Art Express 2017 - a refuge from the rain

Art Express at the Art Gallery of NSW has turned into one of our yearly day adventures. An inspiring day for children (and adults) of all ages that continues the conversation of art well after leaving.

Art Express 2017 
until the 23 April
Art Gallery of NSW

Friday Finds

+ Pop up ice skating in the city and Bondi may have ended but you can skate seven day a week at The Ice Zoo
+ Melbourne Writers' Festival children and teen program looks wonderful. Love the podcasting workshop
+ Your teen may be find their voice at the Australian Poetry Slam
+ We love this Tokyo time-lapse / Tokyo is an amazing city to visit with your kids
+ Tracks - A pop up program of events for young writers
+ My teen is at Splendour in the Grass this weekend - but they also cater for the little ones.

Australian National Maritime Museum - Wildlife Photographer of the Year

images by Mischa

This week over the school holidays I took my two youngest children (15, 12) on an adventure. An adventure like we used to do when they were younger. I didn’t tell them where we were headed just to take their cameras.

As we approached the Maritime Museum they were little apprehensive. They had been before there when they were younger and saw no sense in going again.

We were stamped at the front counter, which gave us access to the whole museum – boats and all. With our map in hand our first stop was the submarine (which is quite an experience, imagining people working and living within the space), we then hit up the HMAS Vampire and the HMB Endeavour. The submarine was our favourite.

Inside the museum we wandered through the regular exhibitions heading towards the main purpose of our visit – to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, this beautiful exhibition showcases the most amazing photographs from around the world. The kids are into photography at the moment and I knew they would appreciate the skill it takes to capture rare natural moments on film. It was also an opportunity for us to view parts of the world that are rarely seen.
  

Australian National Maritime Museum
Darling Harbour, Sydney

Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition runs until the 16th  October 2016 

Numerical Street Exhibition | 18 Feb - 1 March 2016

Sydney Film Festival 2015 | Children and Family

This morning the 2015 Sydney Film Festival announced a preview of  27 films and 10 documentaries featuring in their 62nd film festival (the full program will be announced on the 6 May at 11am). We are very excited that also revealed is the addition of an enhanced family/kids program. The family films announced in the preview include The Crow's Egg from India and Songs of the Sea from Ireland.

The festival is a wonderful opportunity to introduce your children to films that wouldn't normally make it the cinema in Australia and to also open the door to how other children live around the world.

We are looking forward to the full program announcement in May!

  
The Crow's Egg

• Director M. Manikandan
• Original title Kaakkaa Muttai
• Country India

Dubbed the next 'Slumdog Millionaire', this funny and charming film from South India is for both adults and older kids. Two mischievous and resourceful brothers living in poverty in a Chennai slum see an ad for pizza and become determined to taste this magical food for the very first time, setting off an adventure full of both triumphs and setbacks.

Songs of the Sea

• Director Tomm Moore
• Country Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Denmark
  
  This enchanting treat for families is inspired by Ireland's rich Celtic folklore. Ben and his fairy-like sister, Saoirse, live on a rocky island, where seals bob up to inspect their every activity. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year's Oscars, this legend-inspired tale is chock-full of glorious imagery, captivating critters and lilting Gaelic music.

Sydney Film Festival
June 3 - 14 June 2015

Art Month Sydney | Youth and Families

Last night we attended the opening evening of Art Month Sydney 2015 at the National Art School. The family program is full of architecture, photography and art experiences for your young ones. It is also wonderful to branch out the family program for older children.

Art Month Sydney - March 2015
various venues

The Australian Ballet | The Nutcracker

Last week my daughter (13) and I went along to our first ballet and we were delighted that is was a dress rehearsal for  The Australian Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. The dress rehearsal was a wonderful insight into the energy and commitment that it takes to pull off the perfection that flows on stage from opening night.

The Nutcracker is a beautiful Christmas story set on Christmas Eve where the audience joins Claire on her adventures in a world conjured up by the magician, Drosselmeyer.

The evening ended with French lemon and sugar crepes from the Sarazine food truck.

Perfect!

Wizard of Oz 3D | IMAX Darling Harbour | Giveaway

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz -  IMAX Darling harbour will be presenting this family classic in 3D. We love revisiting classics on the big screen and this will be one that will be catching over the school holidays.

