Time out

Almost a year on from the Black Summer bushfires, communities are working together to rebuild and create a new future for those who lost everything from homes, livelihoods and loved ones. A key part of this rebuilding process is to re-plant vegetable gardens on properties which were destroyed by the fires. This is especially needed this year as it is expected that COVID-19 will impact distribution of fruit and vegetables to regional areas. Not only does the practice of growing produce create self-sustainability, it is also important for the mental health of those who have been affected. A support organisation managing the rebuilding process will be distributing the seeds through community centres who work with bushfire victims directly. The organisation is looking for roughly 300 seeds for a large variety of standard herbs, fruits and vegetables which are suitable for growing in the south coast NSW region. Donations can be delivered or posted to the organisation. To donate, visit givit.org.au/donate-items, search by category “Seeds” to view requests located in your area. After you pledge the item, you will be contacted by the relevant organisation to arrange pick-up, post or drop-off. Share your community event.

Email news@canberraweekly.com.au with ‘HYH’ in the subject field. Deadline is 10 days prior to Spring forward Daylight Saving Time starts in the ACT on Sunday 4 October at 2am when clocks are turned forward one hour to 3am. It will end on Sunday 4 April 2021. Coffee/Op Shop The next Coffee/Op Shop at Christ Church Hawker, Cnr Beetaloo Street and Belconnen Way, Hawker is on Saturday 3 October 9am-12 noon. Books, pre-loved clothes, trash & treasure and a cake stall; tea/coffee and biscuits will be served. More info: Jenny 0428 266 658. Canberra Bonsai Society Annual Show The 2020 Canberra Bonsai Society Annual Show will be held on the weekend of 10-11 October at Canberra High School, Macquarie. Open: Saturday 9am5pm; Sunday 9am-4pm. The display will again feature high quality bonsai from the collections of CBS members, including some created by local artists currently represented in the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia at the National Arboretum Canberra. Demonstration sessions will be held at 11am, covering aspects of designing and maintaining bonsai, and bonsai basics sessions will be held at 2pm daily. Admission: Adult $5, Concession $3, accompanied children under 12 free. More info: email cbsshow@cbs.org.au VIEW Club Tuggeranong Day VIEW Club will celebrate its 27th birthday and VIEW Club’s 60th (diamond) anniversary on Tuesday 20 October 11am-2pm at Town Centre Vikings, Tuggeranong. Cost: $30 for two-course lunch; entertainment by Bryan Butler. Theme: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Bring a decorated face mask for the mask parade with a prize for the most glamorous and glitzy creation. Covid restrictions apply. RSVP by 9 October to Jan on 0409 747 017 or email maleyjan@yahoo.com

Canberra Jung Society

Canberra Jung Society presents Rev Dr Sarah Agnew, a storyteller, poet and ordained minister speaking on ‘Tells Stories’, the research of her PhD. Sarah was the keynote speaker for the 2020 International gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers. Meet at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham or join in on Zoom. Friday 2 October from 7.30pm for supper, music, library and chat; speaker at 8pm, finish by 10pm. Cost $15; concession $10; members free. More info:

Thursday edition date.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

what's on must do must see find out more at canberraweekly.com.au

canberrajungsociety.org.au

Canberra Weekly competition winners

The winners in Canberra Weekly’s latest round of competition draws are: Lavande Gallery glass necklaces: H Bolton, Kambah; L Elford, Curtin; W Twiss, Aranda; L Jansen, Watson. Striking Out DVDs: J Roll, Gordon; R Foster, Yarralumla; J Bown, Wanniassa; R Celestino, Gilmore; E Martin, Moncrieff.

A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine, available now, Bloomsbury.

Baking for good

This week, we’ve got baking on the brain for the RSPCA’s annual Cupcake Day fundraiser! To celebrate, food writer Libby Kimber shares this recipe that’s perfect for sharing with friends, family and colleagues, all for a good cause!

Summer berry cloud cake

Hands on time: 25 minutes Hands off time: 1 hour baking, 1 hour cooling Serves 8-10

Flavourless oil, for the trays 6 egg whites 300g caster sugar, plus 2 Tbsp 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp white wine vinegar 850ml double cream 150g blackberries 300g raspberries 300g blueberries 30g flaked almonds Thyme sprigs, redcurrants and flowers, for decoration (optional)

Heat the oven to 150˚C/fan 130˚C. Oil 3 baking trays and line with baking parchment. Draw a circle on each roughly 23cm in diameter (I trace around a cake tin). In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they begin to peak, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the while. When all the sugar has been added and the mixture is glossy, gently fold in the cornflour and the vinegar. Spoon the meringue on to the baking trays, spreading it out to make 3 discs. Bake for 1 hour, then switch the oven off and leave the meringues in there to harden for another hour. You want the meringue to be crisp so that it can support the weight of the cream. You can make the meringue up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container. To make the filling, whip the cream with an electric whisk until peaks form, but take care not to over-whip it, or it will lose that silky quality. Take the first meringue disc and spoon roughly one-third of the cream on top, then sprinkle with one-third of the berries, half the flaked almonds and 1 tablespoon caster sugar. Top with the second layer of meringue and repeat. Top with the third meringue, spoon on the last one-third of the cream and decorate with berries, thyme sprigs and flowers (just make sure they’re not noxious), if you like.

