We start this week with a visit to the Deakin University Burwood Campus Art Gallery to check out their latest exhibition, Conflated, which features works commissioned around the idea of breathing in and out…  Co-Curator and one of the artists, Zoe Bastin walks and talks us through some remarkable inflatables along with other works that make art from air…

 

Then, Bronwen Coleman, director of Anthropocene Play Company is back on the show…  she’s been here before to talk about her work on contemporary plays but this time she’s reaching back to the 19th century with a production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Why, you may ask? Well. Don’t ask me, ask Bronwen. That’s why she’s here.

 

After that, we’re off on another walk & talk... this time as part of National Reconciliation Week, we’re off on our annual pilgrimage to see The Torch project’s Confined 14 exhibition, a collection of works by First Nations artists either in or recently released from incarceration…  and once again it’s the inimitable Kent Morris who’ll be our guide through 470 artworks by 420 artists…

 

And finally, a bit of opera to take us out… you might know of Mark Vincent from his appearance on Australia’s Got Talent…  well, now the youngest tenor in the world is taking his solo show – a tribute to Mario Lanza and the Three Tenors – on the road, but first he’s stopping by for a chat…

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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In this special presentation, Behind the Scenes presenter Chris Thompson takes a walk through exhibition Confined 14 guided by Kent Morris, within the Glen Eira City Council Gallery.

Confined 14 presents more than 450 artworks by First Nations artists who are currently in prison in Victoria, or have been released in recent years.

This exhibition is a powerful reflection of the over-representation of First Nations Australians in our criminal justice system and highlights the need for change.

Learn more: https://thetorch.org.au/exhibitions/confined-14/ 

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It's our week to catch up with Sophia Hall at Brown’s Mart in Darwin and, not only to find out what’s happening in the north, but also to meet Sophia’s local guest artist – ARIA nominated Producer, muso and occasional cook James Mangohig… and his upcoming performance; Hymns for the Witching Hour

 

Back in Melbourne, the much-lauded play Moth by Declan Greene is having a revival at Theatre Works and we chat with Director Briony Dunn about whether you try to bring something new to a work like this, or just leave well enough alone…

 

Twenty-five years ago that tram conductor hung up their bag for good…  but that wasn’t the end of the Connies…  former Conductor Roberto D’Andrea and performer Carmelina Di Guglielmo are here to tell us how a desire to keep the memory of the Connies alive took on a cultural, environmental and educational role with young people…

 

And finally, a bit of music to round out the show…  we welcome acclaimed jazz singer/songwriter Ruth Rogers-Wright who’s back at the MEMO with her celebration of the life and music of Nina Simone… 

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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It’s Western Australia’s turn to start the show this week and that means it’s time to say welcome back to our Perth Correspondent, Helen Simondson from Boola Bardip WA Museum. Helen will bring us up to date with what’s on in the west and what she’s seen in the past month.

 

Then we’ll meet artist Melissa Gilbert whose interactive artwork Unite/Play/Perform is one of the first offerings from the new Cecil Place Precinct and promises to give us the opportunity to design our own universe. We’ll find out how we should go about that as well as learning something about this brand new art space when we get Melissa on the line.

 

In 1982, a group of performing arts practitioners got together and decided that Melbourne needed its own awards ceremony and so the Green Room Awards was born. Now, they’re getting set to take over the beautifully restored Capitol Theatre for their fortieth awards presentation… which will also be the first outing for their brand new President Anton Berezin who joins us for a preview of the big night.

 

And finally, some mesmerizing music to round out the show… Lamine Sonko is a multi-instrumentalist composer who draws on traditional wisdom in order to create multi-sensory arts experiences inspired by his connections to the cultural communities of Senegal. He’s just released Taamo, a beautiful work of song and music, but that’s not the only focus of his artistic practice as we’ll discover when we meet him to talk about his work…

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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It's Adelaide’s week this week so Elena Vereker is here with a brief wrap up of what’s happening in her neck of the woods before she introduces her local guest artist, Sally Chance, founder of Restless Dance, formerly of Come Out Festival, and now of Sally Chance Dance.

 

Then we’re off to Geelong Gallery for a walk&talk through the wonderful Clarice Beckett: Atmospheres exhibition with co-curator Lisa Sullivan.

 

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, the much loved and sadly missed Eleventh Hour Theatre will be missed no more when it’s resurrected for the new company, Witts End, and its new production of Cavalcade. We’ll chat with Artistic Director William Henderson.

