When   Saturday,
10 October - 2 pm – 5 pm
Where   Arthur Art Bar, 66 Currie Street, Adelaide

Now in its seventh year, the Be Natural Poetry Slam is open to either compete or to simply watch and enjoy. The rules are simple – one poem, two minutes maximum, no props, no costumes, no music: just you and the power of your words. Featuring a guest performance by Mike Ladd, the slam gives poets the opportunity to stretch their creative limbs.

Tickets start at $15, and can be purchased here.

When   Wednesday,
14 October - 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Where   Ern Malley, 137 Magill Road, Stepney

Join Adelaide writing group the Subversive Boyz – Alex Cothren, Jake Dean, Wayne Marshall and Andrew Roff – as they launch Wayne Marshall's Henry Goes Bush, read from their own work, and answer burning questions about writing and publishing.

More information here.

When   Saturday,
17 October - 9 am – 5 pm
Where   Tamworth Regional Gallery, 466 Peel Street, Tamworth, NSW

JamFactory’s ICON series celebrates the achievements of South Australia’s most influential visual artists working in craft-based media. Aunty Ellen Trevorrow is a proud Ngarrindjeri woman and a prolific, internationally acclaimed weaver with over 40 years of weaving experience. Weaving Through Time is a celebration of Aunty Ellen’s unwavering dedication to culture, community and innovation in contemporary Ngarrindjeri weaving.

This exhibition will run from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 29 November. More information here. Weaving Through Time is on tour with JamFactory until 2027. Find upcoming exhibition dates here.

When   Monday,
19 October - 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm
Where   The Maid and Magpie Hotel, 1 Magill Road, Stepney

Join us at the IAF's October literary dinner, featuring guest speaker Dr Susan Marsden AM, a professional historian and author. Her latest book, Mr Hill's History Painting, is framed around Charles Hill's celebrated The Proclamation of South Australia 1836 and the histories it depicts.

Tickets are $40 for members, and $45 for non-members. Purchase your tickets here.

When   Wednesday,
21 October - 4 pm – 5.30 pm
Where   The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett Street, Adelaide

As part of the Adelaide Film Festival, join us for the launch of Shine: Persistence of vision by Scott Hicks. Shine took the world by storm, but few know the story behind the story; the determined director who refused to give up, the making of an unforgettable Australian film that might never have been seen.

Celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary, Scott will be in conversation with ABC’s Deb Tribe discussing the journey behind the ten-year saga to bring his Academy Award-winning film to the silver screen.

Registrations are essential for this free event, and can be made here. The launch will be followed by a special 30th anniversary screening of Shine, presented by the Adelaide Film Festival. Book tickets here.

When   Wednesday,
21 October - 6 pm – 7.30 pm AEST
Where   Hill of Content Bookshop, 32 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC

Join us at Hill of Content Bookshop to hear Lex Bartlem in conversation with Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC KC. Together they will discuss Lex's memoir A Diplomatic Odyssey, which offers a rare insight into DFAT's important work. It is also the story of a high-achieving diplomat whose extraordinary professional journey was shaped as much by resilience and adaptability as by formal training.

Registrations are essential for this free event, and can be made here.

When   Thursday,
22 October - 5 pm – 7 pm AEST
Where   QUT Art Museum, 2 George Street, Brisbane City, QLD

Join us for the launch of Troy-Anthony Baylis: Let it bleed by Sasha Grbich and Tikari Rigney, a major new monograph surveying three decades of the artist's vibrant, provocative and deeply personal practice.

Celebrate with Troy and artist, community facilitator, zinester and curator Paul Andrew, and hear more about the stories, ideas and artworks that have shaped Baylis's remarkable career.

Registrations are essential for this free event, and can be made here.

When   Saturday,
24 October - 6 pm – 8 pm
Where   The Regal Theatre, 275 Kensington Road, Kensington Park

Join us at the Adelaide Film Festival for a 30th anniversary screening of Scott Hicks' Acadamy Award-winning film Shine. The screening will feature a brief piano recital by Simon Tedeschi AM, and a Q&A between Scott Hicks and Russell Torrance of ABC Classic.

