SmartArts

Richard is joined by Evelyn Richardson, the Chief Executive of Live Performance Australia, to discuss the organisation's two-year recovery plan for the arts. Richardson would like to see live venues and their staff supported by the government until they can resume their work in a safe way.

Plus Kent Morris, the CEO of Torch Gallery, gets on the line to talk about Confined 11. It's the latest in their series of exhibitions featuring works from Indigenous artists who are or have recently been, incarcerated. Morris says "Interestingly, for First Nations Australians across the country we don't have a word for art because what is perceived as art is just part of our everyday life."

Richard debuts a new segment 'Demystifying the Arts'. He speaks with Sarah Goodes, the Associate Artistic Director at the Melbourne Theatre Company, about the role of a theatre director. Goodes sees her role as collaborative world building. She says "It should be the function of art to help us understand the times we're living in".

Richard speaks with Martin Foley, the Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, about the newly announced $16.8 million arts survival package from the Vic state Government. The package is about valuing the contribution of the arts and recognises that most artists are not well served by the current COVID-19 support packages because they work outside of traditional employment structures.

Artist Mark Schaller joins Richard to discuss his new exhibition Botanicus Fantasticus. The vibrant pieces were inspired by time spent in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne. Schaller isn't taking his work too seriously: "I started doing a lot of drawings in there and y'know one thing led to another and then it sort of became an exhibition."

and finally, Chris Howlett, who is a Co-Director of Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, calls up to chat about their new project Faces Of Our Orchestras. This series will take advantage of the medium of online performance to feature orchestral musicians as individual players or in small groupings  

This week on SmartArts, Richard speaks with regular guest Tai Snaith about creative and educational activities you can undertake with your children, delving into the unconscious, with ideas around dreaming and free association.

Artist Deanne Gilson joins Richard to discuss her work as part of Affirmation, an exhibition which will be shown online via the Koori Heritage Trust. Gilson works in multiple mediums to reinterpret colonial images of Aboriginal people through a black lens. She says that Aboriginal artistic practise is “all healing. It’s all part of our journey, part of unpacking our past.”

Plus a conversation with Janet McLeod, the curator of Local Laughs Online about how covid-19 is impacting comedians and the way in which online platforms are changing the creative practice of comedy.

Richard talks to Annika Kristensen, the Senior Curator of The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) about a call-out to artists to submit proposals for the creation of new digital works. Kristensen says that the challenges of this time present an opportunity for ACCA to fulfil their mission statement which is to “do art differently”. 

Sarah Lyons, the Senior Education and Audience Engagement Officer at Bunjil Place Gallery joins Richard to discuss their digital programs through #ArtsInIsolation. Lyons says that this is an exciting time to trial a new way of doing things and hopes that they take these new practices into the future.

Finally Richard talks with Michael Fitzgerald, the Editor of Art Monthly Australiasia, a visual arts magazine that lost funding in the last Australia Council grants round. Fitzgerald says “it means basically we’re having to do what we’ve always done which is to be creative, entrepreneurial, and pulling rabbits out of the hat”

Richard talks to artist, facilitator, educator and play specialist Cat Sewell about tapping into kids’ innate ability to play.

Then he talks to Nicole Beyer, who is the Executive Director of Theatre Network Australia, about the latest funding round from The Australia Council for the Arts. Beyer says that it’s vital for people to advocate for the arts sector in the face of ongoing cuts.

Finally Richard speaks with Angela Savage who is the Director of Writers Victoria. She says that the pandemic might be a good time for some people to write, but perhaps not everyone. She advises that the writing process requires space for quiet reflection and a lot of hard work.

On this episode Richard discusses ways artists are staying connected to their community and work throughout the pandemic.

He speaks with Fleur Kilpatrick for their regular segment Shoot the Messenger. However, instead of discussing live theatre they discuss some of the interesting works and collaborations appearing online.

