All The Best

This week, stories about young people trying to understand their grandparents’ lives and why religion is so important to them.

First off, Danni chats to Madhuraa about her Grandfather Mr Sri, who has changed religions several times during his life.

Devotion

Next, Tanya investigates her grandparents’ lives as church leaders, and the decisions that lead them to become so involved in the church.

Produced by Tanya Bonnie Rae

Early Morning Great Bell

In our last story, Emma looks to connect with her grandma by learning more about her deep devotion to Buddhism. 

Produced by Emma Pham.

Supervising Producer: Daniel Semo

Image: Raimond Klavins/ Unsplash Images

All The Best Credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart

Social Media Producer: Anusha Rana

Community and Events Coordinator: Lidiya Josifova

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re sharing more stories produced by Melbourne Uni audio journalism students as part of our special collaboration with the Science Gallery. Each student will be sharing their take on the theme “Breaking The Binary”

Aania Tandon

In our first story, the obstacles an interfaith couple faces on their journey to marriage. 

Produced by Aania Tandon

Supervising Producer: Mell Chun

Qinyuan Zhang 

Next, Qinyuan explores the way K-pop fans are breaking down gender binaries in response to artists who do the same. 

Produced by Qinyuan Zhang 

Supervising producer: Danni Stewart

Xin Meng

Up next is the story of Xiang and her experience being a trans woman living in China. 

Warning, this story includes descriptions of transphobia, suicide and sexual assault. 

For crisis support you can call lifeline on 13 11 14, for LGBT+ specific support you can call Qlife on 1800 184 527 or if you’d rather chat online head to Qlife.org.au 

Produced by Xin Meng.

Supervising Producer Mell Chun

Zhixin Zhang 

In our next story, June speaks about balancing her Chinese identity and pro-democracy beliefs, inspired by the city of Macau. 

Produced by Zhixing Zhang,

Supervising producer Mell Chun

Sean Ruse 

In our final story, Sean investigates the concept of prosocial lying and whether lying is morally wrong or just part of being polite.

Produced by Sean Ruse

Supervising producer: Daniel Semo

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next two weeks we’ll be playing stories produced by Melbourne Uni audio journalism students as part of our special collaboration with the Science Gallery. Each student made a short story based on the theme “Breaking The Binary”

Death Doula

In our first story, Sasha Gattermayr explores life and death and how for some, these concepts aren’t as disparate as we may first assume.

Produced by Sasha Gattermayr.

Supervising producer: Ollie Krusec. 

Music from Purple Planet

Indigenous Design

In our next story, Anaiwan person Nick Doyle on reclaiming space for Indigenous knowledge systems and incorporating connection to country in the built environment.

Produced by Nick Doyle.

Supervising producer Mell Chun. 

My Self and My Homeland, Similarly Divided 

Malta is a country heavily influenced by Catholic identity, so what happens when choose a different religion? Serena Raza speaks about the abrupt shift she faced when she converted to Islam.

Produced by Serena Raza.

Supervising producer: Mell Chun.

Sexism in Football

AFL is publicly known as a sport of growing inclusivity, with more participation of women and gender diverse people now than before. Angus delves into AFL behind the scenes, which differs from public perception.

Produced by Angus McIntyre.  

Supervising producer: Danni Stewart.

Falling for a virtual boyfriend

In our final story, Gwen introduces us to a modern romance, and describes a relationship some may deem unconventional.

Produced by Gwen Lui. 

Supervising Producer: Daniel Semo

Music from Blue Dot Sessions

All The Best Credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart

Social Media Producers: Emma Pham and Anusha Rana

Community and Events Coordinator: Lidiya Josifova

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re celebrating a pretty huge milestone, our 500th episode! 

All The Best was created by founding executive producers Jesse Cox, Eliza Sarlos and Bridgette Dagg in 2010. A time when there were no podcast apps and before storytelling podcasts were the phenomenon they are today.

This week, our host Danni chats to former EPs Jess O’Callaghan, Giordana Caputo, Heidi Pett and Allison Chan on the magic of storytelling, collaboration, community and more.

All The Best credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart

Social Media Producers: Emma Pham and Anusha Rana

Community and Events coordinator Lidiya Josifova

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our recent Federal Election, Climate Change was a bigger agenda item than it has ever been before, and it’s no wonder. In the last four years, more Australians have been directly affected by Climate related disasters than every before. This week we are bringing you two stories from producers Sarah Mashman and Lisa Burns. They made these stories for All The Best from extra material gathered for the podcast series From The Embers.

