THE BEST OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AND ARTS IN CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA 2011
The Australian Embassy in Manila will celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January with Celebrate Australia 2011, featuring world-class musical performances and innovative visual art from Down Under.
“Celebrate Australia is our way of giving Filipinos an opportunity to experience the best of Australia as we celebrate our distinct heritage and national identity” said Australian Ambassador Rod Smith.
“Australia Day is a celebration of Australia’s modern, diverse and vibrant society. It is a day which unifies all Australians, embracing those of Indigenous descent, those who trace their ancestry to the first European settlements in Australia, and those who have come across the seas to live and work in Australia, including more than 200,000 Filipinos, as they celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian,” Ambassador Smith added.
Celebrate Australia 2011 will feature the uniquely engaging performances of Australia’s multi-awarded jazz vocal group, The Idea of North. The group will be looking to interact with Filipino audiences during two performances: 27 January, 9:00pm at the Salon de Ning, The Peninsula Manila and 28 January, 8:00pm at the Greenbelt 3 Park.
The festival will also feature the exhibition ‘Face to Face: Portraiture in a Digital Age’. Developed by Asialink and d/Lux/Media arts, and featuring works by 14 Australian artists including Daniel Crooks, Stelarc, David Rosetzky and Rachel Scott, the exhibition will explore ways in which the traditional art form of portraiture can be translated into new media. Visiting Asialink representative Eliza Roberts will open the exhibition and hold lectures at the University of the Philippines- College of Fine Arts on 27 January at 10:30am and Ayala Museum 27 January at 4:00pm.
Together with the Ayala Museum, the Australian Embassy will also present ‘Creative Outreach: Social Development Through Art & Design’, a lecture by Dr Rick Bennett of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) on 29 January, 3:30pm at the Luna Room, Ayala Museum. The event follows last year’s successful “Dasmanila: Recycling Garbage, Restoring Heritage” exhibition, in partnership with De La Salle University- Dasmariñas.
The Australian Trade Commission will hold ‘Going Green: The Australian Way’, a mini trade show featuring Australian green products and technologies on 27 January at the New World Hotel. Australian architecture firm PopovBass will provide seminars on Australia’s advancements in green building technology.
The Embassy is also supporting the OZArtFest, an exhibition of artworks by Australian and Filipino artists, on 28-29 January at the Filipinas Heritage Library. Organised by randmart inc in cooperation with Galleria Duemila, proceeds from the exhibition will support the Literacy Advancement Projects of the Filipinas Heritage Library.
Celebrate Australia 2011 is presented by the Australian Embassy in partnership with MusicaViva, the Ayala Museum, Greenbelt 3, The Peninsula Manila, Salon de Ning, The Philippine International Jazz Festival, 2nd Avenue, 99.5 RT, Crossover 105.1 and Click the City.com. For more details, contact 7578132 or visit www.philippines.embassy.gov.au.