A queer arts venue in a deconsecrated Sydney church lasted barely a day before protests, complaints and a landlord intervention put its future in doubt. But the collision between queer performance and religious spaces is far from new. Dr Charlotte Farrell explores why queer artists have long borrowed from and challenged religious imagery, why churches have often become homes for radical performance, and what the controversy reveals about censorship, cultural space, and who gets to decide where queer art belongs.

Guest: Dr Charlotte Farrell, Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of New South Wales

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Dr Charlotte Farrell: Queer Art in Churches appeared first on JOY Drive.

Melbourne Fringe is back with hundreds of performances designed to surprise, provoke and occasionally leave us wondering what on earth we just watched. Danny Delahunty takes us inside the 2026 program—from Deaf-led opera and First Nations work to international oddities, children redesigning audience members’ clothes live on stage, and performances featuring people aged 4 to 93. Plus, why taking a gamble on something unfamiliar might be the best way to experience Fringe.

Guest: Danny Delahunty, Creative Director and Acting CEO at Melbourne Fringe

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Danny Delahunty: 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival appeared first on JOY Drive.

Mahjong is suddenly everywhere, from social clubs and classes to luxury designer sets and TikTok feeds. But behind the revival is a Chinese tradition with more than a century of history, cultural meaning and countless regional variations. Dr Aaron Teo explores why a new generation is embracing mahjong, what makes it such a powerful social ritual, and where cultural appreciation can tip into appropriation when tradition becomes trend.

Guest: Dr Aaron Teo, Critical Sociologist of Education and Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Dr Aaron Teo: Why Is Everyone Playing Mahjong Again? appeared first on JOY Drive.

What happens when AI tries to design a sewing pattern that actually has to work in the real world? And can parents share the chaos of family life online without turning their child into content? Dr Edith Hill unpacks two very different social media trends — one exposing the gap between AI-generated creativity and genuine expertise, and another showing how parenting content can be funny, relatable and still protect a child’s privacy.

Guest: Dr Edith Hill, Associate Lecturer in Learning and Teaching Innovation at Flinders University

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Dr Edith Hill: AI Sewing Fails and Parenting Without Putting Your Child Online appeared first on JOY Drive.

Eat well, exercise, sleep and manage stress – we already know the advice. The hard part is making it work on the days when we’re exhausted, overloaded and running late. Jessica Spendlove explains the five daily rhythms behind her book ‘For the Long Run’: nutrition, movement, stress, recovery and connection. It’s a practical conversation about sustainable wellbeing, spotting the warning signs of exhaustion and protecting the basics when perfect routines fall apart.

Guest: Jessica Spendlove, author of ‘For the Long Run’

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Jessica Spendlove: Five Habits That Protect Your Energy When Life Gets Messy appeared first on JOY Drive.

Australian horror film Leviticus begins with two teenage boys discovering their attraction to each other, then surrounds that first love with shame, religion, fear and attempts to make them change. Suzy Wrong unpacks why the film’s real monster may be internalised homophobia.

Guest: Suzy Wrong

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Suzy Wrong: Film Review – Leviticus appeared first on JOY Drive.

Ten thousand steps has become one of fitness culture’s most persistent targets despite not beginning as medical advice at all. Dr Hunter Bennett explains the surprising marketing history behind the number, how many steps actually deliver meaningful health benefits, why doing a little more matters even if you never reach 10,000, and what walking still can’t replace when it comes to keeping our bodies healthy.

Guest: Dr Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science at Adelaide University

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Dr Hunter Bennett: Forget 10,000 Steps — How Much Walking Do We Actually Need? appeared first on JOY Drive.

Guest: Dr Luke Larmour, fertility specialist, obstetrician and gynecologist with Monash IVF.

Presenter: Warren Andrew

Learn more about Monash IVF and fertility treatment for the LGBTQIA+ community here.

The post Dr Luke Larmour: Monash IVF – The Myths, Fears and First Steps of Donor Conception appeared first on JOY Drive.

Identity rarely fits neatly into one box. First Nations storyteller, broadcaster and author Jake Gablonski joined JOY Drive to talk about being both queer and Blak, the power of finding spaces where no part of yourself needs explaining, and why storytelling can help people see their differences as something to embrace rather than hide. He also discusses his children’s book Brave Like Bunji and the queer Blak conversation he’ll join at the 2026 Blak & Bright Writers Festival.

Guest: Jake Gablonski, storyteller, broadcaster and author

Presenter: Warren Andrew

The post Jake Gablonski: Queer Blak Storytelling appeared first on JOY Drive.

A four-tonne object is heading uncontrollably towards the Moon, NASA is training astronauts underwater for humanity’s return to the lunar surface, and new research is revealing just how apocalyptic the first hours after the dinosaur-killing asteroid may have been. Dr Sara Webb joined JOY Drive for a packed space update, plus the big mysteries she’d love science to solve in her lifetime.

Guest: Dr Sara Webb, astrophysicist at Swinburne University of Technology

The post Dr Sara Webb: Space News – Moon Crashes, Artemis Astronauts and the Day the Dinosaurs Died appeared first on JOY Drive.