Courtney Act takes centre stage at the National Portrait Gallery, while Canberra lights up for Japan and film festivals fill the screens, in the latest “Artsweek” column by arts editor HELEN MUSA

Courtney Act, is an ambitious new portrait of Australian drag queen and singer by contemporary Australian artist, Paul Yore, to be unveiled by journalist Hamish Macdonald with a special performance by Courtney Act. National Portrait Gallery, October 23.

The Canberra Nara Candle Festival celebrates 33 years of friendship between Canberra and Nara, Japan, with Japanese cultural activities, live entertainment, food, markets and family fun. Canberra Nara Peace Park, October 24.

The Canberra Art Biennial continues, with more than 50 artists and curators presenting projects across 20 festival sites. Various locations, until October 31.

ANU Meet the Author sees Kim Huynh in conversation with Saskia Mabin about his new book, My Old Man and Me: From Vietnam to Australia. Cinema, Australian National University, October 26.

Film

• The British Film Festival brings 36 films to Canberra, including dramas, documentaries, romantic comedies and five retrospectives, with Wicker starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård. Palace Electric Cinemas, October 28 to November 29.
• The Yeh! Nah! Horror Film Festival returns with Canberra, Australian and international films, the Australian premiere of Omnipresentes and a horror comedy night featuring live stand up. Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Centre, and AIE Atrium Cinema, Watson, October 23 to 30.
• The Capital Film Festival, a five day celebration of international cinema, conversations, special events, filmmakers and cultures continues at Dendy Canberra and the National Film and Sound Archive. Various venues, until October 25.

Stage

• Tempo Theatre presents Arnold Ridley’s whodunit Tabitha, directed by George Belibassakis, featuring three elderly ladies, a poisoned cat and a murdered landlady. Belconnen Theatre, October 23 to 31.
• Honest Puck Theatre presents Mark Brown’s adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, with five actors playing 39 characters. The cast includes current and former Perform Australia teachers, with Brendan Kelly as Phileas Fogg and Leo Amadeus as Captain Bunsby. Perform Australia Theatre, Tuggeranong, October 24 to 31.
• Ausdance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival, The Metaverse, features three evenings of student devised performances by young dancers. The Playhouse, October 27 to 29.
• Chaika Theatre presents Tom Wright’s adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, in which five schoolgirls deconstruct a myth. Directed by Caitlin Baker, the cast includes Breanna Kelly, Paris Scharkie, Jessi Gooding, Karina Hudson and Thea Jade. ACT Hub, Kingston, October 23 to November 7.

Concert

• Australian rock legends JET bring their Rumblin’ Regional Revue national tour to Canberra. UC Refectory, Bruce, October 22.
• Selby & Friends explore three firsts in Johannes Brahms’ chamber music, the Violin Sonata No. 1, Cello Sonata No. 1 and Piano Trio No. 1. Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia, October 23.
• The Wattle Trio, made up of Dante Costa on flute, Enola Murphy on cello and Jojo Yuen on piano, will perform works by Gaubert, Greenaway and Weber, Wesley Music Centre, October 24.
• The Blamey Street Big Band, directed by Ian McLean, joins Canberra vocalists Jared Newall, Leisa Keen and Steve Amosa for songs from the Rat Pack era, alongside later interpretations by Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr and Robbie Williams. The B, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, October 24.
• Gregg Arthur joins pianist Peter Locke and bassist Craig Scott for an evening of classic jazz standards and original songs. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Greenway, October 24.
• The Ginninderra Wind Orchestra presents a free concert of film music, conducted by Debbie Masling with associate musical director Ben Green, featuring soundtracks from Star Wars, James Bond, The Sound of Music, Rocky and Robin Hood. Lyneham Performing Arts Centre, October 24.
• The Australian String Quartet presents Voyager, featuring Beethoven’s String Quartet in B flat Major, Op. 130, with the Grosse Fuge, alongside works by Garth Knox and Béla Bartók. Gandel Hall, National Gallery of Australia, October 25.
• The Limestone Consort will perform secular French cantatas by André Campra and Nicolas Bernier, joined by soprano Greta Claringbould, alto Maartje Sevenster, bass Andrew Fysh and oboist Aaron Reichelt, St Paul’s, Manuka, October 25.
• Luminescence Chamber Singers present Of Light, an afternoon of choral music. Braidwood Uniting Church, October 25.
• Sandy Evans and Andrea Keller bring their new project Resonance to Canberra, joined by vocalists Jenny Barnes and Kristin Berardi. The Street Theatre, October 28.
• Kompactus Youth Choir presents a lunchtime concert celebrating the joy and curiosity of singing together. Wesley Music Centre, October 28.

Galleries

• April Phillips presents World Wide Webs, a solo exhibition developed with Alex Lundy as part of the Canberra Art Biennial. Using handprinted material produced at Megalo Print Studio, Phillips explores the nostalgia and visual landscapes of early digital spaces through the imaginative perspective of a femme spider. Megalo Print Studio, Kingston, until November 14.
• M16 Artspace presents four exhibitions, Bespoke Utopia, exploring sustainable design and craft; Future Feature, showcasing teenage artists from studioMAP; Idols, by Hands On Studio, featuring sculptural portraits of celebrities and everyday heroes; and Played, by Lesley Anderson, exploring colour and experimentation. M16 Artspace, Griffith, October 23 to November 15.
• The National Portrait Gallery hosts a conversation between Courtney Act and artist Paul Yore about the creation of the portrait and the experiences that brought them together. National Portrait Gallery, October 24.
• The National Gallery of Australia presents Rosalie Gascoigne, celebrating one of Australia’s most distinctive artists, whose evocative assemblages transformed found materials into poetic reflections on landscape, memory and place. National Gallery of Australia, October 24 to February 14.
• Gallery Bodalla reopens for spring and summer with Gathering, a group exhibition featuring Cheryl Overton (Davison), Jennifer Taylor, Karyn Thompson, Raewyn Lawrence, Stuart Whitelaw and Julie Mia Holmes. Gallery Bodalla, October 29 to December 13.
• Tuggeranong Arts Centre presents three exhibitions, Alchemies, featuring painter Nicola Dickson and ceramicist Malcolm Cooke; Home Ground, by Julie Ryder, exploring nature through textiles and works on paper; and Sixty, celebrating 60 years of the Canberra Spinners and Weavers. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Greenway, October 23 to December 12.

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