The compelling and poignant story of a young man who defies his father’s wishes to pursue his dreams. Shine is a story of rebellion and individuality through the eyes of a pianist whose only form of self-expression is found in the keys of his instrument.

Tickets start at $20, and can be purchased here. This 4K restoration premiere coincides with the launch of Shine: Persistence of vision by Scott Hicks. Register to attend the launch here.

When   Wednesday,
28 October - 6 pm for 6.30 pm AEST
Where   Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, NSW

Join us at Gleebooks to hear Lex Bartlem in conversation with Bob Carr. Together they will discuss Lex's memoir A Diplomatic Odyssey, which traces the unlikely journey of a young man from Rockhampton who left school at sixteen and went on to become Australia’s Ambassador to Lebanon. Set against a backdrop of political upheaval, cultural change and personal transformation, it combines a deeply human story with a rare insider’s view of life in the Australian diplomatic service.

Registrations are essential for this free event, and can be made here.

When   Thursday,
29 October - 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm AEDT
Where   Paperchain Bookstore, 34 Franklin Street, Griffith, ACT

Join us at Paperchain to hear Lex Bartlem in conversation with Bill Farmer AO. Together they will discuss Lex's memoir A Diplomatic Odyssey, which offers a rare insight into DFAT's important work. It is also the story of a high-achieving diplomat whose extraordinary professional journey was shaped as much by resilience and adaptability as by formal training.

Registrations are essential for this free event, and can be made here.

When   Saturday,
31 October - 11 am – 2 pm AEST
Where   Ruffy Hall, 3 Nolans Road, Ruffy, VIC

Local readers and writers will have the chance to hear directly from Stella Prize-listed writers Edwina Preston, author of Bad Art Mother, and Louisa Lim, author of Indelible City. Edwina and Louise will discuss their craft, what being a part of the Stella family means, and what they're working on now.

Register for this free event here.

When   Saturday,
31 October - 9 am – 5 pm AEST
Where   Sabbia Gallery, 609 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, NSW

Sabbia is thrilled to present The Surround, the highly anticipated solo exhibition from glass artist Clare Belfrage. 'For a long time now, my work has echoed and responded to the living patterns and rhythms of life both observed and imagined. I am increasingly drawn to momentous energy in the natural world. This is something of a shift. It is less quiet. Maybe I’m looking for reassurance.'

This exhibition will run until 31 October. More information here.

When   Sunday,
15 November - 10 am – 5 pm
Where   Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, VIC

In celebration of Gray Street Workshop’s 40th anniversary, JamFactory presents Beautiful Tensions, a major touring exhibition honouring the momentous legacy and talent of the workshop by showcasing new work by the four current partners: Jess Dare, Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman.

This exhibition will run from until Sunday 15 November. More information here. Beautiful Tensions is on tour with JamFactory until 2028. Find upcoming exhibition dates here.

When   Sunday,
22 November - 11 am – 2 pm
Where   Craft and Design Canbera, 180 London Circuit, Canberra, ACT

JamFactory’s ICON series celebrates the achievements of South Australia’s most influential visual artists working in craft-based media. Julie Blyfield is a jeweller and metalsmith whose ever-evolving practice is inspired by her research into botanical specimens, historical silver collections and the rich diversity of the Australian landscape.

JamFactory ICON Julie Blyfield: Chasing a Passion is inspired by Blyfield’s experiences of the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest in far-north Queensland. In developing work for this exhibition, Blyfield has drawn on the marine collections of the South Australian Museum as well as resources she collected during her visit.

This exhibition will run until Sunday 22 November. More information here. Julie Blyfield: Chasing a Passion is on tour with JamFactory until 2027. Find upcoming exhibition dates here.

When   Friday,
06 November - 9 am – 4.30 pm
Where   CWA Hall, 1 Howard Drive, Penneshaw

Join the History Council of South Australia on Kangaroo Island for the 2026 Annual Regional History Lecture and Local History Forum. The event will feature a keynote speech by Associate Professor Rick Hosking, discussing The Kangaroo Islanders, as well as panels from key institutions on key issues, concerns, opportunities in history and heritage on the island, and how to access key resources. The forum will end with a special guided tour of the Penneshaw Maritime and Folk Museum, including the new Frenchman’s Rock exhibit.

Register for this free event here.