Mother Artist Network Forum | 25 May

Our friends over at BIG Kids magazine will be at this months MCA Zine Fair on the 25 May to host the Mother Artist Network forum and launch Issue 6 Patterns of Pathways. 

My date for the event will be  the very wonderful Wolfgang and Rose - hope to see you there!

"Artists and co-creators of BIG Kids Magazine Jo Pollitt and Lilly Blue will be hosting the first Mother Artist Network forum at the MCA. Joined by artists Emma Magenta and Emma Gale, the panel will explore the challenge and rich terrain of navigating motherhood with an ongoing professional art practice. The Mother Artist Network (MAN)) was launched in 2011 as a platform to provoke dialogue about creative practice and motherhood."

This event is free but bookings are advised.
For more information and to book:  http://www.mca.com.au/events/mother-artist-forum/8772

Sydney Festival 2010

Image by John McDermott

Sydney Festival 2010 tickets go on Sale Monday 9th Nov....The family strand of the festival seems to getting better every year. I also discovered some other performances within the program that are also family friendly.

One of the highlights of the festival is The Arrival based on the illustrated book by Shaun Tan, a universal migrant tale set in a fantastical time and place presented by The Red Leap Theatre, New Zealand.

"The Arrival has no actual dialogue and combines a highly physical cast with music, movement, puppetry and shadow play."

Where: CarriageWorks | Jan 10 at 5pm, Jan 11, 14, 16 at 7pm; Jan 13, 15 at 11am and 3pm; Jan 17 at 3pm

For booking details visit: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/artist/1380238?brand=sydneyfestival2010

Other family performances include:

Barely Contained at Darling Harbour | Circus Oz

Music Alive Zeeko |Latest ensemble from Musica Viva

One Small Step | Oxford Playhouse

I will also be taking the whole family to see The Manganiyar Seduction.

For a full list of family performances at the Sydney Festival 2010 visit www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Under Me Skin | Ivanhoe NSW

A collaboration between young people, multimedia artists and award winning Indigenous writer Gayle Kennedy is one of the outcomes of The Ivanhoe Chronicles, a two year multi-arts project by Outback Theatre for young People and Trax.

The 2009 presentation of Under Me Skin is just the first installment of the Ivanhoe Chronicles.   

The darkly comic tale of a boy who mysteriously disappears in a remote bush town, sparks a chain of events that even the children find incredible.

Saturday 22nd August

5:30pm exhibition | 6:30 performance | 7:30pm Post show discussion

The Old Servo 

Columbus Street 

Ivanhoe NSW

Tickets are free.

For more information contact Suzanne Hauser 0438 398 629

suzannehauser@outbcaktheatre.com

Blog: www.trax.org/outbackblog

Melbourne International Film Festival

Now a MIFF institution, the Next Gen program within the Melbourne International Film Festival provides stimulating films for younger generations of cinema viewers.
I felt the SFF this year had a disappointing range of family /childrens films within the program so it is refreshing to see a festival that encourages mature cinema for older children.

The festival presents an extensive range of international films for older children they may not ever get the chance to see.

Highlights include:
Cheeky Girls - Germany
Based on a bestselling German book series, this raucous rock ‘n’ roll adventure is about friends, crushes and surviving high school.

Mommo - Turkey
A touching true story about the bonds between a brother and sister, set amid the picturesque beauty of a remote Turkish village.

Jermal - Indonesia
A young boy learns self-reliance in this extraordinary story filmed in a unique location – at sea, amid the platform-fishermen of Indonesia.
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July 24th until August 9th 2009
Full the full Next Gen program

Melbourne International Film Festival

Australian premiere | Coraline | SFF

image Belinda Rolland

Coraline premiered last night at the Sydney Film festival. One of the special guests for the evening included Teri Hatcher.

Based on the book by Neil Gamain, Coraline is the first stop motion ( hand made) film shot in stereoscopic 3D. The unique visual journey follows the fearless Coraline as she discovers a parallel universe behind the secret door.

