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Welcome to 'Lost and Found' Issue 4, an email publication that explores Melbourne's hidden creative spaces and the myriad of interesting events that keep the city buzzing through October to December. Click through to read
Issue 1 featuring Guest Editor Kate Bezar,
Issue 2 featuring Lisa Gorman and Issue 3 with Australian CREATIVE magazine's Barbara Messer.

If you have been sent this email by a friend, CLICK HERE to receive your own issue of the Lost and Found eNewsletter and go into the draw to win a Melbourne escape for two valued at $2,500. Sound good? Then share the love...
 
 
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Guest Editor, Gideon Obarzanek
 
Gideon Obarzanek is sometimes billed as the bad boy of Australian dance. But as the founder and artistic director of Chunky Move - Melbourne's distinctive contemporary dance company - he really doesn't have much time to be cheeky. Returning from a national tour of his work I Want to Dance Better at Parties, Gideon found some time this month to have a few drinks with Lucy Guerin his partner, and give us some pointers on his home town. Having lived for years in the famous Curtin House (back before it was a hip drinking and shopping hub) Gideon is a true Melbourne local. His favourite pastimes include eating tuna baguettes, browsing for too long in bookstores and watching surf videos.
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
^ Image: courtesy of Not Yet It's Difficult
 
Save the Drama for yo' Mama
 
Melbourne is home to a disparate array of independent theatre-makers and performers. Although such people tend to be vocal (or at least - let's face it - theatrical) about their endeavours, it can still be hard to keep up with the multitude of shows on offer. That's where Theatre Alive comes in handy. Set up as a comprehensive listing of performances, the site is a both a one-stop reference tool for audiences and a sexily-designed promotional platform for small companies. One of the venues featured with great regularity is, of course, La Mama - the gutsy grand old lady of Melbourne's theatre scene. Founded in 1967 by Betty Burstell - a woman inspired by New York's own iconic La Mama - this Carlton theatre quickly became a hub for innovative Australian performance. Known for nurturing new talent and unconventional projects, it remains on the cutting edge. Cheap tickets, free coffee and an ever-evolving program keep La Mama as popular with audiences as ever. Great picks on Theatre Alive for November and December also include apoliticaldance by acclaimed Australian artists group Not Yet It's Difficult. In a short season of five studio performances from November 28 to December 2, this work will combine improvisation and choreographed dance at the Arts House Meat Market. It is a return to the non-script based, open-space staged performance for which this company is internationally famed. Artistic Director David Pledger promises a physical exploration of "the psychological effects of ten years' neo-conservative rule on middle Australia". A political dance? Or an apolitical dance? Maybe that's for us to decide. Another not-to-be missed event on the calendar is Slanting into the Void, a puppet opera by Peepshow Inc. Described as a theatre of images, this is not just a puppet opera, it's unlike any opera seen before. "A woman loses her daughter into the void. Unable to continue her own life, she remains at the edge of the void, staring in by the light of a lantern..." What can we expect from this show? With text by up-and-coming (and fabulously absurd) Melbourne playwright Lally Katz, the answer is: absolutely everything we've never thought of before. Just one obtuse warning is offered: "puppet smoking is deadly".
 
Gideon Obarzanek's Arts/Culture
 
My partner Lucy and I live in West Melbourne just on the edge of the city and the North Melbourne Town Hall and the old Meat Market are just a few minutes walk away. With all the performances, installations and exhibitions presented in both venues by Arts House, I must see something there at least every week. We have recently seen performances by Acrobat and William Yang, a stand out installation by British group Stan's Cafe as part of the Melbourne Festival, and my son Jordan got right into URBANology, a three day festival of street culture. Arts House programming is prolific with some of the most eclectic and freshest work you are going to find created by performing artists from Melbourne, Australia and abroad.
 
   
Borrowed Time
 
City Library is a brain-enriching haven set in the midst of Flinders Lane's espresso-fuelled fashion strip. A public institution in the truest sense, the City Library welcomes browsers, chatters, eaters, drinkers, children, readers of pulp fiction, readers of academic literature, and lovers of big cosy armchairs. When project partners the Centre for Adult Education (CAE) and City of Melbourne first discussed the idea, they agreed that the City Library should become a versatile community hub. Thanks to the concept and design by architect Patrick Ness (of Cox Architects and Planners) the 19th Century warehouse building was transformed into a welcoming, multi-purpose, mezzanine-happy space. Apart from a range of collections - from 18,000 fiction titles to graphic novels, children's books and reference material - the library is home to a gallery with a much-used grand piano, as well as a digital projections program.
 
