Underbelly: Public Arts Lab & Festival
A performing arts event involving every little part of stage production from acting, stage and fashion design to lighting. The merging of artists will bring a pool of creativity and exciting activities at the CarriageWorks, experimenting with various styles of performance and their talents.
Event organiser Rinse Out Inc is a not for profit organisation supporting local emerging and experimental artists, giving them the opportunity and the vanue to expose their works to the general public.
Weekend of 4-6 July, free talks will be held with subjects including Creative Commons Licensing; the navigation between art, craft, design and technology; and Producing for the Arts. Leading up to the festival are public open labs inviting the general public to come and go behind the scene of their production, and experience the activities and efforts that goes into making performing arts.
The festival will run for 2 days on 12 & 13 July with performances, installation and works in progress shows. During the festival the artists will mingle among the audience, projecting their works on the walls or displaying them in person, works including music extravaganzas, dance, aerials and interactive exhibitions creating a realm of surreal bubbling creativity
Tickets to the Festival on sale now through Ticketmaster.
1 day ticket (Saturday 12 or Sunday 13)
Adult $32 plus booking fee
Weekend Pass (1 per person)
Adult $58 plus booking fee
Official Festival Website: Underbelly 2008.
World Youth Day coming to Sydney
Sydney is counting down and in preparation for the biggest event being held in Australia, an event bigger than the year 2000 Olympics itself and will be attracting more than 120,000 international visitors to the harbour city.It's World Youth Day 2008, with the Opening Mass and concert on the 15 July at Barangaroo and events and teaching sessions will run for 5 days.
For the faithful, it'll be an event to celebrate their religion and their love of God, and a chance to meet Pope Benedict XVI, who will be parading through the Sydney streets on the 17 July in the afternoon, and close the event on the 20 July with a Final Mass at the Randwick Racecourse.
Pilgrims coming for the World Youth day is requested to register online for the events they wish to attend.
However it's not all fun and games for everyone in Sydney. For those planning to visit during the World Youth events, ensure that you plan your stays and avoid areas that will be used for World Youth Day. The local government has warned of major road closures that will affect getting around the city as well as restrictions to certain areas dedicated for the event.
For the World Youth Day events information: World Youth Day 08
Plan your transport with the transport information hotline: www.131500.info
The beginning of the whale season
June marks the beginning of the whale migration season across Australia's east coast, and it is possible to see the large mystical creatures from the shores of Sydney. Hundreds of them journey north at this time of the year making their way to their birth grounds in the warmer waters off Queensland. Then, they'll turn back and pass through the shores of Sydney again in November on their way home.
Whales can be spotted along the shores of the North and South Heads of Sydney as well as from the cliffs of the Botany Bay National park. All you have to do is to get a spot along the railings and wait patiently.
Alternatively, get up and close to the beautiful whales on a whale watching cruise. Whale Watching Sydney.net has 100% Whale sighting guarantee and has won the NSW tourism awards in 2005 and 2007. Tours depart daily during May to December from Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.
Another cruise company offers a similar guarantee. True Blue Cruises has morning or afternoon whale-watching sessions on their purpose built sea cat and its low viewing deck means you can get as close as possible for a fantastic photograph without bending too much overboard. Should no whales be sighted during June and July, they'll give you a full refund, or a second cruise for free.
Both will offer free coffee and tea on-board to keep you warm in the cold southern hemisphere winter.
True Blue Cruises
www.sydneywhalewatching.com
Whale Watching Sydney
www.whalewatchingsydney.net (Quote coupon No. WT02008 for 20% off)*
*offer until Dec 2008
Dreams on Wheels exhibition NOW ON
Ever dreamt of a world full of bikes? Have you wondered about the culture and history behind bike riding?
City of Sydney is in the process of creating a city cycling network with plans to extend cycling paths all along the city to encourage more usage of bikes on the road. And the city is taking inspiration from the Danish society.
In partnership with the Danish Emassy, the Dreams on Wheels exhibition showcase the Danish cycling culture and their designs as well as their influence into Sydney's plan to create a bike friendly city. The exhibition will feature 18 bicycles, 10 of which are city bike designs that were used for the previous Danish free cycling program. A similar cycling program is currently being used in Paris and hopefully will be hitting the Australian shores soon as part of Australia's development to become a greener society.
