Off The Leash - July 2020 by Off The Leash

Winner, 2019 NT Media Awards, Best Magazine or Lift Out

JULY

20 20

RENEW JABIRU Kakadu's Marrawuddi Gallery finds a new home

WATERFRONT BEACH CLUB

THE TOP END, IN MOTION

Ku De Ta vibes here in the Top End

Local showcase at DEC

MUSIC

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PERFORMING ARTS

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VISUAL ARTS

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BOOKS & FILM

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FOOD & DRINK

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COMMUNITY

Yo u r fre e what ’s o n g u i d e TO TH E TO P E N D

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES STRATEGY NT 2020-2024 The Creative Industries Strategy 2020 - 2024 is the Territory’s first co-led strategy to help grow the sector and its economic benefits, including local jobs. Delivering a five-year framework, it supports the vision of an innovative sector that celebrates the Territory’s cultural distinctiveness, while enhancing liveability, attracting visitors and growing the economy. The Creative Industries Strategy 2020 - 2024 provides recommendations across 12 key industry subsectors, identified for their collective economic contribution to the Territory economy. Download a copy from dtsc.nt.gov.au/creative-industries-strategy

Photo: Meredith Dellar, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

2020

CHIEF MINISTER'S NT BOOK AWARDS

Best Fiction Walking with Camels Leni Shilton

ntwriters.com.au Best Nonfiction Stranger Country Monica Tan Best Children’s & Young Adult A Song Only I Can Hear Barry Jonsberg

INSIDE

OFFTHELEASH.NET.AU E: editor@offtheleash.net.au T: 08 8941 7413 offtheleashmag

ell hello there, Top Enders and friends – possibly visitors from interstate if you’ve picked up a copy mid-month – if this is the case, good for you, and welcome to the best and safest place in the world! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to put out a July edition, this symbol of the Top End’s resilience you currently hold in your hot little hands. What a time we’ve had. What a time the world’s had. What a time to be alive! During this time, we’ve done what we can. We’ve shared, we’ve purchased, we’ve streamed. It hasn’t been easy, yet it could be worse. And here we are. And here I am! (On a side note, I should be sipping cocktails in Bali with my new husband, but that’s a treat I look forward to next year!)

@OTLmag

#OTLmag

GPO BOX 2325, Darwin NT 0801

revenue. We’ve made the decision to return to print for July, and we’ll be back in August, too, but each month thereafter will be assessed on a month-by-month basis.

F R OM T H E

Shout out to our wonderful board, particularly our chair Sally Clifford, who’s spent many an hour on the phone with me over the past few months. And I’d like to give a special, heartfelt mention to my ‘work mum’ – OTL’s graphic designer extraordinaire and all ‘round gem, Sarah. Her unwavering support behind the scenes during this time of uncertainty has meant the absolute world. Big love to you, Sez.

r o t i d E

We’ve all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in our own way, some worse than others and our hearts go out to those who are doing it tough. I want to take a moment to talk to you about what’s happening here at Off The Leash. We have, for the first time since 2007, experienced what it’s like not to have OTL in print. We’ve done our best to support our community online during this time, but there’s one thing that’s now become clear to all – we can’t continue to support our community, in print or online, unless we receive support. We are grateful for the funding we receive from Arts NT, this support covering almost two of the 10 editions we print each year. But the remaining eight editions are underpinned by advertising

Anyway, let’s get stuck into July. Our gorgeous cover artwork is the mural on what is the new digs for Jabiru’s Marrawuddi Gallery. This is especially exciting, as they’re taking up residence in what used to be the Kakadu Bakery, this famous landmark when you enter the township of Jabiru now bursting with colour and new life. Originally scheduled to open this month, works were brought to a halt due to the closure of the Kakadu region during the pandemic. This is a treat we look forward to enjoying come opening day, expected in September.

Our Creative Value | 6

Taste of the Territory | 15

There’s so much goodness to soak up this month, and we’re all up for it, too – I think we’ve got a new understanding of what life would be like without the arts, events and culture that make the Top End what it is. I’ll see you out and about in our incredible slice of paradise.

Top Territory Tunes | 21

OTL is proudly supported by Tierney White Managing Editor and Development Manager

Anna Dowd Writer

Sarah Novinetz Graphic Designer

Off The Leash Inc. acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

#o tlmag

Distributed to remote Indigenous communities with the assistance of

@_katymoir

Use our hashtag for a chance to see your pics here

Driveway cocktails with @domsbarandlounge

@darwinvisualarts

Fracketty Frack premiere at @deckchair_cinema

Cover proudly sponsored by Marrawuddi Gallery TropicalIndustries wedding cake by @c_bella_m Creative Strategy Launch

WINNER 2019 NT MEDIA AWARDS

Mural at new location by artists Ellie Hannon, Graham Rostron, Abel Naborlhborlh, Selone Djandomerr, Ray Mudjandi, Rosie Mudjandi, Aysha Alderson and Nonica Hardy

Best Magazine or Lift Out

#fakewedding @jettstreet.photo

Iso-dining with @mindilmammaskitchen

Staycation @mercuredarwin

Although Although all care is taken to ensure information Off The Leash correct, it is subject to change. We recommend checking offtheleash.net.au updates. all care is taken to ensureininformation in is Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change. We recommend checking for offtheleash.net.au for updates.

July 2020

FEATURE

Renew JABIRU By Anna Dowd

Drive into Jabiru township, the gateway to Kakadu, and it’s impossible to miss the huge, colour-filled mural wrapping itself around the sides of what used to be the bakery. It’s an artwork that packs a lot of symbolic punch.

he cross-cultural collaboration is the start of a new chapter for Marrawuddi Gallery, as it prepares to re-open the building as a buzzing artistic, cultural and tourism hub for the region. Owned by the Mirrar Traditional Owners of Kakadu and parts of Western Arnhem Land, Marrawuddi operates as a gallery and art centre, with everything from paintings to screen printed fabrics and fibre art.

Renewing the streetscapes of Jabiru is a visual step in this direction, and Hagebols points out the mural project, completed during Mahbilil Festival last year, brought together many parts of the community to witness and take part in an historic moment.

Manager Katie Hagebols says the new space includes plans for a large gallery, outdoor area and native gardens, where artists and visitors alike can come, hang out, engage and create.

Visiting muralist Ellie Hannon worked with Bininj artists Graham Rostron, Abel Naborlhborlh, Selone Djandomerr, Ray Mudjandi, Rosie Mudjandi, Aysha Alderson and Nonica Hardy to create the mural's massive paintings.

“The Traditional Owners' vision is that this be a place of cultural support, resourcing and making art for the Mirrar and surrounding clans. Where they can come in, sit down, have a cup of tea and be creative as a by-product of a welcoming space.”

Hagebols says the artists decided to keep remnants of a previous mural painted on the wall in their design.

Jabiru was built in 1982 to service the nearby Ranger Uranium Mine, but with the mining lease finishing up next year, the new Marrawuddi Gallery space is just the start of a collaborative new vision for the town.

INFO marrawuddi.com.au facebook.com/marrawuddi instagram.com/marrawuddi

Top image: Raylene Djandjul carrying her freshly harvested pandanus, sourced on Mirarr country.

Bottom: Patsy Kelly displaying her sensational marebu (woven mat), spanning 160cm!

“A place where learning about living culture is accessible in a meaningful way.”

“In the past, Jabiru and Kakadu might have seemed that bit far for Darwin crew, or they might come for a weekend occasionally, but just pass through Jabiru,” says Hagebols.

“In homage to the previous artist and to keep a significant piece of the Jabiru Bakery as history.” From there, it took three weeks to complete the whole mural. “From the preliminary phases of sketching the designs and working with all the artists to come up with draft concepts, including a colour palette of natural dyes used for pandanus weaving in this region.”

“Hopefully that can start to change now.”

The striking work includes motifs commonly expressed by artists from Kakadu including the namarrkon, or lightning man, yawk yawk, a female water spirit, and namarnkol, the barramundi.

Mirarr Traditional Owner Simon Nabanardi says they are looking forward to welcoming more people to Jabiru and Kakadu to share their country and cultural heritage.

The new Marrawuddi Gallery is set to open its doors in late September. “It’s an exciting time,” confirms Hagebols.

“As the town changes, we hope Jabiru will be recognised around the world as a significant Australian cultural destination,” Nabanardi says.

“Jabiru is well and truly alive.”

AROUND TOWN

Waterfront BEACH CLUB

IF THERE’S ONE THING Top Enders have missed during lockdown – in addition to being able to go to the pub for a frothy or throwing house parties with an uncapped amount of pals – it’s being able to travel. Darwin’s close proximity to Southeast Asia regularly puts places like Bali on our travel itinerary, its beach clubs a hit with many a Top Ender. But with international travel plans temporarily on hold, we’ve been left to explore our own backyard to satisfy our travel bugs, without packing our bags and skipping town. If you’ve been yearning to jump on a plane to spend a week frequenting the beach clubs of Seminyak, Darwin Waterfront has the perfect spot for you! Waterfront Beach Club has given locals the chance to soak up the sun, sea and sand – resort style – right here in Darwin, every day since the beginning of June. And it’s been such a hit, they’re keeping it around for another month. Kick back on a sun lounge with a chilled bev, chilled lounge and house beats any day of the week. Talk about Ku De Ta vibes! Bask in the tropical atmosphere while indulging in some of Darwin’s tastiest food and drink offerings from local eateries. We’re talking fresh street tacos, icy margaritas, crispy bao buns, summer poke bowls, icy pina coladas, and more. You had us at tacos. And if satisfying your need for beach, sun and sand wasn’t enough, you can feel even better about it all knowing your dollars spent have stayed within the local economy, helping businesses that depend on tourism at this time of year.

WHEN AT COST INFO

Beach, sun, sand, fresh food and chilled bevs served with a side of good vibes? Yes. Please.