Exploring the Mess of isolation

Belco Arts’ latest production, Mess, taps into one of the recurring themes of 2020 – social isolation and withdrawal – through the lens of the phenomenon of the Japanese culturebound syndrome, hikikomori.

Director Natsuko Yonezawa told Canberra Weekly her interest in the syndrome was sparked upon learning that a cousin of hers in Japan had socially isolated themselves for 12 years.

“In Japan, people withdraw inside their rooms from six months up to decades, and one of my family members has been like this for quite a long time,” she said.

“I was really interested to know more about it. I had no idea what it was about and why people became socially withdrawn.

“It’s derived from the Japanese language, but it exists everywhere in the world.”

After initially exploring hikikomori in a 15-minute piece debuted at Art, Not Apart in 2019, 21-year-old Yonezawa’s debut full-length production allows her to delve deeper, drawing heavily from the book, The Courage to be Disliked.

“Last year’s production was more of a summary, so the audience understood what the phenomemon is,” she said.

“Because this one is longer, I can explore more deeply into what it is, so it’s different but the concept is still the social withdrawal but exploring it deeper.”

Mess explores its themes through physical theatre, dance and live sound, also utilising light and the use of physical props with stacks of white boxes styled by set designer, byrd, scattered across the stage.

Yonezawa developed the work after receiving an invitation from assistant director and Belco Arts live programs officer, Chenoeh Miller, earlier this year to create a work.

“We wanted to bring together a group of artists to explore ‘mess’ in our new theatre, as well as testing the capabilities of our lighting rig,” Miller said.

Mess will be brought to life by

Director Natsuko Yonezawa’s debut full-length production, Mess, will utilise Belco Arts’ new black box theatre and explore its themes through physical performance, dance, live sound and props. Photos: Kerrie Brewer.

performers Christopher Samuel Carroll and Miriam Slater, while composer/live musician Marlané Claudine Radice will be accompanied by the multi-talented Yonezawa, who will also play the violin.

“I had not originally thought about performing in the production myself, but we were having fun experimenting with sound and what textures we want for each section,” Yonezawa said.

“I brought in my violin and thought this was a nice different texture that complemented really well.”

Despite Yonezawa’s interest in hikikomori predating the pandemic, Mess has become timely and accessible given the circumstances surrounding 2020.

“We’ve all been in a state of isolation. Myself as well, doing uni online and not being able to meet people face to face, it really deteriorated my mental health,” she said.

“I got a better understanding of what the socially withdrawn people like the hikikomori go through, and that extending for prolonged decades … I got a bit of a reality check this year.”

Yonezawa’s family came to Australia and settled in Canberra when she was four years old.

During her childhood, they moved to Darwin where she got her start in the arts learning ballet before returning to Canberra in 2014 and becoming involved with QL2 Dance. “I didn’t have any idea what contemporary dance was. I was trying to find a ballet school, but I found QL2,” she said.

“I was like ‘hey, contemporary dance is so great’, so I’ve done quite a lot of performances with them and then that’s how I got the confidence to start creating my own work.” Mess will be performed at the Belconnen Arts Centre Theatre, 1-2 October; belcoarts.com.au/mess - Denholm Samaras

Host your cupcake day event this October and get baking for change! time out Book talk This week, Jeff Popple reviews a fascinating account of an early female explorer. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

The Woman Who Sailed the World by Danielle Clode

Picador, $34.99 Like many extraordinary women, Jeanne Barrett has largely slipped through the pages of history and is now mostly forgotten.

Born into an impoverished peasant family in Burgundy in 1740, Jeanne incredibly went on to become the first woman to circumnavigate the world. As Australian biologist Danielle Clode sets out in The Woman Who Sailed The World, Barrett, disguised as a man, accompanied the prominent French naturalist

What’s on

ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL: A superb selection of the best new films from Italy at Palace Electric Cinemas, New Acton, 1-18 October; italianfilmfestival.com.au

ROOM ON THE BROOM: The hit children’s show plays the Canberra Theatre stage,1-3 October; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

MESS: A physical theatre, dance and live music production at Belco Arts’ new theatre, 1-2 October; belcoarts.com.au/mess

AMBUSH GALLERY KAMBRI: The ANU art space hosts its new Woroni – 70 Years of Outrage and Activism exhibition until 1 November; ambushgallery.com

STRATHNAIRN ARTS: Kim Shannon’s A Stilled World exhibition at their Holt gallery and online until 1 November; strathnairn.com.au

CONTOUR 556: Canberra’s public art biennial will return on 9-30 October with a host of events around the shores of Lake Burley Griffin; contour556.com.au

CO.LABORATORY: Boozy Bob Ross painting workshops at Escape Rooms Canberra, Phillip, 9-10 October; RSVP via colaboratorycbr.com

THE SOUL MOVERS: The retro soul/pop outfit that features ex-Wiggle Murray Cook will play the Royal Hotel Queanbeyan, 9 October; oztix.com.ay

THE GIG ECONOMY: A lineup of some of Canberra’s funniest people hosted by Chris Ryan at the Canberra Theatre Link Bar, 10 October 7pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au