Street Art Festival

 Not everyone can travel to Melbourne and trawl around its laneways just to spot the infamous Banksy rat on a wall. And why would you want to anyway? Save your pennies (as its not there anymore) and stay  local.

Adelaide this month is excitedly hosting its first ever Oi You! Adelaide Urban Art Festival where 22 works from the infamously satirical Banksy will be on show. Yes people, Banksy is coming to Adelaide. Well... some of his pieces are. Who knows he might actually be in town.

It's not all just about Banksy (UK), there will also be artwork showcasing Faile (USA), Swoon (USA), Antony Micallef (UK), David Choe (USA), Paul Insect (UK) and the Milton Springstreen (NZ).

There are lots of events on but the one that I'm most looking forward to is the Big Walls Tour. Local Adelaide artists take you on a stroll of the best artwork shown here on our streets. I like my urban art gritty and where it should be, on the street. None of this fancy under spotlight locked away inside business. We have some fabulously talented locals who I'd argue rival some of the bigger names coming down for the event. Instead of hitting the pub this weekend, get out there whilst the weather is still mild and check out some art!

Oi You Adelaide! Festival runs from Saturday, April 20 to Sunday, June 2 2013.

Recovering Artaholic

I am recovering from my purge of artistic delights some of you might know as the Adelaide Festival and its young rival, the Adelaide Fringe. It was a short and very sweet experience this year for me as I had only 4 days to immerse myself before flying overseas.

During that brief time I was blindfolded, tied up and then dragged through a sensory maze of delights, frights whilst meeting the most caring strangers. Pulled through a secret door into a wonderland of you-wont-believe-what-happened. (If you must know I was transformed into a beautiful unicorn sparkling with pearls and bling but my camera was confiscated so I don't think you'd ever believe me.) Watched a loveable larrikan tumble and fumble on stage. Listened to a marching band play sexual healing whilst I watched a good friend get married inside Barrio. Found myself a lovely derby girl & got hitched myself before dancing the night away under the stars.

Not your average art adventure but that is the point. Art is meant to be what you want it to be. That is why I love my town and its quirky sense of fun. So what does a recovering artaholic going to do now??

All life affirming art suggestions welcome.

Adelaide Festival Picks

Last week I informed you of my favourite picks from the Adelaide Fringe Festival. This week however, its all about the Adelaide Festival.

The Adelaide Festival in my mind is one of those risk taker events that thrusts art passionately in your face. I go a little mad during Mad March because of  it's lustfully exciting line-ups tempting me to consecutive sleepless weeks. I come out the other end of the Festival feeling a little bit like Alice having come back from Wonderland. Tired, swooning and a little heart broken that its all over.

Very much at the top of my list are the theatre performance group, Ontroerend Goed. They love to create intimate, individual performance pieces which turns normal theatre on its head. For the Adelaide Festival they have created 3 different shows one of which I am lucky to have the tickets for, The Smile Off Your Face. I will be blind folded, strapped into a wheelchair and whizzed off into the night. Lets hope I come back in one piece.

I love the German Club so I cannot wait for it to be converted into a late night smoky cabaret venue. Being able to see a show here excites me almost as much as the show I want to see The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart. Whenever the word word rambunctious appears in any type of review you know that you at least are going to enjoy some hearty loudness, the ability to drink beer whilst sitting in your seat, maybe a sing-a-long and some cheek. I for one am looking forward this show as it should be a fun night out.

Heading into a different direction completely the Festival is heading online to capture our hearts and imaginations this year. How can you be alone in a city full of noise? Being quiet, letting thoughts sit and process can sometimes be a perfect methodology for a healthy state of mind. Quite amazingly this year the Festival has sponsored Stereopublic a TEDXPrize City 2.0 Winner to do just that. I for one cannot wait to see what this is all about.