DAILY | SUN-THU, 10AM-8PM FRI & SAT, 10AM-9PM DARWIN WATERFRONT FREE waterfront.nt.gov.au

Learn Something New BEING ENCOURAGED TO stay at home when possible has meant we’ve had to look within our four walls of residence for things to do. And although it might sound restrictive, people around the globe have been tapping into their personal upskill bucket lists, picking up new hobbies or finally getting the chance to explore old ones.

rediscovered or newfound pursuits further.

Now that the Top End has mostly returned to normal life – for now – doesn’t mean you can’t take your

Class durations can be anywhere from one-hour sessions to fulldays, and courses may be one-off

Darwin Adult Short Courses offers a bounty of classes across a wide range of categories, from music to cooking, from Excel spreadsheets to massage, from cooking fish to courses in mindfulness, there’s something for everyone.

sessions to full 10-week terms. The price is right too, with low base costs and special discounts for seniors – a 10-week Spanish course will only set you back $300. Muy bueno! So if you’ve ever wanted to pick up a new language, create your own clay pots or master your photography skills, there’s a Darwin Adult Short Course for you! INFO

adultshortcourses.com

By Anna Dowd

Photo: Northern Territory Government

Our Creative Value HE BRAND-NEW NT Creative Industries Strategy has a big bunch of historic ‘firsts’ attached to it. It’s the first co-led plan for developing creative industries the Territory has ever had – a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce, NT Government and creative industry representatives. Angela O’Donnell, Steering Committee Executive Officer, says the 12-month process brought everyone in the Territory’s creative landscape together to come up with

a plan for the next five years. “Ordinarily in the NT, we talk about say dance or theatre, or visual arts or Indigenous arts and crafts, all as quite separate bits of the puzzle. For the first time, this has brought everyone together at the table as a group with their different audiences, stakeholders and priorities.” The strategy names 12 industry subsectors, as well as putting numbers on how much money they generate for the economy. We now know the NT’s creative industries

brings a hefty $735 million in a year, as well as employing almost 2400 Territorians annually. “We’ve never had the economic data before,” says O’Donnell. “And the hope is, we’ll now be able to do this every four or five years and see growth.” She says having this data will help the sector advocate for the social and cultural, as well as economic, value of the arts.

“I know deep in my bones – and from a lived experience – that the creative industries have a far bigger impact on our communities, our social fabric and our identity. We are a whole picture, but at the end of the day in these difficult times, I also want creatives paid properly, and the sector to thrive.” O’Donnell says a vital step on the way to this vision is the Government’s commitment to establishing a Creative Industries Council to represent the sector. It’s another big ticket first that will

mean the creative industries have an established voice at the table. “Every other industry from the Cattlemen’s Association to hospitality and retail has a council that can advocate at a very high level to government, the community and industry about their benefits and value.” “We haven’t had that before and it’s certainly time.”

INFO chambernt.com.au instagram.com/ creativeindustriesnt

Territory Day IT’S THE DAY thousands of Territorians look forward to. Yep, the one and only day in the whole country we can legally buy fireworks and fire them at will. But this year, due to the cancelation of fireworks and mass celebrations, Territory Day is playing out a little differently. It’s important to remember that Territory Day is about much more than setting off the occasional fire cracker. 2020 marks 42 years since the NT became self-governed, and even though we can’t blow anything up this year, it presents the opportunity to show what it really means to be a Territorian.

Malak’s Back

in the Gardens

LAST YEAR, DARWIN’S beloved Malak Marketplace ventured beyond its home in the ‘burbs to set up camp in the George Botanic Gardens for a handful of delightful Fridays during the Dry.

“We’re super excited to be coming back to the Botanical Gardens, partnering up with Eva’s Botanic Gardens Cafe again and bringing our Malak Marketplace Magic to the Botanic Gardens,” she says.

This month, Malak Marketplace returns to pop up at the Gardens – and will do so monthly over the next four months – much to the delight of market fans and the Market’s organisers.

“We love the gorgeous Gardens space which is perfect for a Friday after work picnic on the lawns, enjoying the sea breezes and spectacular organic food and produce from our farmers.”

Market Co-founder Lina Paselli-Kruse says they’re only too happy to return.

Public events have been under a cloud of uncertainty this year, but the mood is lifting as restrictions

Local businesses that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic are depending on Territorians to do, giving Top Enders hope of an action-packed Dry season. “It’s so amazing to be able to lock in four monthly dates for 2020, now that more restrictions have been lifted and we are slowly getting back to ‘normal’. Our stallholders are just as excited as we are and we hope this will continue to be a regular event in the future.”

WHEN FRI 17 JUL | 5-9PM AT GEORGE BROWN BOTANIC GARDENS COST FREE INFO malakmarketplace.org.au

back them and help see them through one of the hardest years we’ve seen. Many operators are reliant on tourism at this time of year to offset costs during the low season. If you can, go out for dinner at a local pub or restaurant, book a staycation or buy your beer from one of the local brewers. Why not make it Territory Week and purchase something local every day? Whether it’s a BBQ with mates, tuning in to the Territory Sounds Countdown (see pg. 21) catching up with family and friends or having a blast with some crackers (and cheese!), Territory Day is all about remembering how resilient and connected our community is. WHEN WED 1 JUL INFO territoryday.nt.gov.au

LISTINGS

and recycle at this sustainable market. It's free to have a stall, and no entry fee means it's free to browse. Learn to make beeswax wraps, jewellery and weave baskets.

WHEN SUN 19 JUL | 9AM-12PM AT ALAWA HALL COST FREE INFO facebook.com/

Storytime Sing, dance, listen to stories and engage with puppets at these fun and interactive sessions. Suitable for children aged 1-5 years. Children must be accompanied by an adult. WHEN EVERY TUE | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

too-much-stuff

INFO naidoc.org.au

Malak Marketplace Come and enjoy a lazy, relaxed vibe at this much-loved farmer’s market. Malak Marketplace bags are available to pack with organic and spray free fruit and veggies, pastured eggs, and grass-fed meat from local farmers. WHEN EVERY SAT | 4-9PM AT CHAMBERS CRESCENT,

MALAK COST FREE INFO malakmarketplace.org.au

Stay & Play at Skippers Hit the road and make your way east to enjoy a smorgasbord of options, from deep sea and sport fishing to river systems fed by flood plains, teeming with the prized NT barra. Retreat to Skippers Beachfront Sanctuary to share stories of your day’s adventure, feast on freshly caught fish and soak in that spectacular sunset and sweeping ocean views. Bliss! INFO skippersatdundee.com Too Much Stuff Recycling Flea Market Reduce, reuse, repurpose, restyle

Stages of the Path Live Stream Meditation Course Receive step-by-step guidance on all stages of the path to enlightenment based on The New Meditation Handbook. WHEN EVERY THU | 7-8.30PM AT THE INTERNET COST $10 INFO kadampa.live Yoga Asana Class Begin your weekend in Zen mode with this blissful hour of yoga. Pull up your own mat on the lush green lawns of Darwin Waterfront whilst a qualified instructor guides you. Om! WHEN EVERY SAT | 8-9AM AT DARWIN WATERFRONT INFO waterfront.nt.gov.au

PALMERSTON LIBRARY palmerston.nt.gov.au/library

Frillies Club The Frillies Club is for preschool to Year 6 students. The club aims to assist every Palmerston child to develop a life-long love of reading and encourage them to join their local library. WHEN DAILY COST FREE Gadgets and Games Club Learning plus games equals fun! If your child is aged 5-12 years and enjoys hands-on, problem based learning activities, this is for them. WHEN EVERY TUE | 3.30-4.30PM COST FREE

Nursery Time You’re never too young to enjoy reading. Treat your baby to songs, puppets, nursery rhymes and movement to enhance their early literacy development. Suitable for children up to 12 months. WHEN EVERY WED | 10-10.45AM COST FREE

PLACE: Celebrating 10 Years at CDU Art Gallery

Get Job Ready Come along to these free sessions, where you can use the library’s laptops to create or update your resume, search and apply for jobs.

2 8 M AY - 1 0 J U LY Charles Darwin University Building Orange 12 Casuarina Campus Wed to Fri | 10am - 4pm

WHEN EVERY WED | 2-4PM COST FREE

www.cdu.edu.au/artgallery artgallery@cdu.edu.au  cduartgallery  cduartgallery

LET’S DANCE Movement Medicine

WHEN EVERY SUN | 10-11.30AM AT NIGHTCLIFF COMMUNITY

Bryan Bulley, WMD passing through the river town, 2019, acrylic on canvas, acquired for CDU Art Collection in 2019, CDU3254

CENTRE COST $15 INFO facebook.com/ movement-medicine australia

Argentine Tango Practica WHEN EVERY TUE | 7-9PM AT STUDIO 13, COCONUT GROVE COST $10, CASH ONLY INFO facebook.com/nthntango

Milonga: Tango Dance Party WHEN FRI 31 JUL | 8-11PM AT COCONUT GROVE

COMMUNITY HALL COST $10, CASH ONLY INFO facebook.com/nthntango

NAIDOC Week NAIDOC week recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. Normally held in July, NAIDOC celebrations have been postponed for now in the interests of community safety. Visit the official NAIDOC website for further updates.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PUBLIC ART

City of Palmerston is seeking proposals from Northern Territory based professional artists, design teams or artist collectives for a unique and dynamic artwork to be installed on the exterior wall of the Palmerston Recreation Centre. The project aims to beautify our city and public spaces, to engage our arts community in meaningful public artwork, and increase the cultural vibrancy of the Palmerston area. We are seeking unique designs and concepts that will help to enliven the Palmerston CBD, and highlight our young and growing city. Artists are encouraged to apply by submitting a proposal that addresses the project brief available at www.palmerston.nt.gov.au The proposed time frame would see the mural project completed by late August 2020. Proposals must be received by 5.00pm on Sunday 12 July 2020. For more information contact Council on (08) 8935 9922.