CLOSED Our friends at IMAX have given us two family passes (2 adults and 2 Children) to giveaway to their Dec 7th (10.30am) screening. For your chance email info@artsrocket.org before 3 Dec and tell us who is you fav Wizard of Oz character/s and why - ours are the lolly pop kids.  (winners will be notified by email - other details)

Kids in the Garden - Butterflies, birds and planting peas

We asked Sarah from Grow Eat Enjoy for some tips on how to get creative outside over the school holidays........

Ok, so we’re nearly through the first week of school holidays, the weather is great, hopefully your children are too and I’m sure we’re all having fun.  But there’s another whole week to go so here’s some garden ideas to keep up your sleeves in case you find yourself lying in bed at night wondering how you’re going to fill another day.

Make butterflies out of used milk bottles. This is a little tricky to cut but a good tracing exercise if your kids haven’t fully mastered scissors yet.  Cut out the shape of a butterfly from the sides of your milk bottle.  When you have 5 or more you can thread them with fishing line and hang them in your garden.  They look sweet, flutter in the breeze and may even signal to cabbage moths that these plants are taken thus saving you that annoying task of picking caterpillars off your brassicas.

Make birds out of used milk bottles.  This is like a magic trick and children of 8 or over love it.  You can paint them afterwards and string them up in a similar way to the butterflies.  Instructions here.  Persist, with practise these get easier and better.

Plant peas.  Big seeds for little fingers.  Even if they sit on the surface they’ll still often germinate so hard to go wrong.  And they grow quick, and taste sweet.  You can eat the tips or wait for the pods.  You can even grow chick peas at this time of year which are a pretty alternative.  Soak your store bought chick peas in water and watch them sprout.  Plant them out or keep them in damp cotton wool and watch the plant unfold before your eyes.

If nothing else just get them outside observing.  Dig a hole, climb a tree, pick your neighbours rosemary, smell it, taste it, stick it in a jar of water and pretty soon it will sprout roots and you’ll have a rosemary of your own.

Grow Eat Enjoy 

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

It's been a while since we posted our Friday Finds - so we have added a few extra:

• Sydney Film Festival - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Cate Blanchett will also be at the screening to present the film.  Also don't go past catching My Neighbour Totoro on the big screen. We have listed all the films that are classified for under 18's to attend.
• BIG kids magazine are launching their latest issue at the MCA Zine fair this Sunday (25 May) - they are also running the Mother Artist Network forum.  We love the Zine fair - lots of inspiration for your kids to make their own zine.
• Michelle Schoeps will be hosting intimate cooking classes in her home. If follow Michelle's website - you would know that she makes the most beautiful and delicious organic meals for her kids. She is also interested in running a class for teens.
• The Way Out Festival for Children hits the Casula Powerhouse again -  this exciting event for families includes film, workshops and performances - all events are free but bookings are essential
• Arts classes for kids at Culture at Work in Pyrmont.  Their program generates curiosity, investigation, experimentation and ideas. They also run school holiday workshops.
• If you have children that love making their own movies -  they may be interested in AFTRS Trop Jr filmmaking week.
• Vivid lights up Sydney again - jump on public transport and make an evening out of it.
• Catch Captain Underpants this weekend at The Sydney Writers' Festival 
• The Violent Outbursts that Drew Me to You written by one of our favourite playwrights  - Finnegan Kruckenmeyer will be performed at Griffin Theatre this June/July - for teens.
• And one for  teens who love books - Penguin Teen Australia are touring PTA Live. Bookings are essential
• My kids are reading Cherub by Robert Muchamore (10), Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green (12) and Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (15 - almost 16)
• And it is ok if you want to do absolutely nothing this weekend - let your kids get bored! 

• This year we turned SEVEN! - take a look at our very first posts!  

Cai Guo-Qiang | Falling Back to Earth

Over the last weekend of the school holidays my youngest son (10) and I went to Brisbane to spend time with family. One of the highlights was our time at the Gallery of Modern Art to visit their exhibition of artist, Cai Guo - Qiang.

We were very lucky to be the first in to see the exhibition that morning and walking into the room of Heritage 2013 featuring 99 animals from around the world drinking from a single watering hole was exhilarating.

A large Eucalptyus tree which was earmarked for clearing for an urban development (Eucalyptus 2013) sits patiently as visitors explore its colours, shapes and textures.  Children (and adults) are invited to sit and draw. 

