The Astor Theatre Under Threat

A true icon of Melbourne cinema, the heritage listed art deco Astor Theatre is under threat. Over the past 80 years The Astor has has survived a World War, the advent of video, DVD, movies on demand...
arts
Let's Dance Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:43pm 4 views 0 comments Sadly for us, this in no way has any correlation to David Bowie. That is unless, of course, Mr Stardust himself was keen on a bit of a boogie. Rather, it’s the Australian Ballet, plus a few special guests, that are getting ready for one huge dance party.  As part of The Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary, the company is bringing together eight of the country’s most exciting dance...
Zoe Keating Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 2 views 0 comments She’s a one-woman orchestra machine, and now Zoe Keating will be gracing her sublime musical presence on us all for the first time ever.  Touring only with her cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, Ms Keating creates intricate, haunting and compelling music. And if our word of her talent isn’t enough, the proof might just be in the pudding. Zoe has...
Infra Ghosts Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 2 views 0 comments Get prepared for a little bit of haunting as ghosts haunt No No Gallery for the month of May. Infra Ghosts is a series of works by artist Hugh Davis that explore the duality of existence.  In the first instance, the works exist as traditional paintings, in oil and pigment, mounted and framed on the gallery wall. The works generate infra-red light just outside the human visible spectrum, so...
Echoes Of Others Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 2 views 0 comments Each year, the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival (HRAFF) brings together artists from disparate and yet connected cultures, aiming to harness the power of art as a formidable means of communication, transcending cultural, ethnic and linguistic differences.  As part of their constant venture, HRAFF will present Echoes Of Others, which seeks not only to inspire, engage and cross...
Human Rights Art And Film Festival Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 2 views 0 comments The team at HRAFF HQ are excited, and so are we, with their eleven day festival having just started.  Within the festival, HRAFF will present a selection of films, fine art, music and forums that aim to engage, inspire, entertain and encourage people to think about human rights issues in a broader sense. Expect to see an extensive cavalcade of Australian premiere films, art exhibitions,...
Creative Australia Fellowships Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 6 views 0 comments There’s doing what you love, and then there’s getting money for doing what you love. Luckily for the next three mentioned people, they get to experience both of those.  Antony Hamilton, Gaele Mellis and Gian Slater are the three Melbourne recipients of a Creative Australia Fellowships award – a major new initiative to support the professional development of outstanding artists working...
Wintering Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 1 view 0 comments Unlike many ambiguous titles, Wintering is very much about everything chilly. Twelve months ago, Western Australian choreographer Aimee Smith voyaged to the Arctic Circle. It’s all from that experience that Wintering was conceived.    Inspired by the fragility and strength of an iced landscape, the performance uses imagery and sounds collected by the artist from the Arctic environment...
Brunsdog Cartoon Connection Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 3 views 0 comments Cartoonists and animators – WE NEED YOU. Well, Brunsdog Cartoon Connection need you, actually.  The folks over there are getting prepared to run a cartoon film-based day at the first Sunday of every month starting next month. On these occasions, they’ll be screening the best new short cartoons from Melbourne and beyond.   All they need? Well, some cartoon-makers and animators with...
Pimp My Sneaker Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 4 views 0 comments In quite possibly some of the coolest news to head our way about the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere, Chadstone is currently holding Pimp My Sneaker – an exhibition of sneakers created by a global collection of artists.    With everyone from Remi Rough and Billy Alex to Mr Penfold and Pixel Pancho, the artists have all been invited to pimp their sneakers for an...
Dig Deep Posted 16 May 2012 @ 12:42pm 1 view 0 comments Much like the title implies, this one’s all about being charitable – in spirit. Young artists from Arts Centre Melbourne’s renowned hip hop music mentoring program Dig Deep are getting ready to host a free performance on the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt as part of Refugee Week.  Celebrating the contribution of young people from diverse backgrounds to our community, these talented young...