As part of the exhibition a free film program will also show documentaries on Tour de France as well as some city cycling ideas from architecht Jan Gehl.
Free admission into both the bicycle exhibition as well as the films and the exhibition opens 9am-6pm on weekdays and 10am - 4pm on weekends. Exhibition opens until 22 June 2008.
As part of the promotion for more usage of bicycles on city streets, there is a free breakfast being provided for all bike users in the city tomorrow from 7:30am - 9am. Breakfasts are bring provided at: Union Square in Pyrmont, the Obervatory Hill and Hyde Park South.
Exhibition Venue
University of Technology, Sydney
Tower Building (CB01)
Broadway, Ultimo 2007
For the film program please click here.
Official Danish Embassy website on this event: Dreams on Wheels
Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival 08
The annual Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival is in its 18th year and continues to grow as one of Sydney's most exciting festivals. Over the Queen's Birthday long weekend (7 Jun - 9 Jun 08), 40 acts on four stages and 6 exciting jazz and blues workshop will entertain music know-alls and novices alike, makes a great day out in this harbour city.
Performances by well known James Morrison and Deni Hines, the girl with an extraordinary voice Katie Noonan, young band The Hiptones who plays a mix of R&B soul and the blues, comic swing trio Old Spice Boys and the loud and spectacular Tim Oram Big Band.
Workshops to give insight into the music of jazz and the blues, where some of Sydney's master musicians such as Dale Barlow and John Morrison talk about their music creations, and demonstrate their skills and talents.
For those looking to feast on some great yum cha dishes, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is offering a yum cha lunch every day from 11am to 2pm where guests are invited to dine to the sound of the Jim Pennell Trio. Bookings are preferred, $6 per dish or $20 for a tasting plate.
Come and enjoy some lively music and a chance to tap along to some great tunes at the Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival!
Event details: Darling Harbour webite
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
+61 (0)2 9240 8500 (Sydney Vis
Web Site
Sydney Film Festival 2008
The 55th Sydney Film Festival has been launched and public screenings are from 4 June to 22 June 2008.
As one of the city's major cultural event, the Sydney Film Festival is a showcase and celebration of alternative and creative comtemporary cinema from local and international talents since 1954. This year, the Sydney Film Festival will become Australia's only film festival to have a FIAPF-accredited Official Competition. This year, there will be 16 world premiers, 135 Australian premiers and an A-list red carpet line up at Sydney's State Theatre.
There will be a variety of world titles and diverse subjects to the films. Films are diverted into the categories of World Views, Red Hot Docs, Kids' Films, Sounds on Screen and Apocalypse Again. Some of the titles to look out for are: Kung Fu Panda, a Dreamworks animation. Happy-Go-Lucky, featuring Best Actress Sally Hawkins at the Berlin Film Festival; Vincent Paronnaud's Academy Award-nominated animation Persepolis; Three Blind Mice by Matthew Newton; and And When Did You Last See Your Father, a film based on the memoir of John Morrison.
The festival will host its Closing Night Gala on Saturday 21 June with the Australian Premiere Marjane Satrapi's and Vincent Paronnaud's Academy Award-nominated animation Persepolis.
Further information and program: Sydney Film Festival Official Website
Primo Italiano 2008
An event as part of Sydney's Italian Festival, Primo Italiano 2008 will turn the suburb of East Sydney into a giant street fair with music, markets and guided tours to celebrate the Italian heritage that forms the culture and history of the original Little Italy part of Sydney.
Local restaurants will be putting on their best offerings from pasta, pizza, anti pasti, gelatos and lots more Italian influenced cuisine. Fresh produce such as olive oil, bread, cheese fresh pasta, cut flowers, fruit and vegetables can be purchased from the market stalls while live music from the Italian Brass Band, The Godfathers and Patane Orchestra give their best performances to spice up this wonderful Italian day out in Sydney.
Visitors can choose to go on a self-guided tour or a scheduled guided tour to learn more about the Italian influence to the architecture and cuisine culture in this part of Sydney, and there are many prizes to be won including gym passes and a gourmet hamper sponsored by City of Sydney.
Come join the locals on this great day out, get into the local culture and experience a slice of Italy in Sydney.
Primo Italiano 2008
Stanley and Yurong Streets
East Sydney
www.sydneyitalianfestival.com.au/PrimoItaliano