WORK SHOPS Yoga Bra Printing Workshop Come along to this fun and unique workshop to learn the simple art of bleach printing. It’s suitable for anyone keen to make their own style or design on a yoga bra or crop top. Bring your friends, sister, mother or daughter for a fun Sunday morning at Ginger Pink. Materials supplied. WHEN SUN 5 JUL AT GINGER PINK, CAVENAGH ST COST $30 INFO facebook.com/

gingerpink darwin

Overindulgence - Artist in their Residence Workshop Alannah Grasso explores the complex set of relations between bodies in physical, cultural and psychical contexts. Alannah's posting art boxes to Darwin from her residence in Wollongong, filled with farfelle pasta for participants to paint.

Warm Glass This two-day workshop with Jon Firth allows students to explore some more advanced techniques to enhance their glass creations. Whilst designed for participants with some previous experience, this workshop is suitable for beginners.

WHEN SAT 4 JUL AT UNTITLED GALLERY + STUDIO COST FREE INFO facebook.com/

WHEN SUN 5 & 12 JUL 9.30AM-1PM AT TACTILE ARTS STUDIOS COST $325 | MEMB $300 INFO tactilearts.org.au

untitledgallerystudio

SATURDAYS IN JULY | MOVIES START: 7PM 4

In My Blood it Runs NAIDOC Week

(PG)

The Cup

Abominable

(PG)

25 Apollo 13

(PG) (PG)

BYO picnic and blanket PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND HYGIENE REQUIREMENTS MUST STILL BE MET

PERFORMING ARTS Evening Reads:

Dead Man’s Cell Phone BROWN’S MART THEATRE’S popular Evening Reads program returns this month with Dead Man’s Cell Phone, written by Sarah Ruhl. When Jean answers the phone of a dead stranger, she finds herself embroiled in the bizarre details of the man’s complicated life.

SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre

In Motion Darwin Entertainment Centre (DEC) started the year with a bang, the 2020 season promising an exciting year of music, theatre, dance, and more.

You'd be familiar with roving performances, when street performers move through a crowd of static spectators. This time, it’s you that is invited to move through the spaces of Darwin Entertainment Centre, treated to a diverse rolling montage of four 15-minute performances.

ff The Leash readers will remember the Live at the Studio initiative featured in the March edition, giving local performers the opportunity to showcase their talents as well as special behindthe-scenes industry insight with headliner acts.

As you navigate through DEC’s balcony, studio, amphitheatre and loading dock spaces, local comedians, dancers, musicians and thespians will delight. Groups are limited to 25 people, so it’s set to be an immersive, intimate experience.

The global health pandemic resulted in DEC temporarily closing its doors, but this month DEC’s back, and the desire to support the local arts industry remains at the heart of their program. Every Saturday night in July, you’re invited to In Motion – a special showcase of local Top End talent.

The best thing? All ticket proceeds go towards the performers. Darwin Entertainment Centre Acting General Manager Coryn Huddy says supporting local creatives at this time is paramount. “The arts and entertainment sector has taken a big hit during this time of the pandemic. We’re in the business of bringing people together, so In Motion has been

developed directly in response to the current situation and the new health and well-being measures we all need to adhere to,” he says. “It’s a bit of a different concept from what you’d typically see in the Centre, but we wanted provide an opportunity for our local artists to connect with our local audiences. All proceeds go back to the artists and the ticket price is extremely accessible, so we encourage everyone to ‘bring their bubble’ of friends and family, and come on down. We just can’t wait to see people coming back into the Centre with smiling faces.”

Dead Man’s Cell Phone is a heart-warming and hilarious play about idolising the dead, the invasiveness of modern technology, and the strange ways in which grief and love can intermingle. This first instalment of Evening Reads is directed by Thomas Midena, and features local talents Christina Brown, Lexie Gregory, Matthew Rowe and Sarah Reuben. The script-in-hand play reading series is held on the third Thursday of every month until November. Check it out! WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 3 JUL | 7.30PM HAPPY YESS $15 brownsmart.com.au

Christina Brown

Matthew Rowe

Lexie Gregory

Sarah Reuben

Round up your mates, grab a ticket and head along to DEC to see the Top End in motion. WHEN EVERY SAT | 7PM AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE COST $10+BF INFO yourcentre.com.au

DEADLY DARWIN COMEDY

A NEW HOPE Photo: Paz Tassone

DEADLY DARWIN COMEDY returns to Brown’s Mart theatre this month with their new show, A New Hope. And the plot may seem a little familiar…

WHEN AT COST INFO

FRI 10 & SAT 11 JUL | FRI 17 & SAT 18 JUL | 7PM BROWN’S MART THEATRE $20 | $15 CONC/STUD brownsmart.com.au

The year is 2020 and the world is in crisis due to the emergence of a new super bug. Strict isolation measures have caused mass hysteria, resulting in everyone buying enough toilet paper for their children and their children’s children. In a small corner of

Australia, in a tiny rural town called Darwin, a new hope emerges.

offers the chance to connect with the community in a new way.

Deadly Darwin Comedy was created in 2019 to showcase the comic talents of local Aboriginal comedians, dead keen to launch humour into their communities. Last May’s inaugural event was a huge success, and the group has only gone from strength to strength since.

“It’s been an amazing success and a chance for us to develop and explore new ways to express ourselves, and heal our people and communities through laughter.”

Co-founder and comedian Richard Fejo says Deadly Darwin Comedy

Grab a ticket and head to Brown’s Mart for what is sure to be one hilarious night of comedy, close to home.

Youth

Pro file

Hailey Berry ORIGINALLY FROM LIVERPOOL in the UK, 17-year-old Joel Collins now calls the Top End home. We caught up with Joel to chat about what he’s been up to during lockdown and his effervescent drag persona, Hailey Berry. During the lockdown, you’ve been creating a bit of video content for your YouTube channel. Tell us about what you’ve been up to! I’ve been in a mentorship with Launch Darwin and Amy Hetherington of Amiable Communications to create a web series on how to become a drag queen! My series is still in production, with a grand finale featuring a local celebrity coming soon… Tell us about your alter ego, Hailey Berry. What’s she like?

Snap

HAPPY

Hailey is what I like to call CCC – she’s cute, campy and comedic. Her favourite thing to do is make people laugh – and look good while doing it. She’s friendly, happy and always overexcited. We noticed you’ve worked with Darwin drag royalty, Vogue MegaQueen – what was that experience like? Vogue is my drag mum – we’ve become really good friends. After a rough patch, she really helped me turn my life around. She’s an amazing person, a stunning performer, and she’s all around fabulous! How do you spend your weekends in the Top End? On the weekends, you can typically Light catch me hangingDiscovery out with of friends,

LISTINGS

YOUTH

practicing my makeup and, especially now that I’m in Year 12, doing lots of homework. Who do you admire the most and why? I admire my mum because she is the most resilient, kind and loving person I’ve ever known. She’s always supported me and stood by me. Without her, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. If you could give one work of advice to other young people in the Top End, what would it be? Be yourself. Don’t change anything about you to fit in. Enjoy the beautiful place you live in. Oh, and be fabulous!

INFO

youtube.com

TAG #launchdarwin for a chance to see your pics here BLM March @tymunna_clements

Park 101

Geek Squad

Ready to take your skate skills to the next level? Cue the Park 101 series! These free workshops for skaters, scooters, quad and BMW bikers aged 8-17 covers a range of areas. Learn how to focus on ramp ability, gain confidence in the space, and good practice when it comes to skate park etiquette and safety, all in a supervised park sesh.

If you’re aged 13-19 and have a love for all things geeky, from anime to gaming and everything in-between, then why not join Geek Squad? Spend an hour with likeminded peeps and make new friends.

This is not a learn-to-skate session, but a workshop best suited for skaters ready to enter or improve their skills in a skate park environment.

Skate Nights

WHEN AT COST INFO

EVERY THU | 3.30-4.30PM PALMERSTON LIBRARY FREE palmerston.nt.gov.au

WED 1 & 15 JUL | 9-11.30AM LEANYER RECREATION PARK FREE launchdarwin.com.au

Enter the World of Photography Head to Jingili every second Wednesday for free music and skating at the park. Step aside midweek, make some time for yourself and meet other skaters – newbies and spectators are welcome.

@jiwa_igusti

@pinidreadful

Are you aged 14-25 and keen to hone your photography skills? Bring your camera and learn how to use it to its fullest potential at this fun workshop with Minh Than. Minh shares how he started his small business in the media industry and is eager to share his hot tips and tricks!

These fun skate nights include anything on wheels – skateboards, skates, BMX bikes and scooters – and boards and helmets are available. Skate Nights are recommended for ages 13+, and parent supervision is recommended for 12 and under. WHEN AT COST INFO

WED 8 & 22 JUL | 6-8PM JINGILI WATER GARDENS SKATE PARK FREE launchdarwin.com.au

WHEN SAT 11 JUL | 11AM-1PM AT CITY OF DARWIN CIVIC CENTRE COST FREE INFO launchdarwin.com.au @jiwa_igusti

Iso gigs! @launchdarwin

@jiwa_igusti

& Darwin's beloved outdoor cinema is back! Tickets are capped 200 to adhere to health guidelines, so don't dilly dally if there's a flick you're keen to see – you might miss out!

Deckchair

JERVOIS ROAD, DARWIN WATERFRONT

COST INFO

CINEMA

$16 | $12 CON | $10 MEMB | $35 FAM deckchaircinema.com | 8941 4377 | GATES 6PM, FILM 7.30PM

Off The Leash Fundraiser We’d like to thank our sponsors and everyone who bought a ticket to our fundraising screening of Jojo Rabbit at Deckchair Cinema last month. Our little not-for-profit organisation receives a small amount of funding each year, and about eight of the 10 editions we do each year is underpinned by our advertisers. It’s been a tough year, but we’ve felt our community rally behind us. We hope to continue to showcase the bounty of events, art and culture in the NT in the years to come. Thank you!

