How lucky we are to have world-class performances of masterpieces such as the ballet Madame Butterfly coming right here to our own Cessnock Performing Arts Centre.
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I had a fantastic evening on Friday when I was at the centre for the launch of its 10th season, which is shaping up to be an absolute stunner.
Throughout the next six months you can expect to see James Reyne, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow and a plethora of other musicians, actors and dancers grace the stage.
During the season launch, the packed audience was treated to a fabulous performance from The Diamonds. This all-female trio took punters on a musical journey through the decades. I was tapping my toes and singing along to tunes I’ve played dozens of times on the radio but it’s something incredibly special to watch talented performers breathe new life into them on the stage.
I’m really looking to B2M’s September performance of Mamanta, which promises to be a cultural immersion into dance, changes and song.
June’s production of Stolen, by Jane Harrison, is another performance that’s not to be missed. This play interweaves the stories of five indigenous children taken from their families.
CLOSING THE GAP
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Stolen’s premiere season and also the 10th anniversary of Kevin Rudd making his apology to the stolen generations of our country’s first peoples.
During Parliament this week, leaders from both sides of the House of Representatives reflected on the anniversary and also the latest iteration of Closing the Gap, a national initiative focused on addressing the discrepancies between indigenous and non-indigenous health outcomes.
While progress has been made towards some of the initiative’s goals, it’s clear that the government needs to return to its original principles and ensure consistency in both funding and governance.
CONGRATULATIONS
Due to the timing of this column I’d like to wish a belated but very heartfelt congratulations to Paul Hughes and Mark Hughes, who were both acknowledged for their contributions to our community on Australia Day.
Paul, who is president of Kurri Kurri Rotary Club, was named Cessnock’s Citizen of the Year. Mark, a Kurri Kurri and Newcastle Knights rugby league legend, was crowned Newcastle’s Citizen of the Year for his works raising funds to fight brain cancer.