Henry IV Part 1 Posted 16 May 2012 @ 11:14am 16 views 0 comments My middle name is Hal. I have never really thought about it. When I questioned my parents my mother said it was after some king or other. She’s English, they are crazy, so I just went about my life never giving it any thought. Only it turns out that Prince Hal is in fact Henry IV and Shakespeare wrote whole plays (plural) about him. He was a drunk and a womaniser, always hanging out down the pub...
Big Kids' Cracking Night Out Posted 16 May 2012 @ 10:04am 133 views 0 comments In 1989, Wallace and Gromit had their very first adventure. Taking off in a homemade rocket, the pair soon found themselves hunting for cheese on the moon. Since then, Wallace and Gromit’s cheese-tracking and sheep-shearing escapades have entertained children and adults alike for over 20 years. Now, thanks to Museum Victoria and Scienceworks, the claymation human-canine duo are leaving the UK and...
Keys To Music Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 5 views 0 comments As part of the MSO’s commitment to helping audiences of all ages increase their enjoyment of classical music, the MSO will be joined by ABC’s Classic FM’s Graham Abbott to explore Haydn’s Symphony No 99 in a live Keys to Music performance.  In this special concert, Abbott and the MSO will lead the audience through movements from Symphony No. 99, before finishing with a complete performance...
Australian Pops Orchestra Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 7 views 0 comments You know the dude from Dancing With The Stars that was found unconscious from too much alcohol on a Sydney park bench? And the guy that sounds like Kermit The Frog who composes stuff? Yeah, Todd McKenney and John Foreman.  Well, they, along with Chloe Dallimore are getting together for this year’s Australian Pops Orchestra. Known as the peoples orchestra, the Australian Pops Orchestra...
The Light In Winter Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 13 views 0 comments It’s getting colder and colder in good ol’ Melbourne town. As the winter chill takes hold over our city, Federation Square will bask in the glow of The Light in Winter – a free, month-long program directed by global champion of the Arts, Robyn Archer AO.  The Light In Winter will bring together local and international artists, designers and more than 20 of Melbourne’s culturally diverse...
Melbourne Fringe Festival Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 11 views 0 comments Calling all artists – have you got an idea for a show? The Melbourne Fringe Festival is one of Australia’s largest open-access events, which means that anyone can take part.    All you need to do? Sign up, pay a small fee, and then take advantage of various professional development forums and information sessions arranged by Melbourne Fringe to help artists get the most from their...
Bruce Mathiske Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 5 views 0 comments Internationally recognised as a maestro of the guitar, Bruce Mathiske is getting ready to take his glorious strumming cross country with his Guitar-Uoso Australian Tour.  With a career spanning three decades, Bruce has delighted audiences worldwide with not just a phenomenal level of technical brilliance, but with his seemingly instinctive ability to absorb, then consummately deliver just...
Nicolas Altstaedt Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 5 views 0 comments Love classical music or just an avid fan of the cello? Allow your heart to flutter as multi-award winning cellist Nicolas Altstaedt dons his musical glory on our city for one night of cello magic.  Making his Australian National Academy of Music debut, the celebrated soloist has performed around the globe with many other high class classical performers, including Gidon Kremer, Daniel Hope,...
Top Acts Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 5 views 0 comments VCE is no easy feat, but it’s always good to have a bit of fun with it. The Top Acts concert showcases the works of some of Victoria’s most exceptional emerging performers.  The pinnacle of the annual VCE Season of Excellence, Top Acts is a one night extravaganza of the very best in performing arts, showcased in the opulent surrounds of St Kilda’s iconic Palais Theatre.   40...
Art Povera Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 4 views 0 comments They say that everything is cyclical, and for the Art Povera movement, this is exactly the case. Marta Bonaventura is the perfect example of a contemporary exploration of this movement.  Her pieces are an intimate yet playful example of her life and cultural Italian experiences, interpreted into beautifully cohesive pieces that clearly portray her personality and artistic talent in a visual...