For Sama This internationally acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film gives intimate, devastating insight into life in wartorn Syria. A young documentarian records her life over a five-year period, during which she gives birth to a daughter, Sama. Should she stay and keep struggling for a better future, or try to flee? A little birdie told us this film reduced the Deckie team to tears… Arabic with English subtitles.

The Wild Goose Lake Diao Yinan’s hyper-stylish film noir from Hong Kong follows gangster Zenong Zhou fleeing from the law. When he crosses paths with Aiai Liu, an innocent-looking woman with a secret, Zhou must confront the limits of what he is willing to sacrifice. Mandarin with English subtitles. WHEN MON 20 & SAT 25 JUL

The Lighthouse Visionary filmmaker Robert Eggers presents this hypnotic tale, about two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890’s. Stunning black and white cinematography and powerhouse performances by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe draw you into this gripping and grotesque fantasy. WHEN FRI 10 & 24 JUL

WHEN WED 8 & MON 13 JUL

NT WRITERS PRESENTS

INFO

facebook.com/hello.monicatan

2020 Chief Minister’s Book Awards

Q&A

with author Monica Tan

DARWIN-BASED WRITER Monica Tan recently took out the Best Non-Fiction Book for Stranger Country in the 2020 Chief Minister’s Book Awards. OTL caught up with her for a chat.

Congrats on your win! What does this award mean to you? Writing that book was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. One thinks of writing as a purely cerebral activity but I have cursed memories of how physically I experienced that difficulty – screaming at myself to keep writing, feeling nauseous at the hundredth re-read, a night where I was so gripped by cold, cold dread I had written a truly dreadful book that it kept me awake until I watched the morning peep through my window. This award is a sweet and temporary painkiller to the awful disease that is choosing to write.

Tell us about your book Stranger Country. It's my story of the six months I drove and camped on my own through some of Australia’s most beautiful and remote landscapes. I shared meals, beers and conversations with miners, grey nomads, artists, farmers, community workers and small business owners from across the nation – some Aboriginal, some white, some Asian, and even a few who managed to be all three. This was my quest to understand the country of my birth and my place in it as a first generation, non-Indigenous Australian.

I am but the idea keeps shifting so I don’t dare share it. But it will probably have pirates, gutsy teenagers, crocodiles, chase scenes, ancient myths and modern tech magic.

What was the inspiration behind it? It began with one compelling question, I suppose. What does “connection to country” mean for someone like me? Can I ever truly belong to a land that has been the spiritual domain of Indigenous Australians for over 60,000 years?

Any Territory writers you’re enjoying at the moment? I’m on a bit of a Territorian binge, re-reading We of the Never Never by Jeannie Gunn and the Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia by Ludwig Leichhardt. Marking what has changed and what hasn’t in nearly 200 years of colonial Top End literature is always fascinating.

Are you currently working on any more books? Tell us more!

If we were to take a look on your bookshelf, what kinds of books would we find there? Have you read any of Phil O’Brien’s books? It's reading a “primary source” diary of the mythological Territorian – gloriously raw outsider art. I am also reading Capricornia by Xavier Herbert and recently finished A Sunburnt Childhood by Toni Tapp Coutts.

WHEN FRI 3 JUL | BEST OF AUSTRALIAN SHORTS, 7.30PM | SHORT LAUGHS COMEDY, 9.30PM AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA INFO SINGLE SESSION $16, $12 CONC, $8 CHILD | DOUBLE SESSION $24, $18 CONC AT flickerfest.com.au/ tour/darwin

Flickerfest IT’S TIME TO GRAB the popcorn and pull up a deck chair – Flickerfest is back!

Australia’s largest short film festival is making a pitstop at Deckchair Cinema this month as part of its national tour across the country, showcasing the crème de la crème in Australian and international short films. Held annually in January over 10 days in Bondi, Flickerfest Festival is Australia’s leading Academy qualifying and BAFTA recognised short film festival. More than 3,500 short films are submitted each year, the best selected to screen

FLIC

NICS INFO

at the 10-day festival before being shortlisted further for the national tour, which was originally planned to tour the country in April.

This month, Top End audiences are treated to two special programs – the Best of Australian Shorts and Short Laughs Comedy. Highlights in the Best of Australian Shorts includes a film close to home. Djuwalpada is the story of Yolŋu songman Daniel Wilfred from southeast Arnhem Land, who shares his culture to keep it alive. Daniel travels the world sharing his manikay (ceremonial song), and Djuwalpada is his story about the

strength of culture and the power of collaboration. The Short Laughs Comedy program is set to inspire a serious case of the giggles with the funniest international shorts getting around. Set in KFC, Korea’s fantastic animation Division Series sees Donald Trump battle it out against other world leaders in a game of cards. The bounty? The last bucket of chicken.

LISTINGS

Division Series

Djuwalpada

French Film Festival Alliance Française de Darwin has teamed up with Deckchair Cinema to present the 2020 French Film Festival. The festival showcases four wonderful films over two nights, including Hors-normes (The Specials), Au nom de la terre (In the Name of the Land), 10 Jours sans maman (10 Days Without Mum) and Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Portait of a Lady on Fire). It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of French film and culture! WHEN AT

FRI 17 & SAT 18 JUL | 7.30PM & 9.30PM DECKCHAIR CINEMA COST $16 | $12 CONC | $10 MEMB (BOTH AF & DFS)

The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert Join Darwin Visual Arts for a special dress-up, fundraising screening of The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Come along as Tick Belrose (aka. Mitzi Del Bra) and friends trek through the desert for their debut show at the Alice Springs Casino in their second-hand bus dubbed Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. WHEN THU 23 JUL | 7.30PM AT DECKCHAIR CINEMA COST $16 | $12 CONC | $10 MEMB

Don’t miss your chance to catch this entertaining, inspiring and hilarious night of film.

NORTHERN TERRITORY WRITERS’ CENTRE

DUST OFF YOUR PICNIC blanket and pack the snacks – City of Palmerston’s free outdoor movie program is back! Every Saturday night during the Dry, you’re invited to these free outdoor movie screenings at Goyder Square in Palmerston.

8941 2651 ntwriters.com.au executive@ntwriters.com.au Workshops | Monthly Events | Opportunities

palmerston.nt.gov.au

The Cup Inspired by the true story of Australian jockey, Damien Oliver, who loses his only brother in a tragic racing accident just days before The Race That Stops a Nation. WHEN SAT 18 JUL

Apollo 13 In My Blood It Runs

Abominable

An observational feature documentary following 10-yr-old Arrernte Aboriginal boy, Dujuan, as he grows up in Alice Springs, Australia. This is a special screening to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. WHEN

WHEN

SAT 4 JUL

Based on true events of the 1970 lunar mission, NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 safely to Earth after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage, putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

SAT 11 JUL WHEN

SAT 25 JUL

16 Thu

Wed

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Stages of the Path 9 Geek Squad

22 Tue

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Nursery Time 7 Get Job Ready 9 Skate Nights 21 Ferdinand the Bull 22 Lunch on the Lawn 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf

28 18 Ngurranka Palyanu Making From Home (last chance) 5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Gadget and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Argentine Tango Practica 23 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals 23 Nirvana Jam Nights

17 Fri

Thu

5 Waterfront Beach Club 6 Malak Marketplace POP UP at The Botanic Gardens 8 Deadly Darwin Comedy: A New Hope 11 French Film Festival 23 Live on Fridays 23 The Ovulators with special guests

23 5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Stages of the Path 9 Geek Squad 11 The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert 19 Ode to Cracker Night (last chance)

See Visual Arts 18

See Books & Film 11

24 Fri

Wed

5 Waterfront Beach Club 10 The Lighthouse 23 Live on Fridays

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Nursery Time 7 Get Job Ready 22 Lunch on the Lawn 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf

Sat

19 Sun

5 Waterfront Beach Club

18 11 FlicNics

Sat

See Around Town 5

Sun

19 Precious (last chance)

26 10 The Wild Goose Lake

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Movement Medicine 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf 23 Sunday’s Live at the Lagoon

See Youth 9

Fri

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Milonga: Tango Dance Party 23 Live on Fridays

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Malak Marketplace 7 Yoga Asana Class 8 In Motion 11 FlicNics 19 Punu – Living Wood (last chance) 23 Live Music at Hotel Darwin 23 Jones in the Top End

7 Too Much Stuff Recycling Flea Market 7 Movement Medicine 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf 23 Sunday’s Live at the Lagoon

Thu

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Malak Marketplace 7 Yoga Asana Class 8 In Motion 8 Deadly Darwin Comedy: A New Hope 11 French Film Festival 23 Live Music at Hotel Darwin

See Books & Film 10

9 Geek Squad

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Stages of the Path

Mon

5 Waterfront Beach Club 10 The Wild Goose Lake

See Visual Arts 19

Tue

Mon

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Gadget and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Argentine Tango Practica 23 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals 23 Nirvana Jam Nights

5 Waterfront Beach Club 19 Portrait of a Teenage Territorian (last chance)

AROUND TOWn Books & fILM Performing Arts YOUTH Visual Arts Food & Drink Music FESTIVALS

offtheleash.net.au

Although all care is taken to ensure information in Off The Leash is correct, it is subject to change. Not all events can be listed on this calendar, so we recommend checking offtheleash.net.au for updates.

