CarriageWorks is holding a series of fun and quirky themed nights-out called Wrong Prom. Sydney is all about dance at the moment.

At CarriageWorks, a different breed of dance event is about to be unleashed. It’s Wrong Prom; a revival of your dance floor glory days. Hit the floor amongst friends, learn some groovy moves, and then dance the night away with DJ’s spinning the music your memories are made of under the glint of the disco ball.

Favourite cult classic films of the 70’s and 80’s will be resurrected from the guilty pleasures corner of your mind. The legendary scenes will be hurtled onto the big screen and the speakers pumping songs you know all the words to.

Wrong Prom #1 Footloose Wed 27 May from 7.30pm
Wrong Prom #2 Dirty Dancing Wed 10 June from 7.30pm
Wrong Prom #3 Saturday Night Fever Wed 8 July from 7.30pm
Wrong Prom #4 Xanadu Roller Disco * Wed 5 August from 7.30pm
* Roller skates optional on Xanadu night. Bring your own if you’ve got ‘em!

LOCATION: CarriageWorks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh (Train: Redfern, Macdonaldtown)
TIMES: Arrive at 7.30pm to learn some new moves then dance the night away until late!
AGES: 18 years and over
TICKETS: Adult $12 pp | Group 5+ $10 pp | Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 or www.carriageworks.com.au
MORE INFO: www.carriageworks.com.au | 02 8571 9099

The Scarecrow Festival 2009 hits the Gold Coast from the 22nd to 24th May 2009. Whether you are participating in the scarecrow competition or simply looking for something different to do this weekend then head to the Gold Coast Hinterland, also well known as ‘The Green behind The Gold’, Tamborine Mountain, which will be the sparkling host of this festivity, that will be appealing for young and old.

When?
Judging takes place on the 22nd May and the best days to visit are Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May 2009.

What is the entrance fee?
The festival entrance is free of charge. You couldn’t make it any cheaper than that!

Where?
On Tamborine Mountain, Gold Coast Hinterland

For more information?
Contact Bernard Phare on 07 5545 1873

Iconic is a modern buzzword that has taken a beating from copywriters everywhere lately. But how does a design, when the hype dust settles, make the cut?

Icons are the mainstays of popular culture, they have pulled off the oh-so elusive transcendence into popular culture and won the public’s enduring affection. The recipe is a cocktail of aesthetic freshness delivered with breathtaking simplicity and ultimate functionality. I know what you’re thinking, a success formula straight out of the textbook… easier said than done.

“The one thing design must do is fulfill its function efficiently. If not, it risks looking ridiculous, regardless of whatever else it has to offer.” Says design commentator, Alice Rawsthorn of the New York Times. But perfect functionality alone will not elevate a design to the pedestal of iconic as she discovered in the case of the Heinz ketchup bottle.

Rawsthorn recently investigated this beloved packaging icon, noting that it was an ineffective predecessor to Heinz’s cheaper, squeezable plastic bottle for getting the tomato sauce out when it becomes thickened. “Why do millions of people still choose to pay more for a glass bottle, which will not work as well?” she asked. The simple answer is, people just like it.

She identifies Heinz’s success as achieving familiarity without being dull, the 1882 patented bottle tapping into positive nostalgia and promoting a corporate heritage that people respect. The same could be said for the Coca-Cola Company’s famous bottle. Created in 1915 it is known now as the “hobble-skirt bottle” for its unique, pleated glass style and curvaceous contours which are said to be inspired by the shape of the cocoa pod.

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In a first for the Australian design and creative community, today marks the launch of a website showcasing the work of designers who are focused on creating positive social and environmental change. The new website will keep audiences informed of all the latest news and events relating to artists and designers working for positive change in Australia.

The Bindarri website includes the largest online directory of Australian designers, as well as essential resources to assist others seeking to create positive outcomes. The website showcases individuals and organisations which are leading in their creative fields in a number of special features which will be released bi-monthly

The Bindarri team expects the project to grow rapidly once launched as it allows anyone the opportunity to add their own news and websites on the site. Bindarri is seeking to promote includes both social and environmental, and may range from people working and encouraging personal and local community projects to global politics.

All work produced for the Bindarri website is licensed under creative commons, allowing anyone to download images and templates and use them on their own projects. By making the resources freely available, Bindarri is promoting sharing and collaboration within the creative industries, a concept they believe will accelerate the development of creative solutions to the worlds’ issues, including climate change and wealth inequity.

The Finders Keepers Markets are back, and if you didnt attend the last one, then make sure you head down to  this one as there are some fantastic goodies to be found! You can please K-Rudd and spend some of that bonus on something Australian made, unlike some of Woolworths Select mixed fruit tubs which are made in Swaziland!

