đ Sunday Night In #21
An Audience With Don Dunstan, author talks, and a new cultural policy.
Sunday Night In brings you the news about South Australian books, theatre and stories that the algorithm doesnât show you. No ads, no clickbait, and itâs free!
Hello friends! Change your clocks (or check whether your clocks have changed themselves) because itâs the end of daylight saving. An extra hour for reading!
This last week in South Australia: The Premier announced the start of direct flights between Adelaide and San Fransisco (unexpectedly awkward timing given it was the same day we woke up to those tariff announcements); the Chief Public Health Officer (still sporting a hairstyle I would pay a lot of money for) urged parents of young children to take advantage of the free flu vaccination as flu season really starts to kick off; and the netball season got off to a cracking start with our local stars the Thunderbirds facing up to the Melbourne Vixens (the Thunderbirds are chasing a history-making three-in-a-row premiership).
As for the arts? In this weekâs edition of Sunday Night In weâve got a quick overview of the new cultural policy, two festival programs launched, a bunch of book talks and much more.
Letâs get started âŚ
News
The state governmentâs new cultural policy is here! The policy document A Place to Create: A 10-year cultural policy for all South Australians is accompanied by a Delivery Plan: 2025-2027. There is also $13 million in ânew moneyâ (not to be confused with funds and funding that have previously been announced).
đđ˝ââď¸ There is also draft legislation âto enshrine how the arts are valued and led in South Australia. If youâre interested, the government has the draft legislation and a survey for your feedback here.
đ§ I was briefly hopeful that the renaming of Arts SA to Create SA meant that the arts would once again be its own government department, but this was not to be. I think Iâm the only person who still cares about this, but care I do. While I can see that government departments arenât what they used to be and thereâs a lot of streamlining and fewer departments than before, I think the arts is oddly placed in the Department of Premier and Cabinetâs very broad âresponsibilitiesâ and at the very least it should be one of the âattached officesâ. This is even more the case as the scope of âartsâ has now been broadened to âcreateâ encompassing arts, culture and creativity. Maybe this concern is irrelevant if it is enshrined in legislation, but as they say in the classics: âwhy not both?â
đŚ So, whatâs in the box? If you donât want to read the whole document, thereâs an overview by Walter Marsh in InDaily; and former arts writer at The Advertiser Tim Lloyd covered it in his newsletter. As is always the case with such high-level documents, the detail isnât there, and itâs not surprising that I have heard many note the vague statements. However, the strategy has been widely welcomed by the sector. Some examples: Mimi Crowe of Carclew has a great piece in InDaily about the potential value of the legislation; and Music SA released a statement calling it a âmilestone momentâ for the local music scene. My personal assessment? Itâs a good result with a cautionary âwatch this space.â
Quick Reminder! Do note that I usually only include an event in the newsletter once. If you want to look back over the last few issues to see whatâs still on, all previous issues are available on the Sunday Night In page here.
Theatre and performance
đ Galleon Theatre present Wrong Turn at Lungfish at the Marion Cultural Centre.
đ Adelaide Repertory Theatre present The Other Place.
đ Tickets are on sale for Independent Theatreâs production of Ordinary People.
Social media has worked really well for the arts for many years. But now? Who has any real idea where itâs heading? Local news is getting harder to find, local news about the arts harder still. Sunday Night In connects South Australian artists with audiences and South Australian audiences with artists. Share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested. Suggest they subscribe ⌠itâs full of great information and itâs free!
Books, readings, storytelling and writing
đ âď¸ đź A fascinating exhibition by artist Stephanie Radok in the Institute Building (State Library), Inside a Book: Etchings and Book Fossils. (âBook Fossilsâ what a great title!). Featuring etchings that illustrate her book Under the Bed and explores questions like âhow do books and art help us remember and learn about the past?â and âdo words last longer than images?â Showing until the end of April.
đ Dog-Eared Readings are back at the Howling Owl with some true stars of the local literary scene: Brian Castro talking about his latest novel with Shannon Burns and readings from Anna Goldsworthy and Caroline Reid. Bookings essential and details here.