 
^ Image: courtesy of City Library
 


Stats:
La Mama, 205 Faraday St, Carlton.
03 9347-6948.
Not Yet it's Difficult apoliticaldance, at the Arts House Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. 03 9639 0096. From Nov 29 - Dec 2 (preview Nov 28).
Peepshow Inc Slanting into the Void - a puppet opera, at the Arts House North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne. 03 9639 0096. From Nov 24 - Dec 3 (preview Nov 23).
City Library, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. 03 9664 0800.
*For Arts House contact details see above.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

A Face Behind a Label

Julia deVille - Disce Mori Not since the plague has death been so in-fashion. Admittedly, there has been a continuing obsession with skull iconography both the high end (Marc Jacobs) and street-end (PAM), yet Julia deVille's Disce Mori jewellery pushes this morbid fascination a lot further. Part Jeweller, part taxidermist her designs draw much of their inspiration from the Victorian period. With pieces that range from $320 dollars to $10,000, Julia works with vintage ivory, diamonds, rubies, human hair and dead animal parts, stuffed, or moulded for casts. Reminding us of our own mortality and challenging our perceptions of death in fashion, deVille gives new life to things even though they are deceased.

Thom Grogan & Frederik Jonsson - HEM & HAW The term HEM & HAW is American slang meaning to 'um and ah'. So while you are 'um-ing' and 'ah-ing' over whether to spend $300 or $400 on a pair of jeans, why not re-evaluate and pop into Bobby's Cuts to pick up a pair of the same quality for $120? For the past five years Thom has worked with denim, developing techniques for both production and maintenance. Frederik (who is concerned that Thom showers in his jeans) also shares a similar passion yet, with his background as one half of Mjolk, is also focussed on shirts and suiting. Their current range 'Cheap and Debonair' is exactly that, with quality basics and an attention to detail at a price that doesn't scream extortion.

Gwendolynne Burkin - Gwendolynne From working in a fabric store aged 14, to winning Melbourne Fashion Festival's New Designer Award in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002, Gwendolynne Burkin has established herself as one of Australian fashions purists. Combining delicate lace with floating chiffon, silk and cotton, Gwendolynne's pieces are ladylike without appearing over the top. In her atelier above her shop, the designer chooses only to work in small quantities in order to maintain value, exclusivity and longevity, which are three words you don't usually hear together in today's fashion industry.

 
^ Image: courtesy of Julia deVille
 
 
 
^ Image: courtesy of Bobby's Cuts
   

Stats:
Disce Mori by Julia deVille at L.E.F.T, 161 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. 03 9419 9292. And Fat, Shop G03, Melbourne's GPO. Cnr Bourke St Mall and Elizabeth St, Melbourne. 03 9662 3332.
HEM & HAW by Thom Grogan and Fredrick Jonsson at Bobby's Cuts, Shop 4, Scott Alley (off Flinders Lane), Melbourne. 03 9663 4030.
Gwendolynne by Gwendolynne Burkin at 71 Kerr St, Fitzroy, (open Saturday 11.30-4.30pm). And Hoss, 208 Barkley St, St Kilda.
03 9537 1750.

 
 
 
 
   
A Short Battle

A quick fight's a good fight, so say boxing coaches the world over. But what happens when this logic is applied to the theatre? The Short and Sweet Festival may be the answer. Presented by the Arts Centre, this hugely popular event is an open competition for 10-minute plays. Aspiring, emerging (and yes, even weathered) playwrights submit their scripts and the top 30 are developed into full productions. These plays will be presented in a three-week knock-out season from November 29, culminating in a Gala Final on December 17. It's a rollercoaster as complex, tense and teary as Australian Idol, but with much more urbane judges. Short and Sweet has evolved to become the largest short-play competition in the world, offering $20,000 in cash prizes as well as professional development opportunities. Unlike the cinematic equivalent, Tropfest, Short and Sweet doesn't set a theme for entries so audiences can expect everything from melodrama and romance to politics, comedy, tragedy and horror. Book soon, this fight sells out fast for a reason. And remember, the plays may contain "nudity, coarse language, adult themes, violence and monsters". Unreal.
 
