What happens when construction meets creativity? Oh Alfred! happens.

In celebration of Sydney’s vibrant, “creative spirit,” Oh Alfred! is calling out for participants to help produce the creative material that will soon transform the fence surrounding Prince Alfred Park into a vibrant display of community creativity. Materials are supplied, no experience is required, and fun is guaranteed.

“It’s exciting that community members are given the chance to infuse the city with art. I encourage everyone to get involved in transforming the construction fence into a celebration of life in Sydney in 2010,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP.

Over the last month, Oh Alfred! has been making a name for itself as crafty Surry Hills locals and inspired out-of-towners flocked to participate in the unique ‘open to all’ arts collaboration as part of Art & About Sydney 2010.

This collaborative public art project is part of the City of Sydney’s ninth annual public arts festival Art & About Sydney 2010, which is a vibrant celebration of the city’s creative spirit, bringing a feast of art, performance and music to our streets and public spaces for one month.

260 hands, 150 rosettes and 250 wire creatures later, workshops will now move to Prince Alfred Park itself, commencing September 4. With only three weeks to go until the launch, Oh Alfred! needs your assistance to transform the construction fence around Prince Alfred Park into an urban outdoor gallery.

From September 23 – October 24, the fence surrounding Prince Alfred Park will don intricate installations by artist John Doe, Lachlan McGuinness, James Harney, Jonathan James, Garth Knight, Lucia Scurrah, Tealia Scott, Skye Wagner, Melissa Chalker and Andy Uprock. Combined with the community’s creations, these innovators will use the park as a canvas for an explosion of colour, creativity and community collaboration.

Get involved – Prince Alfred Park
Saturday 4, 11, 18 September
Chalmers St, Surry Hills (near swimming pool)
11am – 2pm

Conceived by local artist collective, Token Imagination, Oh Alfred! Reflects the diverse, colourful and creative courageous spicenter that is the local Surry Hills community.

For more info ohalfred.wordpress.com, www.artandabout.com.au

Antonio Berardi with 2009 winner Andrew Aloisio

Peroni havelaunched the second annual Peroni Young Designer Awards with the support of Harper’s BAZAAR and men’s style magazines. Renowned  fashion designer and Peroni ambassador; Antonio Berardi will visit Australia  to judge these awards in October, awarding one lucky winner a trip to Milan to  visit his studio.

In 2010, the Peroni Young Designer Awards will be  seeking entries from up-and-coming fashion and industrial designers from  across Australia. Entries are required to represent Peroni’s Italian heritage  and brand values of high quality, style and attention to detail as well as  incorporating a “blue ribbon”. Antonio Berardi will be back in 2010 to attend  the event and award the winning designer with a trip to Milan to meet with him  in his studio and to visit the Alessi Museum.

Antonio Berardi started  his career studying at St.Martins and working with John Galliano, he has now  showcased his eponymous collection in Paris since 2005. His collection is a  line of ready-to-wear and accessories created for impeccable, urbane women who  prefer a striking, classical, dressed-up look, but who respond to advanced  fabrics and manufacturing possibilities. Antonio Berardi is one of the  fundamental figures in fashion today and has dressed stars including Victoria  Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kyra Sedgwick and Jessica Alba.

Final entries will be due on 1 October 2010 and further information on the Awards
including a link to the stunning new Blue Ribbon TVC can be found at:
www.peroniitaly.com/au/ or via www.harpersbazaar.com.au

Newcastle’s annual This is Not Art festival is back in 2010 for its 11^th year, taking place from 30^th September – 4^th October 2010. The festival presents Australia’s most exciting and emergent exhibitions, screenings, performances, panels, workshops, talks, gigs, interventions, live art, and special events in five days of creativity and absolute madness. The festival features over 400 local, national and international artists in a combination of writers, performers, thinkers, independent and industry musicians, creative researchers, electronic artists, dilettantes, and much, much more. 

This Is Not Art 2010 is a collaboration between the following:

The Crack Theatre Festival

The Crack Theatre Festival is a new national theatre arts festival and forum and features a three-day program of performances, forums, and workshops that profile the diverse styles and forms within contemporary Australian theatre.

Critical Animals

Critical Animals musters together postgraduate and honours students (as well as those recently graduated and still at a loose end), early career academics, quasi-intellectuals and anyone else interested in devouring critical contexts for the kinds of experimental and emerging arts and media practices in the This Is Not Art program.

