The openingwas held on Friday and was a great success, with plenty of interested people, both young and old, looking, talking and eating. There was also live music performed by local musician Liam Parry-Mills, adding that bit of extra class and ambience to the exhibition.

Each piece of work in the exhibition is interesting and thought provoking. There are some pieces that look beautiful, some that make you think and some that are just plain weird, but all have been made with skill and dedication.

One of the exhibition’s highlights is Olivier Hasan-Fourcard’s series of photography experiments and accompanying letters that he himself wrote, which were recently featured on ABC News.

So why not head on down to Darwin City Council and take a look at the exhibition? Entrance is free and you might find an artwork done by one of your friends!

To welcome in the new year and to celebrate young artists Darwin City Council will be hosting a Youth Art exhibition throughout January 2011.

If you are aged between 12 and 21 years we welcome you to exhibit your paintings, drawings, sculptures, scribbled on note books, ANYTHING YOU LIKE to be shown in Council’s Community Art space. You can even put your art up for sale if you like!

All you need to do is fill out our registration form and get your work to us by January 1st for the Gala opening exhibition on January 7th, 2011.

The art works can be about whatever you like* (within reason). If you’re stuck for an idea our GRIND crew have come up with some suggestions

- A Journey

- I am…

- Doors

- Pick a colour!

- Inside this envelope…

- Decorate your shoes (clean ones, please!)

Please fill out this form ASAP as limited spaces are available.

This exhibit is has come and gone, but we will be hosting another one next year!

Attach a shot bio and title for each of your works when you drop them off.

Work submitted for display remains the sole property of the artist.  However Darwin City Council may use photo/video footage of submitted work for documentation and promotional purposes.

Art work should be received by Cj, Youth Services Trainee for Darwin City Council no later that January 1st, 2011. If this date is a problem, if your art work is particularly large or you have any other questions please give us a ring on 8930 0403

*We do not tolerate racism or sexism and neither should you.  Council reserves the right to withhold any work from public exhibition.  Not sure?  Just ask us

Ali Mills – Maltjim Bat Matilda

I’m not too sure about copyright laws, but the first track sounds a lot like ‘Waltzing Matilda’ except in an aboriginal language. That aside Maltjim Bat Matilda is very much a Typical Country music CD with a good beat and nice melodies. It’s a good thing though you can’t get much better than this. “Why?” you may ask. The answer is simple; because it’s all about Darwin and playing music in Darwin to the Darwin Community, and you just can’t get any better than that.

Leah Flanagan – Nirvana Nights

I can honestly say that I cannot begin to describe this album; the first track has a beautiful violin that starts it off and gives it a solemn and sad but at the same time joyful feeling, something that is carried throughout the song.

With a simple drum beat and an impressive level of guitar skill and ease that leaves you thinking, “I bet she can do so much more on that guitar”, Nirvana Nights ties all elements in to harmony with it’s smooth vocals that seem to lead the melody into the wind. Great album.

Wild Flower – Manginburru Bininji

With a sweet melody, soft chords and a nice beat, Manginburru Bininji (which recently picked up a IMA) slowly eases you into the soft and smooth feel of Indingenous Music in the Territory. A good feeling is given out by the simplistic chord structures and the volcalist’s melody.

Some songs give off a bit of a punk/old school rock feel but at the same time stands separate and goes in a completely different direction. This reminds me of now separated Darwin band ‘The Aviators’.

Nice and simple, a very well put together cd!

“And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, direct to you from Kumamoto, Japan! The Umbilical Brothers!”

The smoke dissipated and we heard yelling from off stage.

“S***, Dave, Darwin.

What?

Darwin!

Oh! Get the bags!”

Through much imaginary scampering, they hailed an imaginary cab, caught an imaginary plane and to reduce show spoilers and a long story, they wound up at heaven’s gate before making it to the theatre.

I don’t remember much of the plot as I was laughing most of the time. And when I wasn’t laughing I was either applauding or looking around in confusion as the brothers chased each other around.

The skill involved in putting on such an enjoyable show was astounding.

The lighting was bright and friendly. They used white and yellow for indoors, turning up the brightness for outdoors; green for a park setting and flashes of blue for whenever their lightsabers struck. Yes, they had LIGHTSABERS! Win!

For the voice of God and everyone in heaven, the echo effect was used to great effect.

Did I mention Shane’s amazing skill of making foley with his mouth? No I didn’t and that sounds slightly like a euphemism. What I mean is Dave does most of the mime and action and Shane puts sound to it. It’s great!

Although I was aware that I was in the audience at a play, Dave and Shane successfully brought us into their world, not so much smashing through the ‘fourth wall’ as installing a revolving door. For example, at one point Shane is telling Dave that something he has done is not funny and Dave retorts ‘Well they think it’s pretty funny.’