â¤ď¸ đ Writer Marina Deller leads the monthly book club at Mitcham libraries, a relaxed and casual evening which explores a different genre each month. In April, itâs Romantasy.
đ Michelle Prakâs second book, Barren Cape is out and sheâll be giving an author talk at Ngutunkgka West Lakes library. I loved her first, The Rush, so looking forward to reading this one.
đ đ đ The doors of Peninsula Books and Records bricks and mortar store are now open in Stansbury. Youâll need to keep an eye on the website for their opening hours, but you can order online from them anytime you like.
đą âđź Write poetry inspired by nature. A beginnerâs poetry workshop with Jude Aquilina at the Mitcham Library.
đ In-conversation with rural crime author Fleur McDonald at the Salisbury Community Hub Library.
đ Meet the authors at the City of Marion Libraries: Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland in conversation with Libby Trainor Parker as they discuss their new book âBroken Brains'.â
đ đ° Orchard Bookshop are having a sale. They are in Adelaide Arcade which is one of my go-to places when I need to give myself a treat. This isnât a shopping newsletter, and Iâm not really a shopper, but I do love a trip to the Adelaide Arcade, and always have a look at Zu design, the pen shop, the chocolate shop, the bookshop, then stop for a cake at Cielo (if you have never had a cake at Cielo, you most definitely should give it a try!).
Enjoying Sunday Night In? Share it with a friend ⌠itâs another way to contribute to a vibrant local arts scene.
Festivals
đŁ The History Festival program is out.
Remember a few weeks ago when I said An Audience With Don Dunstan was in Melbourne? Well, now itâs here!
If youâre interested in theatre and the history of local theatre, youâll want to check out The Art of Work is a Work of Art an experimental archive project drawing on the history of Vitalstatistix.
And Storytelling Australia (SA) have a storytelling event Storytellers Delve Into Dilemmas. Iâll have a closer look through the program and include some other events next week.
đđ¤ The program for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival has been launched. It is, of course, packed with fabulousness, but Iâm going to highlight the wonderful Joanne Hartstone who has gone from producing 14 shows in the Adelaide Fringe to rehearsals for her new show The Smart Girlâs Guide to Breaking Up at lightning speed.
đŠ Registrations for the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival are open. Reading the history of this festival, a lot has happened in a short amount of time, and it really is the little festival that could. If I could sing, I would love to be part of it, but I will have to leave it to you.
đ˝ And donât miss the final weeks of the French Film Festival.
A Little Bit of This and That That Isnât Books or Theatre or Readings or Performance
đŚ Itâs world Art Deco day on 28 April, and the Art Deco and Modernism Society has a very rare opportunity to take a guided tour of the original State Bank building. Many years ago, I was a member of the gym that occupies the ground floor and some of the upper floors. It was a strange, but strangely beautiful juxtaposition.
đś đ đ Creative Pursuits Art Festival in Macclesfield has a LOT of workshops across the two days of the festival (next weekend). Thereâs printmaking, felting, acting, and an excellent-looking open mic night with the opportunity to showcase three of your original songs.
đŁ Access2Arts have announced the recipients of the 2025 Next Level Creative Mentorship program. There are ten artists doing really interesting work with a fantastic range of participating organisations.
đ˝ Heaps Good Cinema delivered by the Adelaide Independent Film Festival at The Mercury.
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Opportunities!
Jobs, funding, residencies, fellowships, competitions, and calls for expressions of interest
đĄ Expressions of Interest for production, logistics and site crew positions at Illuminate Adelaide.
Thank you for reading!
Thatâs it for this issue. Iâll be back next Sunday. Until then: Read books! See theatre! Listen to music! Be part of a vibrant, thriving culture of arts in South Australia.
Talk soon
Tracy xx
The small print
A disclaimer: I take a lot of care to make sure Iâve got details correct, but Iâm often working on my phone or uploading things from word to substack and I spend a lot of time in places with terrible internet connections. So mistakes will happen. Please double check all of the details about events before you head out.
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I agree re Create SA - I too hoped this meant it would again be a government department of its own. Without that, support for the arts feels precarious and too much at the whim of the government of the day. I also wondered at the coverage of the announcement ⌠did literature get anything at all?