Canberra playwright and actor Christopher Samuel Carroll's new play, Smokescreen, is about the dark art of corporate manipulation. For many years, the tobacco industry had been forced to dodge medical consensus about the harm caused by smoking and devise ever more sophisticated marketing techniques. At some point, the trade secrets on how to do this were passed on to fossil fuel companies facing similar challenges. The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre is presenting its first production in the Q The Locals program, givingopportunities to artists and theatre makers. The show, also featuring Damon Baudin, is on at the Q from January 26 to February 5. Tickets: theq.net.au.

Entries have opened for Australia's most lucrative landscape award, the Hadley's Art Prize, with $100,000 to be awarded to the artwork the judges deem to be the best portrayal of the Australian landscape. In addition to the major prize presented by Hadley's Orient Hotel in Hobart, there is also a one-month studio residency prize to be awarded, and a People's Choice Award. This year, the prize is to be judged by artist Judy Watson, curator Dr Mary Knights from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and curator Wayne Tunnicliffe from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Entries for the Hadley's Art Prize 2022 close on March 28, with the winner announced on July 22. See: hadleysartprize.com.au.

Now on at Canberra Potters Gallery is a joint exhibition by contemporary Canberra ceramic artists Anna O'Neale and Mahala Hill. Their works encourage viewers to perceive nature with new eyes through multi-media sculptures, predominantly mixtures of ceramics and industrial materials. The sculptural works will not only show animals and plants in a different light but question their place in our human centered world. There is a floor talk on Saturday January 15 at 4.30pm by the artists. The exhibition runs until February 6 at 1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT. See: canberrapotters.com.au.

The National Film and Sound Archive's spotlight series featuring recent highlights from the Australian independent filmmaking scene continues with the brutal horror movie The Furies (R, 2019, 82 minutes). A group of kidnapped women are being hunted for sport in a live-streamed event and must fight for their lives. It's on at Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive on Saturday, January 15 at 2pm. See: nfsa.gov.au.

This show blends circus artists with magic - showgirls will levitate, disappear and fly high in the air and and an international troupe of performers will display their talents including illusionist and Australia's Got Talent finalist Michael Boyd. Canberra Theatre, Sunday, January 16, 2 and 7pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.