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Official website: www.coraline.com

Suitable for ages:  8 and over

Next session:

Saturday 13 June 12.00pm | Greater Union

Ticket prices: Adults $17.00 Children $7.50

To view the entire program and bookings visit the Festivals officialwebsite. 

 image Belinda Rolland

Vivid Light Walk

We braved the crowds last night to see some of the light walk which extends from Observation Hill to the Opera House. This event runs until 14th June from 6pm-midnight and can make for an interesting evening if you don't mind the crowds. Highlights for us were the MCA facade and the bike (kid size) powered blue rings on the foreshore. Take a few glow sticks.

Under the Crystal Sky | 15 May - 3 June | Sydney

Star Made Rainbow | 2008 

Sugar, pigments, origami, modeling compounds, plastic objects, artificial plants and flowers, beads, 

confectionery, straws, tables Dimensions variable (detail)

My daughter and I went the opening night of the exhibition Under the Crystal Sky created Pip & Pop (Nicole Andrijevic and Tanya Schultz).  As soon as we walked into the gallery we were hypnotized by the wonderful sugary formations that took over the whole room.  As we walked around we discovered little treats and wonders within the habitat. 

Under the Crystal Sky created by Pip & Pop, is a vibrant installation lavishly filled with dunes of coloured sugar, embellished with miniature objects and all things sweet, accompanied with a soundscape specifically designed by Big Ear.

The exhibition springs from Pip & Pop’s fascination with thekawaii (cute) aesthetics of Japanese pop culture that ranges from items you come across at the local bargain shop to intricately folded origami pieces, to disposable edible objects.

Meet Pip & Pop in person on Saturday 16 May for a chance to discover the creativity behind the imaginary paradise.

This is an exhibition not to be missed!!

Pip & Pop are one of the three selected finalists of the Japan Foundation, Sydney’s new artist program,Facetnate! Facetnate! is a grant program launched early 2008 to support emerging visual artist/s whose work is strongly influenced by Japan. 

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Dates: 15 May - 3 June 2009

Venue: Japan Foundation Gallery Chifley Plaza, Sydney

Gallery Hours Monday - Friday 11am- 4pm 

Meet the artists: Saturday 11am - 4pm

Admission: Free

More info 

Little Big Shots 2009

The Happy Duckling

Little Big Shots kids film festival is returning for another year and launches at the ACMI on May 31 2009.   This unique film festival consists of kids flicks that are made by adults and children. Each programme consists of a  wonderful variety of shorts that are sorted in age appropriate groups. 

Little Big Shots includes over 90 films from 25 countries as far reaching as Russia to Argentina, Estonia to Bangladesh and Finland to Sth Africa.

Two of our favourites in this years line up include:

The Happy Duckling

Directed by Gil Dolev |Scotland 2008 | Animation Length: 8:45mins Language: English

This beautiful animation follows a the journey a a little girl attempting to get rid of a persistent duck. The special thing about this animation is that it the chase occurs within a pop up book.  My 7 year and 5 year old loved this.

Anything you can do

Directed by Emma Buckley| Australia 2009 | Live action | Length 7minutes Language: non verbal

Two boys face of in a back room. The competition is fierce. Faces are pulled, grapes are thrown and burps are unleashed. But when the stakes are at their highest, and no punches are pulled, will victory still taste sweet. 

For a full program visit Little Big Shots

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The festival, launches on May 31, 2009 at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne and continues over three school days (June 3 - 5) and the Queen’s Birthday long weekend (June 6 - 8).  

An Australia-wide tour follows and includes screenings at Warrnambool’s Fun4Kids Festival (June 28 –July 5), the Adelaide Festival Centre (July 16 - 18), the Sydney Opera House (September 9 - 13) and Kyneton Town Hall (October 21).  

Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years | MCA | NSW

Last school holidays when deciding what to do with the kids ( aged 10, 7 and 5), I lived by the following code:

1. It had to be fun and
2. It had to be free

At first we thought it may be impossible but we were delighted to find that when you digged deep enough treasures do appear.
One of those treasures was the Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Discover the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama with this major exhibition that spans decades of her artistic practice.Working across different media and forms that include painting, collage, sculpture, installation and film, as well as performance and its documentation, Kusama creates works that reveal a fixation with repetition, pattern and accumulation.