^ Image: courtesy of Short and Sweet
 
 
 
 
^ Images: courtesy of the Rose St Artists Market
 
...To Buy a Fat Pig

Melburnians are always in the market for a new market. You could spend a whole weekend browsing stalls around town, and not even make it beyond the red pages of the Melways (which would be a shame, because you'd miss the Camberwell Market and the St Kilda Esplanade market too). But, for the time poor and city-bound, here are three of the best: Books @ Fed Square is held every Saturday from 11am to 5pm in the Atrium opposite the Forum Theatre. Don't worry, there's a roof. More than 5000 books are displayed, and a favourite among locals is Andrew Barnes's secondhand stall. He is an avid collector and will hunt books down for you if you promise to return the following week. The Rose Street Artists Market is in its fourth year and growing by the week. A showcase for contemporary art and design, it is held every Saturday from 11am to 5pm in a reclaimed Fitzroy junkyard. Check out the Rose Street summer program, they run a 'Junkyard Cinema' as well. The Melbourne Design Market, to be held in the under-cover car park at Federation Square on Sunday December 3, is the new incarnation of the famous ReadyMadeMarket . As part of the annual Melbourne Design Festival, the market attracted over 12,000 visitors this July. Basically, it's just too popular so it will be back in time for Christmas with a gift-wrapping stall to boot. The most cutting-edge emerging and established designers from around Australia are hand-picked by the National Design Centre. Look out for Abi Crompton's 'Third Drawer Down' products, she's sharing a stall with Kate Bezar who's selling whole sets of Dumbo feather pass it on. Can't wait.
   
Stats:
Short and Sweet at the Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne. 03 9281 8000.
Books @ Fed Square at the Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne. On every Saturday 11am-5pm.
Rose Street Artists Market, 60 Rose St, Fitzroy. 03 9419 5529. On every Saturday 11am-5pm.
Melbourne Design Market, Federation Square under cover car park (enter via Riverside Walk or Russell Street) Melbourne. On Sunday December 3 10am-5pm.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Heide and Seek

Heide Museum of Modern Art celebrates 25 years as a public art museum as of this November. The site has represented a kind of architectural rollercoaster ride over the years. The thrills and spills began when Sunday and John Reed purchased Heide I - a Victorian farmhouse - in 1934. Then came David McGlashan's revered modernist Heide II commissioned in 1963, followed by Peddle Thorp & Walker's purpose-built Heide III which opened in 1993.

In 1998, O'Connor + Houle won Heide's master plan competition with their design to link the disparate elements and (in a manner more successful than George Lucas's Star Wars prequels), to contextualise the existing trilogy. Referencing, shall we say, the aesthetic precedent of the industrial factory, the new Heide III stands in sculptural contrast to the landscape, featuring a saw-tooth profile and a black zinc exterior. From the inside, huge picture windows frame outdoor sculptures as though they are paintings themselves. The redevelopment is home to the new Albert & Barbara Tucker Gallery, exhibiting a changing selection of artworks and archive material donated to Heide by Barbara Tucker after her husband's death in 1999. As close friends of the Reeds, the Tuckers were frequent visitors to Heide over the years - as was Sidney Nolan, who produced his original Ned Kelly series in Heide I between 1945 and 1947. Headlining the Silver Anniversary program is an exhibition featuring Nolan's later Ned Kelly works.

 
^Image: The new Heide III & Tony & Cathie Hancy Sculpture Plaza. Design: O'Connor + Houle Architecture. Photographer: John Gollings 2006. © John Gollings
 



 
Designers on Design

Melbourne is often touted as Australia's design capital, and with two major design festivals annually, a plethora of award-winning studios, not to mention the cult-status AGIdeas conference and the country's biggest concentration of design bookstores and resources, this may well be true. But keeping track of it all can be overwhelming, even for the most intrepid design-junkie. What we need is a lovely compendium, a compact book printed on delicious matte stock, and set in a sexy typeface, that outlines this city's design credentials. A guide in fact. Lucky for us, the first edition of the Melbourne Design Guide will reach bookstores this November. Initiated by Paul Charlwood, edited by Ewan McEoin and Viviane Stappmanns, and published by lab.3000, the guide brings Melbourne's wealth of products, projects and people together in one punchy-yet-thorough publication. From brooches to bridges, the book outlines Melbourne's cutting edge architecture as well as individual design projects, locally-designed products and where to buy them, not to mention the notable interiors of favourite bars and restaurants. Who was given the daunting task of designing the design guide? Hats off to Melbourne's studio Round. On sale at design stores and bookshops for the Christmas-friendly price of $30.
 
