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Welcome to Australia's Culture and Recreation Portal Newsletter
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The spirit of cooperation and goodwill in the Asia-Pacific region is appropriate for December, as we reflect on Australia's history with the Asia Pacific. A prominent aspect of this shared history is the Australian pearling industry. A long history of involvement of Macassan and Indonesian traders, and Filipino and Japanese divers with Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, marks trading ties with our Asian neighbours that span 500 years.
The Australia-Korea-New Zealand Broadband Summit, in Adelaide, epitomises this cooperation today as it negotiates business and research interests in electronic communication across the three countries. Stories from Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand are presented in Winners are Grinners, an exhibition in Perth exploring the various meanings of winning not only in sports, but also politics, culture and war.
'out of the internet' is the theme for this year's Multimedia Art Asia Pacific 2006 (MAAP) festival based in Brisbane. With a core exhibition in the State Library of Queensland, events will take place in a range of locations. This is an opportunity to examine the implications of the internet for fine art culture and community crossovers in Australia and Asia. Featured events include 'Manhua Wonderlands' (networked) and 'Karaoke Bedlam', a performance event.
Christmas season celebrations in Australia start as Ramadan finishes. Many cultures head outdoors to celebrate the message of co-operation and goodwill, as people gather on beaches or go camping. There are many native Australian plants in flower over the Christmas season including Christmas Bells, Christmas Bush, and the Christmas Orchid. When Europeans first arrived in Australia, they were delighted that they could pick wildflowers resembling bells and bright green foliage covered in red or white flowers to use as Christmas decorations as part of their Christmas celebrations.
In Sydney, Klaus Moje celebrates abstract Australian landscapes and his sense of country using innovative glass techniques that have revolutionised the art of glass. Indigenous Australian celebrations and ceremonies are inherent in the exhibition Twined Together, which tell stories of ceremonial and everyday life of the Kunwinjku people in Darwin. From the ties that bind people and artworks to those that bind books; Under the Cover shows the intriguing creations of bookbinders from Canberra, Tasmania and Queensland.
Revelling in Australian's visual identity and with the hallmark of cooperation is the 2006 Monash Art & Design Degree Exhibition in Melbourne, where for the first time, the exhibitions of the emerging designers of tomorrow will take place concurrently - combining Fine Arts, Interior Architecture, Industrial Design, Creative Arts, Design, Multimedia and Digital Arts, and Design (Visual Communication). Merry Christmas!
Check out our Australian Stories:
Pearling industry: http://www.culture.gov.au/articles/pearling/
Christmas in Australia: http://www.culture.gov.au/articles/christmas/
Australian Flora: http://www.culture.gov.au/articles/flora/
Featured Site
Klaus Moje: Glass - Sydney + national tour
11 November 2006 - 7 January 2007
http://www.object.com.au
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Snippets from our regularly updated News pages for November 2006 http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/
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Design and Architecture
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/design.htm
Monash Art & Design Degree Shows - Melbourne
22 November - 16 December
The Degree Exhibition presents the work of Art & Design's graduating students. The exhibitions attract industry representatives looking to support the emerging designers of tomorrow, as well as a broad section of the general community. In 2006, for the first time, these exhibitions will take place concurrently - combining the Fine Arts show, Interior Architecture, Industrial Design, Creative Arts, Design, Multimedia and Digital Arts, and Design (Visual Communication). Art and Design Building, Monash University, Caulfield Campus.
http://www.artdes.monash.edu.au/gallery/shows.html
http://www.artdes.monash.edu.au/about/
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Digital Media and Film
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/digitalmedia.htm
Australia-Korea-New Zealand 2006 Broadband Summit - Adelaide
7 - 8 December
The 2006 Broadband Summit gathers the information technology and communications ministers and leaders within the broadband industry from Korea, New Zealand and Australia to encourage international collaboration in broadband. It is an ideal forum for telecommunications carriers, electronics companies, research organisations, telecommunications equipment providers, broadband applications and services developers to discuss and negotiate business and research interests across the three countries.
