SmartArts

Artistic Director Louise Bezinna gives an extensive overview of this year’s Brisbane Festival program; Priya Namana, CEO of the Centre of Projection Art on the upcoming innovative projection-art displays at the 2023 Gertrude Street Projection Festival; Acclaimed organist, Joseph Nolan, on the free Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ Event, paying homage to the music of Louis Vierne over five nights in his performance of the ‘Vierne Project’; Director Cassandra Fumi and actor Alison Whyte explore the work of feminist playwright, Caryl Churchill, in the Petagog Theatre’s production of ‘Far Away’

Richard Hull, CEO of Flying Fruit Fly Circus explains the devastating impacts Swinburne University’s decision to freeze the National Institute for Circus Arts' student intake in 2024, may have on circus in Australia; Artist Ben McKeown on ‘Dig Deeper’, a portrait of four different Indigenous and First Nations artists, premiering at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival; Director Steven Mitchell Wright & Actor Justin Hosking on revisiting the canonised Australian theatre production, ‘Away’; Opera director Lindy Hume on the new production of ‘Idomeneo,’ by the Victorian Opera and Opera Australia.

Co-artistic director Sarah Kreigler talks everything puppets, delving into the Melbourne Festival of Puppetry and its 2023 puppet treasure hunt; Executive Director of the National Association for the Visual Arts, Penelope Benton, on the ABC’s cutting-edge online editorial and the future of arts reporting; Senior Curator Lisa Sullivan on the ‘Atmosphere’ exhibition at Geelong Gallery, celebrating Clarice Beckett’s contribution to the Geelong art scene.

Richard is away this week, guest host Oliver Coleman fills in! Co-writer and performer Louise Siversen explores cancel culture in theatrical performance, ‘Underneath Ms Archer’, depicting a 21st woman’s encounter with a medieval man from the past; Co-Curator Annika Aitken on ‘Nightshifts’, a University of Melbourne exhibition that draws on the metaphor of night-time to understand the theme of solitude; Lana Nyugen on new Australian campaign for fossil fuel divestment in the arts industry and sector, ‘A Climate for Art’.

Co-artistic director Lara Thoms on artist-run, experimental performance arts group, Aphids and their RISING Festival performance ‘Oh Deer!’, delving into the grief of losing a parent; Director Emma Valente on dramedy performance ‘Shhhh’, exploring consent and sisterhood; Curator Sebastian Henry-Jones celebrates the 30 year history of West Space gallery through exhibition ‘Unison’

Internationally renowned choreographer Edgar Zendejas on his collaboration with NICA graduates to create circus performance, ‘Oneiric’; Artist Yvette Coppersmith on her exhibition ‘Carnelian’, a response to the Jewish Museum of Australia’s exploration of Jewish artist, Chagall; An exciting overview of the Darwin Festival 2023 program, by program designer Kate Fell.

CEO Lucy Manne on 350 Australia’s campaign to help the arts community rule out coal and oil industry partnerships; Janet McLeod reminisces about her comedy room, ‘Local Laughs’ in the wake of its 20th anniversary; co-artistic director Eugene Ughetti and composer Erkki Velthei on their audio art event, ‘Sonic Eclipse’ as part of RISING Festival, featuring a 12-person percussion ensemble.

Actor Sarah Funari on the Stan and BBC original series ‘Ten Pound Poms,’ charting the story of over a million British people that migrated to Australia for 10 pounds; Artist Miles Johnson on glass design and his exhibition, ‘Journey in Roundism’; Artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre, Daniel Riley explores the deeply personal story of his Great-Great Uncle in his performance, ‘Tracker’.

Artist Genevieve Lacy on her twilight gathering of soundwork, 'Consort of the Moon', inspired by the oldest known notated song; Cabaret icon Paul Capsis takes audiences on an intimate journey of acoustic song in his show 'Dry My Tears' at Fortyfivedownstairs; curator Dr Léuli Eshrāghi on Tarrawarra Biennial's exploration of connection across First Nations communities

Adam Noviello on their theatrical exploration of bullying and the gruelling social hierarchies of high school in ‘MOTH’; actor Peter Houghton on ‘Cavalcade’ and the reopening of Eleventh Hour Theatre; Judith Lucy explores moving away from stand-up and starting a new chapter of her career, acting in ‘Happy Days’ at South Bank Theatre.