Re Boot Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 4 views 0 comments It’s time for us to rewind the clock and visit the pop culture of the yesteryears.  Brisbane artist Sharon McKenzie appropriates a past-coded surface (the doily), to subvert meaning as a strategy for revealing an underlying environmental message.   All of the items Sharon draws inspirations from are sourced directly from the side of the road and creatively altered. The ‘handmade’...
Indian Plonk Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 4 views 0 comments Mind out of the gutter, people. Indian Plonk is a united collaboration surrounding the theme of India through the eyes of three artists; Tessa Moncrieff, Paul Moncrieff and Jillian Green.  Indian Plonk presents works by these three exceptional artists as they explore India through cultural inspiration, with each producing beautifully unique pieces that work together in a truly...
Camille O'Sullivan Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 4 views 0 comments You know that you must be doing something right when the Daily Telegraph says “When she sings it’s as though her breath is soaked in paraffin; one spark, and the whole room would ignite.” Presenting Camille O’Sullivan.  The Irish-French chanteuse is heading to Melbourne next month to perform her “cabaret as black art”. Known for entrancing audiences around the world, performing five-star...
MSO Education Week Posted 15 May 2012 @ 5:22pm 4 views 0 comments A lot of people think that education is in no way synonymous with having a good time, but the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are here to prove otherwise.  Join the MSO as the doors of Melbourne Town Hall open to more than 10,000 school students, parents and teachers for the annual ‘open house’ that’s dedicated to sharing the joy of music-making through the first hand experience of live...
Twisted Sisters: Bands & Burlesque Posted 11 May 2012 @ 2:05pm 98 views 0 comments Many performance critics are guilty of making lazy, label-slapping generalisations, defining works with compounded titles and ‘exciting’ buzzwords. For whatever reason, burlesque is often a victim of these conjunctions: descriptions of the performances can rest on tired platitudes and new additions to the English language. Burlesque-noir? Neo-burlesque? Gorelesque? It’s a way of delving into the...
The Australian Pops Orchestra Posted 11 May 2012 @ 12:50pm 36 views 0 comments John Foreman is the well-known conductor of numerous on-screen orchestras including those seen on Australian Idol, Young Talent Time and the Logies. However, he sometimes has to play the rather unfortunate role of ‘fall guy’. While he has produced Anthony Callea’s The Prayer, was musical director on Bert Newton’s Good Morning Australia and wrote a song (sung by Tina Arena) for the 2000 Olympic...
Arj Barker Posted 8 May 2012 @ 11:32am 339 views 0 comments  Arj Barker is one of comedy’s big names for a good reason. He is incredibly, indubitably funny. Arj’s third DVD Joy Harvest is no exception. Performed at a packed out Sydney Opera House, his performance was adroit and absolutely hilarious. Arj loves Australia, blessing us with his presence frequently. When I questioned what it was that he loved about our country, Arj rattled off a lengthy...
On The Production Of Monsters Posted 7 May 2012 @ 12:40pm 55 views 0 comments Australian playwright Robert Reid is morally outraged and he’s not afraid to say it.  Reid’s latest, ingenious satire takes a swipe at society’s herd mentality, drawing inspiration from the media frenzy surrounding the Bill Henson nude photography scandal.   But what’s a great performance without some great actors? Winners & Losers star Virginia Gay, along with James...
Woody Allen: A Documentary Posted 7 May 2012 @ 12:40pm 28 views 0 comments He’s one of the most highly regarded and renowned movie masters of our time and, in such fashion, must be celebrated.  As part of its Long Play program, ACMI will present the Australian premiere of Woody Allen: A Documentary, paying homage to the remarkable career of arguably America’s premier auteur, comedian and neurotic.   For 60 years, Woody Allen has been a prolific filmmaker...
The Seed Fund Posted 7 May 2012 @ 12:40pm 50 views 0 comments Applications are now open to apply for The Seed Fund, a corporation that supports emerging musicians, artists and arts workers via their three grant categories and five strategic initiatives in 2012.  Grants and initiatives are made financially possible by donations from within the music and arts community and it’s with thanks to their many donors, most of whom are industry professionals,...