[JUST ABOUT NOW IS A COLLECTION OF THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR SPACES & PLACES, PHYSICAL & DIGITAL, intersecting PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, CULTURE, COMMUNITY & CREATIVITY into the NOW. STITCHED TOGETHER BY GEROME FOR WSKRA.COM]
“The Yoorrook Justice Commission, represented by the design at the centre of the logo, is central to the truth telling for injustices for First Nations people and in turn is central to making recommendations for healing, system reform and practical changes to laws, policy and education.
“The circles represent meeting and community and they are connected through the songlines of culture and understanding.”
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING RISING: 1–16 June 2024
DOCUMENTARY SERIES. The Australian Wars directed by Rachel Perkins (2022). Available on SBS On Demand. “Rachel Perkins journeys across the country to explore the bloody battles fought on Australian soil and the war that established the Australian nation, seeking to change the narrative of the nation.”
PANEL DISCUSSION. Land Wars | NITV.
2008. National Apology To The Stolen Generations (2008). “On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation. The journey to National Apology began with the Bringing Them Home report – the findings of an inquiry instigated by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in 1995.”–NMA
2024. Apology To The Stolen Generations | Victoria Police’s acknowledgement and apology to the Stolen Generations. “The Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton invites the Aboriginal Community to hear Victoria Police’s acknowledgement and Apology for our role in the removal of Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generations from their families and communities.”
MUSIC. 2017. Paul Kelly, A.B. Original, Dan Sultan pay tribute to Archie Roach | Took the Children Away. Dan Sultan x MSO at Hamer Hall, Friday 12 July 2024 (Sold Out). “One of Australia’s most loved singer-songwriters, Dan Sultan, joins the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his third studio album, Blackbird. (…) After headlining the Orchestra’s 2023 performance of One Song: The Music of Archie Roach, Dan will reunite with the MSO on this special anniversary to perform songs from the album and hits from his impressive catalogue.”–MSO
MUSIC. 2008. Paul Kelly | Careless, Live At The Empire Theatre, Toowoomba. 2012. Dan Kelly | Drunk on election night, 16 November 2012, Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
MUSIC. 2019. Paul Kelly & Dan Sultan – Every Day My Mother’s Voice (Official Video). “Adam Goodes was a champion AFL footballer and Indigenous leader. In the final years of his career, the cheers turned to boos. Using archival footage only, The Final Quarter reveals the incidents that provoked heated media commentary and divided the nation.”
Adam Goodes Inspires – This Is My Australia | Adam Goodes, Australian Of The Year 2014
AFL legend Adam Goodes wins Australian of the Year | The Guardian | Paul Farell (January 2014)
1992. High Court decision in Mabo case recognises native title. “On 3 June, Australians commemorate Mabo Day, marking the anniversary of the historic Mabo decision.”
“Eddie Mabo of Mer island in the Torres Strait spent a decade seeking official recognition of his people’s ownership of Mer and on 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia agreed, rejecting the doctrine that Australia was terra nullius (land belonging to no-one) at the time of European settlement.”:–NMA
COMMUNITY. The Free Assange Interviews | 7am Podcast | Schwartz Media
ART | THEATRE. The Exotic Lives Of Lola Montez, written by Jackie Smith and directed by Moira Finucane. Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday 20 June to Sunday 30 June 2024, starring Caroline Lee, Maple Rose and Piera Dennerstein. “Lola is a wildly contemporary dreamscape steeped in Australian history and the extraordinary lives and freedom of one of the world’s most adventurous women.”–Finucane & Smith
“Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (17 February 1821 – 17 January 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez, was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer and courtesan. She was a mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria who made her Gräfin von Landsfeld (Countess of Landsfeld). At the start of the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, she was forced to flee. She proceeded to the United States via Austria, Switzerland, France and London, to return to her work as an entertainer and lecturer.