Look, what I’m trying to say in a non-boring way is this:

If you ever get a chance to borrow a DVD, watch old T.V footage or even see the Umbilical Brothers live – take it!

The play starts with the ‘Kelly’, Ken Lee, played by Kin Leong, who begins to set up a small Chinese Ceremony. However, he is interrupted by Marshall Cookson, a descendant of James Cook, who is following a trail across the top end of Australia that his descendant was alleged to have taken. The pair begins discussion of their ancestors, and the audience is treated to a showing of Ned Kelly himself, played by Nick Powers, and James Cook, played by Daniel Cunningham.

Before their discussion can get much further, Queen Elizabeth, played by Gail Evans, interrupts them. Initially thought of as crazy, the pair realise they are in fact dealing with royalty. Jess Devereux, playing the younger version of the queen, shows the audience the last time she was in the Northern Territory. As the play continues, each of the three main characters discuss their ancestors, or themselves, and what they have to do with the Territory. Meanwhile, dancers act out the past events the trio are discussing, resulting in a dynamic dance play, a show which few criticisms can be made of.

So, while the play has stopped showing, there are still a few events left in the festival calendar of similar calibre, and there will be future shows from Dance Tracks NT. Hope to see you there!

School has started again, but we all know chillax time is just as important! Grind has composed a list of activities and ideas that may keep you occupied and entertained when it’s time for a break from school.

1. Riding buses to nowhere

This idea came up as we sat around doing nothing in particular. Round up a few mates, hit the buses and cruise. As students get to travel for free, provided they have student cards, a group can travel all around Darwin for free. Buses also provide luxuries such as air conditioning and, since they move, the scenery is always changing. Another advantage of riding buses is that you will get to know Darwin and its bus routes.

2. Learn something new

Not exactly an original idea, but learning to do something new, whether it be a musical instrument, a new trick on a bike, or learning to draw can be very rewarding. Some suggestions of things to learn are: Morse code, juggling, as many digits of pi as possible, and trick card shuffling. See which ones you can come up with, try them out and leave us a comment saying how you went. You’l kill some time and learn something new while you are at it.

3. Write a short story

If you are anyway interested by reading fiction, then writing a short story can be interesting. You can write a short story about a character from a book or TV show you have watched or read, or you can make up a character. Even the character creation process can be interesting, as you can give your imaginary character any trait you want, any flaw, any strength and any name. And what is great about writing your own story is that anything can happen; from your character attempts to buy a trombone in Humpty Doo to Darth Vader attempting to destroy the human race from another galaxy, its up to you. And at the same time, you practise things such as spelling (very important) and grammar, as well as putting ideas into words.

4. Cooking

If you have a well stocked pantry or fridge that is full of ingredients, then cooking can be very rewarding and keep you occupied until you have finished. If you have never cooked before, you might want to try something simple like cupcakes, and then progress from there. Cooking can win you points with your parents and friends. Also, cooking is a valued skill by the opposite sex, so keep at it.

5. Get arty farty

Whether you are into art or not, it does not matter. Just do something which involves art, whether its finger or toe painting, drawing, arranging displays or leaving encouraging messages to passers by on the footpath in chalk. It does not matter if can or cannot draw, paint, write legibly or be creative. You can also attempt to teach yourself any of these.

Note: finger and toe painting is extremely fun, but remember only to get the paint on the thing you are painting, you do not need to redecorate the floors of the house while toe painting.

6. Make something

Home made items can be a lot of fun to make, whether you decide to make a sculpture out of the pebbles in your garden or make a castle out of a cardboard box. Or, you can make small gifts out of items laying around your house. You can make jewellery out of erasers, or robots out of you old VCR, or even a chain out of paperclips. If you are interested check out:

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

7. Make a mini movie

If you have a video camera or a digital camera that can record videos, you can make and direct a mini video. With simple items, a few friends and a bit of improvisation you can make just about any type of mini movie from a three minute action thriller involving fights with a giant cardboard box monster to a ten minute sci fi featuring an alien with a liking to a laundry basket.

8. Make someone’s day

There are a few ways to go about brightening up another person’s day. You could write a thank you letter to someone who helped you, it is always nice to be appreciated. Or, you could write to a distant friend who may be drifting out of touch; its always good to hear from different friends. Another good idea is to write a list of things you like about someone then give it to them. If you find a display of appreciation embarrassing you could find a way to give it anonymously. If there is someone new in your street or at school/work, you could welcome them and introduce yourself and things of importance, such as your friends.

If you are interested check out http://www.operationnice.com/

9. Plan world domination

Plan out how to take over with a friend. You could try any approach, from taking over the world’s security services to contacting aliens and using them to take over the world. You could write up plans, and draw arrows on a world map and label it master plan as well as include photos and plans for strategic targets. This can keep you occupied for quite sometime.

