Arts & culture

Kay Proudlove’s ‘Dear Diary’ returns to IPAC: funny, nostalgic and emotional

For most people, keeping a diary is a very personal thing. Capturing life’s key moments and events, inner thoughts, and keeping secrets never to be shared, even with your closest friends and family. >> But Illawarra singer-songwriter, Kay...

Jeremy Lasek

16 hours ago

Arts & culture

Great jazz in the Gong – thanks to Eric Dunan!

Former WollCon jazz student Alec Watts celebrates his mentor, Eric Dunan. Wollongong has put itself on the map as a jazz town! We have jazz in schools, at the mall, in our libraries, on the radio and at community events. Often our young musicians go...

The Illawarra Flame

17 hours ago

Arts & culture

Time to paint landscapes: Hal Pratt shares his journey as an artist

In 2003 the State Library of NSW commissioned Hal to photograph 350 public grain silo facilities across country NSW. He took seven years to complete the task and an image of each appears in the Library’s archives. (Visit nswsilos. com. au.)

Janice Creenaune

April 2024

Arts & culture

See ‘Australia Felix’ at Stanwell Park’s CWA hall

By the show’s writer, Geoffrey Sykes of Stanwell Tops Special performances of Australia Felix (The Life, Tales, Trials, Sentencing and Execution of Clarke the Flying Barber) will be presented at Stanwell Park’s CWA Hall on Friday and Saturday...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2024

Arts & culture

Gig review: The Cruel Sea at Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul

By Timmy Maxwell The Cruel Sea’s performance at Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul for Great Southern Nights marked the 30th anniversary of their seminal album “The Honeymoon is Over”. They began by luring us in with a few mesmerizing instrumental pieces...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2024

Arts & culture

Sign up for Screen Illawarra’s Advanced Lighting Workshop with Glenn Hanns

By Screen Illawarra’s Holly Trenaman March was such a busy month for us at Screen Illawarra! Along with our “And… Pitch!” sessions and our involvement with Creative Wollongong’s Short Film Competition, which involved matching six finalist...

Holly Trenaman

April 2024

Arts & culture

First Night Reviews: Theatregoers’ thoughts on Wild Dogs Under My Skirt

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, the award-winning stage adaptation of Tusiata Avia’s poetry, opened at Wollongong’s Illawarra Performing Arts Centre tonight, Wednesday, April 10. Here’s what theatre goers thought. Joanne Joanne, Liverpool – “It was...

Tyneesha Williams

April 2024

Arts & culture

Skills of the star finder: Meet casting director Anousha Zarkesh

Chances are that if you have watched any Australian drama featuring First Nations actors, it was cast by Austinmer resident Anousha Zarkesh. Think of award-winning series like Total Control and Mystery Road: Anousha. Or films like The New Boy and...

Caroline Baum

April 2024

Arts & culture

Broken: ‘The song is a moody but dreamy exploration of overcoming trauma’

Alysha de Ruyter shares the story behind her new song, Broken. Music always brings me back to myself. I grew up in the Illawarra always passionate about singing, but moved to Sydney several years for my studies. After finishing at the Sydney...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2024

Arts & culture

Poetry power: Tusiata Avia’s award-winning ‘Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’ comes to IPAC

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, the award-winning stage adaptation of Tusiata Avia’s poetry, will open at Wollongong’s Illawarra Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, April 11. “It’s about the lives of Samoan women. But it’s much bigger than that...

Tyneesha Williams

April 2024

Arts & culture

Local history exhibition celebrates theatre in the Illawarra

Did you meet your sweetheart at the movies? Were you in a local theatre group? Remember your first kiss in the drive-in? Who remembers seeing Aunty Jack in Bloody Concert in 1974? Theatre in the Illawarra exhibition of photos from the Wollongong...

Jo Oliver

April 2024

Arts & culture

Ivor Fabok to hold classes at Clifton School of Arts

Well-known artist and art educator Ivor Fabok will be running a new program of art classes at Clifton School of Arts throughout 2024. The first series of two full-day classes will be held from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday, 3 April and Thursday, 18...

David Roach

April 2024

Arts & culture

‘My parents’ war lives on in me’: Chris Barker shares tale of Hungry Ghosts

By Thirroul author Chris Barker My father, drunk again, is swaying down the hallway, kitchen knife in hand. Now 18, I have become taller and fitter than him. I dump him on his backside, disarm him and leave the house never to return. This was the...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2024

Arts & culture

RBG: Of Many, One: a must-see and character acting par excellence

Having read a plethora of glowing reviews, I can’t recall the last time I walked into a theatre with higher expectations. “One of the all-time great performances” – Sydney Morning Herald “Magnificent from start to finish” – Limelight...

Jeremy Lasek

March 2024

History

Step back in time with ballroom dance teacher Margaret Reeves

Margaret’s book, Back to the Ballroom, was published in 2023 and is available in Wollongong City Libraries collection and Collins Booksellers Thirroul. Listen to Margaret’s interview here

Jo Oliver

March 2024

Arts & culture

‘Be a risk taker’: See 7 new local acts at MerrigongX show tonight

It may be weird, it may be wonderful but it’s definitely Made From Scratch. 2024’s MerrigongX program begins tonight at the Music Lounge in Wollongong with the first of three multi-artform nights featuring performance, film, stand-up comedy, poetry...

Genevieve Swart

March 2024

Arts & culture

See Tidelines: 6 artists unite for Clifton School of Arts show

By Rebecca Brennan and Lucy Lee Tidelines will be a visual celebration of the unique beauty, joy and atmospheric light found in the local natural environment. The exhibition features recent artworks by Lucy Lee, Emily King, Rebecca Brennan, Sarah...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2024

Arts & culture

Wollongong Junior Brass Band to give pre-Nationals concert at Figtree Anglican

The concert will be at the Figtree Anglican Church Auditorium (4-10 Gibsons Rd, Figtree) at 2pm on Saturday, 23 March. For more details visit the band’s website

The Illawarra Flame

March 2024

Arts & culture

Count Her In: Artspace hosts 24th IWD Exhibition

On Saturday night, March 9, Project Contemporary Artspace opened their 24th Annual International Women’s Day Exhibition. This year the exhibition includes the work of 36 artists local to the Illawarra. These works involve sculpture, photography...

Tyneesha Williams

March 2024

Arts & culture

SPAT celebrates 50th anniversary with song, theatresports and a library display

And for the month of March, SPAT has a visual display at Thirroul library. How does one encapsulate 50 years of live theatre, musical shows, pantomimes, outdoor performances and workshops in a display case? Why not drop into Thirroul library and...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2024

Arts & culture

South Coast Writers Festival moves to Thirroul in 2024

The South Coast Writers Centre (SCWC) has announced the dates and first guests for its 2024 South Coast Readers and Writers Festival. Held at the Thirroul District Community Centre and Library on 13 and 14 July, the festival line-up will feature an...

Elizabeth Heffernan

March 2024

Arts & culture

Vyvian Wilson and Samantha Arnull present new work at Clifton School of Arts

After having admired each other’s work on Instagram, Vyvian and Samantha finally met at a CSA Artists Forum. Since then, they have developed a close and supportive friendship with the making of art at its centre. Despite very different approaches...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2024