'By placing a tree in a gallery space, Cai references the Chinese literati tradition in which artists and poets would commune with nature to gain their moral and spirtual bearings, and represent the landscape as a reflection of their experiences and values.'

Head On 2006 (inspired by Berlin's turbulent history) allowed the children to walk amongst the pack of 99 wolves throwing themselves towards a large glass panel. 

My son and his cousins (8 and 11) spent over an hour within Cai Guo - Qiang's children's project Lets Create an exhibition with a boy named Cai. They created explosion events, gunpowder drawings, and built tress, boats and animals.

If you live in Brisbane do not miss this exciting exhibition and if you are interstate do whatever you can to visit.

Another must see when visiting the gallery is the  exhibition Everyday Magic which 'focuses on how the everyday - both material and situations - can be transformed into art'.

Cai Guo-Qiang | Falling Back to Earth

Gallery of Modern Art - Brisbane

until 11 May 2014

* Free admission for children 12 years and under

Alphabetical Sydney

I am always on the lookout for books that I can send to our family that reside interstate or overseas. Books I love the best are ones that portray our life in Sydney and Australia to be shared as bedtime stories - stories that keep far away cousins connected.

Alphabetical Sydney is a beautiful book to share with your own children, with Sydney visitors or family that live afar. The book is a collaboration architect/illustrator Antonia Pesenti and award-winning playwright Hilary Bell.

Jump on the local bus and travel to the many everyday wonders of Sydney with delightful verse and exquisite images.

This Christmas, copies of Alphabetical Sydney will be travelling to our family in Brisbane, Ireland and Canada.

Alphabetical Sydney

Booktopia

Antonia Pesenti and Hilary Bell

NewSouth Books

Images by Antonia Pesenti -  courtesy of NewSouth Books

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

• BEAMS art festival...wander through the lane ways of Chippendale for installations, workshops and music
• Thinktank workshops for tech crazy kids at Powerhouse 
• Teens - Zine making workshop with Vanessa Berry
• Last weekend we watched The Rocket  - kids gave it 10/10
• Relive the magic of early cinema with The Adventures of Prince Achmed
• Kid Contemporary at Contemporary  Sydney 

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

Visiting from Tokyo to play dress up - Photograph copyright Louise Hawson

Some fun finds this week -  Enjoy!

• New Conversations with Dumbo Feather for teens
• Explore Tokyo with Shoot Tokyo and Hello Sandwich
• or travel around the world at the Museum of Sydney with photographer Louise Hawson
• or discover some amazing places over at The Cool Hunter
• The GOMA in Queensland have the best online games for kids
• Super cool design workshops at Sydney Design 
• Inspire your kids with Amag - The architecture magazine for children 
• My children are reading Mary Shelly - Frankenstein (15),  R.J. Palacio - Wonder (11) and Emma Cameron - View from the 32nd Floor (9)

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

• Way Out Festival for children hits the Casula Powerhouse in July. Look out for  the giant Termite city made out of milk crates.
• Olafur Eliasson is back at The Sherman Gallery for lego mad kids
• Our holiday movie is going to be Satellite Boy
• Talking about movies - did you know that Palace Cinemas has a youth movie club - Scope - membership includes 1 free ticket on joining, $10 tickets and a free choc top on your birthday
• What my kids are reading at the moment - Once upon a slime, Chew on this - everything you don't want to know about fast food and My sister Jodie

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

image via http://www.ryojiikeda.com

• This installation looks unreal!!!!!!! Japanese audio-visual artist Ryoji Ikeda  at Carriageworks from the 7 June until 1 July.  Very excited about this one.
• Under 13, got big ideas - this your chance to take over Time Out Sydney and become Australia's youngest editor. 
• Love the $20 tickets at  Sydney Theatre Company - Suncorp Twenties. Family/youth performances coming up - Storm Boy, Romeo and Juliet and Laser Beak Man.
• Instagram fun.
• My Story - My Content - film competition open to students - "Why do I love movies" 

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

image via Sydney Theatre Company

It's been a while but Friday Finds are back! Film Festivals, Zines, some blocks and a pelican.