“In June 1855, Lola departed the U.S. to tour Australia and resume her career by entertaining miners at the gold diggings during the gold rush of the 1850s. She arrived in Sydney on 16 August 1855.”–Wikipedia
PLACE. COMMUNITY. 1995. Chapel Off Chapel, South Yarra
PLACE. COMMUNITY. MUSIC. LIVE. Open Mic Tuesdays by Stacey Pommer, from 7.30pm Tuesday nights at The Basement. Yes, Espy. [Media Gerome Villarete]
PLACE. COMMUNITY. MUSIC. LIVE. OR NOT. Since 1999… Nightly, at The Vineyard. Open till 3am seven days a week keeping a local nocturnal community safe and seen if not sane or sober. [Media Gerome Villarete]
MUSIC. LIVE. ANAM Orchestra With Erkki Lasonpalo conductor, Joshua Jones cello, St Kilda Town Hall, Saturday 1 June 2024 7pm
MUSIC. OUT NOW. Slash | Orgy Of The Damned. “Orgy Of The Damned is the second studio solo album by British-American musician Slash, released on 17 May 2024. The album is a collaborative blues cover project with Gary Clark Jr., Billy Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Chris Robinson, Tash Neal, and Beth Hart.”–Wikipedia
MUSIC. LIVE. The Rolling Stones Revue With Sticky Fingers, Palais Theatre, Friday 26 July 2024 8pm
PLACE. COMMUNITY. 1914. The Palais, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. “The Palais Theatre stands as a testament to a century of entertainment history, captivating audiences with a diverse array of live performances from Bob Hope, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Australian Ballet, Australian Opera, Roy Orbison, Shirley Bassey, Joan Sutherland, Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, Robert Helpmann, John Farnham, Tim Minchin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Ed Sheeran, Florence & The Machine, Sting, Kylie Minogue, Ross Noble, 5 Seconds of Summer, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.”–The Palais
MUSIC. LIVE. Boney M, Palais Theatre, Saturday 15 June, Sunday 16 June, Thursday 24 June, Tuesday 2 July 2024
PLACE. COMMUNITY. MUSIC. LIVE. The Peptides Punk, at the Bowlo (St Kilda Sports Club, Fitzroy St). Sunday 2 June 2024 5pm. Every first Sunday of the month god-willing.
MUSIC. ART. Fred Negro Music. Fred Negro Art. “Frederick John Negro (born 1959) is an Australian [artist], satirist, musician, songwriter, and cartoonist. He has fronted numerous rock, punk and country bands.”–Wikipedia
PLACE. COMMUNITY. POETRY+SPOKEN WORD+OPEN MIC. Poetry For Pride – An Evening Of Spoken Word & Poetry For Pride Month, at George Lane, Thursday 13 June 2024 6.30pm. “You’ll hear from featured artists, Foot and Phoebe Greaves, then we’ll be inviting registered speakers to the stage, followed by open mic.”
Landmark anthology 100 Queer Poems published for Pride month | The Guardian | Sarah Shaffi (June 2022). “100 Queer Poems, edited by Andrew McMillan and Mary Jean Chan, features work from 20th-century poets as well as contemporary LGBTQ+ voices. It’s a “landmark” anthology, said one of the contributing poets, Kit Fan, because there hasn’t been a collection of this kind “for probably two or three decades”. McMillan has described the book as “an update” to the Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse, the last major anthology of queer poems, published in 1986.”
PLACE. COMMUNITY. POETRY+MUSIC+MASSACRE. Memo Poetry Massacre 2, at Memo Music Hall, Sunday 16 June 2024 2pm. “A celebration of the inaugural Memo Music Hall Poetry Massacre held on June the 12th, 2022 which featured the cream of Melbourne’s independent musicians including HI ACE (Jeff Lang and Alison Ferrier), Charles Jenkins, Shane O’Mara, and Monique Brumby twice Aria Award winner.” Supported by your Federal & State MPs Josh Burns and Nina Taylor.
