Music

Some of the most significant names in Australian Indigenous contemporary music have come together as the Black Arm Band. They aim to perform, promote and celebrate Indigenous music as a symbol of resilience and hope, in the spirit of reconciliation.

Members range from some of the creative pioneers of Indigenous music to young emerging artists, including Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Bart Willoughby, Stephen Pigram, Kutcha Edwards, Mark Atkins, Lou Bennett, Joe Geia, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Ursula Yovich, Rachael Maza-Long, Shellie Morris, David Arden and Shane Howard.

The Black Arm Band will be performing at the WOMAD Festival in Wiltshire on Friday 24 July at 8.00.

Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter and Shellie Morris will also be performing individually on Sunday 26 July.
Information

Singer/songwirter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu returns to the UK for two performances.

Blind since birth and largely self taught, Gurrumul plays guitar, piano, drums and didgeridoo He sings in Aboriginal languages Galpu, Gumatj, Djambarrpuynu and English and sublimely adapts the songs and stories of the Gumatj clan into contemporary song style.

His debut self-titled album, Gurrumul–, topped the mainstream charts in Australia, achieving platinum status. He has won a raft of awards, received standing ovations at the Sydney Opera House and his fans are said to include Elton John, Sting and Bjork.

19 July – Latitude Festival 2009, Southwold, Suffolk

21 July – Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre

The Wishing Well band create spellbinding sounds which produce a rich tapestry of mesmerizing folk, pop and rock. They will be touring Europe through the summer with UK dates in early August.
Information/tour dates

Legendary singer/songwriter Eric Bogle will be giving one London concert as part of his extensive farewell tour of the UK. Best known for The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, Eric has written many classic songs and been awarded the Order of Australia for his music as well as a UN Medal for his contribution towards peace.
7.00, 27 June
James Theatre, Shepherds Road, Watford, WD18 6JF
Enquiries/tickets: 01923 205512

The Tait Memorial Trust has presents An Australian Choral Evensong with the Choir of Westminster Abbey at Westminster Abbey London. Following Evensong, a limited number of spaces are available for a private tour of Westminster Abbey and drinks at the Rev Graeme Napier apartment.
5.00, 25 June

More information from the Tait Memorial Trust website

The Australian String Quartet will perform one of Peter Sculthorpe's distinctive quartets at the Cheltenham Festival.
17 July
Pittville Pump Room

Exhibitions

The Rebecca Hossack Gallery Songlines 21 series will feature five dazzling exhibitions of work by indigenous artists:

Jean Baptiste Apuatimi –Tapalinga: 26 June – 31 July
Faith Thompson Nelson – Stone Country: 2 July – 1 August
Artists from Mosquito Bore, Utopia: 3 – 31 July
Trevor 'Turbo' Brown - Friends and Family: 7 – 29 August
Mixed Aboriginal Show: 3 August – 12 September

Rebecca Hossack Gallery

Paintbox Fine Art is a new gallery opening in King's Road, London, dedicated to showing contemporary Australian artists.
Information

Theatre

Tom Tom Crew are appearing as part of the Southbank's Udderbelly Series. Tom Tom Crew is a 21st Century circus combining extreme acrobatics, champion beat-boxer Tom Thum, drumming sensation Ben Walsh and master record scratcher DJ Dizz1.
Until 19 July
Jubilee Gardens, Southbank
Information

After a successful collaboration in 2008, Strange Fruit and the UK's disabled-led Graeae Theatre Company are excited to be performing again at the Greenwich & Dockland's International Festival. The new performace Against the Tide will be presented at Cutty Sark Gardens in Greenwich, London:
7.30, 25 June; 1.00 & 7.30, 26 & 27 June; 1.00 & 4.45, 28 June
Information: http://www.festival.org/

The Australian production of Dirty Dancing is the most successful pre-premiere sold out show in the history of London theatre, with £6million in advance ticket sales. This stage version of the 1987 film stars Josef Brown as Johnny, in the role made famous by Patrick Swayze and Nadia Coote.
Dirty Dancing London official website

Events

Author Kathy Lette will be appearing at the Earl's Court Literary Festival
7.30, 14 July
Information

Click here for a list of Australian organisations in the UK, some of which of host events for their members and guests.

Seminars and Lectures

The Menzies Centre for Australian Studies presents lectures, seminars and conferences throughout the year.

Links

www.arts.gov.au – Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

www.ozco.gov.au – Australian Council for the Arts

www.ozarts.com.au – Exporting contemporary Australian arts and culture

www.indigenous.gov.au – Links to sites on Aboriginal art and culture

www.acn.net.au – Australia's Cultural Network

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