http://www.plevin.com.au/aknzbbs2006/
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Festivals and Conferences
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/festivalsandconferences.htm
MAAP - Multimedia Art Asia Pacific 2006 - out of the internet - Brisbane
1 December 2006 - 25 January 2007
'out of the internet' is the theme for this year's MAAP festival based in Brisbane. plug into the latest research examining the position of online artwork and the implications of the internet in fine art culture and community crossovers in Australia, Asia and internationally. With a core exhibition in the State Library of Queensland, events will take place in a range of locations from elite museums, galleries, libraries, karaoke clubs, noodle shops, bubble tea cafés and a cascade of other places. State Library of Queensland.
http://www.maap.org.au/2006
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History and Identity
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/museums.htm
Winners are Grinners - Perth
16 November - 17 December
The exhibition features seven artists from Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand, bringing a diverse range of perspectives and backgrounds to the exhibition. It investigates the back-slapping spirit of winning within Australian culture, while also revealing its darker complexities off the sporting field. Winners are Grinners prompts us to consider that winners are not only those who succeed on the sporting field, but also those who conquer, triumph and gain in the fields of politics, culture, war and religion by way of faith, determination, strategy and deceit. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.
http://www.pica.org.au/art06/Winners.html
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Indigenous Arts
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au./news/indigenousarts.htm
Twined Together: Kunmadj Njalehnjaleken - Darwin
10 November 2006 - 21 January 2007
Twined Together: Kunmadj Njalehnjaleken is a Museum Victoria travelling exhibition. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Injalak Arts and Crafts Association. Vibrant colours and combinations of techniques make this display of contemporary and historic fibre objects from western Arnhem Land a visual feast. Old and new works together tell stories of ceremonial and everyday life of the Kunwinjku people from Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) and its outstations, located in the sandstone escarpment known as the 'stone country'. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/museums/magnt/whatson/current.html
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Language and Literature
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/languageandliterature.htm
Under the Cover - Sydney
18 November 2006 - 24 January 2007
Under the Cover is an exhibition of contemporary bookbinding, artist's books and textiles. It includes work by Senior Momentum, a group of textile artists from Tasmania, as well as thirty-one artists and bookbinders from Canberra, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. The exhibition shows there are many ways to bind a book and there is an intriguing world of secrecy, shame, beauty and desire to be found under the cover. Stanton Library.
http://www.imazine.com.au/bea/files/exhib/utc.htm
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Performance
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/performance.htm
Karaoke Bedlam - Brisbane
2 December
As part of Multimedia Art Asia Pacific's festival program, Manhua Wonderlands presents a night of site-specific installations, performances and video screenings. From documented performances to montages of k-pop and j-pop idols, the screen works explore and transmute the karaoke pop video as a medium, and place a revealing spotlight on the communities that contribute to the chaos, drama, and role-play of karaoke culture. Don't Tell Mama Karaoke Club, Brunswick Street.
http://www.maap.org.au/2006/OOTI/programme/programme.htm
http://www.manhuawonderlands.net/
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Sport and Recreation
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au./news/sportandrecreation.htm
The Brindabella Challenge - Canberra
1 - 10 December 2006
The Challenge is a collection of multidisciplinary cycling events which saw over 1600 people participate in 2005. The event takes place over ten days which takes you throughout the ACT - Australia's Cycling Territory - into the shadow of the Brindabella Ranges, along the bikepath network, past national attractions and onto some of Australia's finest mountain bike tracks. The new Stromlo Forest Park will be the event hub. Families, young children and serious competitors will all find something to suit their energy and skill levels. A range of all-wheel events will be held, including wheelchair, in-line skating, unicycling and recumbent bike events.
http://www.brindabellachallenge.com.au/
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Visual Arts and Crafts
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/visualarts.htm
Klaus Moje: Glass - Sydney + national tour
11 November 2006 - 7 January 2007
Klaus Moje, one of Australia 's most celebrated glass artists, launches his exhibition Glass at the Object Gallery. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated monograph of Moje's work and career. A national tour of regional galleries follows, taking in Bathurst, Canberra, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Jam Factory, Geelong and Cairns.
http://www.object.com.au
http://www.object.com.au/pages/catalogues.html
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Websites - new
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au./news/websites.htm
Stay Smart Online
Stay Smart Online provides all Australian online users with practical tips and advice on e-security. This website contains basic information on how to secure your computer, best practice tips for smart transacting online, and information on keeping young people safe online.
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/about_us
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