Nine things to do around Canberra this weekend (12–14 July)

There is no need to hibernate this weekend. Wintervention continues in Civic Square, Questacon is celebrating Mid-Winter Nights with science shows stargazing, and glowing food, Sound and Fury are hosting a performance art party in NewActon this Saturday night, and Warm Trees continues at the National Arboretum. Celebrate NAIDOC week at the NAIDOC in the North festival in Gungahlin’s Town Square this Saturday or by watching a documentary about an inspirational Aboriginal figure at the National Film and Sound Archives’ Inspiring Voices program. There is some quality children’s theatre on this weekend with the Street Theatre presenting a production of Roald Dahl’s The Twits, and the Canberra Theatre presenting a theatrical adaption of Oscar Wilde’s The Young King. But if you must hibernate, why not curl up with a good book purchased from the Lifeline Bookfair?

All weekend

Lifeline Bookfair

Where: Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium
When: Friday 9 am–6 pm, Saturday 9 am–5 pm and Sunday 10 am–4 pm
Lifeline is having another of its southside Bookfairs this weekend with books, magazines, games, jigsaws, comics, maps, sheet music, records, CDs and DVDs for sale. Bookfairs are Lifeline Canberra’s biggest fundraising events, raising most of the money needed to run Canberra’s crisis support phone service. Doors open 9 am Friday and entry is by gold coin donation. More details here.

Mid-winter nights

Where: Questacon
When: Friday & Saturday 5:30–9 pm
Questacon is opening after dark these school holidays with a space-themed winter festival. Questacon’s eight galleries will be open and there will be activities outside as well. Dance under a 7-metre moon, gaze at the stars, create a spacecraft and dine in a glowing food court. Glow with fluorescent face paints, eat flashing fairy floss and throw glowing snowballs at your family. Be entertained by performers from the Warehouse Circus, a live DJ and the BOC Liquid Nitrogen Show at 6 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm. More details here. Tickets are $17.50 for adults, $12.50 for concession and kids under 16 and kids under 4 are free. Book here or buy tickets at the door.

The Twits

Where: The Street Theatre
When: Friday 11 am & 6:30 pm and Saturday 10 am & 2 pm
Freemantle’s Spare Parts Theatre is in town this weekend with its irreverent production of Roald Dahl’s The Twits. Mr and Mrs Twit spend their days playing nasty tricks on each other. Mrs Twit puts worms in Mr Twit’s spaghetti and Mr Twit convinces Mrs Twit she has the dreaded shrinks! Insults fly left, right and centre and a tag game of revenge and out-trickery never ends. This production features high energy puppetry and physical theatre. Tickets are $25 for adults and $19 for concession, book here.

Wintervention

Where: Civic Square
When: Friday & Saturday 10 am–10 pm & Sunday 10 am–8 pm
Wintervention, Canberra’s Winter Festival continues this weekend. It has an open-air ice skating rink, a life-size snow globe, live entertainment on weekends including the Stars on Ice show (2:45 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 6:45 pm on Friday and Saturday) and hot food and drinks for purchase. Skating costs $20 for adults, $15 for children 5–14 years old and $10 for children under 5 and sessions last 45 minutes, book here.

The Young King

Where: Courtyard Studio
When: Friday 2 pm and Saturday 11 am & 2 pm
The Young King is a short story by Oscar Wilde first published in 1891. It tells the story of a boy who is raised as a peasant but turns out to be the grandson of the Old King. On his deathbed, the Old King acknowledges the boy is his heir. When the boy first becomes the Young King he loves his newfound power and wealth and constantly thinks about the gold cloak and ruby-studded crown that he will wear on his coronation day and pearl-studded sceptre that he will carry. But on the night before his coronation, the Young King has three bad dreams in which he understands the mistreatment subjected to the people who made his cloak, crown and sceptre. In the morning the Young King must decide what sort of king he will be. Adelaide children’s theatre company, Slingsby brings this tale to the stage in a production designed to entertain adults and kids alike. Arrive early to join in pre-performance activities. Tickets are $35 for adults and $29 for concession, book here.

Saturday

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Where: National Film and Sound Archive
When: 10:30 am
As part of its school holiday program—eight decades of classic kids films—the National Film and Sound Archive is screening the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder and directed by Mel Stuart. Tickets are $10, book here.

NADIOC in the North

Where: Gungahlin Town Square
When: 11 am–2 pm
Catch the light rail to Belconnen Arts Centre’s NADIOC in the North festival this Saturday. Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through songs, stories, dance, art and performance. Enjoy live performances by the Wiradjuri Echoes, the Monica Moore Trio, Jonny Huckle and Jye Cole Hopkins. Join in a weaving circle or a workshop to create soft sculptures, learn about the traditional uses of plants, sit around the campfire and eat damper, and listen to stories told by Larry Brandy and Story Stones in the Gungahlin Library. The festival is a free family-friendly event with plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained including stone painting and face painting by Yarrudhammarra Creations. Check out the event schedule and get more details about the festival here.

Sound and Fury

Where: Makeshift, NewActon
When: From 8 pm
Sound and Fury turns performance art into a party. Curated by Chenoeh Miller from Little Dove Theatre, this event features music, dance, performance art and theatre performed on a stage, on a bar, and in a little back room. After an acclaimed season at 2018 NZ Fringe and a sell-out event at Art, Not Apart earlier this year, Sound and Fury is back to warm up your winter blues. Tickets are $35 + bf if you book online or $45 on the night if there are any left. Book here.

Sunday

Ella

Where: National Film and Sound Archive
When: 2 pm
The National Film and Sound Archive is celebrating NAIDOC Week by screening two films about inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander figures in its Inspiring Voices program. On Friday night the NFSA is screening The Final Quarter, a documentary by Ian Darling about AFL footballer Adam Goodes. Unfortunately, this screening has already sold out. But tickets are still available for the Sunday afternoon screening of Ella, a documentary by Douglas Watkin about Ella Havelka, a dancer from Dubbo and a descendant of the Wiradjuri people who in 2012 became the first Aboriginal dancer to join the Australian Ballet. The screening of this documentary will be followed by a Q&A with Ella and Douglas. Tickets are $10, book here.

Original Article published by Zoe Pleasants on The RiotACT.