Congratulations
Playwright and librettist Alana Valentine has been nominated for an AWGIE Award in the Music Theatre category for the libretto of Flight Memory commissioned and produced by The Street in November 2019. Valentine worked with composer Sandra France over a three-year period to bring the story of the invention of the black box flight recorder to life.
NFSA Screenings
The National Film and Sound Archive has another week of screenings ahead of them. Saturday morning kicks off with some free morning cartoons of Little J and Big Cuz from 10.30am. Little J is five and Big Cuz is nine, and there's always something surprising going on, whether it's at school, in the backyard or beyond. The documentary of the month The Biggest Little Farm screens on Thursday from 6pm. The film chronicles an eight-year quest to transform 200 acres of barren land into a biodiverse farm working in harmony with nature and wildlife, after John and Molly Chester swap their city lifestyle for farm life. And on Friday Australian independent film Girl Asleep takes to the screen from 6pm. Written by Matthew Whittet and directed by Rosemary Myers, Girl Asleep warps into a teenage fantasy dreamscape set against an extravagant and awkward 1970s Australian backdrop. For full details and for bookings go to nfsa.gov.au.
Room on the Broom
Here's one for the younger kids these school holidays. The witch and her cat are flying happily on their broomstick - until a stormy wind blows away the witch's hat, bow and wand. A helpful dog, bird and frog find the witch's lost things, and they all hop on the broom for a ride. But this broomstick's not meant for five, and the broom snaps in two. The dramatisation of the children's book Room on the Broom, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, comes to life with songs, laughter and scary fun for children aged three and up - and their grown-ups - at the Canberra Theatre Centre. The final shows in the show's run are on Saturday at 10am, 12pm and 4pm. Click here to find out more.
Treasures in Timber
The annual ACT Woodcraft Guild members' exhibition and sales event is on at the Crosbie Morrison Building, Australian National Botanic Gardens this weekend. Demonstrations include turning "green" bowls, spoon and stool carving, wood carving, pyrography (the art of burning designs into wood), scroll saws and musical instrument-making. There will also be a large range of hand-crafted items for sale as well as workshops for the kids. Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 4.30pm and Monday, 9.30am to 3pm.
The Legacy of Banks and Solander
Explore an exhibition of botanical art focusing on plants collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on their discovery voyage of Australia this weekend. The exhibition is to coincide with the 250th Anniversary of Cook's first voyage to Australia. Saturday, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Australian National Botanic Gardens.
David Attenborough
David Attenborough has spent his 93 years visiting every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of the planet and documenting the living world. This weekend you can see him talk about the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen in a special screening of David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet. Sunday, 2pm. Dendy Cinemas Canberra.
