Here’s HELEN MUSA’s latest Arts in the City column.

Germany’s Chamber Philharmonia Cologne returns to Australia with a program featuring works by Vivaldi, Mozart, Handel and Boccherini. St Christopher’s Cathedral, March 10.

At Deakin University Art Gallery until May 1 is a major survey of stencil artist Luke Cornish, also known as ELK. It charts the rise of a trailblazer who began his art journey in Canberra, later helping propel photorealistic stencil into the Australian mainstream.

The premiere screening of a new documentary straightens the record on the life and artistry of Geoffrey Tozer promising a portrait of a formidable musical mind. Palace Cinemas, March 10.

Cooked will see the razor-sharp wit of Dave Hughes skewering the absurdities of modern life. The Playhouse, March 13.

Part of the Canberra Comedy Festival, Makedonka and Marie bring Aerobics: Wog Style to the stage through tales of family, identity and perseverance. Courtyard Studio, March 14.

Luminescence plunges into the world of Carlo Gesualdo with the Tenebrae Responsories, directed by Roland Peelman. ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul, Duntroon, March 14.

The Mill Theatre’s 2026 season promises a live radio revival of The Dear Departed, a gender-flipped take on David Mamet’s Speed the Plow, the absurdist bite of Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.

Canberra Museum + Gallery celebrates half a century of creative community with Stitching Stories: 50 Years of Canberra Quilters. Founded in 1976, the group has grown to a 350-member strong institution. Until May 24.