10. Write a Grind article

Whether you are a part of Grind or not, you can write a Grind article. You can write it about anything from school subjects to genetic engineering. Anything that is relevant to you is probably of interest to others, and you could write an article about it. If you have an article already written, or even just need ideas, or maybe just interested, just email: grind@grindonline.com.au

“Open up your mind”

Imagination can be defined as ‘The formation of a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses.’

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a sporadic drama about good and evil. The enchanting scenes open up our mind to possibilities.

The film is rather bizarre but this is no surprise considering it is directed by Terry Gilliam who has produced such films as Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) the God-like protagonist makes a deal with the devil (Tom Waits) which guarantees him mortality and later eternal life in exchange for his adolescent offspring. He thoughtlessly agrees but regrets this later when his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) is born. He realises that Valentina will soon be taken by the devil, Parnassus pleads for him to reconsider so the devil agrees on a new gamble. Whoever collects 5 souls first keeps Valentina. Parnassus and the entourage guide people to positive, uplifting thoughts whilst the devil tempts his victims into selling their souls for evil. Tony (Heath Ledger) tries strenuously to help Parnassus by attracting people into a mirror which leads to a world of imagination, every time he leads them through the world his face changes, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell convey this superbly. Each face represents an aspect of Tony’s imagination. Heath Ledger, who plays Tony, died half way through the shooting of the film forcing Terry Gilliam to improvise this alternate ending. The film is unique, there is a contrast between contemporary culture and olden day circus themes, this is portrayed throughout the movie by presenting small, plain black and white settings and colourful panorama. The best part of this film was the concept which in essence described that we all have a choice to do wrong or right, good or evil and that our actions have consequences. I went into the cinema expecting a structured, heart warming movie; instead I came out feeling violated by the erratic story line. However shortly after I felt enlightened by the spontaneous flash backs of mysterious locations and imaginative costumes. On the whole the movie was different; the highlight for me was watching the strong performance of Heath Ledger and Tom Waits.

Rated PG

Whilst thumbing this year’s programme I noticed 3 things:

1. It’s a good deal meatier than last year, there’s much more to see this August.
2. The acts are a lot more diverse, culturally as well as with intended audience, there is a LOT more for young people.
3. I was going to be incredibly broke by the end of this month, the quality of these performers astounds! I want to buy tickets for all of them!

Here at GRIND we are proud to be reporting on this year’s festival and will do our best to keep you up-to-date on the events page, with interviews with performers, and reviews of shows we loved.  Harriet and I had an afternoon chat with the festival’s artistic director Jo Duffy in anticipation of the upcoming cultural feast and we posed one BIG question to her on behalf of you all:

“Why should young people come to the Darwin Festival?”
Her response had us giddy and excited…

“Firstly”, She said “Because it’s the biggest cultural event in Darwin!” Well yeah, thanks Jo, but we had kind of figured that out already.  “Not only that, but we designed much of this year’s programme with young people in mind”….  Wait, really?  That’s awesome!  We had no idea; looking at the programme now though I can see what she meant.  There’s a veritable feast of talent for young people to ogle and boggle at, with tickets to cabaret acts ‘Tiger Lillies’ and ‘Meow Meow’ selling fast, Gothic Marionettes the ‘Grimstones’, Harry Angus from ‘The Cat Empire’, not to mention the spectacular ‘Morganics’ show about Hip Hop culture.  There’s short films for the littlies (9 years and above) and for those of us (myself and Harriet included) who like a bit of a dance there’s a silent disco on for only ten bucks a headset!  Jo was particularly proud of ‘Legal Walls’ a graffiti project showcasing young NT artists’ exploration of graffiti as “a legitimate means of cultural exchange” and there are many more free shows around town featuring a range of mediums that I can’t wait to explore.

Jo also had us grinning when she drew our attention to pricing; this year’s festival has many youth friendly events for much cheaper than usual and she told us it was specifically so that young people (on a tight budget as we are) can go to the festival!  Let’s all give Ms Duffy hugs I say, for fifteen dollar live music!  Not only that, but the Festival will be using our beloved Garden’s Amphitheatre a lot more than in past years as well as a brand-spanking-new venue ‘the lighthouse’ which Jo described as being “like a big top tent, only without the roof”, interesting description, but it will make for an intimate and fun new setting and is a major drawing card for this year’s festival which will be central to the Darwin CBD and Civic Park.

Personally, I can’t wait for this festival; I’ve already got my rather impressive pile of tickets and will be living off 20c noodles for the next two weeks because of it.  I hope to see you all there, look for me at the teddy bears picnic; I’ll be the fairy with the pink and green hair!

For more information about the festival and booking tickets you can pick up a copy of the programme at any library or tourist centre, check out their website www.darwinfestival.org.au or call 89434200