MUSIC. LIVE. COMMUNITY. FREE. The Transplants: Raising The Roof For Organ Donation. Sunday 28 July 2024 3-6pm, Memo Music Hall. “A special free public concert will be held at Memo Music Hall St. Kilda Sunday July 28 to mark the start of DonateLife Week. This event is supported by a DonateLife Community Awareness Grant.”–Memo Online
PLACE. COMMUNITY. 1980. Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St Kilda. “Theatre Works champions artists and work that embraces difference and celebrates risk, working to provide a supportive public platform for marginalised conversations and voices. Led by an Executive Director/ Creative Producer, the TW team comprises Production, Marketing and Publicity, Artistic and Creative specialists. Theatre Works Board members are skilled across a relevant matrix of experience.”–TW
THEATRE. Ghosts by Jodi Gallagher after Henrik Ibsen at Theatre Works. “The collaboration between the award-winning team of Gallagher and Wright promises a fusion of compelling storytelling and artistic innovation. Expect a visually stunning, emotionally charged experience that stays true to the spirit of Ibsen while resonating fiercely with contemporary audiences.”–TW
THEATRE. La Belle Epoque by Future D. Fidel, at Theatre Works. “La Belle Epoque is a text-based play with integrated archival and live video, performed by actors of African heritage. It comprises several interweaving narratives that combine to tell the story of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The play charts the history of discovery and exploitation of resources in the DRC: slaves, rubber, diamonds and rare earth minerals, from pre-colonial times to the modern day, exposing the supply chain together with the people who are beneficiaries of these resources–the Wealthy West.”–TW
PLACE. COMUNITY. 1986. Linden New Art, 28 Acland St, St Kilda. ‘Our core activity is defined by three aspects: exhibitions, public and education programs, and knowledge generation. Exhibitions are uniquely focussed on supporting mid-career artists and consist of solo exhibitions, often of new work, and thematic exhibition, which engage with the big issues of our time.”–LNA
ART. Michelle Hamer | I Am A Believer, Linden New Art, from 31 May to 25 August 2024 michellehamer.com. “Michelle Hamer’s I’m A Believer is a darkly humorous series of prints that confronts the dismissive language surrounding chronic health issues while exploring gendered language, access, and erasure. Original letters, ethically contributed by patients from around the world (including medical professionals), have been redacted, retaining official formatting and scanned decay to expose delegitimising wording that casts doubt or disbelief on symptoms.”–TW
PLACE. 1929. Forum Melbourne. “Formerly known as the State Theatre, the Forum Melbourne – designed by American architect John Eberson – first opened its doors in 1929 with the largest seating capacity of any theatre in Australia. Today, the theatre is considered a Melbourne icon and is a staple of the city’s live music scene. In addition to hosting musicians, comedians and popular festivals every year, the venue serves as a function space for a wide variety of high-society events.”–Nicholas Rider | A&D
MUSIC. LIVE. Dirty Three at Forum Melbourne, Sunday 16 June 2024. “No one does it like the Dirty Three. Ever since their first gig at a Richmond pub in 1992—when Warren Ellis fastened a pickup to his violin with a rubber band to give it some extra snarl—they’ve been following their own path. (…) While their peers were doing grunge, they were facing each other onstage, making rock without the ego. Jazz without the histrionics. Folk without the troubadours. Improvising rumbling, wide-open instrumentals that pull you in like oil-painted landscapes.”–RISING:
RISING: 1–16 JUNE 2024
PLACE. Williamstown, Victoria. Williamstown is home to Seaworks that presented Steve McCurry’s most iconic photographs in a recent exhibition.
ART. Landscape Of Faces | Michele Tirman-Olsen, at the Williamstown Library Gallery, 1–29 June 2024.
MUSIC. 2023. David Bridie | It’s Been A While Since Our Last Conversation (Album)
David Bridie asked 13 people to tell their story. Big things followed | Sydney Morning Herald | Michael Dwyer (June 2023). “From life on Manus Island to a sunny swimming session, the acclaimed musician puts spoken words to music on his intriguing new album.”
MUSIC. SPOKEN WORD. 2023. The Etcetera Prayer | Music by David Bridie. Words by Kathleen-Mary Fallon. “Kathleen-Mary Fallon is revered by critics as being “amongst the most talented writers in Australia.” Her work ranges across novels, films and opera, and for It’s Been A While Since Our Last Correspondence, she performed this modern prayer for all the lost souls.”
