Culture Guide: March 28 – April 3

March 28th 2022
Emerging Filmmaking Talent

Fishhead

“An alienated teen on the cusp of womanhood must find solace in an alternate coming of age, where lines of gender dissolve by the surrounds of the sea.

This short was written during the time of the same-sex marriage debate in Australia and was born from wanting to explore the liminal space and subtitlies of sexual orientation and gender fluidity.

With Fish Head I wanted to explore these theme in a way that brought ‘the other’, the mythic and seemingly inconceivable to the forefront of the well worn coming-of-age tale. It’s an emotional, hormone infused time of rapid growth and development where exploration and self-discovery come as part of the package of a teenage body. When your body starts showing those tell-tale signs of transition, Fish Head poses the question of what if there’s an alternative?”

Stream Grace Tan’s moving short film here.

Photography Exhibition

Lillian's: A Photography Exhibition by The Lillian Howell Refuge

During lockdown, with the help of money raised by a GoFundMe, some of the residents have compiled a series of photos shot on phone and gifted film cameras to be exhibited to the public. The Lillian Howell Project is a women’s refuge in the Inner West for girls aged 13-17 who have been homeless due to family circumstances.’

For more details head here.
Group Exhibition

I will tell you my story

“Institutional art collections can be an archive of their past attitudes and future aspirations as well as a constellation of knowledges and times. As records of evolving tastes and values, collections are prone to inevitable gaps in knowledge, language and care.

“The exhibition considers how collections can be re-read in light of the present, challenged as an archive, and imagined anew. New commissions and loans by unrepresented artists bring new context to the UTS Art Collection, its history and future.”

Exhibition end this week, for more info, head here.

Academic seminar

About My Mother (And the Mother of Us All)

‘Welcome to the 2022 Gender/Sexuality/Culture Seminar Series, an initiative of the Gender Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. This year’s series will be launched with this online seminar from Professor Susan Stryker. In this presentation, trans studies scholar Susan Stryker speaks in a personal as well as analytical manner, in this historical moment of crisis, about the possibilities for psychical repair bound up for her in the concepts of the maternal and the transfeminine.”
The event will be streamed live, for more info, head here.
First Nations & Queer Fundraiser for the Northern Rivers

We Are Here

‘We Are Still Here A First Nations & Queer Fundraiser for the Northern Rivers  Join us for a night of art, music, performance and community with all funds raised going to directly support First Nations and Queer community responders to the devastating floods in the Northern Rivers. We have a stunning lineup of DJs, performers and artists generously donating their times, vibes and artworks already confirmed – more to be confirmed.’

For more info, head here, to buy tickets directly, click here.
Comedic Playwriting

Stay Woke

“Big brother Niv has gone vegan. He’s madly in love, he’s starting his own business, and seems to have finally found himself after years as the black sheep of the family. In an attempt to reconcile their differences, Niv invites golden child Sai and his new girlfriend Kate on a ski trip where they can put the past aside for the sake of family. But when party banter turns political, Kate stumbles into a minefield, and finds herself the focal point of an all-out war.”

Shows run Tuesday to Sunday, for details, head here. 

Independent Theatre

Lady Live Stream

“An unlikely literary phenomenon – a Chinese play written in English by Hsiung Shi-I. This new production flips tradition on its head – a fusion of theatre of East and West.

“SLANTED THEATRE has taken the Sydney theatre scene by storm since its first production in January 2021. Within the span of 9 months, we have presented the Australian premiere of Lauren Yee’s ‘Ching Chong Chinaman’, the Australian premiere of Ovidia Yu’s ‘Three Fat Virgins Unassembled’ in collaboration with KXT bAKEHOUSE, and multiple world premieres of short plays for Short+Sweet Sydney working with over 40 Asian theatre makers, including various directors, designers, and actors. Our aims are to work with Asian casts and crew, create relevant and interesting work, eliminate tokenistic casting, improve representation and to create conversation.”

There are several performances over the weekend, for more info, head here.

Contributor

Read more from Jadzea Allen