Tuesday 29th April

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Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: Voting at Old Parliament House + Jen Brister is coming to Canberra.

🌧️ Weather: 20° and showers. 80% chance of rain, most likely in the afternoon and evening.

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This Weekend: 🗳️ Election Day at Old Parliament House

Vote where history happened! Did you know you can vote at Old Parliament House for the federal election, no matter where you live, even if you're visiting from interstate? This Saturday, you can cast your vote, enjoy activities while you queue, pick up free voting goodies, visit the exhibitions, and grab a democracy sausage. Details here.

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Comedy: 🤣 Jen Brister

Critically acclaimed UK stand-up comedian and writer Jen Brister is on her first tour of Australia. As seen on BBC's Live at the Apollo, Frankie Boyle's New World Order, QI and Mock The Week, she'll be performing at The Street on May 28. The first show has already sold out, but a second show has been added. Details here.

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🎨 Arts Around Canberra

This week's arts wrap:

Warped and Twisted 2025: A fabulous display of handwoven, handspun and handmade items created by the members of Canberra Spinners and Weavers. There will also be a stall selling items made by members, including handwovens, handknits, handspun yarn, and spinning fibre, and members will be demonstrating their crafts throughout. Details here.

PT-Gallery Popup: Ever wondered who Verity was and why her name is on the Sydney Building? Learn more about Verity's bookshop during the Second World War and its importance as a cultural hub at the PT Gallery Popup. It's happening over the next few evenings at Verity Lane. Details here.

Benny Chop: Benny Chop has well and truly earned his nickname over decades of chopping bicycles, motorcycles and hot rods, tattooing skin, and fabricating and installing for Australia's national museum and gallery collections. NEVER PERFECTis a showcase of Benny's finest work, alongside an exhibition featuring artworks by his comrades, collaborators and friends. It's opening at The Civic Art Bureau this weekend. Details here.

Canberra Contemporary Openings: Two new exhibitions are opening at Canberra Contemporary this week. Raquel Ormella's Am I in your way? turns Canberra Contemporary's pivotal Griffin sightline into a stage of drawings, flags and performance works with themes of protest and resistance. Amala Groom's The Lodge is a moving image work meditating on Indigenous sovereignty and activism. Details here.

Unearthed: The Beauty of Nature: As part of the Canberra Heritage Festival, come and see Unearthed: The Beauty of Nature, a double exhibition by the Gumnuts Group and the Flora and Fauna artists, housed in the heritage-listed Old Barn Gallery in Pialligo. Details here.

Brindabella Orchestra: Composed primarily of members of the University of the Third Age, the Brindabella Orchestra will be holding their first concert of 2025 this weekend. Details here.

Election Night Special: Jeremy Goldstein's Truth to Power Café will explore the question: "Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?" this election night at Tuggeranong Arts. Details here.

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Stage: ❤️ Trent Dalton's Love Stories

After a sold-out debut in Brisbane last year, Trent Dalton's Love Stories is coming to Canberra later this year. Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, set up on a prominent street corner in Brisbane's CBD. Speaking to Australians from all walks of life, he asked them one simple thing: "Can you please tell me a love story?" What followed was Dalton's unashamedly joyous collection of Love Stories—wise, poignant, funny and moving in all its guises. Details here.

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Classifieds

🇮🇹 Gala Dinner - An Evening in Italy: It's time to say "arrivederci" to the 2025 'Viva Italia in Canberra' festival at its final event, 'Gala Dinner - An Evening In Italy', at the Hotel Realm Ballroom for a truly delicious three-course Italian meal, featuring live opera, a DJ and auction. Happening Saturday, May 10. Details here.

🎨 studioMAP Art Classes: Book now for studioMAP, After-school and Saturday classes for Children & Teens. studioMAP specialises in Painting, Drawing & illustration classes designed for various age-specific classes ranging from 6-18 years old. Single try-outs are available. Book now. NEW CLASS added for Thursday after school-see link. Term 2 commences on April 29 for ten weeks. Booking & details: studiomap.com.au

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Classifieds support Canberra Digest

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Tidbits:

National Library Election Collection: The National Library is looking for donations of campaign material to add to its collection of election ephemera. Details here.

Influenza Cases: The ABC reports there have been 758 cases of influenza so far this year—about 250 more than at the same time last year.”.