Issue 818

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The Scene - Local Entertainment News

• Local Gig Guide

Sculptor Off to the Old Dart

Daniel Clemmett with his work now at Thursday Plantation - heading to the UK for a residency.

Clunes-based sculptor Daniel Clemmett of Clunes has earned a prestigious residency at the Montgomery Sculpture Trust in Buckinghamshire, UK - the first non-European to gain this honour.

Daniel was chosen for the residency by the park's founder, Bryan Montgomery, Chairman of the World Trade Centre, following a recent visit to Australia. Daniel was chosen on the basis of his body of work in the permanent collection of Thursday Plantation, particularly 'Bonnet Ball' - a large-scale work that can be seen from the Pacific Highway just north of Ballina.

The award includes airfares, accommodation and a stipend for two months. Daniel heads to the UK in June and will create a work in recycled steel for the permanent collection of the Montgomery Sculpture Trust.

'I am very excited about being selected. I'm looking forward to engaging in all aspects of my involvement with the Trust, and making the most of this opportunity to develop my artistic practice', said Daniel.

Christopher Dean, Chairman of Thursday Plantation, was also delighted to see a local artist receive such recognition.

'When we established the Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show six years ago, it was to give better exposure to the wonderful sculptors we have in this region. Daniel's talent is outstanding and such international experience will add greatly to the depth of his creative work,' Christopher said.

Artists are currently invited to submit proposals for the seventh Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show. Entries close on Friday, June 7. Details are available at www.sculptureshow.net or phone 6686 7273.

Golding's High Flyers

Some of the cast members from Theatre Theatre Productions' Lord of the Flies, which is being performed at Lismore City Hall from today until Saturday.

Theatre Theatre Productions' latest masterpiece, Lord of the Flies, will be performed in Lismore from today until Saturday, with both a male and female cast taking on the gritty roles.

Adapted from William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, the stageplay was written in 1989 for the Royal Shakespeare Company - giving the cast members, aged 10 to 16, a real challenge.

The story is about a group of boys stranded on an island with no hope of rescue, the dynamics within the group, and how the different characters interact while trying to survive.

While the book only includes boys, director Angela Mitchell took on the challenge to do a gender study, so there are performances with both an all-male and an all-female cast.

'The show is a real tribute to the actors - they have been given difficult roles that have taken them on a journey so far away from who they really are, and yet they perform it brilliantly,' director, Angela Mitchell, said. 'I think it's also quite a journey for the audience seeing young people acting out these characters - they do it so realistically it can be a bit confronting. 'They have dedicated their time and energy to this play for nearly three months - they have put their heart and soul into it and the show reflects that. We're hoping the community will support these young people and we strongly encourage people to see both shows.'

Lord of the Flies with the male cast will be performed today and Saturday, May 9 and 11, while the female cast will perform tomorrow, May 10. The show is held at the Lismore City Hall, and all performances start at 7pm. Tickets are $15/12 or $10 if you see both shows.

Motoring Along

For mums who rock... Motorace play the Great Northern this Sunday.

Motorace bring their unique UK-influenced rock'n'roll back to the Great Northern for Mother's Day.

'Motorace has a trans-Atlantic sound. It's neither changing or progressing, but it does make people dance and feel good,' comments drummer Damien.

The four lads from Melbourne have played in Byron Bay once before, Motorace are back to showcase new material off their second album, which is due out later this year.

This is the first year Motorace haven't been constantly touring since they came together four years ago.

'The new album is really important to us. We spent more than three years on the road, it's important to get out there. This is our priority to showcase as much of the album as possible,' Damien said.

Motorace pump up the audience with their energetic Aussie rock show this Sunday, May 12. Tickets at the door, which opens at 9.30pm.

A Big Promise for Peace

Selling tickets for the film screening of Promises is Young and Powerful School students (l-r) Becki Burgess, Jay Sampson and Jessie McKeon.

As a special fundraiser, Young and Powerful School are presenting a film screening of the movie Promises in Lismore next Thursday and Friday, May 16-17.