Expect lots of dots!

Some parts of the exhibition were difficult to prevent my children from touching, as it was just too tempting. They loved the rooms that allowed them to be  enclosed (with a small group)in a room of dots and mirrors or starlights and water(it felt like we were in space) revealing amazing patterns.

If your kids want to learn more about Yayoi and have fun with dots, the Queensland Art Gallery have a fantastic online interactive experience where they can dot to their hearts content.
An education kit is available online to download for older kids.

This exhibition finishes on the 8th June so you don't have long to catch it.

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Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years
24 FEBRUARY - 8 JUNE 2009
Cost : Free
Location: MCA
140 George Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Australia

Sydney Writers Festival

The Sydney Writers Festival has a wonderful selection of events and workshops for children and young adults.

Most of the children's events will take place on Sunday May 24th at Walsh Bay. Outside the CBD, there will also be children's events happening in Parramatta, the Blue Mountains, Cambelltown and Penrith and writing workshops in Rozelle.

Highlights include:

Maisy Mouse Party

Sunday 24th May | 12pm-1pm

Sydney Philharmonic Choir Studio | Walsh Bay

Cost: Free 

From the imagination  of Morris Gleitzman

Sunday 24th May | 1130am - 1230pm 

Sydney Dance Company | Walsh Bay 

Cost: Free

Morris Gleitzman is one of Australia's best loved authors of books for children. From Felix, a young Jewish boy growing up in Poland during the Holocaust in Then and Once, to Limpy, the lovable cane Toad Rage series. This is an opportunity to hear Morris talk about his work.

Age group 8+ year and their families

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Visit the SWF website for more information on schedule and bookings.

Easter Show

Easter show is on and if you have the stamina, it really is great for all the family. We went from planting a flower to showbags to exhibitions, chicks hatching, petting farm and Erth petting zoo.

Its not cheap, but there is lots to do that doesn't cost money, and surprisingly we found some good food, reasonably priced amongst the flower exhibitions.
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Easter show - 9-22 April, Homebush, Sydney

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Setting the Scene - VIC

The ACMI present a fun drop in workshop where kids can take on the role of production designer, building worlds for their characters and setting their own scenes, learning about the visual language of film.

Using cut out techniques for producing animation, kids will build props and backgrounds, then bring their characters to life in their very own world.

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Age Group: 5 - 13years

Dates: 6 April - 9th April 12-4pm

  14 April - 17 April 12 -4pm

Venue: Australian Center of Moving Image

Customer Service 03 8663 2200

MCA Art Family Day - Sunday Jan 18th

MCA Family Art Day Sunday 18th Jan,  10.30am - 2.30pm 

Explore the MCA's Summer exhibitions with this fun-filled event for all the family. Participate in hands-on art activities at Art Stations placed around the galleries, join in on family -friendly exhibition tours, hear storytelling and music, and win great prizes!

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Adult: $12 Student:$10 Child under 12: $8

MCA Members:$2.00 discount per head

Family Pass for up to 6 people $40

Bookings essential to MCA learning: 02 9245 2484 or education@mca.com.au

Visit www.mca.com.au for more information

Sculpture by the Sea - Bondi Beach and beyond

Photography by Fiona Hueston

Today we headed out to the Sculpture by the Sea before the crowds hit it over the weekend.
Sculpture by the Sea is a wonderful way to spend time with your family....fresh air, exercise and interactive art.

Unfortunality not all of the Sculptures are interactive. I found it hard to keep up my 4 year old to keep him off the Sculptures that could not be touched ( even though they seemed to be tempting children to climb all over them). It does add an little element of stress to the day because their are adults there without children who feel they need to enforce the no touching rule by yelling or frowning. Not a very nice to experience art as a child.

