culture.gov.au

Connecting you with Australian culture online

ausculture newsletter March 2006

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Welcome to Australia's Culture and Recreation Portal Newsletter for March 2006.
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Marvellous Melbourne in March! With the Queen opening the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Wednesday, it is fitting that we feature our stories on the Commonwealth Games and Royal visits. The many visitors to Australia might also be interested to read about our some of Australia's other attractions, such as the offshore islands with their unique and interesting histories.

Check out our new and revised Australian stories this month:
Islands: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/islands/
Commonwealth Games: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/commonwealthgames/
Royal Visits: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/royalvisits/

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News

Snippets from our regularly updated News pages for March 2006 http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/

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Festivals (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/festivalsandconferences.htm)
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Festival Melbourne2006 - Victoria

Running along side the Commonwealth Games in March, Festival Melbourne2006 will be the biggest free cultural festival ever to be held in Australia. Its three key components will be performance, visual arts, and the youth program. There will be more than 1000 performances and exhibitions in Melbourne. In regional Victoria, festivals will also be held in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Moe. The festival runs from 15-26 March.

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Festival+Melbourne2006/

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Exhibitions and Events (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/exhibitionsandevents.htm)
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2006 Contemporary Commonwealth exhibition - Melbourne

2006 Contemporary Commonwealth is the second major collaborative survey of contemporary art presented by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Federation Square in Melbourne. This exhibition of groundbreaking work by artists from countries across the Commonwealth opens Friday 24 February at both venues.

http://www.art2006.com.au/
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The Dirty Mile - Melbourne

Timed to co-incide with the Commonwealth Games, the Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative are presenting The Dirty Mile, a Dramatised Walking Trail performed in promenade style through the Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) streets of Fitzroy from 17 March - 2 April. Fridays to Sundays only.

http://www.ilbijerri.org.au/

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Digital Media (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/digitalmedia.htm)
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AIMIA Awards - national

The 12th Annual AIMIA Awards were presented on 3 March at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Australia's interactive media industry awards are for the best in digital content and interactive media. There were 21 winners, who are now listed on the website along with details of their entries. Best of the Best award went to ABC New Media and Digital Services/AFC for Dog and Cat News.

http://abc.net.au/dogandcatnews/mainpage.html

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Design (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/design.htm)
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Interior Design Awards - Sydney

The 2006 Interior Design Awards shortlist is now available. The award presentation will be held on Friday 7 April at the Ballroom of the recently reopened Hilton Sydney. This coincides with designEX, Form Function, Market Week and the Conference of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. The Interior Design Awards promotes excellence in Australian design.

http://www.interiordesignawards.com.au/home.php

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Awards and Competitions (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/awardsandcompetitions.htm)
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Buy My Duck! - national

The Buy My Duck! Short Film Festival is looking to explore 'the narrative possibilities that make young consumers vulnerable in the 21st century'. Submissions can be in any genre. The competition is divided into two elements: an open category; and a 17 years and under, which may include school groups or individuals. Entries close 17 April 2006 , with successful entries to be screened as part of the Revelation Perth International Film Festival in 2006.

http://www.artsedge.dca.wa.gov.au/3_eventdetails.asp?EventID=159

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Language and Literature (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/languageandliterature.htm)
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The Australian Readers' Challenge

The Australian Readers' Challenge is a project encouraging readers from preschoolers to adults to read 10 books, including seven from a set book list. The national reading program is set to tackle the problem of illiteracy in Aboriginal communities, while also promoting a love of books and reading among the broader Australian community. Money raised from the Readers' Challenge is already being put to good use in remote Indigenous communities

http://www.readerschallenge.com.au/
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For further details of these and other Australian cultural and recreational news items visit our regularly updated News pages at http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/.

The news pages are updated weekly.
They cover
- Announcements (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/announcements.htm)
- Awards and Competitions (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/awardsandcompetitions.htm)
-Design (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/design.htm)
-Digital Media (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/digitalmedia.htm)
-Exhibitions and Events (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/exhibitionsandevents.htm)
-Festivals and Conferences (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/festivalsandconferences.htm)
-Language and Literature
(http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/languageandliterature.htm)
-Sports and Recreation (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/sportandrecreation.htm)
-Websites (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/news/websites.htm).

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