Puppeteer Jenn introduces Spike when Little Wings Puppets returns. Photo: Jeremy Lavender.
If you thought the first half of the year was busy at south Canberra’s premier creative hub, buckle up.
The Tuggeranong Arts Centre (TAC) has just unveiled its massive July-to-December program: a packed, 80-page celebration of creativity.
By weaving together dance, theatre, visual arts and music, the program brings the centre’s ultimate purpose to life: community connection.
“We’re a community hub, so our program must appeal to a wide, diverse audience from all ages and backgrounds,” TAC CEO Caroline Downer says.
“That’s why we have such different offerings that all click together into a whole.”
In July, the kids’ program kicks off with the return of Little Wing Puppets, presenting Spike, the story of an echidna stolen from his nest by a greedy rat.
August is an exceptionally eclectic month, showcasing the centre’s diversity and offering hands-on ways to try art-making. Visitors can choose between single-session experiences, such as the art of bookbinding with Sharon Peoples, and six-week short courses, such as Gelli Printing with artist Jo Hollier.
Channels: Artists on ageing creatively, the highly anticipated new work by local award-winning composer and videographer Creswick, will be another feature in the August offerings.
This hybrid documentary and live music experience presents cinematic portraits exploring the theme of ‘aging creatively’, highlighting several iconic senior artists like singer Vince Jones, ceramicist Malcolm Cooke, composer Judith Clingan and dancer Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, set to a live musical score.
Following the popular return of Club Sandwich Comedy earlier this year, two additional showcase nights are scheduled for August and October, and Club Sandwich producer and national headliner Chris Ryan will return to lead a multi-week stand-up comedy course starting in October.
“When the community likes something, we try to bring it back, but look to how we might enhance, grow, expand or tweak it to keep it fresh and interesting,” Caroline says.
Videographer Creswick interviews Elizabeth Cameron Dalman on Channels: Artists on ageing creatively.
Details of Christiane Keller’s mixed media piece Flat Rock 9 (2026). Photo: Colin MacDougall.
Comedian Chris Ryan. Photo: Supplied.
Especially on Birthdays by Shiny Heart Productions and Flight Path Theatre. Photo: Supplied.
MJ by Fresh Funk. Photo: Supplied.
In September, the centre’s highly popular annual community celebration, Grand Day Out, returns to transform the venue into a hive of free activities for grandparents, parents, children and teens alike.
Music fans should book early for October concerts by London trio Za Górami, the Greg Arthur Jazz Trio from Sydney, and A Viola in Bloom by Robert Harris and Robert Manley.
In November, the live performance program features a solo performance by leading harpists Alice Giles, the Battle of the Bands Lakeside Jam and the cheeky, adult twist on the messy joy of the 90s kids’ art shows, Creative Juices, by Timothy Christopher Ryan.
The busy season culminates in the launch of a massive, collaborative community art piece, funded through the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival: Weaving Waters: Mangi the Murray Cod.
Led by artist Steven Holland, the project invites community members to contribute small hand-woven pieces to form the “skin” of a giant fish.
Along the way, the initiative will weave in educational workshops focusing on local waterways, traditional cultural fishing practices, and regional environmental issues.
“I’m excited about this project because it underscores what we’re all about — strong community engagement,” Caroline says.
These exciting special events are held against the backdrop of the gallery’s exhibition program, which features numerous shows opening in the second half of the year.
Christiane Keller’s Weaving the Coast is one of three exhibitions opening on 21 August, alongside Toxic – a solo exhibition of sculptural and wall-based works examining toxic workplace cultures by Adelaide Worcester and Karen McSwan Silsby’s Chaos and Order.
Canberra Spinners and Weavers’ Sixty, and a collaborative show by Nicola Dickson and Malcolm Cooke, are just two of the numerous exhibitions featured in the exhibition program.
“Fold Stitch Bind is a stunning survey of work by local and regional book artists, and well worth a visit before it closes on the 15th of August,” Caroline says.
All the while, a vibrant lineup of regular activities hums away, anchored by the centre’s flagship Fresh Funk program — a weekly staple for members of the TAC community.
Fresh off the success of their recent sold-out performances of MJ at Erindale Theatre, Fresh Funk stands as Canberra’s original hip-hop and contemporary dance program.
Offering 18 classes each week, it welcomes everyone from toddlers to pre-professional dancers. The program also features a dedicated 55+ seniors’ class and a Young Choreographers’ Initiative, nurturing emerging talent and creativity within the community.
Rounding out the recurring schedule of term-based art classes for kids and seniors are drop-in art groups and social events for creatives of all skill levels, as well as regular live music, including the ever-popular monthly jazz series upstairs.
“These regular programs create the rhythm of the place,” Caroline says. “They’re what make the centre a bustling, everyday community hub where different generations and cultures naturally come together.”
For more information, visit Tuggeranong Arts Centre.