On a positive note our family favourites:

The Bush Ranger: fantastic for kids to run in and out of the over sized helmet.
Ode to joy: This one is very hidden but is well worth looking for.
Underfoot: They loved pretending the creatures were real
Form of Scenery : Beware, kids love it but are not allowed to touch.
Humpback gunship: One of the most kid friendly sculptures. The kids climb into a metal whale and come out at the mouth.
New nomadic Home: I could not get my 4 year and 7 year old out of this piece. really wonderful>would love to have this in our back yard.
You want to do what??!! (Tow an iceberg from Antarctica) . Great interactive piece on the beach at Tamarama.

My favourite:
Bjorn Godwin:
if you need an extension of time to pay, press#

Check it all out and enjoy. We will go back to experience it all again.

For more information visit:
http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/

COFA Spring Fair - Workshops - Sept 20th

The College of Fine Arts are opening their doors for their annual Spring fair.
This is a great day out for the family - Lots of interesting and fun things to see and do.

Workshops for Children
Photoshop & t-shirt printing *5 - 12 years *material fee $15
Felting *5 - 10 years *material fee $ 10
Pupperty for children *5 - 10 years *material fee $10
Painting with light *8-12 years *material fee $20

There are also workshops for grown ups that range from pinhole photography to life drawing.
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For more information visit: COFA
September 20th 2008 * 10am until 4pm * cnr Oxford St + Greens Rd Paddington NSW
To book for a workshop and for further information, please contact Xueting via email. Children must be accompanied by an adult in the workshops.

Picasso and his Collection - QLD

Lucien Clergue Picasso beside a figure from the Marquesas Islands 1955 Gelatin silver photograph Collection: The artist © 2008 by Lucien ClergueCourtesy: Patrice Trigano Gallery, Paris

The exhibition features over 100 works from Picasso's extraordinary collection plus more than 80 important works by the artist himself. A range of documentary photographs also feature. Picasso & his collection' includes paintings, drawings and prints by artists such as Chardin, Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, Rousseau, Miró, Modigliani and Braque, as well as an extraordinary selection of Oceanic and African works.

Patrick aged 5 visited the Picasso Exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery on Thursday 12th June with his school. This will extend the work his class have been doing on the visual arts theme as well as understanding of what a gallery is.
Patrick attended a kids workshop on Picasso and viewed other displays as they relate to the curriculum.

I asked Patrick questions about his trip to the gallery:
What did you do at the Gallery?
Played with my mask I made and cut out the holes.
Walked around with my friend Nash looking at paintings.
Who is Picasso?
A painter.
Favourite part of the trip to the gallery?
Eating.
What did you see at the Gallery?
I saw lots of different paintings.

Would you visit the Gallery again?

Yes, it was fun.

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Picasso and his Collection
Queensland Art Gallery
9 June - 14 September
Admission fees apply

2008 Biennale of Sydney - NSW

The 2008 Biennale of Sydney - Australias Festival of Contemporary Art.
18 June - 17 September 2008

Revolting Kids! Treasure Map
Available every day from July to September on arrival at Cockatoo Island. Follow the trail and find the clues that lead you on a hunt for specially chosen artworks found on Cockatoo Island.
Cockatoo Island
WHEN:Tuesday, 1 July 200810:00am - 5:00pm
WHERE:Cockatoo IslandCockatoo Island, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Kids & Families: Interactive art
Explore contemporary art with Open Stage, using imaginative, explorative, improvisational storytelling.
Monday, 7 July – Friday, 11 July, 1:30pm
Art Gallery of New South Wales
WHEN:Monday, 7 July 20081:30pm
WHERE:Art Gallery of New South WalesArt Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Art Revolutions School Holiday Workshops
Discover the Biennale with art activities responding to the themes of turning, twisting, inverting and mirroring. Led by artists, these fun workshops start with an exhibition tour followed by activities ranging from drawing games to sculpture.
Materials and morning tea provided.
Tuesday, 8 July (5–7 year olds), 10:30am – 1:00 pm Wednesday, 9 July (8–11 year olds), 10:30am – 1:00 pmThursday, 10 July (Teenagers), 10:30am – 1:00 pm$30/$20 Members Bookings essential
Museum of Contemporary Art
WHEN:Tuesday, 8 July 200810:30am - 1:00pm
WHERE:Museum of Contemporary Art140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
HOW MUCH:$30.00 BOOKING:
Book through the Museum of Contemporary Art:mailto:education@mca.com.au

Little Big Shots reviewing comp extended - VIC

Little Big Shots Film reviewing competition extended!
To give those who attend Little Big Shots in Frankston and Warrnambool the chance to enter the competition, LBS have extended the closing date for entries until after the school holidays on Monday July 14, 2008.