Wed

Thu

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Stages of the Path 9 Geek Squad

Wed

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Nursery Time 7 Get Job Ready 9 Skate Nights 10 For Sama 22 Lunch on the Lawn 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf

Darwin Fringe

3 Fri

5 Waterfront Beach Club 8 Evening Reads: Dead Man’s Cell Phone 11 Flickerfest 19 Portrait of a Teenage Territorian (opens) 19 Ode to Cracker Night (opens) 20 Darwin Fringe (opens) 23 MusicNT Meet’n’Greet 23 Live on Fridays

Sat

Sun

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Movement Medicine 18 Exit Art (last chance) 20 Darwin Fringe (last chance) 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf 23 Sunday’s Live at the Lagoon

7 Warm Glass

7 Malak Marketplace 7 Yoga Asana Class 8 In Motion 9 Enter the World of Photography 11 FlicNics 17 POLITIKANT (last chance) 18 Art From The Hub (last chance) 19 Changing Shapes (last chance) 23 Live Music at Hotel Darwin

Calendar

1 Tue

5 Waterfront Beach Club 6 Territory Day 7 Nursery Time 7 Get Job Ready 9 Park 101 21 Territory Sounds Countdown 22 Lunch on the Lawn 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf

7 5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Gadget and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Argentine Tango Practica 23 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals 23 Nirvana Jam Nights

See Performing Arts 8

8 Deadly Darwin Comedy: A New Hope

Performing Arts 8

8 In Motion

Sun

5 Sat

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Movement Medicine 7 Yoga Bra Printing Workshop 7 Warm Glass 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf 23 Sunday’s Live at the Lagoon 23 First Sunday Blues

See Visual Arts 18

Tue

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Gadget and Games Club 7 Storytime 7 Argentine Tango Practica 23 Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals 23 Nirvana Jam Nights

19 PRESSplay (last chance)

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Malak Marketplace 7 Yoga Asana Class 7 Overindulgence – Artist in their Residence Workshop 11 FlicNics 18 Ngurranka Palyanu Making From Home (opens) 23 Sanctuary Sessions 23 Live Music at Hotel Darwin

Mon

JUL See Around Town 7

5 Waterfront Beach Club 10 For Sama

See Visual Arts 19

Thu

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Stages of the Path 9 Geek Squad 20 DF20 Homegrown Program Launch

See Music 22

Mon

Fri

5 Waterfront Beach Club

Wed

5 Waterfront Beach Club 8 Deadly Darwin Comedy: A New Hope 10 The Lighthouse 18 Place: Celebrating 10 Years at CDU Art Gallery (last chance) 19 Precious (opens) 23 Live on Fridays

22 Lunch on the Lawn

5 Waterfront Beach Club 7 Nursery Time 7 Get Job Ready 9 Park 101 23 Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf

TO SAY A BIG

THANK

YOU

On Thu 25 Jun, we held a special fundraiser at Deckchair Cinema to raise funds to help keep us going in 2020. Special thanks to our prize sponsors for donating one heck of a prize list – they helped us up the ante on the meat tray...

EVENING READS

@7.30PM

WE’D JUST LIKE

Brown’s Mart is pleased to present their script-in-hand play readings series of established and new works.

DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE by Sarah Ruhl directed by Thomas Midena with Christina Brown Lexie Gregory Matthew Rowe Sarah Reuben A wildly imaginative comedy about how we memorialise the dead. BROWN’S MART THEATRE Friday 3 July 2020, 7.30pm All tickets $15 Book online: www.brownsmart.com.au

DEADL Y A NEW HOPE DARWIN

Open every night

COMEDY FEATURING: Richard Fejo, Normie Grogan, Micah Kicket.

Deckchair Cinema is one of the most iconic cinemas in Australia. Nestled in the remnant rainforest below the cliffs right beside the harbour you can find beautiful tropical tranquility right in the heart of the city. • • • • •

Food served every night Licensed kiosk with local products Deckchairs and cushions provided Ethically run not-for-profit cinema Book online at deckchaircinema.com

BROWN’S MART THEATRE 10, 11 July and 17, 18 July 2020 Tickets: $20/$15. Book online: brownsmart.com.au Warnings: Some coarse language. May contain content that could cause you to laugh out loud.

deckchaircinema.com 14

FOOD

DRINK INFO

Jimmy Shu and Naina Sen

sbs.com.au/ondemand

TASTE of the Territory eing encouraged to stay at home when possible during the pandemic meant we turned to our tellies more than usual for both entertainment and a sense of connectedness.

up in India, you’re literally eating one meal while you’re discussing your next meal [laughs].

And once we’d had our fill of crazy rich Americans with tigers, it was Naina Sen’s ode to the Territory hosted by Jimmy Shu that captured our attention. And our hearts. We caught up with Naina to chat about her gorgeous eight-part series, Taste of the Territory.

I think food is such an incredible metaphor for storytelling – it’s a way to communicate history and culture, and the complexities of identity, but in a really universal and accessible way. And I thought it would be the perfect vehicle to explore the multicultural tapestry of the Top End, but in a really immersive, kind of ‘insider’ way that audiences have never had access to before.

Congratulations on your show! What inspired you to make Taste of the Territory? Thank you! SBS Food and Screen Territory put a call-out for NT filmmakers to pitch an eight-part food series. For me, I come from a culture obsessed with food. Growing

What was your favourite part about filming the series? There are so many intangible, visceral things that make this part of the world so unique and these are things that you can only really feel if you live here, so when people who are from the NT say that the

series has captured this essence and it makes them feel proud watching the show, that’s a really special feeling. The series is an anthology and unapologetic love letter to the Top End, and it reaffirms our sense of place – and this sense of place comes from people. Confession – we’ve been hitting the markets harder than ever since watching your show… We’ve tried dishes we didn’t know existed! Well, this is the thing, it’s sharing the nooks and crannies! The show is a combination of places I have loved and eaten at and places Jimmy has loved, so the experience was the same for both of us. He’d introduce me to things I didn’t know existed, and I’d introduce him to things.

Darwin has been such a haven for so many people, who came here with nothing and started from scratch to build these extraordinary legacies of family, of food, and to have such a deep impact on what Top End and Darwin life is. Their food is their resilience – the most personal expression of who they are.

lence. He worked so incredibly hard on the show.

Jimmy Shu comes across as such a warm, beautiful character. What was he like to work with? I have been such a fan of who he is – not just his culinary prowess – but of him as a person, and what he’s done for the Top End. He’s genuinely one of the most generous human beings you will ever come across. For him to even take this on – this thing he’d never done before, as in presenting – is such a testament to his constant need to challenge himself and his pursuit of excel-

Lastly – and this is a biggie – what’s your favourite dish in the NT? Ah, that’s a really mean question to ask! [laughs] Look, if I were going to take you on a food tour, I’d take you to all of the places we went in the show. But I will say this – I think some of the best chefs in the region can be found at our weekend markets!

Again, I’m so grateful for the absolute trust he had in me and the vision for the show. It’s been such an honour. We were emphatic that we were going to create something that was authentic and an expression of our deep love for this place.

Taste of the Territory is available to stream online until the end of this month.

INFO

facebook.com/hiltondarwin

PEPPERBERRY BEHIND THE CLOSED doors of Hilton Darwin, the team have been busy working away on something special. Their in-house restaurant, Mitchell’s, has been marked for renovation for a long time. And this month, anticipation is high as the doors are flung open to reveal their brand new restaurant, PepperBerry.

“It would have been lot more pressure if we were in full season, so the timing wasn’t too bad in hindsight.”

Renovations began one week before the lockdown began in the NT, and Hilton Darwin’s General Manager Markus Kaliss says – for the sake of the renovations – the timing has worked in their favour.

“The renovations have been a long time coming. Everything’s been upgraded – it’s not just a touch up job with new cushions – we’ve gutted the entire place.”

“Covid allowed us the opportunity to work without impacting our guests. Being a major renovation, you’d normally expect complaints or issues, with demolition and noise, so that helped us,” he says.

The entire space has been transformed, the new restaurant offering a bright and modern, yet classic feel.

The name PepperBerry was chosen as a nod to the Australian native shrub, known for its bright purple or dark blue colour. Diners will be treated to contemporary Australian cuisine and Indigenous flavours, the restaurant determined to establish a reputation for flavour,

presentation and service. And the opening of the restaurant isn’t the only exciting news coming from Hilton Darwin HQ, with more renovations unveiled soon, as well as a swag of fine dining experiences for all to enjoy, including this month’s Dry July event.

I didn’t enjoy a six-course dinner without animal products. The drive is to explore new ideas and see what else is interesting, and if people are curious, they can give it a go!”

So if you’re keen to take a step outside your culinary comfort zone or eager to dine at the brand-new PepperBerry restaurant, Hilton Darwin is where you’ll find your seat.

“I’ve found that people like to take a risk – just because it hasn’t been offered before doesn’t mean there’s not a desire for it. I’m lucky I also have a great team that are also open to trying new things. This month’s Dry July event is a six-course degustation with alcohol-free wines,” Kaliss says. “It’s the same thing with last month’s vegan dinner – it gave people the option to try it out. I’m not vegan, but that doesn’t mean

Vegan Degustation Dinner

LIVE

ON FRIDAYS Cheers to the end of the week! Live music, good mates and icy cold drinks Every Friday in June and July 2020 FREE ENTRY Bar 4:30pm Live Music 5pm - 7pm Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mart Courtyard

www.brownsmart.com.au

PAUL HERON

0421 060 838

Experienced & Trusted Property Advice SELLING

PURCHASING

LEASING

VISUAL ARTS Art U&T

ABO

UNTIL SAT 11 JUL AT DARWIN VISUAL ARTS INFO dvaa.net.au

with curator and exhibiting artist of POLITIKANT Alicia Scobie

POLITIKANT

POLITIKANT IS THE provocative new exhibition showing at Darwin Visual Arts – a creative response from an ensemble of Top End artists, who want to put art front and centre on the agenda. OTL caught up with the brains behind the concept, Alicia Scobie, for a chat. Tell us about POLITIKANT. In the lead up to a Territory election, I thought it remiss of me to not let creatives express themselves. This exhibition is a timely reminder of promises, policies and actions taken by both current and previous governments. Hopefully, this show will jog a few memories and make an impact at the ballot box. There’s a bit of an all-star cast when it comes to the artists involved. How were they selected? I asked a whole bunch of artists I know if they’d like to do a collaborative show, some said yes, some would have loved to but couldn’t,

and some said no. All of the artists were asked to participate based on their creative practice, their professionalism and their ability to provoke.

role of art in times like this? Regarding the pandemic, the arts provide reprieve, community and comfort. The world needs the arts – it’s proven – and it should be supported accordingly.