PLACE. COMMUNITY. 2022. Victorian Pride Centre, Fitzroy St, St Kilda
ARCHITECTURE. Brearley Architects and Urbanists and Grant Amon Architects unveil Australia’s first purpose-built Pride Centre | Dezeen | James Parkes (July 2022)
COMMUNITY. NOW. Pride Month | June 2024, at the Victorian Pride Centre, St Kilda. “For many years, June has been recognised as Pride Month. It is a time to both commemorate and celebrate the journey of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community and to reflect on progress yet to be made. (…) The origins of June as Pride Month can be traced to a brutal police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City on 28 June 1969 where LGBTIQ patrons fought back. While there had been earlier riots and resistance in the US, the Stonewall riots ignited a movement for liberation that reverberated across the world.”–National Library of Australia
MUSIC. LIVE. Mama Alto’s Pride Tea Party, at the Victorian Pride Centre
ART. PHOTOGRAPHY. The Air Is Electric | David McDiarmid in America, at the Pride Gallery until 30 June 2024 “Defying classification, the work of David McDiarmid encompasses the complex and interconnected histories of art, craft, fashion, music, sex, gay liberation and identity politics; happily residing in the spaces between high and low art, popular culture and community engagement. At once kaleidoscopic, celebratory and darkly humorous in tone, the artist’s idiosyncratic, highly personal and at times, confessional work highlights the redefinition and deconstruction of identities – “from camp to gay to queer” – drawing on the experiences of a life intensely lived in Melbourne, Sydney and New York. Charting the shifts in politics and individual and community expression that unfold across the decades of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, (…) McDiarmid’s artistic and grassroots political response to the impact of HIV / AIDS during the 1980s and beyond, for which he is best known internationally.”–NGV
Party and protest: the radical history of gay liberation, Stonewall and Pride | The Guardian | Huw Lemmey (June 2020)
MUSIC. 1968. Van Morrison – Madame George (live at the Hollywood Bowl, 2008)
MUSIC. 1976. Rod Stewart – The Killing Of Georgie (Part I & II) (Official Video)
MUSIC. MUSIC VIDEO. 2019. Ben Platt | Temporary Love (Official Video)
MUSIC. MUSIC VIDEO. 2024. Ben Platt | Cherry On Top (Official Music Video)
MUSIC. MUSIC VIDEO. 2010. Scissor Sisters | Any Which Way
MUSIC. MUSIC VIDEO. 2006. Scissor Sisters | I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’
MUSIC. MUSIC VIDEO. 2004. Scissor Sisters | Take Your Mama
MUSIC. 2024. Africa Lyric’s Opera: Aaron-Casey Gould on his operatic rise to fame | France24 English
PHOTOGRAPHY. Melbourne Out Loud | Life Through The Lens Of Rennie Ellis, at the State Library Victoria until 28 January 2025
COMMUNITY | NATURE. Climate Café at the EcoCentre. “As we come to terms with living in the age of the Anthropocene, many of us experience similar distressing feelings about the climate crisis, and these feelings often go unsaid and unshared. Keeping silent about our climate distress is known to magnify the harm this distress can cause, and can lead to further feelings of disconnection and isolation, even among close friends and family.”
“The EcoCentre’s Climate Cafe is a free, small group gathering place where supportive connections are made through sharing our feelings about the climate crisis – feelings that may not be so safe or welcomed to share elsewhere. There is no agenda, no pressure to take action, no need to bring solutions. There is no expectation to do or fix, just an open invitation to share and listen, to be present together with others who also care.”–EcoCentre. Monthly Climate Cafés at EcoCentre are held Thursdays, 6.30pm–8pm. The next Climate Café is on 27 June 2024.