Electrofringe

Electrofringe is a festival of experimental electronic arts and culture dedicated to skills development and artistic exchange. It focuses on uncovering emergent forms and places a particular emphasis on encouraging exchange between emerging and established artists.

National Young Writers’ Festival

The National Young Writers’ Festival is Australia’s premier event for emerging writers, publishers, performers and trouble-makers. Far from the seas of white hair, book signings and celebrity author worship you might expect, the NYWF is a DIY, hands-on conversation between equals.

Sound Summit

Sound Summit exists to support brilliant artists, labels and people that work and play in the world of innovative independent music both from Australia and abroad.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: 

This Is: This Is Not Art 2010

Festival Club
Thursday 6pm – Midnight

Join us for the opening night party of the 11^th This Is Not Art. Set in our new Festival Club, come together for cheering, frivolity and the inevitable incoherent speech.

Featuring: Caravan of Dooom and Kira Puru and the Bruise

Blip Showcase – Electrofringe

Newcastle Leagues Club
Thursday 7pm – Midnight

The world’s greatest chiptune musicians in one unforgettable night of lo-fi rump-shaking glory. Tickets $12+BF presale / $15 on the door / presale from electrofringe.iwannaticket.com.au

Featuring: Nullsleep (US), Bit Shifter (US) as well as local and international acts

Late Nights at the Gun Bar – Critical Animals

United Service Club
Friday & Saturday 7 – 10pm

On Friday we look at the uses of philosophy for poetry, on Saturday, the poetics of intoxication. Join in as our curated readings and discussion devolve into open debate.

Featuring: Tim Wright, Stu Hatton, Duncan Hose, Jal Nicholl, Bella Li, Corey Wakeling, Joshua Comyn, Tom Lee, Jess Wilkinson, Keri Glastonbury, Nick Keys and Harriet Johnson

Friday Night Showcase

Cambridge
7.30pm – 3am

Featuring: Jason Forrest (USA), Tantrums (Vic), Scattered Order, Geodesic Domes, No Anchor (Qld), PA, Cock Safari and Black Math

Tickets $12 +BF presale / $15 on the door / $20+BF two night festival pass (presale only) from www.moshtix.com, Cambridge Hotel and 1300 GET TIX.

Sketch the Rhyme – National Young Writers’ Festival

Festival Club
Friday 8.30 – 10.15pm 

An interactive hip hop gameshow where speed drawing meets rapping meets live hip hop beats. Artists sketch on paper that is filmed and projected live. Rappers freestyle about what the artists are drawing.
Featuring: Sketch the Rhyme, Christopher Downes, David Blumenstein, Patrick Alexander, Rebecca Clements and Amber Carvan

Saturday Night Showcase

Cambridge
7.30pm – 3am

Featuring: Grouper (USA), Songs, Nhomea, Potato Master (Qld), Blank Realm (Qld), They Live, Anna Chase and Bare Grillz

Tickets $12+BF presale / $15 on the door / $20+BF two night festival pass (presale only) from www.moshtix.com, Cambridge Hotel and 1300 GET TIX.

American Gothic Ball – National Young Writers’ Festival

Festival Club
Saturday 8 – 11.30pm

Weird tales of deepest darkest America. Elvis fighting soul-sucking mummies. Cthulhu in Deadwood. Old bluesmen meeting the devil at the crossroads. Brush up on your Joe R Lansdale and Cherie Priest, put on your cowboy hat and neckerchief, and have yourself a rollicking occult time.

Soundclash – Sound Summit

Festival Club
Sunday 7 – 10pm
Showcase of the Soundclash initiative, a program of the Australia Council for the Arts that supports the creative development of music which takes risks and demonstrates innovation within the popular music form.

Featuring: kyü, Holy Balm and Collarbones

Year 12 Formal – Crack Theatre Festival

Crackhouse
Sunday 6 – 11pm

Bear witness to an event of tremendous significance: YOUR YEAR 12 FORMAL. Amidst the turbulent maelstrom of music, dancing and carnage, the audience is welcome to become performer, performer to become audience, woman to become man, dog to become bicycle!

Featuring: Hadley, Spill Collective, Svelt, Dead DJ Joke and every hormone-ridden artist in this city

Blind, As You See It – Crack Theatre Festival

The Playhouse
Thursday 7 – 8pm, Friday 4 – 5pm

A hybrid performance and exploration into the process of losing one’s sight. A visual, humourous yet delicate feast, this journey into darkness blends magic, original music, dance clowning, puppetry and visual (black art) theatre.

