Creative Australia celebrated its second AusArt Day yesterday with more than 350 artists and arts organisations from across Australia taking part, calling on all Australians to make a donation, big or small, to help bring new creative projects to life.
Four of our partner organisations participated this year, and you can find out more about their projects here. While AusArt Day was yesterday, you can support these arts organisations and our other partners at any time. You can donate directly for one of these projects, or you can choose to donate the value of your Culture Voucher – Silver or Gold – to the organisation of your choice.
We’ve been active in our concerns about the impact that AI is having on our creative industries, so it was heartening to read recently in The Australian that the Commonwealth Bank has signed a landmark copyright deal, becoming the first corporate heavyweight to pay Australian creators and publishers for the use of their content in workplace generative AI tools. Hopefully we will see more of that!
On a less positive note, The Guardian just reported that Google has illegally felled 250,000 trees for an AI data centre in Finland. Reading news like this makes us really wonder if it’s all worth it. We appreciate the positive impact that AI is making in so many areas – drug discovery and cancer treatment to pick out a couple – but we need to draw the line somewhere.
Do we need AI data centres so desperately that it justifies the illegal felling of 250,000 trees at Muhos, and an estimated 150,000 trees at Otanmäki? Think for a minute about how AI is replacing human creative output – do our living composers, musicians, writers, artists, dancers and actors need to clear forests and consume vast amounts of energy and water to do their thing?
OK, one more plug for our vouchers. Time is running out for you to organise your staff or customer Christmas gifts, so why not a give them a Culture Voucher?
Contact us to find out more about our voucher program and how you can order your culture vouchers – either at info@givingculture.com.au or by phone on (02) 4872 4981. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn for posts on what’s happening at Giving Culture, and other updates about the arts and culture scene in Australia, or sign up to our monthly emails at givingculture.com.au/contact.
Incognito Art Show
Save big on original art with the Incognito Art Show! For a limited time, get 50% off when you buy two or more artworks or 70% off when you buy five or more.
This means you can score two original, one-of-a-kind artworks for $100, or five for $150!
There’s another reason to shop: profits from every purchase go towards important programs that support artists with disability and help make the arts more accessible and inclusive.
There are 15,000+ pieces to choose from, but hurry! This offer ends at midnight on Sunday 1 November. Merch and frames excluded.
You can redeem either your Incognito Art Show – Gold Voucher or your Incognito Art Show – Silver Voucher to go towards any purchases.
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Photo credit: Albert Comper & Principals
MCO + BLAIR HARRIS Drifting Currents
Melbourne Recital Centre
Thursday 26 November 2026, 7:30pm
Sunday 29 November 2026, 2:30pm
Geelong: McAuley Hall ,Sacred Heart College
Friday 27 November 2026, 7:30pm
Experience the world premiere of Alice Humphries’ deeply moving Cello Concerto, written especially for celebrated MCO cellist Blair Harris. Known for his emotional depth and fearless artistry, Harris brings this new work to life in a performance that highlights his long-standing collaboration with the composer. The program also features Respighi’s graceful Ancient Airs and Dances, the meditative beauty of Pēteris Vasks, and Josef Suk’s radiant Serenade for Strings — a lyrical, joy-filled farewell to the season. From composer and soloist to orchestra and audience, this concert is a tribute to musical connection.
Redeem your Gold or Silver vouchers for Drifting Currents tickets now!
Sydney Film Festival
SFF invites you to take a seat in The Director’s Chair. Watch illuminating and intimate harbourside interviews with some of the world’s greatest storytellers during their time at SFF 2025 and 2026 – including Oscar nominees Jafar Panahi, Kleber Mendonça Filho and Ildikó Enyedi. Presented with MUBI.
See the YouTube playlist here.
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Beethoven’s Pastoral
12-25 November
Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
Join ACO for Beethoven’s Pastoral, a thrilling all-Beethoven season finale touring nationally in November. The iconic and beloved Sixth Symphony sits alongside the dramatic and wondrous Coriolan Overture, and the lyrical Triple Concerto basks in the joy of collaboration.
Directed by Richard Tognetti, this concert is a journey through creation and wonder, and a fittingly joyous end to the year.
Redeem either an ACO – Gold Voucher or ACO – Silver Voucher to put towards tickets to this national concert tour starting in Newcastle on Thursday 12 November.
Limelight 2026 Artists of the Year
Who will be Limelight’s 2026 Artists of the Year? We are thrilled to once again be partnering with Limelight on its annual awards program to celebrate the artists who have defined another dazzling year in music, arts and culture. Limelight subscribers are invited to nominate the three Australian and three international artists now for the longlist with nominations closing on Monday 2 November at 11:59pm AEDT.