COMMUNITY. NATURE | CULTURE. Deep Time Walk, Sunday 16 June 2024, 1–4pm. “Deep time is a notoriously hard concept to grasp. Our lived human experience is grounded in a timeframe that is at odds with the geological time frame of millions or billions of years. Since geologists began figuring out the true scale of geologic time, they have tried to communicate this scale through a series of metaphors, maps, and visualizations. Famous examples of this include Carl Sagan’s Cosmic Calendar, and for children, Montessori’s Clock of Eras. Advances in mapping and data visualization technologies have enabled new forms of visual storytelling for understanding these time frames. Two visualizations have been recently developed that address the temporal depth and endurance of our universe in novel and effective ways.”–Alice Riddell for The Long Now Foundation
MUSIC. 2014. John Butler Trio | Spring to Come (Acoustic In-Studio)
MUSIC. NOW. 2024. John Butler – Watturu Chant (Official Visualiser)
COMMUNITY. 1976. Wilderness Society. “The Wilderness Society began in 1976 — a meeting of just 16 people in the home of Tasmanian GP, Dr Bob Brown. The passionate campaign that emerged to save the Franklin River rocked the political orthodoxy and defined a generation. Hundreds gathered on the banks of the Franklin to stop the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Commission’s plan to dam the river. It sparked a nation-wide movement and was was won in 1983, saving this timeless landscape.” [Pictured: Wilderness Society advertising campaign on the digital billboard in St Kilda, on the Fitzroy Street–The Esplanade–Beaconsfield Parade–Jacka Boulevard axis, fronting Catani Gardens, Pier Rd, West Beach and Bayside suburbs beyond.]
COMMUNITY. Communities and Vulnerable People | Gambling Support | Australian Government Department of Social Services. Gambling Help Online 24/7. [Pictured: one of two hititrich.com advertising campaigns on the digital billboard in St Kilda, on the Fitzroy Street–The Esplanade–Beaconsfield Parade–Jacka Boulevard axis, fronting Catani Gardens, Pier Rd, West Beach and Bayside suburbs beyond.]
COMMUNITY | SERVICES & SUPPORT. Orange Sky at Cleve Gardens, Fitzroy St, St Kilda (29 May 2024). “Orange Sky’s Melbourne laundry service was launched in July 2015 and is still one of the busiest services across Australia. Our first shower van was also launched in Melbourne in December 2016, proudly supported by the Shine On Foundation. Locations & Schedules
PLACE. COMMUNITY. Cleve Gardens, corner Fitzroy and Acland Streets
PLACE. COMMUNITY. Nerm | Port Phillip Bay. “Port Phillip Bay is arguably the most important environmental, social and economic asset in the region; perhaps in all of Victoria. Its ecological services – climate control, boating, fishing, swimming, transport, effluent and stormwater treatment – are irreplaceable. The Bay is central to our whole region’s identity, culture and economy.”–Port Phillip & Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy
POST-SCRIPTUM: Men’s Health Week 2024, Monday 10 June to Sunday 16 June 2024.
Victoria reports record number of suicides in 2023 | Orygen (February 2024)
“A record number of people died by suicide in Victoria last year, with 801 deaths recorded across the state in 2023. This figure is up 5.3 per cent on 2022, outstripping population growth and representing 40 additional deaths.
“The findings, released by the Victorian Coroner’s Court in the Annual Suicide Data Report, show a significant increase in deaths amongst the 35-44 demographic (from 129 in 2022 to 168 in 2023), and an 85.7 per cent increase in suicide amongst under 18s (from 14 deaths in 2022 to 26 in 2023).“
Men’s Health Week 2024, Monday 10 June to Sunday 16 June 2024.
“International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year around the world in the middle of June. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of men’s health, and to promote and support the health and wellbeing of men and boys in our communities.
“Men’s Health Week focuses on not just physical health, but also men’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. During the week, we highlight the health challenges faced by men in Australia and worldwide and run events that can be replicated year-round to improve the physical, emotional and mental health of men and boys.”
The 5 Risk Factors of Male Suicide | AMHF Australian Men’s Health Forum (September 2020)
1. Relationships: The majority of men who kill themselves are either not in a relationship or recently separated. Research shows that nearly 3 in 10 male suicides are linked to separation and as many as half of all separated fathers experience thoughts of suicide.
2. Work/Unemployment. The majority of people who die by suicide are not employed and 3 in 10 suicides are associated with unemployment. Unemployed men are 2.5 x more likely to die by suicide than unemployed women and nearly 10 x more likely to die by suicide than men in employment. Common factors in work-related suicides include stress, conflict and bullying.
