Brisbane Blog

A Brisbane documentary team is making a short film about Australia’s censorship system for video games, and they need your help. The documentary is focussing on the current push for an R18+ rating for video games. At the moment, the highest rating a video game can have is M15+, meaning a game that is rated higher than that simply can’t be sold legally in Australia. That’s why games like Manhunt and Mark Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure aren’t available legally here.

Filming will be in April, and they need shots of people from a whole range of ages playing video games (“from 8 to 80″). They’re also looking for:

People and companies who make and sell video games

People who are part of the Australian Classification Board

Academics who’ve done research into the effects of violent and/or sexualised video games

Organisations who are taking a stand on the R18+ rating issue (both for and against) 

The best way to get in touch with the film-makers is to drop a line to Glenn Wauchop on Twitter – his username is @GlennChop. If you’re not on Twitter, you can email glennchop@gmail.com

Impro Mafia are putting on another monthly impro comedy show at the Arts Theatre this Sunday – Dom’s Party.

This month’s victim is “Don’s Party”, the famous Australian play whose sequel was recently shown in Melbourne, to some less than enthusiastic reviews by bloggers and in Crikey.

The impro parody “Dom’s Party” is on at the Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane City, this Sunday March 20 – click here for a Google Map. Tickets are $10.

Impro Mafia’s impro comedy show “The Speakeasy” is on again from next Monday March 14…at a new venue. They’ve moved to the top floor at the Jubilee Hotel at 470 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley (click here for a Google Map).

Entry is free, and there’s a dinner special: $2 tacos.

I’ve been a few times before and it’s always fun, so I’m going to drop in on Monday night.

The show will be on every Monday night at the Jubilee.

Photographer Max Doyle has a free exhibition opening on at Nine Lives Gallery this Thursday at 6pm. The exhibition, called Drums, features drum solo work from Nick Norton, Alex Gilles from No Anchor and Susan Patten.

No Anchor playing the Judith Wright Centre in April 2010

Nine Lives Gallery is at 5F Winn St, Fortitude Valley, just around the corner of Ann St from the Zoo. Click here for a Google Map with public transport info.

If you like using Facebook to keep track of your events, the opening is on Facebook here.

The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble is doing a play reading of All’s Well That Ends Well this Sunday February 27 at 7pm in the Indooroopilly Library, inside the Indooroopilly shopping centre.

The reading is free for members of the Ensemble. If you’re not a member, you can join at the Library for $15, and that gets you into each month’s play reading for the year, and also gets you free entry to one of the Ensemble’s productions this year.

There’s a free online version of All’s Well That Ends Well here at Project Gutenberg, and if you want other versions to download (including a Kindle version), click here.

To find the Indooroopilly Library, click here for a Google Map with public transport information.

The Mana Bar on Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, has organised a fundraising raffle, with the prizes coming from lots of video game makers. All proceeds will go directly to the Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal.

There are actually three raffles as part of the fundraiser:

Raffle 1: Tickets $10

Prize Pack for Raffle 1:

Call of Duty Black Ops Prestige Edition

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3)

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker (PSP)

Assassins Creed Brotherhood Codex Edition (X360)

Final Fantasy XIII Collectors Edition (X360)

Final Fantasy XIV Collectors Edition + Gamepad (PC)

Dragon Ball Z Complete Collection DVD

Red Dead Redemption Vinyl Soundtrack

Red Dead Redemption Stickers + Postcards

Patrician IV (PC)

Disciples III (PC)

Sniper Ghost Warrior (PC)

Microsoft Games Collection Prize Pack

Michael Jackson (Wii)

Just Dance 2 (Wii)

Rabbids Travel in Time (Wii)

Raffle 2: Tickets $5

Prize pack for Raffle 2:

Guitar Hero Bundle

Splatterhouse Branded GLOBE Skateboard

PES 2011 (X360)

SAW II (X360)

Shaun White Skateboarding (X360)

RUSE + Mouse (PC)

Evangelion 1.11 Blu-Ray

BlazBlue + Arcade Stick (PS3)

BlazBlue + Faceplace (X360)

WRC FIA World Rally Championship (X360)

SBKX (X360)

Red Dead Redemption Stickers + Postcards

Naughty Bear (X360)

Naughty Bear (PS3)

Naughty Bear Plush Toy

Raffle 3: Tickets $2

Prize pack for Raffle 3:

DJ Hero Bundle

Def Jam Rapster + 2 Microphones

Lock On Platinum (PC)

Your Shape for Kinect (X360)

Animal Kingdom DVD/Blu-Ray

Exit Gift Shop DVD

Red Dead Redemption Stickers + Postcards

Machinarium (PC)

WRC FIA World Rally Championship (PS3)

SBKX (PS3)

Tropico 3 Gold Edition (PC)

You can buy tickets at the Mana Bar. The raffle will be drawn on Friday January 28; you don’t have to be at the bar at the drawing to win. You can follow the Mana Bar on Twitter or become a fan of their Facebook Page, and the address is 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley – click here for a Google Map.

