Author Jesse Blackadder to visit Narrandera

Passionate about words, Jesse Blackadder is an international award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction, and an inspiring public speaker.

Jesse’s first novel for grownups was After the Party (Hardie Grant Books 2005), her second The Raven’s Heart, (HarperCollins 2011 and Bywater Books 2012) and her third Chasing the Light: A Novel of Antarctica (HarperCollins 2013).

After the Party was among the Australian Book Review list of all-time favourite Australian novels (2010) and Chasing the Light won the 2011/12 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship.

Jesse wrote The Raven’s Heart, about the real Blackadder family in 16th century Scotland, after she finally got sick of people asking if she was related to Rowan Atkinson.

During 2013 The Raven’s Heart won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Historical Fiction (USA) and the Golden Crown Award (USA), was awarded the bronze medal by Independent Publisher Book Awards Historical Fiction (USA), was a finalist in both the Lambda Foundation Literary Award (USA) and ForeWord Book of the Year (USA); and won the Varuna HarperCollins Manuscript Development Award 2011 (Australia).

Jesse is writing a series of junior fiction novels (for readers aged 8-13). The first – Stay: the last dog in Antarctica – was published in July 2013 by ABC Books and the second, Paruku The Desert Brumby, in January 2014.

Jesse is an experienced freelance writer and journalist. She studied creative writing at university (along with film and photography) in a BA (Communication) at the University of Technology Sydney. She has a Master of Applied Science (Social Ecology) and is completing her Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Western Sydney.

Hear Jesse discuss writing in Narrandera at the Art Hub in the Train Station from 11am to 12.30pm on Tuesday 29 July.

Making Your Life As An Artist

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Arts NSW Regional Fellow

Birrego artist Vic McEwan speaks about his Arts NSW Regional Fellowship and The CAD Factory's activities in the Riverina, as well as moving from Sydney to be based in regional Australia.

Join the Riverina Men's Choir

Christmas in Narrandera and Leeton this year will be alive with the sound of music. Residents are invited to join the inaugural Riverina Men's Choir, which will rehearse from October for concerts planned for the 2014 festive season.

“We are hoping to have a few singing workshops and then put on a couple of Xmas concerts for the Retirement Villages in the Leeton and hopefully Narrandera areas.” said Alan Chesworth, one of the organisers.

Mrs Frances Tsoukalidas, an experienced choir conductor will lead four very informal, free, singing workshops/practices Each of the 1.5 hour sessions will be held in the Leeton Hydro Hotel starting in mid-October this year. Hot food supper platters will be available each practise night.

It is hoped that once the choir learns a few Christmas Carols and other songs, they will then be able to perform for the elderly residents of retirement homes in Leeton and Narrandera in November.

The project is being supported by Regional Arts NSW, Western Riverina Arts Inc and Leeton Shire Council. Further details regarding dates and times will be provided through local media, including The Irrigator and Narrandera Argus.

“At this stage we are just trying to get the word out about the workshops and see who is interested. So far we have around a dozen men interested in joining, but we would love to hear from more over the coming months,” said conductor Frances Tsoukalidas.

The choir is looking for any men interested in singing, to join the choir. No need for auditions and all ages very welcome!

Men of all ages and abilities are encouraged to join in for this good cause.

NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellowship applications open

Minister for the Arts Troy Grant is calling on Aboriginal artists from across the State to apply for the $30,000, 2014 NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellowship.

The Fellowship is open to arts practitioners working in all art forms including collections and cultural heritage, community arts and cultural development, dance, literature, multi art form, music (including opera and musical theatre), theatre (including circus and physical theatre), and visual arts (including craft and design).

“This Fellowship is open to professional Aboriginal artists living in metropolitan or regional NSW, at any stage of their career,” Mr Grant said.

“The NSW Government is offering $30,000 to support the Aboriginal Arts Fellow to undertake a self-directed program of professional development which might include travel, mentorships, residencies, workshops, research, and the creation of new work.”

Mr Grant said the NSW Government is committed to supporting Aboriginal artists to take up professional development opportunities.

