A fascinating book launch this week in Wagga showcases the beauty of distant culture in Central Asia. Photo: eventbrite.
There’s a lot to get excited for in the Riverina this week, with plenty of cultural events, kids’ events, workshops and more.
The Wagga French Film Festival is entering its second week, bringing the best films from the continent right to the heart of the Riverina.
The Griffith Regional Theatre plays a very special theatrical adaptation of one of the classics of modern English literature in 1984.
Check out our weekly event guide and don’t miss out on the excitement.
Multiple Days
Looking to escape the chill of winter? The Wagga French Film Festival will take you somewhere warm. Photo: Alliance Francaise de Wagga Wagga.
Wagga Wagga French Film Festival
When: 1 – 7 August, various times
Where: Forum 6 Cinemas, 77 Trail St, Wagga
Cost: Tickets from $13 to $19.50 | Book online.
Wagga gets a touch more Parisian this week as the French Film Festival comes to Forum 6 Cinemas.
This festival will have a little something for everyone – Cannes favourites, comedies, biographical films of some of France’s most beloved artists and more.
Indulge your inner Francophile this week.
Forty-five years of the region’s rich printing history is on display at the Wagga gallery. Image: Wagga Wagga Art Gallery.
Canberra vs the Government: Prints from the archive of Megalo Print Studio at the Wagga Gallery
When: 1 – 7 August, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm; closed Monday
Where: Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and National Art Glass Gallery, Civic Centre, corner of Baylis and Morrow streets
Cost: Free.
The Megalo Print Studio has been giving artists and enthusiasts a place to create their own artistic visions in print for 45 years. From humble beginnings, the studio has grown and become more sophisticated, offering classes and empowering locals.
This exhibition will show off the diversity of skill, in technique and concept, of the various artists who have produced for the Megalo Print Studio, viewing Canberra as home, a tourist destination and as the seat of the Commonwealth.
Don’t miss this fascinating exhibition.
An inspiring kids’ musical comes to the Wagga Civic Theatre. Photo: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
Josephine Wants to Dance – Musical at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
When: 5 August, 10 am and noon and 6 August, 10 am and noon
Where: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way, off Tarcutta St
Cost: Tickets between $20 and $29 | Book online.
A hilarious musical based on the picture book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, Josephine Wants to Dance is about the importance of believing in yourself and pursuing your dreams.
The audience is taken along as Josephine the kangaroo dances to her heart’s content despite the protests of her little brother. She ventures into town where a big performance of Swan Lake is making waves. Will she succeed in achieving her wildest dreams on stage.
Friday
Textile art and Central Asia culture in the spotlight at The Station Creative Workspace. Photo: Humanitix.
Book launch – Chok: Uzbek Architecture in Needlepoint
When: 1 August, 5:30 pm
Where: The Station Creative Workspace, 54-58 Johnston Street, Wagga
Cost: Free | Book online.
Writer Natalie Fisher sits down with Sam Bowker to explore her unique creative journey tracing the ancient architectural styles of ancient Uzbekistan. Major themes of Uzbek style such as ornate decorative tiles and delicate needle and thread work will be discussed alongside an exhibition showcasing the intersection between artistic heritage and modern creativity.
This is a great event for anyone interested in textile arts, visual culture, travel, Central Asia and Islamic architecture and art.
Sunday
Comedy-drama with a feminist message at the Wagga Theatre. Image: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
The Female of the Species at the Wagga Theatre
When: 3 August, 2 pm
Where: Basement Theatre, Corner Morrow and Tarcutta streets, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Tickets from $28 | Book online.
Inspired by real-life events, Joanna Murray-Smith’s The Female of the Species is a comedy performance that takes a look at feminist ideals, the complex world of motherhood and the unpredictable nature of human relationships.
Margot, our main character and a celebrated feminist writer, is held at gunpoint by a former student. As her situation deteriorates, a standoff involving her daughter, her son-in-law and a cab driver lead to an unexpected clash.
This production exploring family dynamics and ideology promises to be witty and thought-provoking.
Monday
The Gundagai Adelong Racing Club is hosting its August Race Day, with all the thrills of the track. Photo: Visit NSW.
Gundagai Adelong August Race Day
When: 4 August, noon to 6 pm
Where: Gundagai Adelong Racing Club, OI Bell Drive, Gundagai
Cost: Free entry.
Head to the Gundagai Adelong Racing Club for a full day of racing fun, with a bar, dining facilities and TAB access.
Whether you want to bet and cheer on your lucky pick or you’re just looking for a fun day out with the community in the winter sun, this is the perfect blend of sport, community fun and the outdoors.
One of the English language’s most compelling dystopian novels comes to the stage. Image: Griffith Arts & Culture.
1984 at the Griffith Regional Theatre
When: 4 August, 11 am and 7:30 pm
Where: Griffith Regional Theatre, 1 Neville Place, Griffith
Cost: Tickets from $30 | Book online.
In a world of total surveillance, Winston Smith starts to think for himself – a dangerous decision. With a diary and a pen, he sets himself on a collision course with The Party, led by the ever-watchful Big Brother.
Captured, broken, and thrust into the terrifying depths of the Ministry of Love, Winston fights for freedom in a world where even love is a crime. But can the human spirit truly survive in the face of absolute control? And what horrors lurk in the infamous Room 101?
