andBeyond brings the wilderness to you
In a quest to relieve the tedium of isolation, andBeyond has teamed up with wildlife broadcasting experts, WildEarth, to bring live streams of the African Wilderness to our screens at home.Twice daily throughout April, viewers will be able to immerse themselves in a 3-hour long private game drive through andBeyond Ngala Private Game Reserve and Djuma Private Game Reserve. Hosted by expert andBeyond and WildEarth field guides, these authentic and non-scripted game drives will follow the sights and sounds of the African wilderness as they unfold.
In this real-time virtual safari experience, we also have the opportunity to ask andBeyond’s expert guides our safari questions – just by commenting on YouTube or tagging #wildearth on Twitter.
Over at Sabi Sand Game Reserve and andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, andBeyond’s expert guides are still out in the field monitoring wildlife and will be sharing snippets into their daily sightings of the prized wildlife! Be sure to sign up for notifications on andBeyond Travel’s Instagram page to catch their live sightings.
More information on the andBeyond website.
At home with Ballet TV
Theatres may be closed, but The Australian Ballet has found a new way to bring the powerful magic of ballet to life, dancing its way into a digital ballet season in 2020.
The free, cinema-quality At home with Ballet TV will bring full-length performances to Australians at home, drawing us out of our lounge rooms and into forests and castles and starry skies, feeling the exhilarating leaps and lifts of the dancers in their craft.
Artistic director David McAllister has hand-picked a selection of our favourite and most inspiring ballets, kicking off with his production of The Sleeping Beauty, which will be available until April 17. We can expect to see Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet on our screens soon, with many more to be announced…
More information on The Australian Ballet website.
Isol-aid Music Festival
Isol-aid, as the name connotes, was formed as a way to support Australian music and musicians while we are in isolation.
Every weekend, from midday to midnight, artists take to Instagram Live to perform 20-minute sets from wherever they’re social distancing (be it a studio, a bedroom, a bathroom…), tagging the next performer and taking listeners down a rabbit-hole of new music discovery, community and good vibes.
An amazing way for musicians to stay in touch with their devoted fans, Isol-aid also offers the chance to reach new fans who are waiting to discover and connect with the community.
Viewers are encouraged to support the musicians by buying music and merch, and donating to a fundraiser set up for Support Act, Australia’s leading organisation that provides relief services for music industry workers facing mental health issues or financial hardship.
More information on the Isol-aid website
Aboriginal Contemporary launches online gallery
With the doors of Bronte art gallery Aboriginal Contemporary temporarily closed, owner Nichola Dare was determined to find a way to continue supporting her artists, customers and community. Working with a new Berlin-based software company, the gallery has worked hard to launch this week its first ever virtual gallery exhibition Badem Mawoondool – red ochre, white ochre.
Art lovers can navigate through the virtual gallery, moving through the space to view the art, and experiencing the gallery in a whole new way.
The new show evokes the work of some of the Kimberley’s greatest-ever artists: Queenie McKenzie, Paddy Bedford, Freddie Timms and, Kathy and Tracey’s father, Rammey Ramsey, two of whose work are part of the exhibition.
Nichola is already working on ways to bring more of the gallery’s look and feel to the next iteration of the virtual gallery – with plans to continue to exhibit the online galleries in future.
The virtual exhibition can be viewed at aboriginalcontemporary.com.au from Wednesday 8 April.
