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Performing Arts

Meet Hydraulic Press Girl — the Aussie artist who gets 'squished' in viral videos

"Smac" McCreanor's videos have had more than 1 billion views — and now you can see her work in a gallery for the first time at the NGV Triennial.
A young white red-haired woman wearing a white beanie and vest poses in front of a backdrop of denim clothes

Once dubbed the 'affordable festival', the Adelaide Fringe is out of reach for some

The Adelaide Fringe creates a party atmosphere in the city. But with cost-of-living pressures starting to bite, festival season can be a challenging time for showgoers and performers seeking to stick to a budget.
Garden of Unearthly Delights entry

'I thought it was all my fault': How being gaslit led this theatre director to take on a classic

Did you know the term "gaslighting" is from a 1938 play? A new adaptation shines a light on how gaslighting plays out in modern Australia.
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A middle-aged white man kisses a 30-something white woman on the forehead will holding a play script.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ballet show returns to Australia

The Australian Ballet is taking a trip down the rabbit hole with its season-opening production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 57 seconds

Performers arrive in Adelaide for the Fringe Festival

Artists are descending on South Australia for the world-famous Adelaide Fringe Festival and Charles Brice got an early preview of some of the shows. 
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 26 seconds

Dance roles not gender roles: How Dance Life star Archer is forging her own career path

One of the stars of Prime Video's docuseries Dance Life is non-binary dancer Archer, who is creating her own space in the gendered world of dance.
A slim dancer with blonde hair wearing sunglasses and a yellow top flings their arms out on stage

Asia 'is either evil or in need of saving': How stereotypes of the region still persist in the Australian arts

There's a long history of Orientalism in the arts. Are there lingering effects on Australian stages?
A photo of a stage production with soldiers, a giant gold bust and red flags with yellow stars

Final performance for Tasmania's travelling piano

Kelvin was gifted a piano by a woman who was happy for him to have it for nothing as long as he played it in scenic locations — now, after performances on a beach, in a forest and atop a dam wall, it's time for a rest.
Tasmanian Kelvin Smith playing the piano next to water at Cornelian Bay.

From Slim Dusty to Nirvana, it's all good on Tamworth's boulevard of dreams

The Tamworth Country Music Festival attracts some of the genre's biggest stars from around the world, but veteran and aspiring talents alike can still be found honing their craft on the streets.
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A woman playing an electric guitar and singing

ICYMI: Jacob Elordi is very tall on SNL, the most hyped films from Sundance, and Pitchfork gutted

From the Minecraft movie to a juicy Brent Street reality show, here's all the latest entertainment news.
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A collage of brown staffy wearing a 'love is love' hankerchief; Jacob Elordi, plus Katy O'Brien and Kristen Stewart.

Want to go to Sydney Festival but don't know where to start? Here's a bunch of acts we loved

Sydney is chock-full of art and culture right now, with festival shows being staged everywhere from the beach to basements to the best theatres. But how do you choose which to see? We've got some tips for you.
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A group of femmes in colourful outfits and wigs, dance together in a burlesque-style onstage.

Sydney Festival celebrates culture and creativity

Among the nearly 150 events is the cabaret show 'Send for Nellie' that's based on a pioneering Aussie cross-dressing entertainer of the 1930s.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 3 minutes 59 seconds

Fears Brisbane art scene will be 'cut off at the knees' after federal funding slashed

Metro Arts is expecting an exodus of up-and-coming artists from Brisbane, after all the organisation's federal funding was cut for the next four years.
A woman next to a chair

Beyoncé and Lizzo bowed to this Aussie princess and now she's taking on Disney

First, she got Beyoncé and Lizzo to rewrite their songs. But Hannah Diviney's crusade to have Disney improve its on-screen representation of people living with disability is proving a tougher fight.
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Hannah Diviney as a child

Australian artist dropped by gallery of 36 years over performance that referenced Israel-Gaza War

Leading artist Mike Parr has been dropped by prominent Jewish gallerist Anna Schwartz this week following a performance that included references to the conflict in Gaza.
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A white gallery wall painted variously with black text and large patches of red and black.

Australian teenager takes third place in Estonian singing competition

Sydney teenager Robin Kukk has taken third place in Estonia's version of 'Australian Idol'.
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 47 seconds

Director Pacharo Mzembe reflects on what it means to be seen.

Director Pacharo Mzembe reflects on what it means to be seen.
ABC News Current
Duration: 44 seconds

Bloom Girl will make its debut on December 16.

Bloom Girl will make its debut on December 16.
ABC News Current
Duration: 56 seconds

What does it mean to be seen? When the online world and the real world collide

In a world of influencers and social media, where livelihoods can literally hinge on the ability to keep up appearances, Brisbane creative Charli Burrowes uses her art to expose the not-so-pretty undercurrents and real world impacts of living life through a filter.
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Artist Charli Burrowes stands next to her artwork

Indigenous musician performs song in Barkindji language at Sydney Youth Orchestra birthday gala

Malyanapa and Barkindji man Leroy Johnson realised a dream recently when he was invited to perform with the Sydney Youth Orchestra for its 50th Birthday Gala at the Opera House.
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Leroy Johnson Performing

When Oz Malik watched TV as a kid, Muslim characters were scarce. He's hoping to change that

Oz Malik began devouring films in primary school, but growing up he realised very quickly there were few Muslim men on Western television.
A young man sitting on the floor with one hand resting on his knee, the other on a red pillow. He's wearing a white top.

NBL star Isaac Humphries to perform at Adelaide Fringe

The basketballer will make his stage debut as a musician at next year's Adelaide Fringe Festival.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 55 seconds

Sydney Theatre Company apologises after backlash over pro-Palestinian protest

The company has been inundated with complaints this week after three actors performed an onstage gesture of solidarity after the opening night of its latest show.
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Sigrid Thornton in a blonde wig onstage stands behind a seated Harry Greenwood wearing a bandage on his head.

Who's Australia's best in the 'brutal' business of busking?

Musicians from across the country hit the streets and opened their guitar cases as part of the Australian National Busking Championships in Cooma.
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a kid smiles at the camera wearing cool sunnies and a guitar

Sigrid Thornton's latest role is 'a marathon' and one of her biggest challenges yet

Most Australians would know her from her screen roles, but theatre has been a drawcard for the veteran actor in recent years and she's about to take on one of her meatiest roles yet.
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Sigrid Thornton, a 64-year-old white woman with curly brown hair wearing a white blouse and black pants leans against a railing.