Events in Armidale

Two women love the same man. Unfortunately he is dead and buried. However, he lives on through his writing as you cannot put imagination in a coffin. A play by ADMS' Graham Patterson. Directed by Margaret Sims. Produced by Diana Helmrich. NB. Audience is required to wear a mask throughout the performance, check in using the available QR code and be fully immunised against COVD 19 as per NSW Health.

The toppling and vandalising of prominent statues around the world has been an all-too-frequent news item in recent times.  Citing the alleged moral failure or criminal culpability of the toppled subjects, the wrath of outraged crowds has focused on grand sculptural representations of kings, presidents, dictators and celebrated historical identities including Christopher Columbus, Captain James Cook, assorted Confederate generals and Cecil Rhodes.  But this is hardly a modern-day phenomenon.  The Problematic Statue takes a look at the surprisingly long tradition […]

Life without restaurants is hard to imagine.  In fact, the first such establishments, in France, were for the fastidious who shunned eating and required a restorative broth or restaurant.  It was for such delicate stomachs that the Palais Royal offered dining rooms with separate tables, menus, fixed prices and flexible hours.  After the Revolution, the unemployed cooks and maîtres d’ of the aristocracy finally began introducing the paying public to the delights of their cuisine.  This lecture investigates the early […]

This lecture will examine the harrowing story of an outstanding portraitist caught in the deadly divisions of Revolution.  Copley, born in 1783 to poor Irish parents in Boston, became a highly sought after painter of the professional and mercantile elite of this small colonial port.  Increasing friction between Britain and her American colonies after 1763 polarised this elite into warring camps.  Copley found himself caught between old friends and family and by 1774 had to make a choice which would […]

Shoes convey a wide range of meanings associated with fashion, style, personality, sexuality, class and gender.  New studies have given us awareness of the personal, social and sexual connotations attributed to footwear and created by footwear.  Different shapes and colours for men’s and women’s shoes today revolve primarily around the construction of gender difference.  Many of these gendered distinctions developed in the so-called ‘long eighteenth century’.  Why do men and women’s shoes look so very different today?  Learn about shoes, […]

Please note change of time Not all myths are created equal.  The Greeks and Romans told hundreds of stories about the life and loves of Gods and heroes.  Many of these stories have been forgotten.  However, a number have captured our imagination and provided inspirations to generations of artists.  This lecture examines these influential myths and why they have proven to be so important to artists from Botticelli to Picasso.  Myths discussed include the Labours of Hercules, Perseus and Medusa, […]

In the 1920s there was no Australian style in women’s dress.  In 1921 David Jones advertised modestly priced reproductions and adaptations of Paris fashions. Almost overnight, the depression brought a serious tone to society and the carefree age of the flapper was over.  Then, as Australia entered WW2, the traditional role of women shifted, with many joining the Land Army.  Women were taught to ‘Make Do and Mend’.  By 1947, Christian Dior’s New Look had restored femininity to the fashion […]

The story of Russia is inextricably linked to two contrasting cities – Moscow and St Petersburg.  The Russian capital, Moscow is the historic seat of power with its impressive and world-famous landmarks like St Basil’s, the Kremlin and Red Square. Saint Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great as an artfully planned statement city of style and sophistication and as a doorway to the West.  This lecture considers the fascinating cultural history of these two great cities and most importantly […]

Artist J M W Turner lived at a time of great social and scientific change.  More than anyone else he recorded, in thousands of works of art, the transition of Britain from a rural to an industrial society.  He was a fascinating character – secretive, driven, alternately penny-pinching and generous, chaotic in his private life and fiercely patriotic.  He is rightly regarded as one of the world’s greatest nineteenth century painters.  His likeness appears on the twenty pound note – […]

For many years, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book Lord of the Rings swept aside any suggestion that it was based on Richard Wagner’s four-opera Ring cycle.  Tolkien himself scoffed at the idea.  Yet, in the wake of Peter Jackson’s blockbuster film trilogy, more and more people saw Lord of the Rings as a profoundly Wagnerian blend of epic myth and powerful music.  This talk, incorporating video clips and recorded excerpts, will explore the fascinating links that connect Richard Wagner, the […]

Rodin and the 19th Century - David Worthington (UK) Rodin is one of art history’s heroic figures of the 19th century and was internationally celebrated during his lifetime but after his death his reputation slipped and there were questions about his use of the female image. However, he is now seen as having in one career, taken sculpture on a revolutionary path equivalent to what the Realists, Impressionists and Post Impressionists did with many careers.  David Worthington is a sculptor, […]

The Importance of Being Oscar: The Life and Works of Oscar Wilde - Susannah Fullerton (OAM) (AUS) “Somehow or other I’ll be famous, and if not famous, I’ll be notorious” declared the young Oscar Wilde: he proved to be both! He translated his genius into stories, plays, poems and a novel and gained a place amongst the great Victorian writers. This lecture includes dramatic readings that bring to life Wilde’s extraordinary life story, his fall from fame and the creation […]

Elizabeth Taylor's Greatest Love – with Jewels - Adrian Dickens (AUS)  Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor has long been associated with jewels – diamonds in particular, and her legendary jewellery collection was said to be worth over $200 million at the star’s death.  Find out the fascinating stories behind the breathtaking collection that rivalled Cleopatra’s, the star who wore them and the man who bought most of them – Richard Burton.  Adrian Dickens trained in the UK before emigrating to Australia […]

The Scent Bottle:  Jewels in the Glass Crown - Andy McConnell (UK) Despite their mini sizes, the design attention lavished on scent bottles has seen them ranked amongst the most prestigious and expensive items.  Small glass flasks for scents and oils have been made for over 3,500 years.  This lecture will trace the stylistic and technological advances that have marked the history of glassmaking and the scent bottle from the days of the Ancients and Rome to the present day. […]

Joy Hester:  Love, Loss and Redemption - Kendrah Morgan (AUS) From the late 1930s to the end of the 1950s Joy Hester forged a body of work that was distinctly her own, groundbreaking in its conception and assertions. Working almost exclusively with ink and gouache on paper she broke with convention and used drawing as a tool to grasp the essence of being human. She portrayed life in all its complexity, tackling subjects that were highly provocative during her lifetime: […]

The Architecture of Mughal India:  Palaces, Mosques, Gardens and Mausoleums - Dr John Stevens (UK) Before the British arrived in India, the Indian subcontinent was ruled by the Mughal Emperors. The stunning buildings and gardens they constructed have left an indelible stamp on India’s architectural and cultural landscape. Mughal architecture and the colourful personalities involved in their construction fused elements from Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural traditions, and gave rise to some of the most beautiful and iconic buildings […]

What Have the Huguenots Ever Done for Us?  Mass Migration and the Arts in Britain - Vivienne Lawes (UK) The mass migration of the French Protestant Huguenots in the 16th and 17th centuries impacted the arts, the military and finance sectors of the countries to which they fled after suffering Catholic persecution in their homeland. It is estimated that upwards of 50,000 Huguenots settled in the British Isles alone and this lecture looks at how the artistic works of the Huguenots changed […]