Tuesday 9th September

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Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Tuesday, 9 September.

🌦️ Weather: 21° and a possible shower. 40% chance of rain, most likely in the early morning.

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🎨 Arts Around Canberra

This week’s arts wrap:

50 Years of Canberra Potters: Canberra Potters is celebrating 50 years as part of Canberra’s creative community. Their exhibition Connecting Through Clay reflects on the rich legacy, artistic excellence, and evolving story of Canberra Potters through a curated exhibition featuring works from the Canberra Potters Collection alongside pieces by Honorary Life Members. Details here.

Strathnairn Arts Small Sculpture Prize: The Strathnairn Arts Small Sculpture Prize (SASS) is a national award that celebrates creativity and innovation in small-scale sculpture. Details here.

New Directions: Kyeema Gallery at Capital Wines presents the first solo exhibition by local artist Vivien Pinder. Although she has previously shown work in group exhibitions, this is her debut solo show — at age 80! Vivien says she probably wouldn’t have taken the leap without the encouragement of her “lovely husband.” The exhibition is opening this Friday. Details here.

Carillon Anniversary: To mark the National Carillon’s 55th anniversary, carillonists are performing 55 carillon ensemble works — 13 original compositions and 42 arrangements. The full program is available on the NCA website. Details here.

Lend Me a Tenor: It’s 1934 and the Cleveland Grand Opera Company is overjoyed to have secured the world-famous tenor, Tito Merelli, to sing the starring role in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci for one evening. Everything has been organised, all preparations carefully made, and the Company awaits his arrival with bated breath. What can possibly go wrong? In classic farce tradition, Lend Me a Tenor offers an evening of silly situations, mistaken identities, mishaps and miscommunication. ACT Hub’s production opens on 17 September. Details here.

The Story of The Oars: A play with spoken-word songs and music, The Story of the Oars is a bold new Australian theatrical work about the repercussions of telling the truth. It’s also an audacious exploration of Australian class, privilege, and the power of place to enchant, repel, and ultimately, heal. Opening at The Street on 20 September. Details here.

Paradox of Control: This exhibition at Platform by Canberra Contemporary explores Maddie Hepner’s personal experience of trichotillomania (a disorder characterised by compulsive hair pulling) and draws parallels between the disorder and modern anxieties surrounding rapidly evolving emergent technologies, digital fatigue, and personal health in the digital age. Details here.

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Something to do: 🌷 Take a Walk

Floriade Morning Walk: The Heart Foundation is holding free Saturday morning walks during Floriade. Enjoy a 30–40 minute social stroll through the gardens without the crowds. Details here.

Botanic Gardens After Dark: Explore the Gardens as night falls—watch the birds settle in, and discover the animals that come out after dark. This special one-hour, family-friendly event is for everyone aged 6 and over. Details here.

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📰 Tidbits

Public Service Boost for Woden: It’s been announced that the newly legislated Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) will be located in Woden. The agency will be operational from 1 January 2026 and will move into Aviation House, previously home to the Civil Aviation Authority, before that agency relocated to Civic.

Autumn Festival Plans: The City Renewal Authority is planning a new autumn festival to fill a quieter period in Canberra’s events calendar. Details are still under wraps, but it will run for two weeks in the soon-to-be-completed renovated Garema Place.

Tuggeranong Theatre Reopens: The Tuggeranong Arts Centre Theatre has reopened after its first major refurbishment since opening in 1998. There’s new seating, carpet, and a refreshed reception area, along with improvements behind the scenes for performers, including a brand-new, fully accessible dressing room. The theatre has been renamed the Wood-Mico Theatre after Bill Wood, former ACT Minister for the Arts in the 1990s, and Dominic Mico, a passionate advocate for community arts and a former director of the Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

Tuggeranong Skatepark Getting Fixed: Tuggeranong Skatepark is in desperate need of repairs. Planning work has begun to improve drainage and repair the badly damaged concrete surface.

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Kids: 🔭 Spring School Holidays Programs

Mount Stromlo Observatory: The ANU and Mount Stromlo Observatory are running astronomy-themed holiday programs. There’s a program for Junior Explorers (Years 4–6) and one for teenagers (Years 7–9). Details here.

Ethical Hacking: A hacker group has stolen sensitive information from Canberra's government databases and you have been tasked with tracking them down and stopping their next move! In this school holiday program at UC, you'll become an ethical hacker and put your skills to the test by solving real-world cybersecurity challenges. Details here.

RSPCA: Spend the day with the RSPCA learning about animals, positive pet care, and the ways they support the community. The day includes a guided tour to meet the shelter animals, a behind-the-scenes visit to see how the shelter runs, and a crafty session making enrichment goodies for your own pet or one of the lucky shelter animals. Details here.

Red Shed Rowing: Red Shed is running rowing programs during the school holidays, including a “Learn to Row” program perfect for kids who are new to rowing or still building confidence. Details here.

Adventure with Wildbark: Take on the role of a youth ranger in the pristine setting of Mulligans Flat Sanctuary. Details here.

Art and Action: Dive into a full day of creativity at Tuggeranong Arts—from theatre sports and painting on canvas to street-funk dance and high-energy music sessions with professional artists. Details here.

Warehouse Circus: Take part in a full week of circus training where kids will learn juggling, acrobatics and more. Details here.

Zoocation: Get close to many of the zoo’s animals, play games, make toys for them, and learn along the way. Details here.

I’ll be including more school holiday activities, including plenty of free options, in upcoming issues.

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Classifieds

🎻 Mozart’s Requiem LIVE in Canberra: 24/25 September, 7:30pm, Llewellyn Hall. From The Godfather to X-Men to The Crown, Mozart’s Requiem has featured in some of pop culture’s most epic and unforgettable moments. His final masterpiece is dramatic and anguished, yet full of hope — experience it LIVE at Llewellyn Hall with full orchestra and choir this September. Details here.

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