3. Finances: As many as 1 in 5 male suicides are linked to financial issues and male suicide is 5 times more likely to be linked to finances than female suicide. It is well established that male suicide in particular increases during economic downturns.
4. Men’s Health. Around 50% of men who die by suicide have at least one physical health issue and men with a disability are a higher risk group that are generally overlooked in suicide prevention initiatives. Signs of depression in men, which are associated with 1 in 3 male suicides, are often missed by health professionals.
5. Alcohol and other drugs. According to the Australian Burden of Disease study, men account for 87% of the loss of life and health from alcohol-related suicides. Around 40% of male suicides are linked to alcohol and other drug problems, with men accounting for 4 out of 5 suicides associated with alcohol and substance abuse.
10 ways male suicide is different from female suicide | AMHF Australian Men’s Health Forum (September 2020)
“In 2018, suicide killed 3046 people in Australia. A total of 726 or 24% were women and the remaining 2320 people or 76% were men and boys.
“As has been widely reported, suicide kills 8 people a day in Australia, six men and two women (ABS 2019). Here are 10 ways male suicide is different from female suicide.
“81% of suicides linked to relationship separation. 83% of suicides linked to financial issues. 85% of suicides linked to pending legal matters. 86% of suicides linked to recent or pending unemployment. 87% of work-related suicides. 87% of health lost to alcohol-related suicide. 98% of suicides involving firearms.”
COMMUNITY. NOW. Two Melbourne mates are using their experience to help save lives | 7 News Australia
New suicide data reaffirms a call from Beyond Blue for urgent mental health system reform | Beyond Blue (September 2023).
“Australia’s approach to mental health and suicide prevention needs to change and change soon. There needs to be appropriate levels of support for people in crisis, just as there needs to be appropriate support for people before they reach crisis point,” Ms Harman said.
“We need to ensure that people don’t end up trapped in feelings of distress and that they can get support early when they need it. This is how a mental health system that invests in earlier intervention can make a real difference.
“Suicide is complex – and both our mental health and the pressures we face day-to-day can influence suicidal thoughts, intentions and plans.
“That means we need to look beyond the mental health system for solutions, while ensuring the system is set up not only to support people during and after suicidal crisis, but in a way that prevents them from getting there in the first place.”
What does the evidence tell us about suicide for men? | Life In Mind. Suicide Statistics | Lifeline
“Of the over 3,000 lives lost to suicide each year, approximately 75% are men.
“Statistics on male suicides are released annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In 2022:
“A total of 2,455 men died by suicide (18.8 deaths per 100,000 population), compared to 794 women (5.9 per 100,000).
“Men aged over 85 years had the highest male age-specific suicide rate, although accounted for the smallest proportion (2.9%) of male suicides.
“Men aged 45-49 had the highest rates of those aged under 80 years, and accounted for the largest proportion of male suicides (10.7%).”
MUSIC. 2018. Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt | Found/Tonight (Official Video).
“Have you ever felt like nobody was there? / Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere? / Have you ever felt like you could disappear? / Like you could fall, and no one would hear?
“Well, let that lonely feeling wash away / ‘Cause maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay / ‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand / You can reach, reach out your hand.”
BOOKS. NOW. Elegy For An Elephant by Ryan Abramowitz (2023). “Elegy For An Elephant is a healing and hopeful picture book crafted as a therapeutic resource for readers (aged 7+) who have lost loved ones, and those communities and caretakers supporting them through their mourning.”–Ryan Abramowitz
MUSIC. NOW. Forgive Me If I Don’t… by Alexander Mills (2024). Alexander Mills is a Singer Songwriter from Barbados living in Australia.
ART. There’s Something About Harry by John Hillier | Archibald Prize 2023 finalist (acrylic on canvas) “In 2022, John Hillier watched professional boxer Harry Garside being interviewed by Paralympian Kurt Fearley on the ABC’s One Plus One. The interview was called “The ballet-dancing boxer”. I was intrigued, says the Melbourne-based artist, a first-time Archibald finalist. Watching it, I couldn’t believe how impressive this young man was. He finds the good in everyone, and his inner strength in occasionally showing his feminine side is especially brave considering he’s a boxer. I decided to follow his journey. As luck would have it, my friend Trent Langlands trains Harry in his Sydney gym. Trent arranged an introduction, and I was on a plane two days later. Harry and I spoke about what he should wear. We tried a few options–a skirt and bare chest, sitting, standing–but, in the end, I was captivated by his amazing bone structure, piercing eyes and hairstyle. So, the decision to paint a close-up of his head and shoulders was easy. The pale pink background juxtaposes with Harry’s masculine stare.”