 

And finally, we’ll catch up with Kate Lucas from indie-folk-pop outfit Coda Chroma who have just released their third album, the appropriately titled and suitably dreamy Dream Self

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Here we are in May already, so time for yet another Theatre Network Australia catch up and yet another new TNA staff member – this month we meet Circus and Physical Theatre Programme Producer Christian Schooneveldt-Reid who, of course, will also be tasked with introducing the TNA member of the Month for May – CiPI Recipient and Get Well Circus producer Samantha Martin.

 

Then let’s catch up with two shows from this year’s Yirramboi Festival – first up we’ll chat with Maryanne Sam, creator of Oh My God I’m Blak!, and then we’ll meet Maurial Spearim to talk about her play Inside Out.

 

And finally, it’s Screens & Streams time again…  and it’s all big screens this month when Marc Gracie joins us to talk about the latest releases.

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Behind the Scenes Web Blurb – Monday April 24, 2023

We kick off tonight’s show with our Darwin correspondent, Sophia Hall at Brown’s Mart who introduces us to David McMicken from Tracks Dance. Some years ago, David was part of the development of the Grey Panthers, a programme to engage older people with the dance sector, so how does he feel about finding himself now old enough to be a participant?

Then we welcome Harley Mann back to the show to speak about his latest work directing Arterial, a celebration of First Peoples and their bond with culture, country and community.

After that, we’re off to Geelong to catch up with Back to Back Theatre’s Bruce Gladwin, Simon Laherty, Jim Russell and Genevieve Picot as they prepare to bring back their much-performed production of Small Metal Objects.

Meanwhile, it’s time for the Melbourne Writers’ Festival again and that seems like a good reason for a chat with the festival’s Artistic Director Michaela McGuire.

And finally, we’re also coming up on International Jazz Day, so that must mean it’s time for Dingo Jazz Journal’s Jazz at Fed Square, and that must mean it’s time to welcome Adam Simmons back to the show.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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In case you wonder what’s been going on over in the West…  one thing that’s been happening is Wonderland and in case you’re wondering what that is, our Perth Correspondent Helen Simondson is here to make you wonder no more… plus, she’ll be introducing Adriane Daff from The Last Great Hunt to talk about Le Nor (The Rain) which, coincidentally, is heading east to Monash Performing Arts Centres in just a few weeks…

 

Back in Melbourne, or at least down on the Mornington Peninsular, a group of dangerous older women are setting out to demonstrate that getting old doesn’t mean becoming invisible with their performance of Reclaiming the Crone, and we’ll meet co-creator, director and performer Gabrielle Leah New…

 

Meanwhile at the Abbotsford Convent, artist in residence Leisa Shelton is Archiving the Ephemeral, and it may well involve you…  what does all that mean, let’s drop by the Convent to find out…

 

But that’s not all, folks…  because celebrated conductor, George Daugherty will shortly visit Australia for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Bugs Bunny at The Symphony…  We’ll catch up with him before he leaves the USA, just in case he takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque…

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

Vision Australia Radiothon is on now. Donate via www.varadio.org and make a tax deductible donation of $2 or more to support our service to the blind, low vision and print disability community.

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As an Easter surprise, Behind the Scenes finally introduces our new Adelaide correspondent…  it’s Elena Vereker from Insite Arts and we’ll find out a bit about her before she takes up the role…

 

Russell Fletcher is well known for his work as an improvisor but what happens when he turns those skill towards Code Blue For Autism,  a programme designed to work with people living on the autism spectrum?

 

Meanwhile, at the Brunswick Street Gallery, artist Eleanor James walks and talks us through her Shadow Garden, an enchanting exhibition evoking the days of the magic lantern and tales told by firelight.

 

And finally, Marc Gracie is back as we catch up on our screen time with the latest on our Screens & Streams…

 

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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The first show of April is an opportunity to meet another new member of the Theatre Network Australia team – Christy Flaws who is Programme Producer for Circus and Physical Theatre Strategy…  and of course she’ll be introducing the TNA Member of the Month, artist, change maker and cross cultural consultant Aseel Tayah…

 

Then we do some rapid-fire introductions to a handful of shows at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival…  Melissa McGlensey from The Briefing, Dylan Cole from Case Numbers and Otto Rot from Otto and Astrid’s Joint Solo Project…

 

And it’s not part of the Comedy Festival but it is a bit comedy but it’s also a bit drama, which makes Pear Shaped a dramedy and we’ll be catching up with its writer/director Miranda Middleton…

 

And then we’ll wrap up the show with a visit to the City Gallery at Melbourne Town Hall to meet Sean Lynch, the curator of Desire Lines, a very eclectic exhibition of objects from the archives…

 

They’re all on this weekt’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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