AWNY Events

What’s On in New York, June 2017

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Our monthly events list often leads with the fun happenings from the AWNY committee but June has quite a highlight. One of AWNY’s most popular events is the ‘Working in the USA’ careers advice evening. You’ll learn top tips for job searching, seeking out networking opportunities, optimizing your resume for the US market, and listen to the job search experiences of other New York based Aussies. The event is led by our President Belinda Jackson (Prosell international). The tickets for this event go quickly and space is limited to secure your spot!

We also have our Annual AWNY picnic on this month (June 24th in Central Park) and a great list of fun things to do in New York as we had into the steamy months of summer.

Enjoy!

June means Jazz in New York City and it’s definitely the month to get to one of the 100 performances at the Blue Note Jazz Festival (various venues). You’re guaranteed great music and performances run throughout June. Schedule, locations, tix available here.

Free Summer Movies start June 2 at various locations around the 5 boroughs. There’s mix of pics to delight all ages. A schedule of movies, dates and locations is found on the NYC Park website. All the movies are free.

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival simply has to be included on our June What’s On list. The organizers encourage the addressing of Human Rights Issues in the films selected for the festival, and unsurprisingly there is a broad list presented this year. The festival runs from June 9-18 at with showing at either the Lincoln Center or IFC Center. Details and tickets available here.

June also sees the commencement of the SummerStage series, free outdoor concerts at various locations around the city, that run into September. Elvis Costello, The Metropolitan Opera, and Freedom Party are highlights for June.  This link provides a view of everything happening in June. Expand to to see the entire SummerStage series.

Fifth Avenue goes car free (well, for 23 blocks) on June 13 for the Museum Mile Evening, commencing at 6pm. All the museums along the stretch of fifth dubbed ‘Museum Mile’ are free and there will be live music to entertain you as you hop between them. Schedule and details available here.

Working in the USA Event is on June 14th at the Australian Consulate. Polish your resume, learn great networking tips, interview skills and job seeking advice. If you’re currently looking for a new role, or even thinking about starting a job search in New York, then don’t miss this event. It’s one of our most popular events each year, so make sure you secure a spot!  Tickets available through the AWNY Facebook event page.

USA Father’s Day is June 18! If you’re celebrating and need options, there’s this Jazz brunch cruise, the Father’s day scavenger hunt, Smorgasburg, or check out Open Table and book a table somewhere fancy or fun.

This month’s Generation Women event brings together Australian author and AWNY Member Georgia Clark, along with 4 other notable women from different generations to read and share their perspectives on a theme. This month’s theme: my first time saying no. The event is on June 21st and tickets are a very reasonable $25, available through this link.

Take advantage of the totally free Concerts in the Park series and listen to the New York Philharmonic orchestra on one of 5 performances between June 13-18 at various locations around the city. Information and schedules available here.

The Annual AWNY Picnic in the Park is on June 21st. We’ll be there from 2pm – 4pm for bring the whole family, plus any visitors you have in town, and enjoy a great afternoon with your Australian friends. We’ll have games and face painting to entertain the kids, please bring your own picnic lunch. For more info, visit the AWNY Facebook event page.

Photo credit: Joanna Hishon

Event Review: Act like a New Yorker

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DSC_1561Written by Kate Lee, Workshop moderator and AWNY Committee member

As I walked through Times Square to the rehearsal studio for our AWNY workshop, I got that NYC buzz – a heady mix of excitement and wonder as I make sure I don’t tread on or brush against anything that will make me want to burn my clothes later.  
Our studio space was small. It had scuffed walls and hadn’t been swept for perhaps a decade. I peeped into the spacious, airy room next door. The one with the polished floor and windows on two sides. I thought we’d booked this one. The large one with room enough for 15 people? No, you booked 703. Oh. Grit and grind of New York indeed. I arranged the space and put slips of paper on the table by the door. These were for people to write the challenges they’ve experienced in this city. I should have written, ‘separated by a common language.’ Later, I would use these slips for our improvisations. As people began to arrive, the familiarity of the accent, the sense of humor and that sun-shine-like Australian openness lit-up the room. It awes me all the time, the stories of women in New York. From one- to twenty-plus-years living here, each of us had different why’s, who’s and how’s of being in this city.
The workshop began by orientating ourselves in the space and to each other. Classic drama games such as mirroring and molding our bodies are great for this. The aim is to turn off the analytical brain and ‘tune’ ourselves to our own reactions as well as those who are in the room. We then created a series of tableaux that reflected images and feelings of New York life – finances, dating, confidence and speaking up at work. We then moved into the main activities known as Image Theater and Forum Theater. These processes come from a very well-known Brazilian practitioner called Augusto Boal. His ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ is famous for its ‘spect-actor’ – the notion that the spectator is not a passive observer of the dramatic action. Rather, they become active participants by co-creating, directing and changing the outcomes. This means anyone can join an improvisation and try out different ways of getting what they want.
There is never a straight, nor clear outcome in these processes. In seeing one’s situation enacted in front of them, not only is a person’s feelings validated, but also the group becomes an active mechanism in supporting their process of addressing the challenge. Rather than thinking through a problem, participants get to physically see – and embody – solutions and new ways of being. There are no answers, but the rich discussions that follow draw from the collective knowledge of the group and remind us that we are not alone.
Act Like a New Yorker wasn’t about acting like a New Yorker. Rather, it was acknowledging the challenges that we, as Australians, encounter in this city. And by drawing from the experience of the group, we can see these challenges from a different perspective and perhaps find new ways of addressing them.