Lismore

New South Wales Northern Rivers region understands flooding. Flood markers line sections of the roads and the town of Lismore- dissected by two major rivers has irregular inundations. But early in 2022, Lismore was hit by two major floods only weeks apart, the first trapping people in ceiling cavities and on roofs for hours overnight.

Produced by Sarah Mashman and Lisa Burns

Music by KPM

If you want to help those affected by flooding, you can donate to the Koori Mail Go Fund Me

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is an oasis for native wildlife and plants. In the summertime, goannas lay their eggs and little penguins start to moult old feathers before their voyage out to sea. However, In the summer of 2019/2020, the island’s inhabitants witnessed the biggest fires ever seen. And a content warning, this feature contains stories of animals in distress.

Produced by Lisa Burns and Sarah Mashman

Music by KPM

Find out more about Margi Prideaux’s Wild Politics

All The Best credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun 

Episode Mix and Compile: Donny Janks 

Social Media Producers: Emma Pham and Anusha Rana  

Community and Events coordinator Lidiya Josifova

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The scariest part of falling is not knowing what happens after. This week we bring you stories of people getting back up again. 

Nose Dive by Thomas Phillips 

In our first story, a conversation with David who does a rapid nosedive from 8000 feet in the air. 

Producer: Thomas Phillips

Supervising Producer: Eugenia Zoubchenko

Backwards Forwards by Angela Glindemann

In our next story, Ange has decided to learn rollerskate, but anxiety complicates what is more than a simple hobby.

Producer: Angela Glindemann

Supervising Producer: Ryan Pemberton

Sound designer: Lee Yee

Music: Ben Burnes

Getting  Back On The Horse by Gladys Docking 

After Gladys’ daughter suffers a brain injury, both mother and child fight against medical expectations.

Storyteller: Gladys Docking 

Gladys first told this story at SPUN Stories, a live storytelling event in Darwin, showcasing extraordinary stories from the Northern Territory. SPUN also has a podcast. To listen, Search Spun Stories on your favourite podcast app. 

All The Best credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun 

Episode Mix and Compile: Thomas Phillips 

Social Media Producers: Emma Pham and Anusha Rana  

Community and Events coordinator Lidiya Josifova

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is part two of stories compiled from All The Best LIve!, a live storytelling event we put on with help from the City Of Sydney. The theme for the night was Secrets and Confessions.

First, we hear from Jared Richards, who is sharing a confession about his identity.

Jared is a queer critic based in Sydney, who has written for The Guardian, NME, The Big Issue and more, but he’s best known for his Drag Race recaps for Junkee. He also runs an irregular LGBTIQ+ reading night across Sydney, which doesn’t have a name because he can’t land on one.

Next up, Ruth Melville takes us into the confessions booth at a catholic girls school in the 70s.

Ruth’s fiction and non-fiction writing has been published in Island, Tirra Lirra, Meanjin, the Big Issue and The Australian.

Ruth has a keen interest in oral history, and is currently working with the Life Biography program at Sydney’s Sacred Heart Hospice.

Also Ruth’s story Beneath The Mask aired on All The Best last year – you can listen back on our website.

In our final story, Olivia Costa explores the complicated landscape of altered states. And a content warning, this story contains descriptions of substance use, death and swears.

Olivia is a writer and filmmaker interested in work that is poetic and affecting, often straddling the fine line between absurdism and reality, intimacy and distance.

All The Best credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart

Social Media Producer: Emma Pham

Community and Events coordinator Lidiya Josifova

Sound Recordist: Harvey O’Sullivan

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re sharing stories recorded at All The Best Live! A live storytelling event we put on with help from The City Of Sydney. 

Our lineup of amazing storytellers took to the stage and performed work on the theme of secrets and confessions. We’ll be delivering the stories from the night in two parts with part two coming out next week.

In our first story, Wing discovers why so many people are attending grave sweeping day at her grandfather's grave. Wing is a journalist and audio producer in Sydney who spends too much time on watching cat videos. She is also the host of Chinese-ish, a new SBS podcast about young Chinese-Australians for young Chinese-Australians.

In our next story, Lungol shares a story of unrequited love. Lungol is an Indigenous Papua New Guinean storyteller and podcaster currently living and creating on Bidjigal land. You can experience his debut work ‘a body is all that remains’ at the Everything but the Kitchen Sink Festival this week and hear him every Friday on his podcast ‘Pasifikally.’

All The Best credits

Production Manager & Host: Danni Stewart

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart

Social Media Producer: Emma Pham

Community and Events coordinator: Lidiya Josifova

Sound Recording: Harvey O'Sullivan 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.