October 21

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Tuesday, 21 October.

🌥️ Weather: 30° with a slight chance (40%) of rain, most likely this evening.

🖼️ Arts Around Canberra

This week’s arts wrap:

2025 Open Studios + Organisations Open Day: Craft + Design Canberra’s Open Studios day is back next weekend. Art studios and organisations from across Canberra will be opening their doors to the public. It’s a great opportunity to find beautiful, locally made gifts for Christmas. A number of organisations are also holding workshops and hands-on activities (bookings may be required). Details here.

NGA 2026 Program: The National Gallery has announced its 2026 program. Highlights include After the Rain—the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial, featuring 10 large-scale works by First Nations artists from across Australia; Arthur Boyd: Tapestries, the first showing of all 20 monumental works from his Life of St Francis series; and Full Throttle, a Mad Max-inspired exhibition using the car as muse, icon and myth—to explore identity, power and culture. Perhaps for the Summernats crowd? Probably not. Details here.

Yarralumla Arts and Crafts Show: You’ll find a large range of handmade items for sale, as well as entertainment from local choirs and musicians. Happening this weekend. Details here.

La Fiesta Unplugged: This special pre-concert to La Fiesta offers a rare chance to encounter the music of Latin America up close, away from the big stages and festival crowds. Discover the stories behind the music—personal histories, artistic roots and the ways culture is carried across oceans and made anew in Canberra and beyond. Details here.

The Wolves: Mockingbird Theatre’s The Wolves is on now at Belco Arts—a one-act play centring on the experiences of high school girls through their weekly Saturday morning pre-game soccer warmups. Details here.

Evelyn Sarvaas Ortiz: This retrospective is a two-day celebration of local Canberra artist Evelyn Sarvaas Ortiz. The exhibition showcases her early woodcarvings through to her painted ceramics and porcelain—works inspired by her love of music, art history, travel, family and a sense of curiosity and joy. Details here.

Eclectic Visions: An exhibition of artworks from the Artists Society of Canberra's Contemporary Workgroup is showing at the Yarralumla Gallery and Brasserie until 23 November. Details here.

Sublime Voices: The ANU Chamber Choir and Vocal Fry (ANU Community Music Centre) present a spring concert, with all proceeds going to the ANU School of Music Community Outreach Fund. Details here.

Little Sounds Great Noises: Baroque music meets Shakespeare sonnets—join Apeiron and special guest Duncan Driver as they pair Shakespeare’s sonnets with Baroque music. Details here.

Dark Matter: Throughout the year, artists-in-residence have been working in the PhotoAccess darkroom, experimenting with materials and methods of image-making that challenge and expand the perceived boundaries of photography. An exhibition of their work opens this week. Details here.

Something to do: 🌱 Touch Grass

Poetry of Spring Walk: Join this guided walk through the forests of the National Arboretum as they awaken from their winter sleep. Appreciate the beauty of the forests through the perspective of poetry while deepening your understanding of the magical world of trees. Details here.

Citizen Science Association: Take part in the Great Southern BioBlitz, where you’ll upload observations of wildlife to the iNaturalist platform. The Australian Citizen Science Association ACT is holding online and in-person training sessions where you’ll learn about biodiversity, explore nature and connect with like-minded individuals. Details here.

Aussie Bird Count: The Aussie Bird Count is on now. Spend 20 minutes in your favourite outdoor space, count the birds you see and submit your results. Details here.

Spring Foraging Walk: Join avid forager and foodie Susan Hutchinson on a guided walk to the south of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands area (near the Kingston Foreshore) to learn about identifying, selecting and using a wide selection of wild-growing edible greens. Details here.

🎬 Screenings and Film

Japanese Film Festival: The Japanese Film Festival is screening at Palace Electric and the NFSA. Details here.

The Special Series at the NFSA is a collection of free screenings made possible by The Japan Foundation Film Library. See a range of films from the 1930s—a defining decade for Japanese cinema. Details here.

Irish Film Festival: Opening next Friday at Palace Electric, the Irish Film Festival is a must for lovers of film, Ireland, music, history, politics and the craic—featuring laugh-out-loud comedies, heartfelt family dramas and gripping psychological thrillers. Details here.

ANUFG Summer Program: The ANU Film Group has been screening films in Canberra since 1966. Each year, members can enjoy a lineup of over 150 films—from the latest Hollywood hits to foreign, independent and classic films. Membership is open to all (most members aren’t associated with the ANU). The summer program of screenings is now online. Details here.

📰 Tidbits

Buckle Up: From 3 November, traffic cameras in Canberra will also check if you’re wearing a seatbelt. The cameras, formerly known as mobile device detection cameras, will now enforce seatbelt offences. More.

Gungahlin United Folds: Gungahlin United has been forced to fold, with the club citing debt and alleged financial mismanagement. It overspent within the NPL men’s program and faced significant debts, including unpaid ground fees—leaving 2,000 players without a club. More.

UNSW Construction Starts: Construction has officially begun on the UNSW Canberra campus. Once complete, it will house up to 5,000 people and employ around 2,000, revitalising the eastern edge of the city around Parkes. Stage 1 of the development is slated to open in 2028. More.

Supported By

🎻 DroneArt: Immerse yourself in a magical evening where music meets cutting-edge technology. Beneath the starry sky, a talented quartet will perform masterpieces while a breathtaking drone show turns the air into a canvas of light and colour. A unique experience not to be missed. Details here.

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✈️ Qatar Airways from Canberra: Starting 2 December 2025, enjoy daily flights with Qatar Airways from Canberra - via Melbourne and Doha - to over 170 destinations worldwide. Enter the promo code QRAU10 to save up to 10% off your next flight. Details here.

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