 am – 1 pm | Tulips Café, 8 Beltana Road Piallago | facebook.com/CanberraDoulas
Source: hercanberra.com.au
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
