Why “Autumn Days” Matters

Ten Voices, A Hundred Lives (autumn days)

Canberra’s deans of theatre take the stage—and it’s about time

There’s a peculiar invisibility to ageing in the arts. We’ll happily celebrate the wisdom of Leonard Cohen recording at 82, Joni Mitchell painting through aphasia, or Patti Smith writing memoirs in her seventies—but we often treat these as exceptions, outliers, beautiful anomalies in a culture obsessed with youth. What if, instead, we recognized that creativity doesn’t retire, decline, or quietly fade into the background? What if we built an entire festival around that truth?

That’s precisely the provocation behind UPSTAGEING Canberra, Australia’s first large-scale creative ageing arts festival, running 20–29 March 2026 across more than 50 venues throughout the ACT. And on Saturday, March 29, from 2–4pm in the gardens of the Manuka Arts Centre, ArtSound FM is proud to present Autumn Days—a showcase of six voices presenting 10 monologues and short plays written and performed by some of Canberra’s most accomplished actors and writers, all exemplifying what Festival Director Dr. Cathy Hope calls “creative ageing.”

What does “creative ageing” actually mean?

It’s not a euphemism. It’s not theatre-as-therapy or well-meaning community programming designed to “keep seniors busy.” Creative ageing, as UPSTAGEING defines it, is about artistic excellence, inclusive practice, and the health and wellbeing benefits of creativity in later life—but most importantly, it’s about visibility.

“We have lots of older creative practitioners in this town across a wide range of art forms,” Dr. Hope explains, “and the other component of this is about tackling ageism and making what is normally invisible, visible.” While emerging artists rightly deserve support, she argues, older Canberrans are still trying to contribute to cultural conversations—and their voices deserve equal space, funding, and attention.

The result is a festival featuring more than 80 activities spanning visual arts, theatre, music, dance, film, and beyond: everything from millinery workshops to punk performances, bush dancing to ballet classes. UPSTAGEING makes one thing bracingly clear: creativity doesn’t cease after a certain age, and it certainly doesn’t become less urgent, less political, or less worth our time.

The power of the monologue (and the two-hander)

Monologues are an unforgiving theatrical form. There’s no elaborate set to hide behind, no ensemble energy to carry you through a rough moment. Just a chair, a spotlight, and the weight of someone else’s attention. It’s theatre stripped to its essentials: voice, presence, story.

In that intimacy lies the form’s power. A well-crafted monologue—or a tightly written two-hander—can compress an entire life into 10 minutes, revealing the quiet turning points, the unspoken griefs, the unexpected humour that emerges when we’re brave enough to sit still and listen. And when those stories are written and performed by people who’ve lived through decades of love, loss, reinvention, and resilience? The result is often devastating, hilarious, and utterly singular.

Autumn Days promises all of that. Six voices presenting 10 pieces. Some funny. Some heartbreaking. All exemplifying the lived reality of creative ageing in Canberra—a city that Festival Director Dr. Hope describes as “one of the most creative cities in Australia,” where people “genuinely understand how important creative activity is for health, wellbeing, and quality of life.”

Join us in the garden

On Sunday, March 29, from 2–4pm, settle into the dappled afternoon light of the Manuka Arts Centre gardens and experience something rare: theatre that doesn’t pander, doesn’t condescend, and doesn’t apologize for the age of its creators. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be reminded that the richest stories often come from those who’ve had the longest time to notice what matters.

Tickets: $15 ($10 for current ArtSound members. Discount will be applied when online payment charged. Concession tickets: $10. Discount is available at the door). This is theatre that challenges stereotypes, celebrates artistic excellence, and proves that creativity, growth, and connection are possible—and vital—at every age.