“Aboriginal artists and arts groups in NSW contribute to the social and cultural richness of the nation as well as in local communities.

“As home to the largest Aboriginal community in Australia, NSW Aboriginal artists are producing high-quality works that fuse traditional stories and culture with contemporary art forms and media.

“This is an important opportunity for Aboriginal artists to gain recognition for their work and to further develop their artistic practice.

“I particularly encourage Aboriginal artists living in regional NSW to consider applying for the Fellowship,” Mr Grant said.

The NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellowship is offered by Arts NSW. Applications close on Monday 11 August 2014. The winner of the Fellowship will be announced later this year.

For more information and to apply, visit www.artsnsw.gov.au

Shown above is a detail from David Williams' Marrambidya Bila (2013) from the Reimagining the Murrumbidgee exhibition.

Art school history

Paul Dal Broi joins First Friday Live

Step out of the cold and into the toasty surrounds of Bar One88 for First Friday Live in July. Then warm up from the inside with a glass of red and the smoking jazz sounds of one of Canberra's finest jazz musicians' – Paul Dal Broi.

FFL brings back a former ‘son of Griffith’ who ventured away in the 1980's to begin his career in jazz music.

Fast forward 28 years and Paul Dal Broi is back in town. But this time he is here to show off his string of accolades and a strongly refined style developed over years of experience across all styles of music and musicians.

Paul studied a Diploma in Jazz at the Canberra School of Music and has performed and recorded with Aria award-winning artists Sandy Evans, Miroslav Bukovsky and Trish Delaney-Brown. Paul has also performed with some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians including James Greening, Warwick Alder and Brendan Clarke.


Paul has a reputation of solid, reliable musicianship, and a keen ability to tackle all genres of music. Paul continues to perform and teach a large number of students in the Canberra region and is also a Performing Teaching Fellow at the ANU School of Music.

This Friday for FFL, Paul will be backed by house-band Metro, for a night of classic jazz along with some modern arrangements of popular songs which are sure to inspire any fan of fine music.

Enjoy a night of fabulous live music. Invite your friends, book a table or just turn up! We can’t wait to see you there!

This month's concert will be held at Bar One88, 188 Banna Avenue, Griffith on Friday 4 July 2014 from 7.30pm. Our low cover charge of $15 goes to the performers to ensure we can keep bringing great live music to Griffith.

Fanny Lumsden and the Thrillseekers

Fanny Lumsden & the Thrillseekers are thrilled to announce they are heading west in July to play a run of Country Halls through the Riverina.

No stranger to the region, Fanny who grew up on a farm between Tallimba and Weethalle has made this unique touring style a bit of a tradition with year marking their third annual tour celebrating country halls.

Fanny and her band the Thrillseekers will be bringing their toe tapping- thigh-slapping, quick-witted version of folk/americana to the small communities of Tooma, Rand, Jugiong, Weethalle and Grong Grong in late July for a series of fun filled nights of live music for the whole family!

"So excited to be playing in the halls again - they are my favorite kind of venue and I love that the whole community comes out and has a fun night together.  It's a privilege to play in these halls that have been the centre of their community for so many years and to be bringing live music to the bush is something pretty special," says Ms Lumsden.

Western Australian lass Ruby Boots will be joining Fanny and the boys on this years tour through the Riverina. Having just dropped a brand new EP and returned from touring with The Waifs and playing a run of dates through Victoria and Western Australia Ruby Boots will be jumping on board the regional hall tour.

Fanny will then be joining Ruby Boots for a run of dates through Western Australia at the beginning of August.

Again this year there will be an opportunity for local musicians/performers/poets/dancers to get up and perform for their community. If you think you can play/sing/dance/recite send an email through to fanny.lumsden@gmail.com describing your act and a link to a video if you have one.

The communities are getting behind their halls and putting on BBQs to fuel you up before the music gets going. Entry is by donation (with a suggested donation of $20pp).

Ms Lumsden will host a workshop for local musicians from 5.30pm at Grong Grong on 26 July, where she will discuss songwriting, promotion and production.