Critiquing Criticism: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better – Critical Animals

City Hall: Banquet Room
Friday 10 – 11.30am

A conversation about the role of the critic — nurturer or discerner; impartial judge or cosy coteriean; good cop, bad cop — and the current state of criticism. Co-presented with Macquarie University Faculty of Arts.

Featuring: Fenella Kernebone, Lisa Dempster, Andrew Ramadge, Naomi Milthorpe and Shaun Prescott

ETS’ and Ecosystems: Environmental Writing in an Election Year – National Young Writers’ Festival

City Hall: Mulubinba Room
Friday 1 – 2.15pm

It’s the vanguard of journalism for this generation, but writing climate change is tricky business. Grassroots activists, writers and mainstream journos discuss the challenges of navigating the politics, economics and science of contemporary environmental journalism.

Featuring: Anna Krien, Ben Cubby, Leisel Rickaby, Rebecca Clements and Scott Foyster

The Rimming Club – Crack Theatre Festival

Crackhouse: Grand Lodge
Saturday 7 – 8pm 

Four estranged friends reunite on a Greek island, hoping to reclaim the summer that forever changed their lives. But has too much changed? Can you really ever escape the past? What does poo taste like? All your faves ass to mouth NOM NOM NOM NOM!!!!1!!!

Featuring: Sisters Grimm

WalkARTbout – This is Not Art 

This is Not Art is a key project for the Octapod Association: a not-for-profit community organisation that acts as a resource base, facilitator and incubator of community driven arts and media projects.

This year, This is Not Art is thrilled to introduce a new venture to its already exciting and innovative program. In response to the city’s lack of public street art, TiNA will be commencing walkARTbout which is aimed at creating a positive solution to the community issue of graffiti and vandalism.

Working with Newcastle City Council and Newcastle City Centre Committee, walkARTbout will showcase the talents of artists from all backgrounds such as printmaking, illustration, aerosol art and painting. As well as sustainable and non-obtrusive forms of street art such as fibre art, moss art, knitting, installations using recycled materials and more to revitalise inner city by actively engaging with the arts community.

Check out www.thisisnotart.org for further details.

Are you a design student who wants to represent Australia in an international competition?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ then enter now! Oil up your creative clogs for a chance to win both prize money and international recognition.

This year welcomes the second furoshiki contest specifically for university and vocational school students around the world who are the designers of the future. There is a grand prize and other prizes up for offer, so you’ve gotta be in it to win it!

For more details please go to: furoshiki.jpf-sydney.net

They weren't in love but that didn't really matter

Ever wanted to live a dog’s life? Husband and wife artist duo Gillie and Marc Schattner hope to bring out the animal in all of us at their new solo exhibition Returning to the Animal Within, on show from 7 – 21st October at the Nexus Modern Art Gallery in Melbourne.

This new exhibition presents over 20 paintings and fibreglass sculptures encouraging audiences to rediscover the simple things in life through the humanised perspective of a dog. Gillie and Marc suggest we start thinking like a dog, switch off our Twitter feed, have a roll in the grass, or have sex with someone we like, and honour the spirit of the dog to show us a better way of being human. 

Returning to the Animal Within
Gillie and Marc Schattner
Nexus Modern Art Gallery, 7 – 21 October 2010.
123 Cecil St, South Melbourne.
www.gillieandmarc.com

At The Vanishing Point Inc – supported by Marrickville Council – presents the fourth annual Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize (MCAP’10) at Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Camperdown, as part of The Sydney Fringe Festival 2010.

40 contemporary visual artists, representing one of Australia’s largest and most vibrant artistic communities have been selected, with a showcase of creative diversity and artistic excellence in the MCAP’10 finalists exhibition. 

Artworks across a wide spectrum of contemporary mediums are in the running for the MCAP’10 award. The eminent judging panel – Deborah Kelly (contemporary artist), Djon Mundine OAM (Aboriginal curator, contemporary art) and Melanie Oliver (Assistant curator, Artspace, Sydney) – have the tough choice of selecting the MCAP’10 award recipient, to be presented during the exhibition launch, Friday 3^rd September, 6-9pm at Chrissie Cotter Gallery 

This year, the MCAP winner will receive $3000 and a fully supported major solo exhibition at Newtown’s ATVP during next year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, bringing the prize value to over $5000.