 
^ Image: courtesy of the Melbourne Design Guide.
 
Stats:
Heide Museum of Modern Art,
7 Templestowe Rd, Bulleen. 03 9850 1500. Unmasked: Sidney Nolan and Ned Kelly 1950 - 1990 at Heide III: Central Galleries. From November 11 - March 4 2007 .
Melbourne Design Guide available from November 21 online and selected distributors.

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
Gideon Obarzanek's
Cafes/Restaurants
 

A huge arrangement of fiery rhododendrons stands as a solitary feature in the beautiful old, stylish room of Syracuse. No gimmicks or trendy fashion here, this very Melbourne establishment boasts elegant high ceilings, old dark hardwood floors and a collection of older marble and wooden tables. The place feels solid, there is an assured manner about the staff and a sense of confidence that has been well-earned over time with excellent wine, good food and attentive service. Syracuse is a restaurant for wine lovers looking for good food to complement their wine of choice. I rarely indulge in three courses, but it was impossible not to start with the chicken liver pate with the Austin's pinot noir from Geelong, devour the fettuccini with rabbit matched with a Cabernet from Beechworth, and enjoy the sticky pear pudding with a dessert wine. After that I was good to choreograph The Contented Waddle to the nearest tram stop.

 
^ Image: courtesy of Brunetti
 
^ Image: courtesy of Saganaki
 

Docks For Dinner

 An industrial past has paved the way for an up-market present at Melbourne's Docklands, one of the most recently established city precincts. Home to enough bars, restaurants, apartments and galleries to make The Rocks jealous, when it comes to dining this area is spoilt for choice. More than just deliciously grilled cheese, Saganaki is a feast of Greece for more than the mouth. Blue and white checkered tablecloths, bright Bouzouki music and a food-enthused staff to rival Aristos make muching on grilled calamari, spanakopita and moussaka a complete Hellenistic experience. Down on Dockalnds Drive, Californian import with Japanese flavour Kobe Jones might be slightly culturally confused but its food is traditionally Japanese. Fresh tuna sashimi seems to taste even better with views of the water and an oyster shooter. But before you get too full, leave room for cheese. Or skip dinner all together and make cheese, a glass of red and some snap crackers your main. Strong, tasty, mild, creamy, rich or sharp - the Wine and Cheese Providore supplies cheese to restaurants and delis all over the city - but its Docklands cafe is a ripe haven of fresh fromage.

 
Sweet Tooth

If you prefer cake to cheese then Brunetti has you covered. A Carlton institution since 1985, Brunetti's has few rivals when it comes to cakes, biscotti, dolci and gelati, they even opened a second cafe at city square earlier this year with its own gelateri. For chocoholics, there's no better place than Koko Black. Located in the beautiful Royal Arcade, Koko's chocolate is hand-made from Belgium's finest, while their hot chocolate holds the title of 'best in Melbourne'. Feel like taking some with you? Then try the sachets of hot chocolate flakes, or hand-made pralines and truffles, which can be packaged-to-go as gifts. Probably Melbourne's smallest sugar fix, Switchboard's cupcakes have something of a cult following. Creamy inside and frosted out, rose, choc mud and flourless-orange flavours make the perfect afternoon pick me up. But be warned - the cakes usually sell out well before the tiny cafe closes at 4pm.
 