Richard then speaks with Adrian Collette AM. Collette is the CEO of Australia Council for the Arts which is the Australian government’s arts funding and advisory body. The discussion centres around the reallocation of funding to better serve the arts community during the pandemic.

Next Richard speaks with Kate Ryan who is the curator of children’s programs at the NGV. The NGV has organised online activities to keep kids creative and engaged in the arts.

Finally Richard speaks with fashion illustrator Angie Rehe about ways people can improve their drawing skills. Rehe said “learning to draw is really learning to see”, and shares activities to help focus the brain on drawing literally rather than symbolically.

On this episode of SmartArts, Richard explores the creative ways that arts workers are adapting to the pandemic.

He talks to Tai Snaith about the art projects she's doing with her kids. Tai is looking for the positives, which for her is spending time with her family enjoying the natural world.

Richard talks to Greta Bradman of the Arts Wellbeing Collective about ways for arts workers to look after their mental health in this time of uncertainty for the industry. She says that as well as exercising for our bodies, people should be exercising their minds, their creativity and their social heart.

Finally Richard talks to Bryony Nainby who is the director of Craft Gallery and the curator of Objects Of Love, which is an exhibition of artworks that symbolise love across a diversity of cultures. Originally intended to be a live exhibition, the Craft Gallery have moved to a virtual exhibition on their website.

On this week’s episode Richard explores the impact of COVID-19 on the arts sector.

Richard talks to Daniel Santangeli, Artistic Director & Co-CEO of Footscray Community Arts Centre which is a part of the Arts West Alliance. Footscray Community Arts Centre have shut their doors out of respect for the members of their community who are most at risk during this crisis, especially those with a disability and Indigenous Australians. However, they are keeping the space open just for artists with a disability. They are hoping to provide a place where there’s a reduced risk of infection for these practitioners to work. Footscray Community Arts Centre are also advocating for the government to provide an arts stimulus package, so the arts sector can do what it does best, “which is provide community connection through creativity”.

Next Richard talks to Esther Anatolitis from the National Association for the Visual Arts. Her organisation is keeping track of the disruption to the arts industry and is also lobbying the government for a stimulus package. She hopes that the Australian government will rediscover its role through its handling of the crisis.

Finally Richard talks with Amelia Wallen who is the Director of West Space. West Space have just moved to a new location in Collingwood. They were preparing to put on their first exhibition in their new gallery when they had to postpone due to the pandemic. They are currently working on ways to make the work accessible to the public through this crisis. Wallen says that the exhibition is timely in that it’s “looking at the different conditions under which artists produce work and this is a condition unlike no other.”

Richard speaks with playwright Merrilee Moss about her new work Running with Emus. Moss was inspired to write this work when she moved to a country town and was "thrust into the role of outsider, otherwise known as blow-in".

Then Richard talks with Sam Strong the director of the new version of David Williamson's play Emerald City, which has been put on to celebrate Williamson's 50th year as a playwright. Strong believes that people have a right to represent their own stories in their own voice. He says that this play was originally groundbreaking in representing an Australian story in an Australian voice, and such works have since helped people of other groups to do the same.

Finally Richard interviews artist Matthew Sleeth about his work A Drone Opera. This work is the culmination of ongoing multi-disclipinary practice around the themes of surveillance, fetishisation of technology, and the military aspect of drones.

This episode of SmartArts is hosted by Daniel Santangeli, filling in for Richard Watts.

Have you ever wondered about deaf-culture? Curious about deaf-lead creative practices and projects? Anna Seymour comes into the studio and breaks down Mini SPIN, an immersive and interactive dance rave for deaf, CODA and hearing children and their families, taking place at Northcote Town Hall.

Also joining Daniel: Jacqui Stockdale talks about her exhibition The Long Shot, looking at the women, First Nations people and Chinese Australians who were a part of the Kelly story and educator and curator David Menzies with artist Tasmia Islam about Top Arts 2020, an annual showcase of senior students in Victoria on display at the NGV.