So if you thought you'd missed the chance to submit a review this year, now's the time to crank up the computer and start scribing!

The 10 best junior critics will win a spot on the 2009 Little Big Shots children's jury and a season pass to next year's festival, as well as see their winning reviews published up on the Little Big Shots website.
For more information and full program visit: www.littlebigshots.com.au

Five tips for a top-notch film review from www.littlebigshots.com.au

1. Lights, action, camera … and a long line of credits. Plenty of people and decisions influence how a film is made. The film you see on screen is the result of a big creative jigsaw. Script, sound, storyline, directors, actors, lighting, sets, editing – all the people in that long line of credits at the end of a film play a role. Pick out some of the elements of the film you respond to most and explain why they do or don’t work.

2. Don’t give away the plot. This is a key rule of reviewing. Feel free to explain a little about the plot but don’t reveal any of the surprises or major twist, even if Sam does fall in love with Mary at the end.

3. Hook us in! Starting your review with “This film is about …” doesn’t exactly scream “Read me!” Make your reader sit up and pay attention to what you’re about to say. Write creatively and sharply and ask yourself, is this good enough for the rest of the world to read? Hook us in and keep us there.

4. How good were the stars? Think about the performances of the lead actors. Did they do a good job? Were they believable? Did they “get under the skin” of their role or did you feel like you were always watching “the actor”? Did you like the characters and did you care about what happened to them in the film? Tell us!

5. How did the film make you feel? Filmmakers want audiences to respond to their film. Pay attention to how you’re feeling while you’re watching a film. Are you happy, sad, bored, excited, inspired? Maybe your responses change at different points of the film. What’s making you feel that way? And what’s your overall feeling by the time it’s all over.
from www.littlebigshots.com.au

Rosso come il cielo - SFF review

Red Like the Sky
Director - Cristiano Bortone; Country - Italy

My son (10) and I had a very special evening when we saw Red like the sky(Rosso come il cielo) at the Sydney Film Festival. Red like the sky is a very memorable film about growing up. The film is inspired by the true story of Mirco Mencacci, one of the most renowned sound editors in Italian cinema, who happens to be blind.

Micro loses his sight by an unfortunate accident which leads him to a school for the blind. Here Micro battles with accepting he longer has the ability to see the world as he once had.
The film progresses with the friendships he makes and how he overcomes losing one sense and gaining superity over another, Sound.

My son was only one of two children in the full cinema which was a bit disheartening. I feel that this film will always stay with my son.
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Next Screening:
21st June 12.15PM GU George Street

Entires close 30 June - Film Festival for children and young adults

Auburn Film Festival for Children and Young Adults was established in 1998 as a screen culture and audience development initiative. The festival is a platform to present works that are made by children (6-14 years old), youth (15-22 years old) as well as adults whose works are about or for children and youth.

Entry
The festival requires no entry fee. The festival accepts all genres and lengths and has no particular selection criteria for the way content is presented. The festival aims to create a venue for the unseen and seen contemporary cultures globally.

The following items must be submitted before the final selection:
1 On-Line Entry Form ONLY
2. DVD Screener PAL/NTSC
3. A Still of the film
All works must be either in English or have English subtitles. Works without dialogue are also accepted. The closing date is June 30, 2008. All works must be registered on-line before the closing date.

For more information contact : CineWest
Email mailto:festival@cinewest.org.auWebsite: http://www.cinewest.org.au/

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Festival Dates:
September 15-19, 2008