Just got this message in my Facebook account, so I thought I’d pass it on:

Rodney Croome, one of the organisers of this Saturday’s workshop, advises there are a few places still available. This is a one-off opportunity and you or someone you know might want to take advantage of this workshop.

Full details and how to RSVP are below:

ACTION = MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Register now for the Brisbane Marriage Equality Action Workshop

Do you support marriage equality but aren’t sure how to make your case?

Do you want to help achieve full equality but aren’t sure what to do?

Are you unsure of how to respond to, and challenge, opponents of equality?

If the answer is "yes" then a Marriage Equality Action Workshop is for you.

An Action Workshop is made up of two three-hour intensive sessions led by Australia’s foremost challenging-homophobia educator, Daniel Witthaus.

The Workshops are designed for people who support marriage equality but want to hone their skills and gain the confidence to contribute to real change.

The first Brisbane workshop will be held on January 22nd. Guest speakers will include PFLAG national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, marriage equality advocate and researcher, Sharon Dane, and national gay rights advocate, Rodney Croome.

The Workshops are an initiative of Australian Marriage Equality. We believe equality will only be achieved if as many supporters as possible become agents for change.

Don’t miss out on this unprecedented opportunity. Places are limited. For more information or to register, email your name and phone number to workshops@australianmarriageequality.com

Workshop Details
Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm, Saturday January 22nd 2011
Venue: Queensland Association of Healthy Communities (QuAC)
30 Helen St, Newstead, Brisbane – click here for a Google Map with public transport details

Facilitator: Daniel Witthaus

Presenters: Shelley Argent, Sharon Dane, Rodney Croome

Cost: whatever contribution you are able to make

My friend Nicole blogged just before Christmas about the Building Resilience Towards Depression program that’s happening on Saturday February 5th. Since I’ve suffered from depression for a long time (mostly pretty well-managed by medication, thankfully) I’m very interested in this and thought I’d share it.

I’m not sure about all the things in the program; I’m a little skeptical about Chinese medicine and I’d prefer the “positive psychology” to be more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (which it might be, under a different name). But I’ve treated myself to a ticket anyway as this seems like it could be a really good day.

There are two things I must say:

1) As their webpage says, this event isn’t medical advice. Having the advice of a doctor is a very important part of dealing with depression (but by no means the only part)

2) Don’t ever let anyone hand down treatments for emotional or psychological problems from on high. You need to be certain that you are dealing with things in a way that is right for you. There are risks here; it’s easy to be stagnant and to make excuses about why something won’t work and think you’re just being self-affirming. But that’s a risk you take in being an independent person. Always approach with skepticism, always ask questions.

But, having said that, I’m going to see what this event has to offer. Sound like a good idea to me.

The Music By The Sea festival is on today, Friday January 7 and tomorrow, Saturday January 8 at Einbunpin Lagoon Park in Sandgate.

Saturday’s events cost money to get into, but the Friday night opening ceremony and dance party with Bagadijay is FREE.

For a Google Map showing where Einbunpin Lagoon Park is, and with public transport information, click here.

The free 21st Century – Art in the First Decade exhibition is on at the Gallery of Modern Art in Southbank, and if you want a bit of help to get into it, you can start with a free guided tour.

The tours are on every day at 11am and 1pm – but they are NOT running from January 13 to January 23 2011. Meet at the information desk near the front doors to join the tour.

If you want to find out more, there’s a set of photos on flickr showing the exhibition being installed.

This slideshow shows Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s work “From here to ear (v 13)”, one of the pieces in the exhibition:

If you can’t see the slideshow, click here to see the set of photos it comes from.

This video shows Boursier-Mougenot talking about his work:

For more info about what’s on at the exhibition, there’s also a blog. The Queensland Art Gallery, which includes the Gallery of Modern Art, is on Twitter and Facebook, and there’s a Facebook event for the 21st Century exhibition.

The exhibition is free, and is on until April 26 2011. The gallery is open from 10-5 Monday to Friday and 9-5 Saturday and Sundays. For a Google Map showing where the gallery is, and with public transport info, click here.