SmartArts

Richard talks to Jo Lloyd about her entrance in the 2020 Keir Choreographic Awards semi-finals. Lloyd says that the competition format creates a rigid framework, but the results can be quite diverse. Lloyd's work, That's Her Name, is informed by her choreographic principle to "make Your Own Disneyland".

Richard talks to Troy Innocent, who is a games designer and researcher at RMIT, about his new app 64 Ways of Being. 64 Ways of Being uses augmented reality to explore concepts for which there is no English word.

Richard talks to dancer, activist and polymath Mallika Sarahbhai and artist and curator Nithya Nagarajan about their work SVA Kranti: The Revolution Within. Sarahbai's family was involved in the revolutionary struggle of Mahatma Ghandi. She has always seen her art as an extension of her activism, inspired by her mother doing the same.

On this episode, Richard is joined by Ilbijerri Theatre Company Artistic Director Rachael Maza to talk about Black Ties, playing as part of the Asia TOPA festival in Melbourne, Australia. Also, curator Annika Aitken discusses the Japanese Modernism exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, and Victorian Opera CEO Elizabeth Hill-Cooper chats about their production Salome.

Richard talks to David Woods and Jon Haynes about The Importance of Being Earnest. They discussed how to move a classic work like this beyond being “comfort food” for the audience.

Richard then spoke to Victor Griss from Counihan Gallery. The gallery is expanding and has three new exhibitions. f_OCUS features women’s works from their collection. Histrionic and Screen Time examine the interconnected phenomena of online culture and surveillance culture.

Finally Richard spoke to playwright Kim Ho about The Great Australian Play. This play explores the story of Lasseter’s Reef. Kim feels that the DNA of colonial Australia can be distilled into the folly of this expedition.

This week's SmartArts is hosted by Daniel Santangeli, filling in for Richard Watts.

Daniel reviews theatre with Fleur Kilpatrick on the regular Shoot the Messenger segment. They discuss Birdoir, New Balance, and The Feather in the Web. This segment contains explicit content.

Then Daniel talks to Phaptawan Suwannakudt about Knowledge in Your Hands, Eyes and Mind. This work focuses on a temple Phaptawan grew up around, and the art of temple murals. The title refers to knowledge acquired through action, through observation and through thought.

Daniel finishes the show talking to Shelley Lasica about her two upcoming dance performances The Design Plot and Greater Union. Shelley considers form and context as an intrinsic part of all of her works.

Richard talks with Miranda Hill, the director of Homophonic, which is a Midsumma show of queer contemporary classical music.

Then he speaks with Declan Greene, director of Feather in the Web, which is a contemporary Australian play with a very unusual and challenging main character. Declan describes the play as "super fun and then then it's super not fun".

Finally Richard speaks with Tomas Parrish who plays the lead role in When the Light Leaves which is a play about assisted dying. If you find that topic challenging, you can stop the podcast at 30 minutes.

Richard and Bernard Caleo discuss comics in the monthly Drawn Out segment. This month they talk about Ubby’s Underdogs by Brenton McKenna and My Big Life by Bailey Sharpe.

Then Richard talks to Ben Northey, the conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, about the upcoming performance of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ben discusses the role of a conductor and how he found himself in this role of artistic leader and “benevolent dictator”.

Finally Richard talks to playwright Lachlan Philpott and musician Paul Mac about their upcoming show The Rise and Fall of Saint George. This work is based on real events experienced by Paul Mac during Australia’s same sex marriage referendum.

Richard chats to Bernard Caleo about the latest comics, Theatreworks General Manager Dianne Toulson for their 2020 program and Melinda Martin, Director of Linden New Art for the Linden Postcard Show.

Richard discusses a program overview of Asia TOPA with Artistic Director Stephen Armstrong and Associate Director Kate Ben-Tovim. Armstrong says that one of the major themes running through the program is "how the past is a ballast for the present and the future."

Richard discusses a new book The Australian Musical: From the Beginning with Co-author Peter Wyllie Johnston. This comprehensive history is a work of passion from two people who have a lifetime love of musical theatre. Wyllie Johnston started his first scrapbook on musical theatre at age eleven. His collection of information culminated in a PhD on the subject and now this book. He says his co-author, Peter Pinne, is equally as passionate.

Richard talks to Alison Croggon about her new Platform Paper on arts criticism. Alison is an award-winning critic and creative and addresses the question 'why is arts criticism important?'.

CEO at Midsumma Festival Karen Bryant joins Richard to discuss some of the highlights of the upcoming festival, whick takes over Melbourne, Australia for an epic 22-day celebration of queer arts and culture in January and February. Also on the show, Contemporary Art Curator at National Gallery of Victoria Pip Wallis previews the world premiere exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines, showing at the NGV International until April 2020. Lastly, Artistic Director at Patalog Theatre Co. Ben Walter talks about their production of the Simon Stephens play Punk Rock showing at Fortyfive Downstairs in Melbourne.

What's in a name? Richard speaks with Geelong Arts Centre (formerly called Geelong Performing Arts Centre) CEO Joel McGuinness about the Centre's re-badging, to coincide with a mammoth $38.5 million redevelopment. They chat about how the Centre will cater to Geelong's diverse and evolving arts ecosystem as the city continues to grow, and look ahead to some highlights from the Centre's eclectic program.

He's also joined by celebrated contemporary artist Louise Weaver to talk about her exhibition Between appearances: the art of Louise Weaver at Buxton Contemporary (Melbourne, Australia) - a unique collection of works spanning fantastical creatures, iridescent other worlds, minutely observed details from nature, uncanny objects and unsettling organic forms.

Richard also delves into the provocative 'non-traditional musical' Kiss of the Spider Woman, showing at the Melbourne Theatre Company. Joined by cast member Natalie Gamsu and Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer Luca Dinardo, they discuss the process of adapting the piece for the Melbourne audience, how the cast and crew worked together to present the production in a new light and the challenges of engaging (or not) with reviews.