And finally, Barrio. The hottest ticket on the Mad March calendar last year is set to come back again in 2013. Every night is different from the last. Get their early. Bring a shrine offering. Be tempted by the greatest night out of your life. If anyone asks you a random question say yes.

Here is a link to one of my highlight shows from Barrio last year, Abbie Cardwell & The Chicano Rockers. I only expect Barrio to become even more of a simmering melting pot this summer.



Well thats just my opinion, what are you most excited about this Festival season?

Adelaide Fringe Festival Picks

Mad March is fast approaching. What does that mean? Adelaide is soon to come alive with both the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe to swing open their peacock and sequin encrusted doors. If you can't find something fun to do in the city soon there might actually be something seriously wrong with you. With hundreds of shows all vying for your attention I've done the hard leg work and sorted through the shows for my top picks for each festival.

First up, the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

I fell in love with the Adelaide Fringe when I was a young girl. I was 13 & I had convinced my mother to let me go to the Fringe Opening Night. She dropped my girlfriend & I at the top of Rundle Street with a wave and a well wishes for our evening. Honestly, I dont know what I said to her to let us go without her. Rundle Street had been transformed into a bedazzled infectious creature of a street party. I remember a Drag queen on a float drifted down from her lofty height to give me a magic wand. I was showered in joy, confetti & light. That was the most exhilarating night of my entire young self's life. Because of that night I have been forever in love with the shimmering & fabulous world of the Fringe.

Anyway enough daydreaming, the Fringe begins in a week!

If it feels like the Fringe has well and truly taken over Adelaide, then you are correct. The crowd favourite places to hang out are back. Any night of the week you can drop by the Garden of Unearthly Delights, Tuxedo Cat, Gluttony, The Rhino Room or The Big Slapple to see something guaranteed entertaining. But this year there is a newcomer space that I've got my eye on, The Depot.

The Depot is the newest fringe hub to be created. Perfectly nestled behind China Town in the CBD it is set to be a fun date night out (Ahem, Valentines Day anyone?) destination.



My highlight show to see at the Depot is Colourpalooza. There is definitely something in the water with colour events taking off all around the country. And it seems that Colour + Music is a winning formula with the fun-at-heart crowd. Straight after the Fringe Opening Parade its set to go off!

I always set aside time for the Circus every Fringe. There's something about beautiful strong bodies making contortions & feats of strength look effortless that I admire. It wows me everytime. This year I've bookmarked seeing Freefall at the Adelaide Town Hall.

Another one of my favourites I'll be heading down to the Wheaty to check out The Hushes for some laid back beautiful tunes.

If all else fails & you are finding Fringe time overwhelming. I recommend braving the Fringe Bus. Jump on for an adventure you wont forget. The Fringe is about flirting with your comfort zone. Some of my best nights out during Fringe I just wandered the streets. Be brave, find a friend and wander down Adelaide's alley ways. You never know what might jump out and bite you.

Next week I'll update you on my favourite picks for the Adelaide Festival! Stay tuned.

Let there be light

Recently I got a ticket to attend the Adelaide Festival 2013 Season Launch. Under the applause and hushed vibe the poster was lavishly presented to the crowd. It is eerily dark and temptingly inviting at at once. I wanted to crawl inside the light square box and see what was inside. All the launch was missing was a Wolf howling to the moon & I would have had goosebumps.

It was love at first sight, again. I knew at once that I'd seen the work of this artist before - Benoit Paille.

Benoit Paille is a Canadian Artist who takes incredible thought provoking photos. I particularly love her illuminated landscape images. So enchanting you feel like you have stepped into another world. I cannot believe that they have not been edited digitally later in Photoshop.I was able to find some of her work on This is Colossal. I recommend you check out their cool blog.





I am really looking forward to the Adelaide Festival in March 2013. Known for being the risk taking Art Festival in Australia it dares to be different. I have traveled to festivals interstate and you can definitely tell where Adelaide dares and succeeds, the other festivals follow.