Don’t miss our next event

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What’s On in New York, April 2017

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BANG there’s goes the first quarter of 2017.

Time really does fly in this city, especially if you spend your life counting the days ‘til the next AWNY event. Speaking of which, leading the event list for April is the AWNY Annual General Meeting. This is when all positions on the AWNY Committee are up for re-election, so if you fancy yourself as an event planner on-the-side, a pseudo social media influencer, or a natural new-member welcomer, then please do come along to the AGM and nominate yourself for a position. AWNY is only as strong as it’s volunteer committee and the more amazing gals we have on deck the better!

If you can’t attend the meeting, then have a scroll through this list of April NYC happenings – guaranteed to keep your weeks and weekends full!

– curated by the AWNY Communications Team

Join presenter Kate Lee as she talks all things NYC in this special workshop: Act like a New Yorker on April 4th. The workshop event, held at Studio 150, 150 West 46th St, will dig into the grit and grind of living in New York City using acting, movement and improvisation. Book tickets and get more information here.

If you haven’t experienced an Easter egg hunt in the city yet, then get along to AWNY’s Family Easter Egg Hunt on April 8th. It will be held at Riverside Park at 10am (meet at the River Run playground at 83rd and Riverside Drive) and we’re expecting a great turn out. BYO picnic lunch to enjoy after the hunt. Kid heaven! Visit the event page on Facebook for more details.

Attend AWNY’s Annual General Meeting on April 17th at The Liberty, NYC. Our AGM is the opportunity to join the committee, meet new friends, and get involved in the amazing community that is Australian Women in New York! We meet at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start, and look forward to meeting many new faces! RSVP by email here. Nominate for a volunteer position here.

AWNY’s Mums and Dads Dinner is being held on April 29th at Pio Pio, 604 10th Avenue. Check out the event post on their Facebook page for more information. The Mums and Dads groups is a great way to meet Australian parents living in NYC, they hold regular meet ups and play groups, and is a valuable source of support!

It’s Spring so that mean it’s Macy’s Flower Show time! This free event is worth grabbing a glimpse of in the Herald Square flagship store between April 1-9. Gosh – even the website is pretty enough to visit on it’s own…

Remember the old Easter Hat parades we endured at primary school back home? In New York you can watch (or join) the ultimate Hat and Bonnet Parade on April 16th, with the parade meandering up Fifth Ave between 49th – 57th Streets from starting at 10.00am. This parade is a bit of an Easter institution in New York, with a history that goes back to the 1870s. You’re guaranteed an amazing sight.

The New York International Auto Show will set up (big!) shop at the Javits Center from April 14-23. While you may think this is an odd inclusion in the coveted What’s On list (especially because so few of us own cars in New York City), it really is something to see, and it’s a great day’s entertainment if you have kids. Expect all the usual suspects on show, plus amazing futuristic concept cars and get up close and personal with some of the most expensive and luxurious cars on the planet!

Make sure you get out and see the Brooklyn Botanical gardens and New York Botanical Gardens spring garden displays this month. Brooklyn’s Gardens have the Magnificent Magnolias and Seasonal Highlights tours, New York Botanical Gardens have the Orchid Show (until April 9th).

Event: Act Like A New Yorker – A workshop that digs into the grit and grind of living in New York City using acting, movement and improvisation, April 4

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For many Australians, New York City is surprisingly different to what we expected. And it’s the little things, like the way we converse and our sense of humor. But some challenges feel bigger and more confronting – like that confidence and assertiveness that New Yorkers exude ….

Led by Kate Lee, Act Like A New Yorker is an interactive workshop that uses acting, movement and improvisation to tackle some of the challenges of living in the Big Apple. Using serious fun, this event aims to connect our experiences and find our own ways of being seen and heard in this big, noisy city.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday April 4, 2017
Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Address: Studios 150, 150 West 46th Street,  New York, NY 10036
Tickets: AWNY/AAA Members $15, Non-members $20
RSVP: Book here to secure your spot!