The touching documentary film follows seven young children aged between nine and 13, both Israelis and Palestinians, and how the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict has impacted on their lives.

The film was co-directed by American journalist BZ Goldberg who, using his knowledge of the Hebrew and Arabic languages, spent fours years in Jerusalem forming close relationships with the children. The children talk candidly to Goldberg about their experiences growing up in such a volatile time, and provide a rare insight into their lives. The change as they get older is also explored, as the film's epilogue revisits them all two years later.

The result is a remarkably honest, intriguing, at times funny, and often heartbreaking film which was nominated for best documentary at this year's Academy Awards and was recently featured on 60 Minutes.

Promises will be screened at the Star Court Theatre from 7pm. Tickets are $11 from the Young and Powerful School ticket stall (which is in Magellan Street on Thursdays and at Lismore Shopping Square on Fridays, from 9am-2.30pm), as well as from Caddies, Noah's Arc and Pop Hair. The film will also be screened on Friday, May 24 at the Bangalow A&I Hall from 7pm, with tickets available from Caddies in Bangalow or the Byron Tourist Info Centre. For more information phone the school on 6624 7227.

Indigenous Author Lecture

Author Melissa Lucashenko, a Murri woman of mixed European and Bundjalung/Yugambeh descent, will present a free public lecture entitled 'The Spear of Black Writing' next Tuesday, May 14, at 12-1pm in lecture theatre Y204 at Southern Cross University's.

Presented by SCU's College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, the lecture is part of an ongoing series of public talks by prominent members of the Australian Indigenous community.

Brisbane-born Melissa Lucashenko's books include Steam Pigs, Killing Darcy and Hard Yards.

Steam Pigs won her the Dobbie Prize for Women's Fiction in 1998 and was shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Award for Fiction in 1999. while Hard Yards was short-listed for the Courier Mail Book of the Year 2000.

Channon Sunday

The Romaniacs are doing the rounds this Sunday, popping up for lunch at the Channon Tavern, then heading for the coast for a second gig at the Rails later in the afternoon. The group has electric violin legend, Cleis Pearce along as special guest at the Rails gig.

Dancing for Dosh

To help raise funds for a sprung dance floor at the Byron Community Centre and simultaneously celebrate Dance Week, Northern Rivers Dance Action is presenting a huge dance show, Dancing up the Floor: Little Feet Big Feet, this weekend.

The show comes in two sections. Little Feet is the first section, which includes performances by a variety of school-ages dance groups, either from schools or studios in the local area.

The second section, Big Feet, includes a huge array of performances by local and independent mature dance artists, in a variety of contemporary and world dance forms.

This will include everything from tango, African and salsa dance to Balinese dance, mime bellydance. Following the show on Sunday there will be a free forum with choreographers, with people welcome to ask questions about the performances or dance in general.

Big Feet will be performed this Saturday, May 11 from 7.30pm and on Sunday, May 12 from 5.30pm, with Little Feet performed on the Sunday at 4pm.

Tickets to Big Feet are $15/10, while Little Feet is $8/4. Both performances will be held at the Byron Bay High School hall.

To book tickets phone Soundwaves in Byron Bay on 6685 6762.

Live Poets

Lismore's favourite wordsmiths, the Live Poets, will hold their monthly gathering next Wednesday, May 15, at the Rous Hotel in Lismore from 8pm.

The show will feature two of Lismore's most popular performers - the enigmatic artist and singer Don Geddes and local poet Tanya Delys Mandorla, who recently released her third collection of poetry entitled Black Ash Butterflies.

As always, new writers are most welcome. For more information phone David on 6688 8294.

Roar of the Lyon

Concerts at Maggies continues next week with a performance by local jazz maestro Greg Lyon and some of his 'Friends' next Wednesday, May 15 at Maggie Moores from 8.30pm.