As an artist, and someone that works within the creative industry, what has the impact of the pandemic been like for you? I haven’t particularly noticed anything too different – there’s still a distinct lack of funding and financial support but that’s common in the arts.

Regarding the BLM movement, the arts’ role is to let those who need a voice be able to have one. Artists need to be allies and give room to people of colour to be able to express themselves, however it is that they need to.

I think artists are great at isolating themselves and disappearing into studios to create new work, only to come out squinting in the daylight again like malnourished vampires. I have missed cuddles and openings, those social events around the creative arts.

Any plans to keep group exhibitions like POLITIKANT a regular fix on our arts calendar? Art provocation is imperative to the world. It keeps us honest. It feeds thought, it incites discussion and should always remain steadfast in the national vernacular. I hope many more shows like POLITIKANT happen in Darwin and beyond.

With the impacts of the pandemic across the globe in addition to the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum, what is the

What would you like to say to the NT’s creative community right now? Get amongst it, it’s the Dry season!

Save the Date, and Celebrate

INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED AS a world-class event, the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) has announced its intentions to move online in 2020, with a ground-breaking new ‘virtual fair’ format to be delivered for the first time this year.

L-R: 2019 From Country to Couture, Mangkaja x Gorman collection. Elcho Island Arts booth at 2019 DAAF. Arpaka Dancers from Thursday Island

Connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with art lovers and collectors around the globe, the Fair gives buyers the opportunity to ethically purchase authentic artworks via DAAF’s online portal, safe in the knowledge that one-hundred percent of all sales are returned directly to Art Centres and their communities.

Queensland performing at the 2019 DAAF. Hermannsburg Potters Booth at 2019 DAAF. Photos: Dylan Buckee

DAAF’s vibrant public program of cultural performances, artist workshops and demonstrations, Indigenous food experiences, panel discussions and

a children's collaborative art project will be accessible via the DAAF website and social channels between 7-14 August. In tandem with DAAF, the inaugural National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFAs) celebrate the innovation, diversity and ethical practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion designers, while providing a platform to showcase their breathtaking creations to a broad audience. The highly anticipated NIFAs will culminate in an awards ceremony to be broadcast on NITV and DAAF digital platforms on Wed 5 Aug. Mark it in your diaries! INFO

daaf.com.au | nifa.com.au

OUTSTATION

2/3 Parap Place, Darwin | 8981 4822 | outstation.com.au TUE 10AM-1PM | WED–FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM-2PM

All images courtesy of Papunya Tjupi Arts

NGURRANKA PALYANU MAKING FROM HOME Outstation Gallery and Papunya Tjupi Arts present Ngurranka palyanu - making from home, a small exhibition of paintings from Papunya. This exhibition is unique in that the artists, who usually paint at the art centre, have created this

body of work in their own homes during isolation. Some of the artists exhibiting include Carbiene McDonald Tjangala, Candy Nakamarra Nelson and Charlotte Phillipus Napurrula. Carbiene McDonald Tjangala

WHEN SAT 4 – TUE 28 JUL

GYRACC

Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre Stuart Highway, Katherine East | 8972 3751 | gyracc.org.au TUE–FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM–3PM

Candy Nakamarra Nelson

CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY Building Orange 12, CDU Casuarina Campus | 8946 6621 | cdu.edu.au/artgallery WED–FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT 10AM-2PM

Bryan Bulley, 'WMD passing through the river town', 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 76x102cm, Charles Darwin University Art Collection

ART FROM THE HUB

Art From The Hub provides insight into emerging Aboriginal artists working out of the Salvo’s Doorways Hub art program in Katherine.

Featuring a selection of art works, PLACE highlights some of the acquisitions and donations to the University Art Collection from the past 10 years since the CDU Art Collection and Art Gallery opened in 2010.

Peruse a selection of paintings by a range of Katherine artists that trace culture, country and Dreaming stories back to their ancestral lands, as well as stories about bush tucker, plants and animals.

UNTIL SAT 11 JUL

Charlotte Phillipus Napurrula

UNTIL FRI 10 JUL

PLACE: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS AT CDU ART GALLERY

Brenda Brown, 'Rock Wallaby Dreaming', 2019, acrylic on canvas, 56x81cm

MAGNT

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher Street, The Gardens | 8999 8264 | magnt.net.au MON–SUN 10AM-5PM

THE MOMENT ETERNAL: NYAPANYAPA YUNUPIŊU The moment eternal: Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋgu brings together a diverse collection of significant paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and screen based works that chart the dramatic evolution of Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋgu’s practice. Kieren Karritpul, Daly River 2019

KIEREN KARRITPUL

PAINTING MY COUNTRY, PAINTING MY LANDSCAPE Kieren Karritpul (Karritypul) is a young Daly River artist showcasing his culture and heritage to the world. Painting my Country, Painting My Landscape features artistic explorations of traditional weaving knowledge woven together with totemic relationships to his traditional landscape, including the night sky.

Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu, 'Ganyu (Stars)', 2019, earth pigment on compressed fibre board, 4K digital video projection, 241x363.2x6cm

This retrospective solo exhibition presents a rare opportunity for audiences to view a large display of historic and contemporary works created by Yunupiŋgu.

UNTIL SUN 25 OCT

EXIT ART

Kieren’s artwork uses paint, drawing, fabric and clay, and can be found in national collections in Australia and internationally. Co-curated with Cathy Laudenbach.

Exit Art is a celebration of the talents and creativity of the next generation of artists and designers, presenting the very best contemporary art and design from Northern Territory Year 12 students. Proudly supported by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in partnership with the Northern Territory Department of Education, Exit Art reflects the diversity of NT artistic practice and practitioners, expressing universal themes of identity, place and environment.

UNTIL SAT 1 AUG

UNTIL SUN 12 JUL

TACTILE ARTS

NORTHERN CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (NCCA)

DAILY 10AM-4PM

WED–FRI 10AM-4PM | SAT 10.30AM-2.30PM, OR BY APPOINTMENT

PRESSplay Jocelyn Tribe and Amelia Luscombe are Darwin-based artists who majored in printmaking at university. The two friends are returning to the press as Artists in Residence at Tactile Arts. The residency is an opportunity for the two to share their knowledge, explore printmaking processes and experiment with unconventional printmaking. Jocelyn Tribe and Amelia Luscombe, 'Begin Again', 2020, monotype on paper, 20x20cm

UNTIL SUN 5 JUL

Frances Ricketts, 'Threads of Rose', 2020, oil on canvas with rose quartz, 76x51cm

Vimy Lane, Parap | 8981 5368 | 0402 379 630 | nccart.com.au

PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE TERRITORIAN Portraits by teenagers of teenagers, this exhibition brings the world of selfies into a gallery setting, celebrating this form of contemporary photography. Started in 2019 as a response to the NT’s Portrait of a Senior Territorian award, Portrait of a Teenage Territorian was one of NCCA’s

best-attended exhibitions in 2019. This year’s exhibition promises a new set of sensibilities (and faces) from teenagers across the NT. Presented as part of 2020 Darwin Fringe Festival.

WHEN FRI 3 JUL – MON 27 JUL

OPENING FRI 3 JUL, 6-8PM

'Valentina Floeck'

Photo: Luka Vlahovic

19 Conacher Street, Fannie Bay, Darwin | 8981 6616 | tactilearts.org.au

DARWIN VISUAL ARTS

1/8 McMinn St, Darwin, Harbour View Plaza | 8981 9351 | dvaa.net.au TUE-FRI 12PM-5PM | SAT 10AM-3PM

Craig Smith, 'Guardian', 2019, Acrylic, 91x61cm

PRECIOUS Precious is an artist-in-residence exhibition of gemstone jewellery and stone mosaic paintings by Frances Ricketts. Frances is a visual artist and lapidarist, her work connecting the origin of the gemstones used in her work to the landscapes from where they are sourced. Beautiful stones fossicked and

CHANGING SHAPES

BY CRAIG SMITH

formed in the Northern Territory are incorporated into landscape paintings, and crafted into precious and unique silver settings, beaded necklaces, pendants and other jewellery pieces.

The works in Changing Space represent transformations, transitions and metamorphosis, by debut artist, Craig Smith. They are inspired by travels and experiences with magicians, healers and shamans, and serve as a reminder that things are not always as they appear. We are always in a state of movement and change.

WHEN FRI 10 JUL – SUN 26 JUL

UNTIL SAT 11 JUL

OPENING FRI 10 JUL, 5.30PM

PAUL JOHNSTONE GALLERY

Harriet Place, Darwin | 8941 2220 | pauljohnstonegallery.com.au WED–FRI 10AM-5PM | TUE & SAT 10AM-2PM

UNTITLED

Unit 3/1 Clocktower Caryota Crt, Coconut Grove darwincommunityarts.org

ODE TO CRACKER NIGHT Millie Shorter is a Newcastle based textiles designer specialising in screen-printing. Her screen-printed fabrics and tees reflect experiences and memories of living in Darwin. She was enamoured by the unique flavour, buildings, bush and oddities of Territory life. Narelle Holland, 'Kanilpa - Winnowing Bowl', 2018, wooden carving, 62x16x12cm

PUNU - LIVING WOOD SALON Art Projects and Maruku Arts present Punu - Living Wood, an exhibition of carved wooden objects by multidisciplinary artists from remote communities across the Western and Central Desert regions.

wana (digging sticks), piti (collection bowls) and a range of walka boards – designs that are burnt, painted and etched onto plywood. Artists include Niningka Lewis, Cynthia Burke and Fred Grant.