What is an AWNY/AAA Member? Find out more about membership and benefits.


Introducing Kate Lee – Event moderator & AWNY Committee Member

Kate Lee works between the fields of education, cultural development and cross-disciplinary performance.

DSC_1561Her experience is as extensive as the continents and communities she has worked with. Kate has made theater in remote Australia, studied Japanese performance systems and performed in a legendary Samurai town. She has told the Orestia to seven-year old’s and watched in amazement as they debated women’s rights, revenge and trial by jury. She’s collaborated with scientists, mentored students, danced with people experiencing Cerebral  Palsy, made films with seniors, taught drama in some of the toughest schools in New York City, and used drama for English language learning.

Kate’s performance forms include text based plays, experimental performance, dance theatre, devised performance and film. She has worked internationally with OzFrank (Australia), the Lotos Collective (London), Suzuki’s Toga Summer Festival (Japan) and Witness Relocation (New York City). She has presented her research at ‘Zone 126 GradNation: Strengthening Families, Transforming Communities’, at the ‘Cultural Diplomacy in the United Nations Symposium,’ and ‘Creative Communities Conference: Risks and Possibilities’ at the Griffith Centre for Cultural Research. 
 
In NYC, Kate connects with other educators, individuals, businesses and communities to create projects and events that inspire, empower and enliven. See more at: http://www.katelee.space/

Buy Tickets

AWNY Mums & Dads December update: Farewell NYC

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Written by Anita Davison

The Rockefeller Christmas tree is lit, twinkle lights adorn the streets of NYC and songs about snowflakes and Santa Claus are being piped through the speakers of every store you enter; these things, along with cooler temperatures mean Christmas is almost here and 2016 is almost over. It’s been quite a year here in the US. A lot has happened in the media, most notably Donald Trump taking home the blue ribbon for winning the US Presidential Election. Whatever your opinion of the result, or the man himself, 2017 looks to be another interesting year. As none of us possess a crystal ball to see into the future, only time will tell what the future of the world, and this nation we call home, holds.

A little closer to home now, and big changes are ahead for my family. Our time in NYC is quickly coming to an end, and my thoughts are drifting to things like lobster rolls, cream pies, Cheers!, and Ivy league schools; that’s right, we are moving to Boston!

The past 3.5 years in NYC have been great, it’s such an amazing city with so much to experience. We always dreamed of living in NYC, not anywhere else in the USA, just NYC; but our mindset has shifted over the past few months and we are excited to experience a new city and lifestyle. At the end of the month, we will trade in our subway pass for a new car, city living for a house in the ‘burbs and step back into a similar lifestyle we once knew back in Sydney – although instead of spending summer weekends on the Northern Beaches, we will spend them at ‘The Cape’ and our winter weekends will be filled with snowboarding lessons and snowball fights. The hardest part of this transition is saying goodbye to our wonderful friends and the networks we have become apart of or created, but thankfully we will only be 4 hours away instead of the other side of the world!

It’s been an honor to sit on the AWNY committee and lead the Aussie Mums & Dads Group. Since taking the helm almost 2 years ago, we have nearly doubled the number of members on our Facebook page, held our inaugural Spring Picnic, and have been featured in a round up in the best Aussie communities in the USA.

Co-lead Sally Bertouch will step into the lead role of the M&Ds group and continue to attend regular AWNY committee meetings. Some positive changes are coming to the way the group is managed, these will be shared with you after our AWNY committee meeting next week. With these changes I hope to create a more inclusive and open group for our members in all boroughs of NYC to have a say, create events and make the network for Aussie (and Kiwi) Mums and Dads in New York even stronger.

I will be staying on as an administrator of the Facebook group, continuing in a social media capacity only, so this isn’t officially goodbye. You will continue to see my name pop up on the page and perhaps I’ll contribute to an occasional update or attend an event when I’m down for a visit (which will be regularly!)

Our Mums & Dads End of Year Drinks will be held this month on Dec 15, the event details are below, along with a link to AWNY ‘What’s on in December’ update. I hope to see you there!

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and safe and happy New Year. Try not to max out those credit cards!

Until next time, whenever that may be…

Anita xo

 

Got a craving for meat pies?

Four n Twenty Pies will be delivering in NYC again at the end of December check out their website, Facebook & Twitter feed for updates and how to order!

Upcoming Event

Aussie Mums & Dads End of Year Drinks

Thursday, December 15 at 7:30pm
Joe’s, 480 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024

Cost: Drinks & food available for purchase
RSVP: Not essential, but if you would like to let people know you are going, feel free to RSVP via the Facebook event page.

Fun things to do in New York this December

Lot’s of ideas in this ‘Whats On’ blog post.