The Finders Keepers Markets is a bi-annual event that showcases the work of over 60 emerging designers and artists from Sydney local designers to areas all around Australia. Our first markets were held on December 5th & 6th 2008 with an amazing array of talent and people pouring in from all around Sydney, the Finders Keepers continues to introduce new and exciting both local and Australia wide designers and artists.

Make sure you say hello to one of Two Flat Whites favourite designers Akina at the event. You can win edition # 1 of the sold out ‘The Little Mermaid’ hand bound book. Also get a sneak peak at Akina’s next big adventure. See you there!

Markets dates and times are:
Friday 15th May from 6pm – 10pm
Saturday 16th May from 12pm – 10pm

The markets will be held at:
The inside foyer at CarriageWorks – 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015.
The pedestrian entrance is at the corner of Codrington Street and Wilson Street.

The routine, the grind, the daily; some do their 24-7 on a treadmill. Not Phrase. He maintains a sharp eye on the day-to-day and stays above the vicious cycle. To him, it’s Clockwork.

Clockwork, the new album by Phrase, is about time; and times have changed! Two Flat Whites in conjunction with our friends at Universal Music Australia are giving ten (10) lucky people the chance to win Phrase’s new album Clockwork.

Forget what you knew about him. His acclaimed APRA and ARIA nominated debut album, Talk With Force, was yesterday. Clockwork is not only about the now. It’s about the next. Phrase hails from Melbourne and he has crafted a stellar sophomore effort, tweaking his beats, his narratives, and his world view. “Clockwork features production from J-Skub, M-Phazes, and Jase, and guest appearances from Daniel Merriweather, Jackson Jackson, Bliss n Eso, Illy, Kram, Wendy Matthews and Max White. The single “Face It” featured Ian Kenny from alternative rock band Karnivool and was used in the marketing campaign for the Australian release of Halo 3.

Please email your name, postal address and where you heard about the competition to info {at} twoflatwhites(.)com for your chance to win!

Competition closes Sunday, 24th May 2009.

Everyone’s a winner at Two Flat Whites, get your free download of Phrase’s hit single Clockwork here.

Dash & Will are an alternative singer/songwriter duo from Melbourne. Dash (Charlie Thorpe) and Will (Josie De Sousa-Reay) began performing together after meeting at an arts college in inner-city Melbourne.

The girls entered their demo into MusicOz, a national competition for unsigned acts. Coming second overall. Josie’s father then gave their demo to Barry Palmer, a Melbourne-based producer and former guitarist with Hunters & Collectors and Deadstar and parent of a classmate, at a Christmas party. Just over a week later, Palmer called the girls and offered to sign them to his music production company, Gigantically Small. Following a couple of years of small gigs, a new 5 track demo and showcases to labels, Dash and Will signed to Mercury Records, through Universal Music Australia.

Dash and Will headlined the 2008 Rock The Schools tour across New South Wales in 2008 and have since supported many musicians including Ben Lee, Matt Costa, The Kooks and Faker’s Nathan Hudson. Their first single, ‘Pick You Up’, was released in May 2008, and second single ‘Fighting Over Nothing’ was released in October 2008. Their debut album ‘Up In Something’ will be released in 2009.

It’s busy times for Dash & Will, who The Age voted as the most likely band to succeed in 2009. And stay tuned for details of their national “Out of Control” tour kicking off in late May.

Check out the latest single from Dash & Will The wonderfully unhinged sing-along ‘Out of Control’, being released on iTunes on the 15th May 2009.

Click here to see the new video clip, shot in Tokyo! (Watch it to the end for a very cute scene with some Japanese by-standers!)

Click here for your free Dash & Will download!

Collaborative artists Tanya Schultz and Nicole Andrijevic, an artist duo from Western Australia also known as Pip & Pop, create a colourful explosion of blissful abundance at the Japan Foundation Gallery from 15 May – 3 June. Pip & Pop appeared in last year’s YEN-produced Curvy 5 Sweet Dreams for Queen Bees and has recently had their work exhibited in Federation Square, Melbourne, Westspace, Melbourne, and at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art.

Escape the daily grind and for one breathtaking sensational moment Under the Crystal Sky, you will find yourself immersed in a rainbow wonderland of sweetness engulfed with child-like awe as you wander through the fairytale playground of utopian dreams. Under the Crystal Sky is a vibrant installation lavishly filled with dunes of coloured sugar, embellished with miniature objects and all things sweet, accompanied with sounds designed by Big Ear. The exhibition springs from Pip & Pop’s fascination with the kawaii (cute) aesthetics of Japanese pop culture that ranges from items you come across at the local bargain shop to intricately folded origami pieces, to disposable edible objects.