The exhibition includes handcarved kali (boomerangs),

UNTIL SAT 25 JUL

Her neon-colored series is a cheerful ode to the NT’s infamous cracker night – an interpretation of the blinding lights and loud noises that leave Darwin scorched and smouldering.

WHEN FRI 3 JUL – THU 23 JUL

INFO

OPENING FRI 3 JUL, 6-8PM darwincommunityarts.org.au

Millie Shorter, 'Ode to Cracker Night', 2020, Hand-printed screen print

FESTIVALS DF20 Homegrown Program Launch WHEN THU 9 JUL

A Homegrown

Festival

The original Darwin Festival – known then as the Bougainvillea Festival – was inspired by Top Ender’s knack for optimism, determination and local love. 40 years and one global pandemic later, the same qualities are in full swing as Darwin Festival gears up for 11 days of art, food and NT flavoured fun next month. Artistic Director Felix Preval says, just as it brought Darwin together post Cyclone Tracy in ‘79, the 2020 Festival program is shaping up to be the ultimate pick-me-up.

lise Derwin

“When we realised this year would be almost entirely local artists, we saw it as a real silver lining,” Preval says.

Photo: E

DF20 Homegrown WHEN THU 6 – SUN 16 AUG ONFO darwinfestival.org.au

“The thing that has always driven Darwin Festival is the community engagement, and the Territory has such an incredible pool of talent, as well as this amazing ability to celebrate where we live. “So we’re excited to have a program that really speaks to those ideas about community and place,

WHEN FRI 3 JUL – SUN 12 JUL INFO darwinfringe.org.au

By Anna Dowd

intimacy and resilience in this particularly unique time.” Come August, we can look forward to the full range of performance and visual arts offerings the Festival is famous for. “It’s obviously a bit smaller, but packed with live music concerts, comedy, beautiful dance and theatre works, as well as reimagined versions of traditional highlights, like the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and the National Indigenous Music Awards.” True to the Festival’s community engagement roots, a large-scale school engagement project, Fly Me Up to Where You Are by artist Tiffany Singh, remains in the program, a hopeful nod to the path ahead. “We are hoping to engage 5000 school-aged children to create

their own dream flags, imagining their future and finding ways to symbolise their hopes and aspirations for that future,” says Preval. The flags will be hung throughout the city during the Festival in 2021, that NT knack for optimism made visible on the streets. While the Darwin Festival folk have had to adapt, Preval says it was important to imagine the iconic event going ahead. “We didn’t cancel the Festival in that first wave like a number of other events around the country. We felt optimistic about going ahead, even if we didn’t know exactly what it would look like.” Watch this space as the full program is dropped this month. Bring on August!

Free Live Music Event

SATURDAY

facebook.com/ darwinfringefestival

DARWIN

jam-packed, crazy Darwin Fringe, we’re encouraging locals to get out and about, spending your energy and money on Territorian art. Go buy local work, listen to a thinker, laugh a little, or drop some dollars at an independent venue.

Fringe This time of year, Top Enders would normally be immersing themselves in the wild and wacky world that is Darwin Fringe, but the festival as we know it was postponed due to the pandemic. We asked Fringe Director Hannah Illingworth to tell us about what’s happening this year.

During the 10-day Fringe, we’d normally be in full festival mode, but we’re keen to continue to promote events across the city. Thanks to City of Darwin’s community sponsorship program, we’ve been able to create a special opening ceremony that’ll be hosted in the Civic Park on Sat 4 Jul. This opportunity offers a fire – yep, a real fire – that can be used to smoke out grieving energies. Had shows cancelled? Write

After months of lost income and burnt out energy, we didn’t want to ask anything of our incredible creative community. Instead, we want to do some nice things for you! We can’t fix the issues but, hey, maybe we can remind you of how connected, resilient and awesome you are?

Instead of the usual back-to-back,

Photo: David Artisan

WE’RE BACK! WELL, kind of. The community arts festival with bite, Darwin Fringe, is sneaking into your Dry season with a special Welcome to Country, workshop series, meaningful discussions, and a mock awards ceremony. We’ve all taken a big hit this year so we’re doing our best to sprinkle some opportunity around.

4 JULY

‘em down and burn it. Lost the will for a while? Time to light it up and let it go.

zoe bailey 4-5pm Bella MarEe 5-7pm

On Sun 12 Jul, Fringe says “thank you” with a special closing ceremony featuring a local performance written about isolation, plus some mock awards. We’ll even release the beast that is 2021 dates! After an unexpected year in 2020, the Darwin Fringe is excited to be highlighting our creative community once more – we urge you to get amongst it this month! Visit our website or follow us on social media to check out the program of events as they’re released. Stay weird, Darwin.

SANCTUARY LAKES family & pet friendly, BYO blanket & picnic www.palmerston.nt.gov.au

PALMERSTONNT

MUSIC

Top Territory Tunes

When I moved to Darwin over a decade ago, I couldn’t believe that once a year we were allowed to blow our hardearned cash on blowing stuff up. My first cracker night was at the Ski Club. Sun sinking into the Arafura sea, the silhouette of palm trees creating a postcard-perfect backdrop. Locals performed crazy hotshoe shuffles in thongs and bare feet to avoid the hissing explosives that darted across the lawn. There was joy and laughter and community, and the thrill of just a little bit of danger.

Coloured Stone

But then the explosions wore on into the night, and then into the following weeks and months.

A broken record. An album with never-ending secret tracks. Fortunately, there are thousands of Territory sounds even greater than the whiz and crack and pop of colourful explosives. So with cracker night cancelled this year, what better opportunity to fill the night sky with an even better symphony of sound? Around Australia, the Territory is known for such ground breaking acts as Coloured Stone, Warumpi Band and Yothu Yindi. They blazed the trail for today’s young voices like Emily Wurraurra and Baker Boy. But throughout the Territory, there is so much more to celebrate. The ancient stories of Borroloola’s songwomen woven into modern masterpieces; a cheeky stone-coun-

By Liz Trevaskis

try take on an Australian classic in Nabarlek’s cover of ‘Down Under’; the voice of Dr G soaring on the wings of the orchestra; the strange and mystical outback tropical noir of Balang Lewis. The genre-bending Caiti Baker, Ted Egan’s misfits, and a cyclone shelter in Stuart Park. Your mind will be blown with 40 of the very best Territory tunes as we make our way through the first ever Territory Sounds countdown this Territory Day. Tune in to ABC Darwin, ABC Alice Springs and community radio stations Gove FM, TEABBA, CAAMA and 8CCC. There may not be crackers this year, but there’ll be plenty of bangers! Territory Sounds Countdown

WHEN WED 1 JUL INFO territorysounds.com

DSO PRESENTS

Darwin Sympony Orchestra THE SOUND OF DARWIN Symphony Orchestra’s classical music will once again fill our ears this month, after a short, forced hiatus. Their March concert at Darwin Entertainment Centre, Around The World in Eighty Minutes, was one of the last public events pre-pandemic – an exciting teaser for the season to come that was temporarily put on hold. And while the DSO has kept busy delivering free online workshops for musicians to develop their skills, and broadcasting their popular livestreamed concert series Portraits, there’s nothing quite like experiencing their talents in the flesh. After the lifting of restrictions, DSO musicians have come together once again in the rehearsal space – albeit from a safe physical

distance. DSO General Manager Kate Stephens says it’s something they’ve been looking forward to. “We are delighted to be back in the rehearsal room and playing together again,” she says. “There’s nothing else quite like it! There’s an energy that comes from playing together in one room that you just can’t replicate.” The DSO is focusing its energy on chamber music repertoire, so they can create beautiful concerts that are suitable for reduced audience capacities. Audiences can look forward to live performances by the DSO’s talented musicians as part of the In Motion event series at Darwin Entertainment Centre – flick back to pg. 8 for more info. They’re also busy preparing for a special event to be held as part of Darwin Festival, with

all the juicy details revealed on Thu 9 Jul. Exciting! This month, we’re also treated to a livestreamed performance of Ferdinand the Bull – a delightful story, written for violin and narrator, about a bull that just wants to sniff flowers. This event promises to be lots of fun for the whole family, and streaming online presents DSO the opportunity to connect with audiences beyond the Darwin area. Although lockdown may be over, the DSO has maintained its connection to its audience, sharing music across time and space. Who knows what doors it may open in the future.

Ferdinand the Bull

WHEN WED 22 JUL | 6PM AT YOUTUBE INFO youtube.com/ dsodarwin

MUSIC NT PRESENTS

musicnt.com.au

DRAFT DAY DESPITE LOCKDOWNS AND GLOBAL PANDEMICS, Darwin group DRAFTDAY is having a strong start to 2020. MusicNT spoke to the band’s vocalist, Arran Barker, hot on the heels of an EP release and sold-out launch at Darwin Railway Club.

For those who haven’t heard it before, how would you describe your sound? Honest, an uncensored burst of catharsis. Every song is incredibly personal in how we approach the lyrics and sound. Genre wise, I’d say we probably fall under the blanket of alternative – we’re highly influenced by bands like Trophy Eyes, Slowly Slowly and Gang of Youths. You released your single ‘Mess I’ve

the Top End affects your music? Not really. I think when you start to depend too much on your environment to influence or affect your process, you start to try and mould yourself into a specific sound relative to that location. Or to directly try and fit into the culture surrounding it.

