Eight things to do things around Canberra this weekend (9–11 August)

Events to broaden your perspective this weekend. It’s National Science Week and the Canberra program kicks off at the Science Dome this Saturday with a day and night of InterACTive Science. The ever-popular Lego Brick Expo is back at the Hellenic Club all weekend. QL2 Dance’s annual Playhouse season is on at the Canberra Theatre. This year’s production is called Filling the Space and the dancers and choreographers are challenging their audience to see things from a different perspective. Also at the Canberra Theatre, performance artist Betty Grumble will be challenging more than your perspective with her show Love & Anger this Friday. Half of the top-ten films, as chosen by the audience, from last weekend’s Stronger than Fiction film festival are showing at Dendy. AFL returns to Manuka Oval this Friday night, and Paperchain in Manuka is celebrating Love Your Bookshop Day this Saturday with storytime, book signings, competitions and activities all day.

All weekend

Brick Expo

Where: Hellenic Club, Woden
When: Saturday & Sunday 9 am–4:30 pm
The Brick Expo is back for another year at the Woden Hellenic Club this weekend. Enjoy amazing Lego models and installations created by local and interstate collectors and modellers, including Master Lego builders Henry and Bilsy. The Expo will feature hundreds of static, moving and robotic models of trains, planes, space ships, racing cars, monuments and sculptures and, of course, Star Wars! Tickets are $8 for kids (aged 4–14) and concession and $15 for adults (aged 15+). There are also family tickets available, $31 for 1 adult and 3 kids, $38 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Book here. If you are interested in checking out the Expo without the crowds and the kids, perhaps consider the over-18s Cocktail Party on Saturday evening 7–9 pm. Enjoy food, drinks and music while viewing the models. Tickets are $60, book here.

Six short plays from the series of Coarse Acting

Where: Theatre 3
When: Friday 8 pm, Saturday 2 pm & 8 pm
The Art of Coarse Acting is a classic book about amateur theatre written by Micheal Green in 1964. In it, Green describes a coarse actor as “one who can remember his lines, but not the order in which they come. An amateur. One who performs in Church Halls. Often the scenery will fall down.” Canberra Rep, moonlighting as the Poon River Players, is presenting six short plays to showcase their coarse acting—Pride at Southanger Park by Rupert Bean, Streuth, A Collier’s Tuesday Tea, Trapped and Stalag 69 by Michael Green and Present Slaughter by Jane Dewey. Directed by Chris Baldock, expect missed cues, ham acting and much chaos and mayhem! Tickets are $45 for adults, $38 for concession and $20 for under 30s, book here.

Filling the Space

Where: The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre
When: Friday 7 pm, Saturday 2 pm & 7 pm
The annual Playhouse season of local youth contemporary dance company, QL2 is on this weekend. The company will present three original dance works created by choreographers Eliza Sanders, James Batchelor and Ruth Osborne, who is QL2’s Artistic Director. The works that comprise Filling the Space explore different perspectives on space—the potential space presents, how we fill it, empty it and use it. QL2’s Playhouse Season is always innovative, well-executed and highly engaging and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Tickets are $35 for adults, $28 for under 27s, $23 for pensioners and $15 for kids under 15, book here.

Stronger than Fiction

Where: Dendy Cinemas
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
The Stronger than Fiction film festival continues this weekend and next weekend with encore performances of the audience’s top ten favourite films from the festival. If you missed out on seeing something last weekend, this is your chance to catch it. The program this weekend is:

• Shooting the Mafia—6 pm Friday
• In My Blood it Runs—8 pm Friday
• Biggest Little Farm—4 pm Saturday
• Midnight Family—8 pm Saturday
• Midnight Traveller—4 pm Sunday

Tickets are $19.50 for adults, $16 for concession, $14.50 for students, $14 for children and $13.50 for seniors. Book here.

Friday

AFL—Giants vs Hawthorn

Where: Manuka Oval
When: Gates open 6:40 pm, game starts 7:50 pm
The Giants are playing at Manuka Oval this Saturday night for the last time this season, against Hawthorn. There will be family entertainment before the game including a Fan Zone and inflatables and an opportunity to enjoy kick-to-kick after the game. Tickets from $10, book here.

Betty Grumble’s Love & Anger

Where: Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre
When: 8 pm
Betty Grumble, aka performance artist Emma Maye Gibson, is bringing her acclaimed show Love & Anger to Canberra this Friday night. By all accounts, it’s not for the faint-hearted. Her show includes cabaret, comedy, political pep talks, strip and maybe even some showgurl poo! It is a womanifesto, an eco-sexually charged protest party and disco. Local performer Chris Endrey is the support act. Tickets are $35 for adults or $28 for students, book here.

Saturday

InterACTive Science

Where: The Shine Dome, ANU
When: 1–5 pm & 6–9 pm
InterACTive Science is a fun family event featuring weird and wonderful science to inform and entertain all ages. There will be public talks, hands-on activities, live performers, science stalls and food trucks. Then after the sun goes down enjoy InterACTive Science After Dark with science content targeted at an adult audience and a bar selling drinks. Again there will be public talks, hands-on activities, live performers and food.

Love Your Bookshop Day

Where: Paperchain Bookshop
When: 11 am–9 pm
Paperchain in Manuka is celebrating Love Your Bookshop Day this Saturday. Author Shelly Unwin will be in the store at 11 am for story-time reading her books Blast Off! and There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book. At 12 pm authors Lisa Cassidy, Jack Heath and Penelope Handley will be in the store signing their books. At 2 pm there will be a YA book club with book reviewer and blogger Clarie Eva Reads—bring your favourite YA book and join in the discussion. Then to finish the day at 3 pm and 5 pm the Cosy Reading Book Club will have their monthly book club. As well as these events, all through the day you will be able to enter Paperchain’s costume competition—dress up as your favourite book character for the chance to win a $25 gift voucher—and book lovers raffle. You will also be able to vote for your favourite book by placing a donation in a jar. All proceeds will go to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Original Article published by Zoe Pleasants on The RiotACT.