One of Sydney’s favourite pubs, the Friend in Hand, hosts life drawing every Monday! In case you didn’t know.

It’s $15, a lot of fun, and you get to hang out with their resident Cockatoo. It’s a pretty great deal!

WHO: The Friend in Hand Hotel
WHAT: Life Drawing
WHERE: The Friend in Hand Hotel
WHEN: 6:30pm
HOW MUCH: $15

An exhibition of works by Sydney based artist Amaya Lang and Tasmanian artist Sheila Alati that takes a look at our bodily insides. 

Through sculpture and experiments with drafting film, Lang and Alati explore the fluctuating, unpredictable and messy states which exist beneath our skin.

WHO: Amaya Lang and Sheila Alati
WHAT: Exhibition Opening
WHERE: Kudos Gallery
WHEN: 5-7pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Image: Daily Mass Amaya Lang

Belvior Theatre’s new production ‘The Blind Giant is Dancing‘ is the tale of how power corrupts. A story that could not be more relevant to the times today with Bronwyn Bishop and Barry O’Farrel making and breaking political headlines.

The performance features Yale Stone from Orange is the New Black and her Husband on set and IRL!

WHO: Belvoir Theatre Company
WHAT: Theatre
WHERE: 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
WHEN: Check Times
HOW MUCH: $47 – $72 More info here

All My Love tells the juicy long lost love story between Henry Lawson (from the $5 note) and literary icon and radical feminist Mary Gilmore.

Following the intense family drama that you can only really get from the history.

WHO: Anne Brooksbank
WHAT: Theatre
WHERE: Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
WHEN: 8 pm
HOW MUCH: $35 – $44 More info here

ALASKA Projects opens it’s new space in a disused car rental agency on William Street, Darlinghurst.

Kicking off their new space ALASKA are holding an exhibition titled Permanent Vacation which showcases work from some pretty high quality artists including Samuel Hodge, Catherine Clayton Smith and Marian Tubbs.

WHO: ALASKA Projects
WHAT: Exhibition Opening
WHERE: Alaska Projects William Street
WHEN: 6pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Pioneered and powered by gay and trans people of colour, Vogue is a style of dance and a cultural movement that has slowly made it’s way into popular culture across the world, championed here in Sydney through the artistic practice of superstar angel Bhenji Ra. 

Groove Therapy is running a three week vogue masterclass at 107 projects where you can learn from the celestial Bhenji Ra themselves.

The class is set up for absolute beginners so everyone is welcome to have a go.

WHO: Groove Therapy and Bhenji Ra
WHAT: Dance class
WHERE: 107 Projects
WHEN: 9:15-10:30pm
HOW MUCH: $75. More info here

William Yang is one of Australia’s great storytellers. He’s been working for the past 40 years – his photographs, handwritten anecdotes and live, slide projection performances share his journey to self-acceptance as a gay Chinese Australian. From the explosive sexual expression and social politics that he captured in the 80s, during the emergence of Sydney’s gay community, to his later images that trace an intimate search for understanding about his Chinese heritage and family, this exhibition at Stills will showcase some of Yang’s most celebrated photography.

WHO: William Yang

WHAT: Exhibition opening: Stories of Love and Death

WHERE:  Still Gallery Paddington

WHEN: Tomorrow 18th Feb – 5th March

HOW MUCH: free

From the fervid mind of one of Sydney’s most prolific activist/artists, Peter Strong, Do it Ourselves Culture is a documentary film project that charts Sydney’s colourful protest and party scene, from its embryonic beginnings in the early 90s right up to the present. An exposition of alternative culture, this project is a riotous recollection of how it went down; from the doof scene and the explosion of electronic music – a pulse for the whole movement – to the advent of the internet, Reclaim the Streets, and our current political disenfranchisement, which is increasingly encouraging people to protest – it is all featured.  And obviously all very relevant in light of the Keep Sydney Open protest on Sunday.

WHAT: Encore Screening – Do It Ourselves Culture

WHERE: Newtown Dendy

WHEN: 6:30pm

HOW MUCH: $20 general admission

Gaffa Gallery opens it’s February 18th – 29th exhibition program with four contrasting shows. 

The exhibitions this time around include paintings of white on white, political histories of spaces in Sydney, studies of public toilets and a showcase of recent art school graduates.

WHO: TYP-TOP, Brownwen Williams, Lauren Morehouse, Alex Wright, Caroline McGregor, Heath McCalmon-Parkinson, Hiroo Shinozuka, Justyna Stanczew, Katya Petetskaya, Akira & Nathan Lasker, Danica Firulovic
WHAT: Exhibition Opening
WHERE: Gaffa Gallery
WHEN: 6pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Julie Rrap has been one of the leading figures in Australian contemporary art for a number of decades now, you might have seen some of her previous video works such as 360° Self Portrait which was exhibited at the MCA for quite a while. 

Rrap currently has a solo show running at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington which if her past work is anything to go by, should be pretty amazing. 

WHO: Julie Rrap
WHAT: Exhibition
WHERE: Roslyn Oxley9
WHEN: 10am-6pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Sydney-based startup The New Kid will be hosting an exclusive screening, and the Australian premiere, of The Empowerment Project – a 99 minute documentary that follows 17 women from across a variety of different industries ranging from a Social Entrepreneur to an Astronaut, as they drive 7000 miles from LA to New York to inspire the next generation of strong women to go after their career ambitions.

WHAT: Film Screening – The Empowerment Project

WHEN: Friday 19 February 6pm – 9pm. 

WHERE: aMBUSH Gallery, Level 3 Central Park, Chippendale

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $35 (excluding booking fee) and include wine & beer– strictly limited amount of tickets – for tickets head to Eventbrite and search for ‘The Empowerment Project’, or visit The New Kid’s website www.thenewkid.com.au (details are on the homepage)

Five women at different stages in their artistic careers talk about how they have managed and succeeded in their creative endeavours. 

Specifically they will be focussing on topics such as tackling impostor syndrome and the importance of collaboration. 

After the talks there will be a quick round of creative network speed-dating.

WHO: Dr Natalya Hughes, Laura Bannister, Clare Holland, Tahjee Moar, Jess Scully.
WHAT: Talks, questions and speed-dating.
WHERE: Verge Gallery
WHEN: 1pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Over thirty local artists and designers bring out their products for sale at the Vic on the Park hotel.

Head down for a peek and a drink and maybe even a unique purchase!

WHO: 30 local artists and designers.
WHAT: Markets.
WHERE: Vic on the Park
WHEN: 11am – 4pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Image: Terrarium by Cosmia from Thorn & Green

To finish up your week of cultural goodness, you might be interested in attending the Keep Sydney Open Rally.

The rally is being held in opposition to the laws and regulations which currently make it challenging for cultural producers and creative practitioners to conduct their work and continue making Sydney an interesting place with strong creative communities.

There will be speeches followed by a march throughout the city. Keep Sydney Open encourages attendees to check out some of the other great events happening that day after the rally, including Super OpenAir and Fair Day.

WHO: Keep Sydney Open
WHAT: Rally to protect Sydney’s night time culture.
WHERE: Belmore Park
WHEN: 12:30pm
HOW MUCH: FREE. More info here

Two Up talks is an unconventional kind of talk series that is all about learning for fun and not taking itself too seriously. Soak up some knowledge you never expected to know.

This week you can discover what it is to be a Paramedic or try and demystify the 2016 US Presidential Elections.

WHO: Dougal Robinson and Janelle White
WHAT: Two Up Talk Series: Round 8
WHEN: 6.30 pm
WHERE: 107 Projects, Redfern
HOW MUCH: $10 – buy tickets