Breaking Ground: Women in the Arts and Creativity is a special podcast series by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), recorded on Burramattagal land of the Darug Nation to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

Catch this final part of the day, where you’ll hear some concluding remarks and a range of voices on what people took away from the Breaking Ground gathering for International Women's Day.

Music: Relaxing Latin guitar by Greg Kirkelie (Free Music Archive), Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International     

Executive producer and host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by Women NSW as part of NSW Government with additional support from Creative Australia and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange.

Show notes/credits:

Guests: Emerald Brunt, Anushri Sood, Fatma Mohammed, Anne, Belinda Jombwe, Lena Nahlous, Helen Huggins, Tahmoor, Ruth Nahlous

Interviewers: Maybelline San Juan, Nadyat El Gawley

The name of this series was inspired by UK-based Speaking Volumes

Podcast Producer; Editing & mixing: Nadyat El Gawley 

Colour Cycle Executive Producer and Host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Digital Engagement & Comms Manager: Glaiza Perez

Symposium Project Producers: Simone Amelia Jordan, Lena Nahlous, Kevin Bathman

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by NSW Government’s - Women NSW, Creative Australia, and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange. Event partners: The Dream Collective, Parramatta Artist Studios, Hachette Australia. 

Breaking Ground: Women in the Arts and Creativity is a special podcast series by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), recorded on Burramattagal land of the Darug Nation to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

How do we take care of ourselves? Why do so many of us struggle to ask for help, and what might we mean by the idea of resilience? Is it the same as resistance and speaking to power? 

For more on radical care and resilience :

YouTube: Radical care

Music: Gringo Flamenco by Montana Skies ( Free Music Archive), ), CC-BY- 4.0 International  

Executive producer and host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by Women NSW as part of NSW Government with additional support from Creative Australia and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange.
Show notes/Credits:

Guests: Nancy Diaz (moderator), Rhanna Collins, Fatma Mohammed, Alexia Derbas

Interviewers: Maybelline San Juan, Nadyat El Gawley

The name of this series was inspired by UK-based Speaking Volumes

Podcast Producer; Editing & mixing: Nadyat El Gawley 

Colour Cycle Executive Producer and Host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Digital Engagement & Comms Manager: Glaiza Perez

Symposium Project Producers: Simone Amelia Jordan, Lena Nahlous, Kevin Bathman

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by NSW Government’s - Women NSW, Creative Australia, and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange. Event partners: The Dream Collective, Parramatta Artist Studios, Hachette Australia.

Breaking Ground: Women in the Arts and Creativity is a special podcast series by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), recorded on Burramattagal land of the Darug Nation to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

From tackling censorship today to truth-telling, join the panel’s iconic aunties as they take you through strategies to navigate your creative yearning and career—all with a lot of good humour and candour.

For more on Things My Auntie Didn’t Teach Me:

YouTube: Lessons in sustaining a creative career 

Executive producer and host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Credits: Guests: Professor Anita Heiss, Oumi Karenga -Hewitt and Dr Paula Abood, Anushri Sood

Music: L’Etoile danse ( Pt1)  by Meydan, (Free Music Archive) licensed under Attribution 4.0 International

Music: Relaxing Latin guitar by Greg Kirkelie (Free Music Archive) licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

The name of this series was inspired by UK-based Speaking Volumes

Podcast Producer; Editing & mixing: Nadyat El Gawley 

Colour Cycle Executive Producer and Host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Digital Engagement & Comms Manager: Glaiza Perez

Symposium Project Producers: Simone Amelia Jordan, Lena Nahlous, Kevin Bathman

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by NSW Government’s - Women NSW, Creative Australia, and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange. Event partners: The Dream Collective, Parramatta Artist Studios, Hachette Australia.

Breaking Ground: Women in the Arts and Creativity is a special podcast series by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), recorded on Burramattagal land of the Darug Nation to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

This episode looks at the challenges of using the arts to create change -- whether under repressive or democratic regimes.  And how can First Nations artists and artists of colour survive the demands of a creative life when there are inequitable structures?

For more on Artivism:

YouTube: Artivism, separating the personal and professional 

Executive producer and host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Show notes/ Credits:

Guests:  Roanna Gonsalves, Moones Mansoubi, Lusi Austin, Suzie Wrong, Rataj Abdullah,  Ruth Nahlous

Interviewers: Maybelline San Juan, Nadyat El Gawley

Music: L’Etoile danse ( Pt1)  by Meydan (Free Music Archive) licensed under Attribution 4.0 International

The name of this series was inspired by UK-based Speaking Volumes

Podcast Producer; Editing & mixing: Nadyat El Gawley 

Colour Cycle Executive Producer and Host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Digital Engagement & Comms Manager: Glaiza Perez

Symposium Project Producers: Simone Amelia Jordan, Lena Nahlous, Kevin Bathman

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by NSW Government’s - Women NSW, Creative Australia, and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange. Event partners: The Dream Collective, Parramatta Artist Studios, Hachette Australia.

