16 December 2011 – 12 February 2012
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer “Recorders” exhibition
Museum of Contemporary Art – Sydney

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s highly-interactive and complex digital artworks have attracted international acclaim. In keeping with the title Recorders, visitors will be encouraged to leave traces of themselves throughout the show, whether it is images of the contents of their pockets, questions they have long wanted answered, the sound of their voice or even their heartbeat! In fact, participation is required to bring the works to life.

For more information:
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer "Recorders"

7 February – 17 February 2012
Les 7 doigts de la main presents “La Vie”
Arts Centre – Melbourne

Death is a cabaret, my friend. Montreal based performance group Les 7 doigts de la main present “La Vie”, a story about insanity, sorrow, bad behaviour, pain, airplane accidents and romantic love gone terribly wrong – but it’s funny, joyful, and very sexy. La Vie takes place in a purgatory of the imagination, where the sinners try to tumble, juggle, climb, fly, sing or joke their way out of hell. A diabolical master of ceremonies presides over this twisted Judgement Day, and not even the audience is safe as he weighs their souls in his unforgiving hands. The unexpected, the hysterical and the surprisingly moving.

For more information and tickets:
http://7doigts.com/en/the-companyhttp://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=2798

8 February – April
Photo Exhibition of Canadian Geographic’s “Accessible Arctic”
Sofitel, Melbourne

This exhibition showcases a wealth of images of the Arctic that Canadian Geographic has accumulated since 1930. The extensive work of The Royal Canadian Geographic Society and The Canadian Museum of Nature in this region are clear reflections of how the North has always been at the very heart of Canadian identity. The Accessible Arctic brings the beauty of the North close to us as it speaks of its past and present, while also reminding us of the vast treasure that we hold in trust for future generations.

For more information:
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/australia-australie/highlights-faits/AccessibleArctic-Artique2011_bu.aspx?view=d

10-26 February 2012
Turtle Lab presents “The Drowning Girls”
Northcote Town Hall, Studio One - Melbourne

Theatre company Turtle Lab presents the Australian Premiere of “The Drowning Girls” by Canadian playwright Daniela Vlaskalic and director Paola Unger. The Drowning Girls is a true crime story, based on the infamous “Brides of the Baths” murders in Britain from 1912-1914. George Joseph Smith was an Edwardian bigamist and serial killer who targeted lonely, wealthy women. He courted them, married them and then promptly drowned them in their baths. This is the story of the last three women who fell in love with him; an investigation of how utterly vulnerable love makes us. While the events are removed from us by geography and time, the story is not unfamiliar. Domestic violence against women is a still a hidden problem in our communities. The Drowning Girls is a devastating tale told with gallows humour and graceful beauty.

For more information and tickets:
http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/events/opening-night-of-the-drowning-girls-by-daniela-vlaskalic

1-14 March 2012
Tafelmusik “The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres”

Canadian ensemble Tafelmusik take you on an epic space odyssey, performing exquisite period music from memory before stunning images from the Hubble deep space telescope. Combining music, photography and story-telling, The Galileo Project brings to life the brilliant minds of the early astronomers and the music that inspired them, as a large-scale, ever-changing backdrop of stars and planets unfolds. The group's 17 musicians perform music by Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Bach and others.
Tafelmusik will be touring Australia and taking part in both the Adelaide Festival (2-18 March 2012) and the Perth Festival (10 Feb – 3 March 2012)
Perth Thurs 1 March, 7.30pm
Melbourne Sat 3 March, 8pm & Tues 6 March, 7pm
Sydney Mon 5 March, 7pm & Sat 10 March, 2pm
Canberra Thurs 8 March, 7pm
Adelaide Sun 11 March, 5pm (non subscription concert) & Mon 12 March, 7.30pm
BrisbaneWed 14 March

For more information and tickets:
http://www.musicaviva.com.au/whatson/international-concert-season-2012/artists-touring/tafelmusik

16-18 March 2012
Blue Mountains Music Festival
Katoomba

The annual Blue Mountains Music Festival presents a diverse range of folk, blues and roots artists, both seasoned campaigners and emerging talents. The festival is held over three days and aims to provide performance opportunities for local and international artists.
Canadian artists include internationally renowned fiddler, singer, songwriter and stepdancer April Verch as well as Harry Manx, dubbed an “essential link” between the music of East and West for his musical short stories that web the tradition of the Blues with the depth of classical Indian ragas.

For more information and tickets:
www.bmff.org.au

 

 

 

3-8 March 2012
Adelaide Writers’ Week
Pioneer Women's Memorial Gardens, Adelaide

Adelaide Writers’ Week is a traditional event of the Adelaide Festival. It is a celebration of words, one that promises to surprise, delight, challenge and entertain, bringing some of the world’s finest minds to Adelaide for a week of discussion and debate. Readers from across the cultural spectrum hear writers discuss fiction, history, biography, religion, economics, culture, the environment, food, film, comics, poetry and picture books.
The Writers’ Week will be attended by three Canadian fiction writers, including novelist Miguel Syjuco, Toronto’s poet laureate Dionne Brand, and Newfoundland’s Michael Crummie.

For more information:
http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/2012/writers_week/authors