By Ruth O’Brien
Hello and… Happy New Year?
It feels strange saying that when our beautiful city has been shrouded in smoke and soot for the last month while our neighbour’s lives burn.
Being rated #1 city on the Air Quality Index is not exactly the list you want your hometown to top twice within the first week of 2020. When our neighbours on the south-east coast have suffered enormously in recent times, with homes lost and businesses destroyed, and the millions of animals who have perished as a result of the fires, and the extreme lack of leadership shown by our government (one arsehole in particular) it can be hard to feel hopeful and positive about this country’s future.
However, something we, as Australians, can be proud of is the amazing camaraderie shown all over the ACT, NSW, and VIC.
Many of our talented and kind musicians and artists have literally banded together to put on fundraiser shows for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).
On Friday, January 10, Homegrown Sounds are putting on a fundraiser show at The Polo called Fire Fight featuring Moaning Lisa, Citizen Kay, Archie, and Sesame Girl.
Pleasingly, this event sold out quickly. As a result, Homegrown have decided to put on another event featuring the works of over 30 local visual artists and creatives.
This event, Fire Fight Exhibition – A NSW RFS Fundraiser, is happening on Friday, January 24 at a secret location from 6pm-9pm. Tickets are available via humanitix.com and cost $5-$15. There will be a silent auction, DJs, and drinks.
Vertex Studios over at Hume will be hosting Rock for Fire Relief on Saturday, 11 January from 4:30pm. The band line-up includes Swift Peaks, The Pretty Bones, Wesley Crushers, OSHIE, Black Mountain, Hence the Testbed and Reign Of Terror. Entry is a monetary donation, and all funds raised go to the NSW RFS.
Another fundraiser will be happening on Thursday, 9 January, at the Queanbeyan Hive from 6pm-9pm. Riverside Rhythms – A Musical QBN Fundraiser, will feature local artists Cathy Diver, Endrey, Lucy Sugerman, Eden Plenty, Omar Musa, and CJ Bowerbird. Entry is $10 at the door or $12 online via Eventbrite. Under 12s are free. This time, money raised goes to WIRES (the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation), to help our beautiful animals affected by the fires.
And then, on Friday, January 10, sideway are hosting Bushfire Relief Raiser. Sets include music from Canberra House Social, Vessel, Sol.Sonik, Dazed, Pickle, Headz Are Rolling, Liquid Sunshine, Superbreak, Rafa Chango and more. Entry is $10 + donations, with money raised from this event going directly to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and The Red Cross. Doors open at 5pm.
Plenty of options there to gesticulate and donate.
Onto other events now, and the wonderfully talented and critically-acclaimed burlesque artist, Jazida (aka Rachel Reid), is premiering her latest show – Catch Jazida – at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre.
From January 15-18, Catch Jazida will be a multi-sensory experience and a truly enjoyable, engaging, and entertaining show. An accessible version of the show will be happening on Thursday the 16th, with Auslan and live-captioning. Tickets are available from the Canberra Theatre Centre website and more information about the show can be found at catchjazida.com.
If you’re looking for things the are more, well… child-appropriate, you’ll be pleased to know that the Our Bush Capital Children’s Book is available this month!
Written by local author, Samantha Tidy, and illustrated beautifully by my dear talented friend (and former BMA Graphic Designer), Juliette Dudley, the pair have collaborated to bring to life the story of a young girl exploring the beauty and sights of Canberra.
Story-reading will be happening all over town throughout the next few months, with the first kicking off on Tuesday, 14 January, at The Markets Wanniassa. Most of these story readings are free but be sure to check out Samantha’s website for more info: http://www.samanthatidy.com/events.
Last but by no means least, Hellosquare will be hosting Slow Day Out at the UC Hub on Saturday, 1 February from 2pm-7pm. The line-up includes Canberra bands Sports Bra, Majestic Horses, Slagatha Christie, Agency, Pheno, and Charlottes & The Harlots. Tickets are $10 or $5 for under 18s and concessions. Under 12s are free. All proceeds from this event go to Girls Rock! Canberra.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what’s going on around town over the next few weeks, so make sure to get out to a gig or two, support local artists, and help raise some money for all the causes mentioned above.