 “The idea for the additional exhibition on top of the cash award is for ATVP to enter into an extended supportive relationship with the winning artist, to provide an opportunity for the artist to further develop their professional practice whilst allowing the community to have an opportunity to experience the artist’s work in a full gallery exhibition.” Brendan Penzer

The public get their chance to cast their votes in the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced at Artist Talks sessions at Chrissie Cotter Gallery on Sunday 19 September from 2-4pm. This is a great chance to meet the artists and talk with them about the artworks on show.

Chrissie Cotter Gallery (CCG)
Pidcock Street Camperdown
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
FREE ENTRY, ALL WELCOME

3-19 September 
Award presentation and exhibition launch Friday 3 September, 6-9pm
Opening performances by Christian Punch

MCAP’10 Finalist Artists:

Adam Hill, Anne Kwasner, Anthony Bartok, April White, Barbara Licha, Billie Crellin, Billie Rose Prichard, Catriona Secker, Court Williams, Danielle Bluff, Elisa Trunzo, Ganbold Lundaa, Gemma Messih. Geoff Levitus, Georgina Pollard, Goran Tomic, James Gatt, Jessica Geron, Kate Mackay, Kirsten T Smith, Kristine McCarroll, Kurt Sorensen, Kylie Hoy, Margaret Carey, Michael Garbutt, Muzi Li, Nicole Barakat, Peter Fyfe, Peter McGuiness, Rachael Everitt, Rachael Freeman, Rod Chilmaid, Sarah Nolan, Sarah Versitano, Shane Brazier, Susannah Williams, Take T Yusuke, Tim Andrew, Yvonne Levenston, Zanny Begg.

I am very excited to announce that i am having my first solo art show & would love for you to come!
With Love… opens on October 6th, at World Bar {24 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, Sydney} and starts at 8pm.
I will be having new works on display on the night, and all prints will be available for sale.
I would love to see you there…

www..facebook.com/sugarsweetdreams
www.kirbee.net

Just as every great city is unique, so too are the new Melbourne Design Awards, the first city of the City Design Awards project, created in partnership with the Design Institute of Australia: with cities New York, Paris, Stockholm and Beijing to follow.

While entries to the Awards are open globally, each Awards event will celebrate and honour the unique design culture and identity of the city in which it is held – from the great cultural and design centres of the world to exciting, vibrant emerging hubs of technology and design.

The aim of the City Design Awards is, of course, to celebrate those who produce excellence and innovation in design across a broad range of categories from products and furnishings to architecture, interiors, landscape design, graphic design, fashion, photography and digital design. Importantly, however, the Awards also honour those who support and underpin the design industry, including educational institutions, publications, manufacturers, retailers and design events.

The City Design Awards also aim to promote and encourage participation and conversation in all aspects of design through online voting and interaction. All entries will first be vetted by a panel of experts from the host city, then online voting will open to both the public and design industry peers. Finalists will then once again be reviewed by the expert panel with winners announced at a gala Awards Night.

Why start with Melbourne? Simply because this Australian city is one of the great style capitals of the world, but doesn’t shout about it. The multicultural city’s broad avenues, fine buildings and winding hidden laneways quietly contain some of the world’s finest fashion, shopping, dining and nightlife experiences – all with an individual, very Melbourne twist.

Get ready to prepare your entry or vote for your favourite entrants when the inaugural Melbourne Design Awards launch at melbournedesignawards.com.au on September 10!

Entries close on October 20. The winners will be announced at a gala Awards Night in Melbourne on December 2.  Keep up with all the news on the City Design Awards and become a follower at citydesignawards on Facebook and Twitter.

Whether you are fresh out of high school, or just embarking on a screen arts career, a freelancer or experienced practitioner, AFTRS – Australia’s national screen arts and broadcast School – has options available for the acquisition of relevant and up-to-date training and learning in all facets of film, television and radio.
 
With information sessions and booths for the Foundation Diploma, Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas, a radio studio drop-in zone, and opportunities to get a feel for the School’s state of the art facilities AFTRS Open Days are a must for any one who is seriously considering a career in film tv or radio.
 
Saturday September 4: 10am – 3pm
Sunday September 5: 10am – 3pm
 
AFTRS
The Entertainment Quarter
130 Bent Street
Moore Park 2021
 
Visit www.aftrs.edu.au/opendays for more information & directions

An Exhibition of Christopher Nielsens work at Clemenger BBDO, read all about it here: chrisillo.blogspot.com