SmartArts

Director Ursula Sullivan on her gallery Sullivan and Strumpf and the changing commercial art landscape; Christos Tsiolkas & Dan Giovannoni on adapting the novel 'Loaded', as a play - exploring queer, migrant Melbourne; co-director Adriane Daff on her theatrical depiction of the behind-the-scenes of an arthouse foreign film, 'Lé Nør'.

Illustrator Oslo Davis explores his lasting connection with Triple R; Melbourne International Comedy Festival Director, Susan Provan on Barry Humphries’ controversial cultural legacy; Red Stitch actor Khisraw Jones-Shukoor on Pulitzer-nominated war-time play, ‘Selling Kabul’.

Comedian Josh Ladgrove pays tribute to his late Ukrainian grandmother’s strong spirit in tragic comedy ‘Baba’; Leisa Shelton on her exploration of the lost lineage of Australian art in a series of performances artworks ‘Archiving the Ephemeral’; comedian Oliver Coleman on how his past as a trained actor has impacted his comedy show, ‘Neon’.

Comedian Melissa McLensey on ‘The Briefing’, her latest interactive US press briefing style MICF show; Curator Vistal Kumaraswamy talks exhibition at North Melbourne Town Hall, Okkoota; Daizy Maan and Sukhijt Kaur Khalsa discuss South Asian women and comedy in Australia in new MICF show, Brown Women Comedy.

Artist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah on ‘Journey’, his latest exhibition exploring the intersection of faith, identity and culture through large scale sculptures; Musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff talks optimism and stuff you like in her MICF show, Actually Good; Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat discuss their new MICF show, Grey Arias.

Ahead of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, comedian Rowan Thambar discusses his show ‘Nothing Deep, Just Good Times!’, a night of irreverent laughs from a former chronic over-sharer; Poet-turned playwright Nathan Curnow talks The Shift Theatre’s production of his play ‘Mystery in a blimp’, which takes the piss out of independent theatre; Associate professor Simone Slee on ‘It’s not you, it’s me’, a new exhibition exploring self-portraiture work by staff of Visual Art at the VCA. With presenter Richard Watts.

Melbourne Theatre Company’s artistic director and co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks talks about making her directorial debut as AD with ‘Bernhardt/Hamlet’; Irish contemporary artist Sean Lynch talks curating the exhibition ’Desire Lines’ at City Gallery, Melbourne Town Hall; actor and writer Sally McKenzie on her new play ‘WAY’ at La Mama about the crisis of homelessness impacting women over 55. With presenter Richard Watts.

Bernard Caleo checks in for the Drawn Out segment with news from around the world of comic books; Artist and photographer Odette England discusses her exhibition Dairy Character at Centre of Contemporary Photography, which reflects on her early life on a dairy farm in rural south Australia; And comedian Damian Callinan chats about his Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Double Feature, and touring his one-man play Newk. 

Theatre-maker Liv Satchell and actor Emily Tomlins discuss their upcoming plays ‘The Grief Trilogy’ for La Mama Courthouse; Veteran theatre practitioners Patricia Cornelius and Susie Dee explain their film adaptation of their play ‘Sh*t’, premiering at the Melbourne Women In Film Festival 2023; and Artistic Directors Jonathan Homesy and Emily Sexton talk about the launch of FRAME: a biennial of dance program. With presenter Richard Watts.

Tai Snaith is back for our fortnightly visual arts review segment Art Attack; Tiffany Barton talks co-writing ‘Not All Dictators’ and what happens when women fight back, for La Mama Courthouse; Director Cass Fumi and designer Dann Barber chat about bringing ‘The Crocodile’ to the stage at Fortyfivedownstairs. With presenter Richard Watts.