A week of arts and entertainment events around Canberra all rolled into HELEN MUSA’s latest Artsweek column…

Whoopee Blues: The Life and Times of the Conway Brothers is a documentary film directed by Fiona Cochrane about Australian musicians Mic and Jim Conway and celebrates their musical journey from the Jellybean Jug Band to the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. At NFSA, December 6.

Woden’s World is a big bang of community love and connection in Woden Town Square, December 3. The event, marking International Day of People with Disability, features performances from 12 community dance groups including The Chamaeleon Collective, Project Dust, Hilal Dance Australia, and The GOLD Company.

ACT Historic Places opens Lanyon Homestead, Calthorpes House and Mugga-Mugga Cottage for free Christmas tours, offering a glimpse into festive traditions across different eras. Lanyon Homestead, Calthorpe’s House and Mugga-Mugga, until December 14.

Trove Canberra is a local handmade co-operative, home to a collective of artists, designers and craftspeople who showcase their creations in one space. They’ll be holding a Christmas party at Dickson Place, Dickson on December 5.

Stage

• Fresh Funk celebrates 25 years with a high-energy showcase revisiting standout works from its youth hip-hop legacy. Erindale Theatre, December 6.
• STA Retro Films screens the Christmas-action favourite Die Hard for a festive blast of nostalgia. The B, Queanbeyan, December 7.
• Ferdinand von Schirach’s GOD, directed by Lexi Sekuless, invites audiences into a live ethical debate in this thought-provoking contemporary drama. The Mill Theatre, December 3-18.
• Alan Davies returns after a decade with his new stand-up show Think Ahead, reflecting on middle age. Canberra Theatre, December 8-9.
• Hand to God pits Jason against his misbehaving puppet Tyrone in a dark comedy of possession, adolescence and chaos. ACT Hub Kingston, December 10-20.

Concerts

• Geoff’s Jazz at Smiths has the Alister Spence Trio with Lloyd Swanton and Toby Hall, Smiths Alternative, Civic, December 3.
• The Song Company presents Hark!, a shimmering Christmas concert featuring classics and contemporary works curated by Amy Moore and Jessica O’Donoghue. St Paul’s Manuka, December 4.
• Taraf Grozav, an occasional trio of Super Rats’ Tim (țambal mic, singing), Alister (accordion) along with guest bass player Kirri Büchler (Vardos, Melbourne) will play party songs and tunes at the Polish Club, Turner, December 5.
• The Llewellyn Choir performs Lit by a Star, pairing Britten’s Christ’s Nativity with atmospheric works by Ferko, Chatman and more. Yarralumla Uniting Church, December 6.
• The Oriana Chorale’s Colours of Earth reveals rich contemporary choral landscapes, concluding with the world premiere of Aija Draguns’ Leaves. Wesley Uniting Church, December 6.
• Canberra Mandolin Orchestra and Canberra Recorder Orchestra return with The Gift, a warm seasonal concert under Michael Hardy and Margaret Wright. All Saints Church Ainslie, December 6.
• The Manning Clark Singers trace the history of vocal chamber music with Monteverdi, Puccini, Leonard Cohen and Mozart. National Museum of Australia, December 6.
• Echoes of Piazzolla brings the Canberra Tango Quintet together with Argentine bandoneonist Rodolfo Caivano for a night of rhythmic fire. The Street Theatre, December 6.
• Maruki Community Orchestra Concert, Lyneham High School Performing Arts Centre, December 7
• Young pianist Miani Kirk performs Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Glinka in the Wesley Lunchtime Series. Wesley Church, December 10.

Galleries

• Canberra Potters presents its curated Christmas Fair featuring 18 ceramic artists offering handcrafted originals for holiday gifting. Watson Arts Centre, December 5-14.
• Q1 Close by Litia Roko is at Platform, Furneaux Street, Manuka, December 5-14.
• Q gallery in Ainslie shops has the Where I Belong group exhibition, December 5-22.
• Wayzgoose + Print Market In celebration of Megalo’s 45th Birthday, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, December 5.
• An Open Studio will feature watercolour paintings by well-known Canberra artist Isla Patterson, at 10 Mainoru Place, Hawker, December 6-7.
• Tony Albert curates the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain, exploring strength, culture and resilience in First Nations art. NGA, from December 6.
• Canberra Museum and Gallery launches LOVING: Photographs of Men in Love 1850s-1950s and A Loving City: Queerberra Revisited. CMAG, December 6.
• The National Archives explores Australian creativity with In Real Life: Inventors, Innovators & Opportunists, charting 150 years of ideas and ingenuity. National Archives, until May 17.