The Canberra Kinetic Sculpture Race is being held on November 7
The annual Canberra Kinetic Sculpture Race rolls back onto Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday, 7 November, turning the National Carillon precinct into a playground for human‑powered, amphibious art vehicles. After a four‑year break, the one‑day spectacle promises races over land, water and sand, with prizes for art, engineering, speed and pageantry.
Among the entrants are Ainslie dad Dan Gleeson, his 14‑year‑old son Jarvis Gleeson, and family friend John Griffiths. The trio secured a $1,000 ArtsACT micro‑grant to build a tribute to the iconic Belconnen Owl sculpture by the late Bruce Armstrong, welding the bird’s form onto a split‑frame bicycle and covering it in papier‑mâché.
Gleeson and Griffiths are veterans of Canberra’s Rat Patrol, a collective known for quirky bicycles, and they were part of the winning team in 2022. Their Owl bike joins a colourful lineup that includes a dragon, a slug and other whimsical creations by local artists such as Travis Bullock and Constance Titterton, whose Shelly the Snail and Cosmo the cockatoo have become neighbourhood favourites.
The race is as much a community celebration as a competition, with a "Best Spectator" award encouraging crowds to cheer the oddities as they splash across the water. ArtsACT’s $46,000 funding and the micro‑grant scheme have helped keep the event’s inventive spirit alive.