Made’ in early June – can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind it? ‘Mess I’ve Made’ was the first track we wrote specifically for this EP, shortly after finishing our initial single ‘Soap/En Soi’. It pivoted away from the sounds of those songs into something more upbeat. It’s a bop – something we didn’t think we’d write originally! The lyrics came, in part, from a page of writing that I’d put down shortly after moving back home. I’d scribbled “left alone to fix the mess I made” at the bottom over and over. It was such an honest thought that had to be extended with the band. You mentioned a semi-recent move back home; do you think living in

The NT definitely provides a freedom to not feel pressured in competing with a thousand other bands, which is really nice. You’re left to do your thing individually – that’s hard to come by in the larger scenes. What other NT artists are you digging at the moment? Stevie Jean is incredible and really taking interstate by storm, and Kuya James (James Mangohig) is a

producer I admire. And, of course, Tapestry – those guys have left a solid footprint in the scene here and are continuing to grow in Melbourne. Their latest release is on a whole new level! If you could work with any other NT artist, who would you most like to collaborate with? I’d say James Mangohig. It’d be cool to explore influencing our sound with his method of production and R’n’B background. With whatever we do next, it won’t remain in the same sonic vein of the current sound. That sounds exciting! What else can we expect from DRAFTDAY in 2020? Currently we’re focusing on writing EP number two, but that’s all that’s planned for now – that we can talk

about! Keeping ourselves creatively busy is the main aim for this year, developing on what we’ve built. Lastly, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received you’d like to share with the world? My Dad used to always say to me “you should always remain humble”. I think that perfectly – and incredibly simplistically – summarises an ethos that myself and the other guys in the band have adopted. Remaining in a constant state of gratitude and humble appreciation for whatever comes your way, it keeps you grounded. It keeps us focused on why we do what we do.

INFO facebook.com/draftdayaus

WHEN AT COSt INFO

EVERY WED | 12-1PM TOURISM TOP END LAWNS FREE facebook.com/ lunchonthelawn

Lunch

on thE Lawn and gives us so much joy,” she says.

Every Wednesday, you’re invited to kick back on the front lawns of the Tourism Top End info centre with some free live local music with your lunch.

ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO kick off in April, Lunch on the Lawn was postponed due to, well, you know. But this lovely bite-size showcase of local talent made a comeback last month, much to the delight of music fans and Dry season enthusiasts.

But it’s not just music fans that are benefitting from the return of gigs.

Local singer/songwriter Tracey Bunn is the brains behind the project, and says the people are relishing the chance to get out and about. “People are loving being back out watching live music. Lockdown has really made us all appreciate live music and how much it affects us

“Us musicians are so happy to be back playing again. We need an audience to give us the energy to perform at our best!”

www.adultshortcourses.com Darwin Adult Short Courses

EVERY WED, 29 APR – 5 AUG | 12-1PM TOURISM TOP END LAWNS FREE facebook.com/lunchonthelawn

So grab your lunch, pull up a patch of grass, and dive into an experience that is quintessentially Top End living – live gigs in the Dry. Bliss.

You'll never know what you missed... enrol now! Sewing Cooking Language

WHEN AT COST INFO

Ferdinand the Bull

Health & Well-being Music Arts Phone: 0452 135 400 1 Nemarluk Drive, Ludmilla

D S O . O R G . AU I 0 8 8 9 4 6 6 4 8 8

JULY By Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts

DOWN

The Track

UPDATES FROM THE CENTRE

guide OTL's quick and essential guide to live music in the Top End. To find out more, head to offtheleash.net.au

Round up your crew, roll out the picnic blanket, grab some nibbles and head to Sanctuary Lakes for a Dry season evening of live local music. Jon Levy performed last month, and says it’s a great opportunity to get out and about. “It’s great excuse to get to the park for the kids, but also a great opportunity for the ‘big kids’ to enjoy some live music,” he says.

“It was truly a privilege to be part of the community as we gathered

/offtheleashmag

@OTLmag

This month features the talent of Zoe Bailey and Bella Maree.

WHEN SAT 4 JUL | 4-7PM AT SANCTUARY LAKES COST FREE INFO palmerston.nt.gov.au Frankie Snowdon of GUTS Dance teaches for Alice Can Dance.

#OTLmag

Territory Sounds Countdown Tune in for the top 40 Territory songs as voted by you this Territory Day, broadcast through the airwaves on ABC Darwin, ABC Alice Springs and community radio stations. This years’ first instalment counts down the best NT songs of all time. WHEN WED 1 JUL | 4-8PM INFO territorysounds.com

Live Music at Hotel Darwin Catch Matt Hellak every Saturday night at the Hotel Darwin Beer Garden. WHEN EVERY SAT | 6-10PM AT HOTEL DARWIN COST FREE

MusicNT Meet’n’Greet Are you a Top End musician, music-lover or venue manager? Join the crew from MusicNT for the first post-COVID Member Meet’n’Greet. Live music from Bella Maree. WHEN FRI 3 JUL | 5-7PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB COST FREE INFO musicnt.com.au

The Ovulators with special guests Darwin’s newest rising stars, The Ovulators, return to Happy Yess with support from special guests for a delightful courtyard boogie. WHEN FRI 17 JUL | 9PM COST $10

Lunch on the Lawn Grab a bite to eat, pack a picnic rug and kick back on the front lawns of the Tourism Top End info centre with some free live local music with your lunch! WHEN EVERY WED | 12-1PM AT TOURISM TOP END LAWN COST FREE INFO facebook.com/ lunchonthelawn

Live on Fridays Brown’s Mart’s popular live music program Live on Fridays is back, baby. Enjoy cool drinks and free live music in the picturesque Brown’s Mart Courtyard – the perfect place to wind down on a Friday afternoon with mates. WHEN EVERY FRI | BAR OPENS

for some good ol’ fashioned fun in the park… Overlook Sanctuary Lake and enjoy the connection through community and the beauty and power of music. Just keep an eye out for kids rolling down the hill!”

4.30PM | LIVE MUSIC 5PM

AT BROWN’S MART COURTYARD COST FREE INFO brownsmart.com.au

Photo: Pippa Samaya

GIG

Sanctuary Sessions

HAPPY YESS

Sunday’s Live at The Lagoon Treat your ears to the acoustic sounds of different local musicians each week as you feast upon takeaway from surrounding Waterfront restaurants. Kick back and relax with an afternoon by the lagoon. WHEN EVERY SUN | 12-4PM AT DARWIN WATERFRONT COST FREE

facebook.com/happyyessdarwin

Jones in The Top End Young upstarters Fat Pigeon headline the solid line-up of local rock bands at the Happy Yess. Get in early to catch Kathryn & the Overbites, dance it up to pop-punksters Danger Den, and embrace the world of rock with party favourites, Tempramental. WHEN SAT 25 JUL | 9PM COST $10

DARWIN WATERFRONT waterfront.nt.gov.au

Live Music at Stokes Hill Wharf Enjoy the sounds of a diverse mix of local artists as you dine alfresco in this iconic Top End location. Did we mention the sunset overlooking the picturesque scenes of Darwin Harbour? Bliss. WHEN EVERY SUN & WED | 6-9PM AT STOKES HILL WHARF COST FREE

JAM NIGHTS AND OPEN MIC

Come down, have a couple of cold drinks and embrace the atmosphere – or jump up and sing your heart out! WHEN SUN 5 JUL | 2-5PM AT PINT CLUB, MARRARA COST GOLD COIN DONATION INFO facebook.com/ firstsundayblues

Darwin City Brass Band Rehearsals WHEN EVERY TUE | 7-9PM AT DARWIN CITY BRASS BAND COST $20 ANNUAL INFO darwincitybrassband.org.au Jam Nights Head down to Nirvana for open mic night every Tuesday and jump on stage or sit back and enjoy the music. WHEN EVERY TUE | 9PM AT NIRVANA COST FREE INFO nirvanadarwin.com.au

AS WE JOURNEY towards whatever “new normal” may be, the Central Oz arts community remains nourished and connected. We’ve already seen creatives of all kinds sparkling with ideas of intimate events and projects after COVID offered the time and space to reconnect with old lovers, like cooking and film. Now, as restrictions lift, people are sharing these lovers in a socially-distanced orgy of creativity and community. Commercial galleries that had been temporarily closed are slowly starting to turn the lights back on. RAFT artspace is one that had moved online but is now excited to once again present work in the flesh. Director Dallas Gold explains that, while the online world is handy, “it’s important to present work in the context of the region it was made”. In July, catch solo show, Cave Hill by Tjungu Palya artist, Angkaliya Curtis. Curtis has created an impressive suit of work, rich and expressive, that is definitely worth checking out. Elsewhere in town, The Alice Prize at Araluen exhibits throughout the month featuring local artists’ work, including renowned artists Grace Kemarre Robinya, Sally M. Nangala Mulda and Doris Thomas from Tangentyere Artists. As for grassroots orgs, it’s clear that they’ve used this time carefully and strategically to reassess, reimagine and reboot. Some orgs, such as GUTS Dance, chose not to move solely online given “so much of [their] work happens through the meeting of bodies in space,” explains Co-Director Madeleine Krenek.

Nevertheless, the flourishing org has a jam-packed month with public classes back on, Alice Can Dance workshops kicking off, and the development of new work by local and interstate choreographers. Yep. Jam. Packed. Central Craft have been allsystems-go as they prepare for the Australian Ceramics Triennale, which they’ll host in 2022. This month, they’ll also undergo building renovations, participate in the school holiday program at Anzac Oval and present an exhibition by Tapatjatjaka Arts. There’s also Gabriel Curtin’s solo exhibition, A River And A Voice Shouting Above It, opening at Watch This Space. This is an intriguing installation with a “greenhouse-meets-office-foyer” vibe, says the artist. Curious? So are we. 8CCC is another organisation that’s been working spectacularly hard. The community radio station has collaborated with various community orgs, re-shuffling planned micro festivals, redeveloping their website to provide more resources and services to the community, developing an extensive volunteer program – the list goes on! 8CCC’s dedication during this unprecedented time has been impressive to say the least, and it’s exciting for our NT community who reap the benefits of all this amazing work. If you’re in Alice or Tennant (or elsewhere because, remember, website development!) keep your tuners on 102.1fm. It seems that, despite everything, the Centre is still busy and blooming this July.

STAY TUNED FOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT 9 JULY

DARWINFESTIVAL.ORG.AU

WATERFRONT BEACH CLUB SUN SEA SAND DAY BEDS FOOD COCKTAILS LOUNGE TUNES JULY 2020

waterfront.nt.gov.au