Open Inner West
16 — 25 June
Open Inner West Festival is back! Across 24 suburbs and ten days, revel in 57 cultures across the Inner West and unearth diverse communities from Klub Koori to The Greek Sweets Festival. Activities are organised by local community groups, schools and community organisations, with support from Council through a grants program. On the last weekend of the festival, check out the Pachamama Festival film screenings, the Chinese Multicultural Festival and The Rhythms, Colours, Flavours of Peru, all held in Marrickville. Take part in Arraial do BRACCA in Petersham and Innov8tion in Ashfield, and make sure to check the program for details.
Dead Singer Band Live!
Sunday 25 June
The Dead Singer Band pays tribute to iconic Aussie singing stars who are no longer with us. Made up of Colin Burgess, AC/DC’s first drummer, his brother, Newtown resident Denny Burgess, Roger Faynes from Stevie Wright’s band and the glorious Vanessa Lea, the lineup offers fans an incredible experience. Fans of Billy Thorpe, Ray Brown, Shirley Strachan, Ted Mulry, Michael Hutchence, Stevie Wright and Jon English will love the visual and aural montage that Dead Singer Band delivers. The veteran musos in Dead Singer Band knew these Aussie legends personally and collected video, interviews, costumes and personal recollections to provide fresh insights for diehard fans and perform authentic renditions of hit after hit.
Petersham RSL, 7 Regent St, Petersham.
Catrivia
Sunday 25 June 4pm
Love your furry feline friends? This is the purrfect way to help cats in need. Come along to the inaugural CaTrivia fundraiser to help rescue and re-home street-cats. Urban Cat Alliance is a Sydney based group that hopes to raise money for stray cats to be fed and receive the medical care they require. Sam Anderson of Mao’s Last Dancer and All Saints will be hosting the event, and will be accompanied by music from Miss Calli and The Executive. If you don’t happen to be a crazy cat lady, rest assured not all the prizes are cat-related. Head along anyway to provide a happy-ever-after for many animals who are suffering.
Public House Petersham, 292 Stanmore Road, Petersham.
Eat, Taste, Create
29 June – Abbotsford, 12 July – Drummoyne, 20 July – Rhodes
Feeling conscious about how much of your food goes to waste? Here’s your chance to learn some culinary secrets and educate yourself on how to minimise food waste, all while enjoying a delicious dinner out. Three local Inner West restaurants will deliver a three course meal and a goodie bag for everyone to take home. With $2.5 billion worth of edible food thrown away every year from NSW households, this is an opportunity for foodies to share tips and recipes, meet like-minded people and figure out better ways to plan, store, reimagine and grow food for a more sustainable future.
Amal Awad
Monday 10 July, 6.30pm
Join acclaimed author and journalist Amal Awad at Leichhardt Library as she discusses her book ‘Beyond Veiled Cliches: the real lives of Arab women’, a work of non-fiction focusing on women in the Arab world and Arab Australian women. Breaking down stereotypes and stigmas, Amal looks to discover what their lives are really like. Having contributed to SBS, ABC, Frankie and Junkee, her interviewing skills got quite the workout as she spoke to more than 60 women in Australia and the Middle East about feminism, religion, love, culture and more. Come along for this free talk — all are welcome.
Leichhardt Library Piazza Level – Italian Forum, 23 Norton St Leichhardt.
Taikoz Introductory Workshop
Sunday 16 July, 11.30am
Drum your way to fitness with ancient Japanese taiko, a thunderous and energetic musical experience. Taiko refers to a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments, drums that range from the massive 250 kilogram o-daiko right down to the small, handheld uchiwadaiko. The Taikoz studio offers the opportunity for students of all ages to learn how to play with introduction workshops and family play activities. It’s as much physical exercise as it is music and performance, offering physical benefits from reduced stress to breath control skills. Bash on some drums to expel your energy and celebrate musical multiculturalism!
42 – 46 Wattle Street, Ultimo.
