Sunday Night In #4 (November)
Hello Sunday Night friends, this month I’m coming to you from hayfever season which I hope is less sneezy for you than it is for me.
While your inbox starts filling up with things people are asking you to finish ‘before Christmas’ there’s a nice little collection of books and literary and theatre goings on in and around Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide). Not so many that you won’t have energy for December, but definitely enough to keep you interested.
I don’t have any gratuitous self-promotion for you this month, because tickets aren’t yet on sale for my ‘Annual, World-famous, One-night-only Christmas letter live reading’ but keep an eye out, because I’ll be advertising that very soon. Christmas season has been off to an early start in my house, as my brother and I have hit the jackpot, and we’ll be clowns in the Christmas pageant next weekend. It has been so much fun to get a bit of a glimpse behind the scenes of this enormous production, and we can’t wait.
If you find this newsletter useful, please do share with others who might like it. We are coming towards fringe and festival season and I’d love to be able to help local, South Australian artists reach as many people as possible. This Share Button below will give you links so that you can paste it on your facebook page or forward to friends or a bunch of other sharing opportunities.
I’ll be back in December, but in the meantime, feed your brain, nourish your spirit and don’t let the passwords get you down.
Tracy
What’s on in November
I included links last month to a couple of festivals taking place in November, so I won’t link to specific events, but here’s the program for the Australian Short Story Festival, Feast Festival and a couple of events still to come at OzAsia (which I do think is one of our most interesting festivals).
One of the highlights of the November arts calendar will no doubt be Bodies of Work: A Symposium, a collaboration between Reset Arts and Culture and Vitalstatistix. Tagged as ‘labour rights for artists, cultural democracy for workers’ it is perhaps more for practitioners than audiences, but anyone with an interest in the arts will find something in the three-day program. Catherine Ryan’s experimental performance lecture ‘The Two Body Problem’ looks particularly intriguing.
The Mercury Cinema’s Script Club has opened its doors to non-members, and this month’s film is the fabulous ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, with the discussion facilitated by Ruth Estelle. With full price tickets only $16, concession cheaper and member’s price cheaper still, this is a great opportunity, not only for writers but anyone who loves film. Includes access to the script.
Nicholas Jose will be launching his latest book at this month’s No Wave Poetry, held in the back room of The Wheaty. It’s hosted by Jane Turner Goldsmith and launched by Jennifer Mills, so great discussion guaranteed. And while we’re on The Wheaty, their world-famous second-hand bookstall is on again. I have picked up some absolute treasures here.
Another book launch, this one at The Jade, poet Tracey O’Callaghan’s ‘Brains, Balls and Banter’. I heard Tracey read at tenx9 last month and the piece she read was extraordinary. And while we’re on tenx9, the theme for the last night of the year is indeed ‘last’, so if you’ve got a story you’d like to tell get in touch with them, or come along and join the community of listeners.
Matilda Bookshop have two cracker (a little early nod to Christmas there) in-conversations coming up, first with Christos Tsiolkas and then with Clementine Ford. Every reader in our city has a writer’s week session they’ve never forgotten and one of mine is Christos Tsiolkas so I’ll be getting along to that.
If you’re in Mount Barker, there’s the InkPot Arts Showcase and Fundraiser and the Acting Out Troupe’s debut performance with Senior Moments. Senior Moments will be at the Mount Barker library, and it costs only six dollars. This is brilliant—’a group of active and passionate senior women who have come together to share their love for theatre, creativity and of life itself, and an aim to deliver a feel-good experience and social connection in the community by providing entertainment for various audiences.’ The world needs more of this.
Speaking of showcases, at Prompt Creative Centre, they have the Collaberet, a showcase featuring a range of acts many of them participants in the excellent vaulting ambitions program. Also brilliant.
And while we’re at Prompt, Libby Trainor-Parker is running a workshop on Health Writing and Producing for the Stage. As the creator of the widely-acclaimed and much-loved Endo Days cabaret and book, she knows what she’s talking about. She’s also endlessly generous with her time and her knowledge, and I know this will be a great session.
It’s announcement season. You’ve probably seen State Theatre’s 2024 season announcement, and I am definitely getting along to Joanna Murray-Smith’s Julia starring Justine Clarke. In community theatre, Therry Theatre have announced their 2024 season and their final show for the year, Good Grief opens this week.
While we’re on theatre Martha Lott is taking to the stage in ‘night, Mother at Holden Street Theatres. Goodwood Theatre and Studios have resident theatre group Famous Last Words staging Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis. This is an astonishing play, but not for the faint-hearted. I saw Brink’s production of it in the Queen’s Theatre many years ago and have never forgotten it. (For my money, it is up there with ‘When the Rain Stops Falling’ as Brink at its very best).
While we’re kind of on Brink and Goodwood Theatre and Studios, there’s still some excellent workshops to come in their Skillshare series, notably Directing with Chris Drummond.
While we’re on workshops there are still some great workshops and other events at Writers SA before the end of the year. The standout for me is Maria Tumarkin’s essay workshop (what an opportunity). The monthly think tank is unique in South Australia as a chance to ‘get together with other writers in this informal space to discuss concepts, test plotlines, workshop a synopsis, and brainstorm and get feedback on your ideas in this fast-paced hour of creative construction.’
While we’re at Writers SA, Writers SA is teaming up with Varuna to offer two new writing residency and development fellowships. One is for First Nations writers and the other for emerging writers. I’ve been to Varuna three times (back in the days when it was much less competitive than it is now) and truly loved each experience.
The Mill is hosting three performing arts residencies in 2024—dance, First Nations dance, and theatre. From the website: ‘The aim of these residencies is to offer place and space as part of a vibrant arts community, for artists to develop and show new or existing work with the view to take that work interstate for further development, presentation and networking opportunities.’ These are a great opportunity. I know a few people who have had space at The Mill and have loved their time there. Applications close in December.
The Independent Arts Foundation’s final literary evening for the year is Samela Harris talking about her publication, Adelaide Festival Centre: Celebrating 50 Years.
And finally, if you’re looking for poetry or spoken word, you can’t go past the adelaide poetry gig guide on facebook which gives a good wrap of the many regular events around the place.
No doubt, I’ll see something I wish I’d included as soon as I hit send on this, but if you do have any additions or suggestions for next month’s issue, you can reply to this email, or use sundaynightnewsletter@gmail.com
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Enjoy November!