Greg will perform bass and vocals, while his friends include Kagiso Sobott on saxophone and vocals, Ben Thompson and guitar and vocals, Bob Howlett on organ and keys, regular jazz night performer James Cox on percussion and Scott Hills on drums.

The group will perform a unique strain of music, blending together the infectious rhythms of New Orleans funk with the more laidback style of Texas blues and grooves. The music pays homage to bands like the Neville Brothers and The Meters as well as Ray Charles and Louis Jordan. A great night of fine music that's fabulous for dancing. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Dance Hype

For something a little different on a Saturday night check out the Hype Dance Party, which brings together some of Australia's best DJ talent next Saturday night, May 18 at the Lismore Racecourse.

Presented by the Lismore Turf Club in conjunction with CJS Promotions, Transtec and Event Guardians, the dance party is designed to appeal to all people who love to dance, with a diversity of music styles to suit everyone's tastes. Heading the bill is DJ Tim Deans, who has played at dance raves across the globe and recently performed on the 2002 Warp Bros Tour.

Supporting artists include Craig Truslove, who has gained a massive following in Sydney courtesy of the Attitude Dance Parties, and Brisbane DJ Matt Steer, who does regular sets at The Beat in Brisbane. Three local DJs - Pop, Wallopalooza and Janome - will also be performing.

The party is being held on a 500 person all-weather dance floor and there will be some spectacular laser lighting throughout the night. Tickets are $15 adults/10 students (bring student card). The party kicks off at 8pm.

Artist Management

The Northern Rivers area has the largest concentration of artists in a regional area within Australia, as well as being home to many major arts events.

However, according to local artist and ABC radio presenter Nikki Fuda, to become a successful artist you need to be able to promote yourself and your work effectively to others.

To help local artists improve their own management skills Nikki is running a two-part workshop, Self-Management for Artists, at Adult Community Education in Lismore.

Nikki will take artists through the process of how to manage and promote themselves, access funding, look at training and artistic opportunities, networking and mentors.

Self-Management for Artists will run over two Fridays from 10am-2pm, starting from next Friday, May 17. The course will also be run in Byron Bay from May 22. Places are limited and the cost is $36. For bookings and more information phone 6621 3171.

Twin Talents Tour

The Topp Twins - 'New Zealand's finest artistic export since lamb cutlets' according to one critic - are returning to Lismore soon for another fantastic night of comedy and song. The Topp Twins unique combination of original music, character comedy, yodelling, audience participation and John Hopoate jokes won over a packed Lismore audience during their visit last year.

Spontaneity is a vital ingredient of the Topp Twins magic on stage and audience participation somewhat of a trademark. They have a knack of making you wish you were picked, stage-fright or not. Perhaps it is because of their maxim 'we send up rather than put down', that their 'guests' feel safe while unpredictable fun breaks loose on stage.

Over the last 12 months the ABC have screened a one-hour Topp Twins TV Special 'In Search of the Lonesome Yodel'.

The Topp Twins perform at the Lismore Workers Club next Friday, May 17. Tickets are available from the Club.

More Great Movies

The great films keep coming for Lismore cinemas, with Oscar winner Gosford Park opening today.

Set in 1932, with a great ensemble cast, Robert Altman's film is like an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery that takes place in a country mansion where the rigid British class system prevails.

The guests are arriving at the home of the rich and bored Sir William (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) for a shooting party. A Hollywood film producer (Bob Balaban) is there to study the upper crust lifestyle for a movie. When a murder occurs, a dim detective (Stephen Fry) hunts several suspects.

The extraordinary cast includes Emily Watson, Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Richard E Grant and Dame Maggie Smith. It's a brilliant, beautifully written and acted drama.

Coming next week is The Shipping News, E Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Kevin Spacey plays Coyle, a battler who returns to his ancestral home on the Newfoundland coast following the death of his wife (Cate Blanchett). In this harsh landscape, he lands a job as a reporter for the local paper and begins to discover dark family secrets, as well as finding love with a single mother (Julianne Moore) who has a few secrets of her own.

Local Gig Guide