• The French Film Festival has some great kids flicks screening and thankfully most of the films outside the family strand are classified so if you have teens there is a wide selection
• Young at Heart  Film Festival has some great classics - my son loved American Graffiti so this is his chance to catch it on the big screen. Get the kids to take their grandparents to the cinema.
• MCA Zine Fair is back in March - great for kids of all ages - get them to make their own when you get home 
• Love these building blocks from Japan Found vis Kidlolly 
• and for later in August - Sydney Theatre Company with Barking Gecko Theatre will be presenting a production of Storm Boy - Ages 6+

Blaze - Sydney Opera House

image: Daniel Boud

Last night the kids and I went along to the Sydney Opera House for the performance of Blaze.  It was a beautiful evening so  we started  with a drink down at the Opera Bar before heading in.  At the Opera House lots of families mingled in the foyer before the start of the show.

Blaze consists of a dance crew of street and break dancers hailing from almost every corner of the world.  The show premiered in London and Sydney is one of the many stops in their international tour.

With our drinks and popcorn sorted, we walked into the Concert Hall to see  the  stage  was set with pairs of shoes spotlit waiting patiently for their owners. As the shoeless dancers appear the back curtain rises to reveal an amazing backdrop set made up  of drawers and cupboards (and a bathtub!)  piled up on top of each other...during the show some drawers opened to reveal and hide dancers, get climbed over and danced within and acts as a  screen for spectacular projected scenery without overshadowing the dancers.

The dancing blew us away, exciting and full of energy - and showcased how innovative street dance can be.  Everything worked in the performance, the dancers sharing their passion and the soundtrack keeping it together.  You can find out more about the dancers here: Blaze UK.

I was discussing recently with another Mum how I am finding it difficult to find performances that I can take all my children to - I have three children aged between 9 and 14.  Blaze kept every family member satisfied. We all loved it.

This isn't a show where all the action just happens on stage....it's an interaction with the audience. The crew encourage you to get your cameras out, to cheer along and if the mood strikes you -  to get up and dance.

By the end  everyone   in the audience was up dancing (there was a grandmother getting her dance moves on a few chairs over from us).  One lucky child got to go on stage and dance with the crew. After their last encore and  as the lights went up many audience members lingered a little bit longer in the hope the dancers would return on stage just one more time.

Extra: If you have kids that are into skateboarding - get them to bring their gear   to the  Blaze skate park  outside from 11am until 7pm. My eldest son is keen to go back to show off his skills.

Blaze runs until 20th Jan 2013 at Sydney Opera House.
All ages.

http://blaze.sydneyoperahouse.com/

Kids at the House 2013 - Sydney Opera House

I absolutely love it when a new season or program is announced for a theatre or festival.   Kids at the House 2013 season has just arrived for our selection pleasure.

What is on our list to see:
Horrible Histories - Awful Egyptians - Possibly one of the best TV shows out there for kids (and secretly for adults).  All my kids  are very excited about this performance.
When: 1st July - 14th July 2013 | Ages 6+

13 Storey Tree House - My youngest son is loving this new series by Andy Griffiths and fantastic to find out it will be looked after by Richard Tulloch (The book of Everything).
When: 21st Sept - 3rd Oct 2013 |

The Listies in 6D - The List Operators latest show about movies...these guys are amazing.
When: 16th - 28th April 2013 | Ages 5+

Miss Ophleia -  This performance looks intriguing..  and  based on the book Ophelia’s Shadow Theatre.
When:  27th - 28th July 2013 |

We are still looking through all the choices for 2013....for you to discover more on what is on offer visit: Kids at the House.

What is on your Kids at the House 2013 list to see?

To the Arctic 3D | IMAX Giveaway

This school holidays IMAX are screening the beautiful To the Arctic 3D narrated by Meryl Streep.  The film follows a mother Polar bear with her two young cubs up against the wild elements of the Arctic.  We have seen a few of the IMAX screenings that are filmed with 3D cinematography.  It is an amazing cinematic experience.

Our friends at IMAX have given us two family passes (2 adults 2 children) to give away to Arts Rocket readers.  To enter tell us in 25 words or less why your family would like to see To the Arctic 3D.
Email info@artsrocket.org  SUBJECT: To the Arctic 3D.  Entries close Saturday 22nd September 2012 and the winners will be notified by email.

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For more information on screening times visit: IMAX Darling Harbour 
To the Arctic 3D is rated G.