Olympic boxer’s ex-girlfriend’s luxurious Bali life as she waits to fight domestic violence charges | news.com.au | Lauren Ferri. Ex-girlfriend of Australian boxer Harry Garside charged with common assault | The Guardian. Boxer Harry Garside has domestic violence charge withdrawn | Sydney Morning Herald | Sarah McPhee. Harry Garside on toll of domestic violence allegations | nine.com.au | Neil Mitchell
We are fighting the same battles our grandmothers did | The Saturday Paper | Chanel Contos (May 2024)
“While women [and the men?] express fear and anger over the many already murdered this year, national cabinet’s resolutions have failed to confront the ways in which activities such as sport, gambling and drinking can exacerbate male violence.
“In 2018, a La Trobe University study found domestic assaults increased on average by more than 40 per cent in New South Wales on the nights of State of Origin games. Similarly, AFL grand finals bring spikes in domestic violence in Victoria. The link between competitive sports and unhealthy forms of masculinity is an unfashionable topic but one that’s surprising to no one in the violence prevention sector, especially when combined with the gambling and alcohol consumption often associated with such events.
“Underlying all of these factors is men’s mental health. Men can turn to excesses in activities such as gambling, alcohol and porn when happiness is missing in other forms of their lives. When men are hurt[ing], they can hurt others.”–Chanel Contos
They can also hurt themselves.
“No blame. No reasoning. No argument. Only understanding.”***
The problem with advocacy and activism is the tendency to tunnel vision, to be partial to the extent of being one-sided, leading to further polarisation, if not alienation.
No Separation.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
Art Saves Lives.
PO-PO-SCRIPTUM: TO BE IN THE NOW OF CREATION
MUSIC. 2023. Clear Water by Meshell Ndegeocello. LYRICS. Clear Water by Meshell Ndegeocello, Deantoni Parks, Jeff Parker, Sanford Biggers. “Don’t be fooled by the myth of control.”
Meshell Ndegeocello opens the lid on her self-contained world | NPR Music | Nate Chinen. “This legacy of searching Black invention, Ndegeocello seems to imply, is the center of her realness. There’s freedom and agency in it, but also vulnerability and surrender. “Don’t be fooled by the myth of control,” intones the artist Sanford Biggers at the top of “Clear Water,” as Ndegeocello’s bass line kicks in. “Be at peace / Within the chaos / And constant rebirth of the creative mind.” What ensues is a relaxed yet forward-tilt jam that calls to mind the laid-back side of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic. (The funk is another thing that shan’t be faked.)”
MUSIC. 1995. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (Official Video). Live at MTV Japan, Tokyo, January 1995 [Posted October 2009: 223M views]
MUSIC. 1994. Jeff Buckley – Lilac Wine (Official Recording), from the album Grace (August 1994)
MUSIC. 1995. Jeff Buckley – Lilac Wine | Live at Cabaret Metro in Chicago (1995)
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1764. The Panthéon, Paris, France. “The Panthéon houses the remains of scores of famous French figures, from Victor Hugo to Marie Curie. History aside, the breathtaking architecture draws a crowd.”:–Traveler
“In 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Louis XV fell seriously ill in Metz and invoked the protection of Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris. Miraculously recovered, the king went on a pilgrimage to the abbey located on Sainte-Geneviève mountain. He promised the monks the reconstruction of their ancient church, which had been dedicated to the patron saint of Paris and France for nearly a thousand years. But everything was not so simple, the state coffers were empty. How to finance such a big project? A huge royal lottery was organised. On September 6, 1764, nearly 20 years later, the first stone was laid by the king himself.”
