Two exhibitions are on at Canberra Contemporary Art Space in Gorman Arts Centre until February 9, 2018. Labirinto, the title of Christus Nóbrega’s exhibition, refers to a technique of lace making traditionally practised by the women of his home state, Paraíba. The exhibition reflects both his heritage and the enduring role of cotton in an economy with roots in the 16th century. And the screen prints and video in NEWSCRAP record Alison Alder's obsession with collecting, and sometimes commenting on, political reportage from major newspapers in both Australia and the US to highlight the absurdity of modern politics and her fascination with print as a political act.

Tom Buckland, Nicci Haynes and Dan Moor present new interactive works in A Magic Stranger than Death, which is on at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Hayes's new work could be thought of as a cross between a flick book and a conveyor belt. Buckland presents a series of drawing machines that autonomously create artworks of a random nature. And Moor wonders if cable ties can help us make sense of it all. In Gallery Two is work by Margot Date, the winner of Tuggeranong Arts Centre's inaugural prize of a solo exhibition on graduation from a Diploma of Visual Arts at the Canberra Institute of Technology. She repeats a single stitch to mirror patterns of nature and mapping of the mind in her mixed media exhibition, Unchained. Both exhibitions are at Tuggeranong Arts Centre until December 21. tuggeranongarts.com.

The National Institure of Dramatic Arts is bringing its program of short courses for children, youth and adults to Canberra from January 19 to 25. Young people aged seven and up can build on-screen confidence, develop improvisation skills, explore characters and perform for family and friends and adults can develop basic acting skills such as improvisation, voice and movement, or even learn Stanislavski basics. Bookings in advance required: see nida.edu.au/summer.