Music for mental health: What's on in the inner west this weekend, January 22-23

Marrickville

The Songwriting Prize, Australia's only dedicated mental health songwriting competition, is holding its grand final concert at the Great Club in Marrickville this weekend.

The competition, which is in its 6^th year this year, is the flagship event of mental health music charity, Listen Up Music.

"We're all about building community and giving people safe spaces to create and share music," Listen Up Music co-founder Ali Taylor told the Inner West Review.

"The songwriting competition is where it all began and it's still one of the most beautiful things that we do. Everyone who comes through the competition year after year says it doesn't feel like a competition, it's so much more".

The grand final will feature 12 "very different and unique" songs from up-and-coming songwriters across the country who won their respective regional semi-finals. The theme this year is "recovery".

"When we launched the comp in April of last year, it felt like we were coming to the end of the first wave of the pandemic, so we were interested in hearing the stories of both personal recovery from mental health challenges and also recovery from a pandemic," said Mr Taylor.

"This is the very thing people need right now. It'll be a very warm, welcoming event which celebrates not just the songs but the stories and the artists as well."

Tickets for the grand final performance can be bought online and cost just $23.

Inner west

Alternative music fans will be turning on the radio this Saturday for Triple J's annual Hottest 100 countdown. But the music countdown isn't the only Hottest 100 this weekend. The GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer countdown, considered to be "on par with the Melbourne cup" in craft beer circles, will also take place this Saturday. With the inner west sometimes being dubbed "Australia's craft-beer capital" it's not surprising a number of local brews are in the running for the top spot.

White Bay Beer Co in Rozelle, Wayward Brewing Company in Camperdown, Hopsters Co-operative Brewery in Enmore and Batch Brewing Co in Petersham will all be hosting official livestream parties for the GABS countdown and, of course, blaring tunes from Triple J's list to get the party going. Get down and support your local while enjoying some smooth brews and tunes.

Art that resonates

St Peters

If you've scrolled through social media at any length chances are you've seen one of those resin art or craft videos. But have you ever wanted to create your own? In this workshop Rebecca Doyle will teach you how to safely work with resin, how to properly mix it, how to add pigment to it and the techniques used to create stunning patterns resembling the whitewash of the ocean on a beach. Tickets for the workshop will set you back $220 and include everything you need to create your own eye catching piece of art. The class is not recommended for pregnant women or people under 16 years old due to the chemicals used.

Lilyfield

Whether it's building a cubby house, climbing a tree, following animal tracks or creating a work of art out of leaves and sticks, being outdoors gives children the opportunity to explore, discover, and learn at their own pace. Nature play experts from Centennial Parklands have created a nature-play pop-up to "stimulate play and connection to the natural world of Callan Park''. It will run through to the end of the school holidays near the Waterfront Drive Sports Field, so if it's raining this weekend there's still plenty of time to get over to Callan Park to enjoy it.

If you've got an upcoming event that you want the community to know about, send us the details at editor@innerwestreview.com.au

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