Stats:
Saganaki Greek Cuisine and Bar, 62 NewQuay Promenade, Docklands. 03 9606 0008.
Kobe Jones, Level 1 119/427 Docklands Drive, Waterfront City, Docklands. 03 9329 9173.
The Wine and Cheese Providore, G05-G06, 439 Docklands Drive, Docklands. 03 9602 1640. Brunetti, 194-204 Faraday St, Carlton. 03 9347 2801. City Square, 214 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. 03 9663 8085.
Koko Black, Shop 4 Royal Arcade, 335 Bourke St, Melbourne. 03 9639 8911.
Switchboard, Shops 11-12 Manchester Unity Arcade, 220 Collins St, Melbourne.
Syracuse, 23 Bank Place, Melbourne. 03 96701777.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Gideon Obarzanek's
Nightlife
 
Cassandra Fahey's infamously cheeky debut into Melbourne architecture with Sam Newman's, Pamela Anderson House in St. Kilda would have to be my favourite residential building. So when I learnt that she designed the sensual interior of
New Gold Mountain I was grinning from ear to ear. This bar is the logical development in confidence and sophistication from the boys who established Double Happiness a few years ago downstairs on street level. Here, there is no sign of New Gold Mountain's whereabouts, only an anonymous plain wooden door opening to an unassuming staircase. On level one however, you enter into a cool stylish jade interior, while level two is completely red. Lit by Chinese lanterns and continuing the theme of beaded curtains, this top level is just damn sexy. Bars however are for drinking and in this respect New Gold Mountain is literally top-shelf. Its collection of fine liquors is excellent as is its menu of unique concoctions of sours and cocktails. The place is not cheap and being quite intimate it won't take too many enthusiasts to pack it.
 
 
^Image: courtesy of The Canary Club
 
^ Image: courtesy of NowNow Pics

LoungeLife

There's a couple of 'before' bars in Melbourne with a drinking ambience so infectious that it's tempting to trade the dancefloor for a comfy couch, a meal and a martini. Lounge Upstairs on Swanston St, combines the easy ambience of a pub, the decor of a bar with servings that won't leave you hungry. Famous for their 'pay the time' policy from 6-10pm, which equates the time you order with a main meal price ($5 at 5pm, $6.30 at 6.30pm etc) - here you can eat like a publican, and save your pennies for extra beer. Another option is Canary Club, which specialises in that great leveller - tapas. It doesn't matter if you adore it, or consider olives and chorizo a $10 waste, the Canary's mixed montaditos platters are inarguably $18 - $40 worth of bite-sized heaven. No matter what time, the Canary empire has all meals and drinks covered. In the case that your night out makes it into the morning after, big brother the Hairy Canary also does a killer breakfast.

 

We Can Party

On the last Saturday of every month, To All The People We Love throw parties to celebrate, well, throwing parties. A celebration of sound, friends and disco love, local bands like Damn Arms, Temper Trap and New Zealand's 1QA have played in the past, not to mention a score of DJs. Next party is on Saturday November 25. December marks not only the festive season - but a month of parties, and Melbourne has two huge gigs to kick off the weekend of the 1st. For the first time at Public Office, Clandestine is a cosmopolitan, cultural affair based on famous Parisian party Panik and featuring a host of DJs. On the 2nd, the Modular kids hit town for their Christmas bash. International acts like UK's Klaxons and New Young Pony Club plus locals The Avalanches DJs, Cut Copy DJs and Van She, will set the standard for the rest of the month. Request a few days off and book a ticket. Further down the track, Melbourne billboard mag and party people Is Not Magazine are planning more parties all over Melbourne in the new year. Although the line-up is still a little secret, in the past Sydney electro-darlings Pomo Mofo, Melbourne's Plug-In City and Hot Little Hands have been feature acts, but if you need more convincing, check out the photos from their past shindigs here.

 

Stats:
To All The People We Love On Nov 25, Check the website for details.
Clandestine. On Dec 1, Public Office, 100 Adderly St, West Melbourne. Check the website for ticket details.
Modular Monthly. On Dec 2, the Espy, 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda. Check the website for ticket details.
Is Not Magazine. On Dec 31. Check the website for the latest details.
Lounge Upstairs, 243 Swanston St, Melbourne. 03 9663 2916
Canary Club, 6 Melbourne Place, (underneath the Hero apartments, off Russell St) Melbourne. 03 9663 1983.
New Gold Mountain, L1 21 Liverpool St, Melbourne. 03 9650 8859.
   
 

 
   
         
   
 
 
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