MUSIC. 2024. Nina Simone | Resonances | ARTE Concert. Filmed at The Pantheon in Paris. “Six artists celebrate the legacy of Nina Simone.”:–ARTE. “The incredible thing is that I was attracted to music very early on. I was something of a child prodigy. I never studied piano. I learned the lyrics of the traditional spiritual song Sinnerman in my childhood. My mother used to use it at revival meetings to help people confess their sins. I was three years old.”–Nina Simone
MUSIC. 2022. Youn Sun Nah | Hallelujah (@International Jazz Day, 2022)
Nina Simone Our National Treasure | Gagosian Quarterly Spring 2019 | Text by Salamishah Tillet.
MUSIC. 2021. Sting – live session at The Panthéon in Paris – ARTE Concert to mark fifty years of FIP Radio France. “Concert filmé le 6 octobre 2021 au Panthéon-Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Paris.”-ARTE
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1862. Theâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
MUSIC. 2015. Youn Sun Nah Quartet au Théâtre du Châtelet. “Na Yoon-sun was born on August 28, 1969, in Seoul. Her parents are musical: her father, Na Young-soo (나영수), is a conductor in Korea and her mother, Kim Mi-jung (김미정), is a musical actress. She studied French literature at Konkuk University in Korea. While she was working for a fashion company, she was scouted by Kim Min-gi (김민기), who was the president of the Hakchon Theater Company (극단 학전). There, she made her acting debut in a musical called Subway Line 1 (지하철 1호선).
Youn Sun Nah Bio
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1274. Cathédrale de Coutances, Normandy, France. “Coutances is the ancient historical capital of the Manche department. The town is composed of several religious buildings testifying to its past splendor: the Notre-Dame cathedral, the Espace Saint-Nicolas and the Saint-Pierre church.”
MUSIC. FESTIVAL. Jazz Sous Les Pommiers in Coutances, Normandy
MUSIC. NOW. 2024. André Manoukian 4tet, Balkanes & Dafné Kritharas – Jazz sous les Pommiers – ARTE Concert. Filmed 4 May 2024. “Avec Anouch, André Manoukian rend un vibrant hommage à sa grand-mère, survivante du génocide arménien. Ce projet éminemment personnel – trait d’union entre musique classique, jazz et traditions du Caucase – a donné corps à un album éponyme publié en 2022 sur le label PIAS. C’est avec sa malice et sa générosité légendaires qu’André Manoukian délivre Anouch dans une configuration live, à l’occasion de son passage au festival Jazz sous les Pommiers.
“Toute la richesse musicale d’Anouch s’y déploie grâce au talent du pianiste bien sûr, mais aussi celui de Rostom Khachikian (duduk), Guillaume Latil (violoncelle) et Mosin Kawa (tablas). Aux notes de ce quartet s’ajoutent les voix de la chanteuse grecque Dafné Kritharas et du chœur Balkanes, spécialisé dans les polyphonies bulgares a capella.”–ARTE
MUSIC. 1964. Dave Brubeck – Take Five Live in Belgium 1964
Hear HIs Messages To Australia | Dave Brubeck in Australia | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia | Graham Mcdonald. “In 1962 he toured Australia and, before leaving the US, recorded a single-sided 7-inch record with five short ‘Messages to Australia’, to be sent to radio stations as publicity for the tour. A copy of the disc was part of a recent large donation of material to the NFSA from radio station 2TM in Tamworth. Listen to excerpts.”
DOCUMENTARY. 2021. Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, directed by Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler. “Civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, and interviews.”
DOCUMENTARY. 2022. Everything’s Gonna Be All White directed by Sacha Jenkins. “Explores the history of race in America from the perspective of people of colour, featuring insights from noted historians, cultural commentators, actors, activists and artists.” Available on SBS On Demand until 25 June 2024.
MUSIC. Bon Entendeur : la Passion, Moreau, September 2017. “La pire guerre qui peut arriver sur cette terre, c’est la guerre entre les sexes; mais, ce serait la fin du monde. C’est pas possible.”–Jeanne Moreau
Zen. The Present Moment by Jayasāra, ***Text by Thich Nhat Hahn. “Life is both dreadful and wonderful.”