Pip & Pop are one of the three selected finalists of the Japan Foundation, Sydney’s new artist program, Facetnate! Other finalists include Andrea Innocent (VIC) and Gemma Cuneo (NSW) who will be exhibiting their work in the following months ahead. One of these three will be awarded the Japan Foundation New Artist Award, and will receive a return airfare from Sydney to Tokyo to further develop his/her field of art.

Facetnate! was launched early 2008 to support emerging visual artist/s whose work demonstrates a strong Japanese influence. The program provides a platform of opportunity for local Australia-based artists to contribute to the circle of cultural exchange through various means of artistic expression.

Under the Crystal Sky Exhibition
Dates : 15th May to 3rd June 2009
Venue : Japan Foundation Gallery, Level 1, Chifley Plaza, Sydney
Gallery Hours : Monday – Friday, 11am – 4pm
Meet the Artists : Saturday 16 May, 11am – 4pm
Admission : Free

Head On is Australia’s most critically acclaimed photographic portrait competition and exhibition reflecting a vibrant diverse cross-section of new and traditional photographic practices. Prizes are awarded to 3 photographers for the best Australian contemporary photographic portrait.

Head On 2009 includes 40 finalists selected from thousands of entries; with a further 180 short listed images displayed as a slideshow. The exhibition will run until the 6th June 2009.

AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
257 Oxford Street, Paddington
Gallery Hours: Tue-Fri 12.00am – 7.00pm Sat & Sun 10.00am – 6.00pm

Don’t forget to see our interview with one of the winners of the Head On Photography Competition for 2008 Richard Kendall right here.

“Film should act as a mirror to society, it should make people think”

I heard this quote – by Greek director, Carlos Gavros – via Australian film critic, David Stratton, during one of his film history lectures in 2008.  As some time passed, and my passion for cinema matured, this quote (or even mission statement) has become more and more resonant with me.  Film, as a medium, became more than simply a 90 minute cinema experience; it became an experience which got me thinking about the structure of our society.

I recently traveled out to Bankstown (a suburb in Sydney’s west, and one of Australia’s most culturally diverse areas), to see the Australian film ‘The Combination’.  The film is set and shot in another western Sydney suburb, Parramatta.  In fact, it was screened exclusively in these suburbs (apart from one inner-city arthouse cinema) – with distributors deciding that only those residing there would want to see it.

Put simply, ‘The Combination’ is not a technically brilliant film, it will not revolutionise Australian cinema (at least not in the conventional sense).  Yet David Stratton awarded it 4 ½ stars.  This is because the film explores issues both real and relevant – the structure of contemporary Australian society: where we are at as a country, and what the concerns are as the cultural demographics evolve.

‘The Combination’ focuses on the clash of cultures between Lebanese-Australians and white Anglo-Australians.  It is set during 2005, at the time of the infamous race-related riots in Cronulla, in Sydney’s south.  The story – written from personal experience by George Basha – follows the struggle of 2 Lebanese brothers as they try to find their place within Australian society.  Established Australian actor, David Field, directs the film; a role he gravitated towards because he strongly felt that similar social struggles could be understood by Vietnamese-Australians, Indian-Australians, African-Australians, South American-Australians, and so on and so on.  During meetings with George Basha, Field was surprised to learn that Basha had not seen the Australian films he was raising for discussion.  “Why would I, we [Lebanese-Australians] aren’t in any of them”, Basha retorted dismissively.  Field was silenced, as he realised that Australian films were not adequately portraying contemporary Australian stories.  It was this realisation that further solidified his drive to get the film made, despite a total lack of support from the Australian film industry funding bodies.

Australian cinema has a proud history of making quality human dramas; films which can confidently stand up to the esteem of European productions.  It would be great if we can continue this tradition with our eyes and ears open to the constantly changing nature of the structure of our society.  In doing so, we would be inviting our culturally diverse peoples to participate in, and embrace, our film industry.  ‘The Combination’ is one example of a full-length Australian feature film which explores the contemporary issue of racial tensions in Sydney’s western suburbs.  It will also be great when we start to see stories with universal themes (such as love, mistrust, and infidelity) featuring similar minority groups.  I look forward to seeing a ‘Lantana’ set in Bankstown.  Let’s advance Australia with a fair combination of cultures represented in our films.

Article written by Ryan Nance

You can also check out Two Flat Whites interview with one of the stars from The Combination, Clare Bowen here.

Also check out George Basha’s interview here.