Breaking Ground: Women in the Arts and Creativity is a special podcast series by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), recorded on Burramattagal land of the Darug Nation to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

Settle in for compelling conversations about whether we can separate the professional from the personal, why we don’t ask for help, what to do about gatekeepers, and why joy can be an antidote to setbacks confronting marginalised peoples. 

For more on Breaking Ground:

Breaking Ground Media Release

Breaking Ground YouTube highlights

Credits:

Music: Gringo Flamenco by Montana Skies ( Free Music Archive), ), CC-BY- 4.0 International 

Guests: Peta Strachan, Lena Nahlous, Katrina, May
Interviewers: Maybelline San Juan, Nadyat El Gawley

The name of this series was inspired by UK-based Speaking Volumes

Podcast Producer; Editing & mixing: Nadyat El Gawley 

Colour Cycle Executive Producer and Host: Lena Nahlous, DARTS CEO

Digital Engagement & Comms Manager: Glaiza Perez

Symposium Project Producers: Simone Amelia Jordan, Lena Nahlous, Kevin Bathman

Breaking Ground by Diversity Arts Australia was proudly funded by NSW Government’s - Women NSW, Creative Australia, and Create NSW. Venue Partner: Arts and Cultural Exchange. Event partners: The Dream Collective, Parramatta Artist Studios, Hachette Australia.

What makes for a good leader? 

In this episode we are first joined by creative strategist and Co-CEO of Narrative Muse,  Nigel Lopez-Mcbean. Originally from England and now based in Australia, Nigel pulls upon his years of industry knowledge to give us a masterclass on the importance of diverse leadership. 

Later on in the show, we hear from Hilary Carty. As the executive director at Clore Leadership in the UK she has extensive experience in creating healthy and effective organisations from the top down. Here she talks about how we can foster a diverse workplace and the ins-and-outs of management.

Guests:

Nigel Lopez-Mcbean

Hilary Carty

We continue here where we left off last time with writer, curator and co-director of Pari Tian Zhang alongside artistic director of the Red Ladder Theater company, Cheryl Martin. 

During the pandemic there was a breakdown in the formal structures of care which gave way to unprecedented rates of racism and abuse. Cheryl and Tian reflect on the pandemic's lingering impacts, how it made clear the gaps that exist in our social welfare systems as well as unexpected positives such as community finding solidarity amongst the hardship. 

 Guests:

Tian Zhang

Cheryl Martin

Hosted by:

Lena Nahlous

In this episode we dive into the concept of radical care. Like many of topics we discuss here on the Colour Cycle, care is often unequally distributed across society with traditionally marginalised communities often receiving the least. As people within the arts we ask what can do to help facilitate an environment that feels safe and welcoming to all artists. 

To answer these questions, our very own Lena Nahlous is joined by two very special guests. Tian Zhang is the essayist behind the inspiration for this episode ‘A Manifesto For Radical Care & How To Be A Human In The Arts'  She works out of western Sydney as the Co-director of Pari, an arts and community space. Our second guest is the UK based writer, poet and artistic director of the Red Ladder Theatre company, Cheryl Martin. Together they dissect what care looks like and how we can foster a sense of community in the industry. 

Guests:

Tian Zhang

Cheryl Martin

Hosted by:

Lena Nahlous

In this Interview Dr Görkem Acaroğlu is joined by industry veteran and CEO of the Creative Diversity Network in the UK; Deborah Williams OAM. Together they reflect on Deborah's career spanning over thirty years in the arts and how she was able to forge her own path. They examine the importance of diversity in leadership roles and why audiences should see things they don't like.

Guests:

Deborah Williams

Hosted by:

Dr Görkem Acaroğlu

This discussion was conducted as part of the “This Is Who We Are” Project.

In this episode we are joined by women from across Australia, the US and the U.K connected through their shared passion for Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop has long been a bastion of anti-establishment rhetoric, providing a platform for the voiceless to be heard.

The industry veterans you’ll hear talk about the importance of hip-hop in forming connections, how self-determined spaces are crucial, as well as going over the many challenges they faced when breaking into the industry.

Guests:

MC Trey

Maya Jupiter

Naomi Wenitong

DJ Sarah Love

TRUEmendous

This podcast is a collaboration with This Is Who We Are. It is a project which amplifies and brings together Women of Colour/Global Majority Women in solidarity. Formed by a collective including Renaissance One, Third Space, Diversity Arts Australia and more plus Australia and UK-based cultural practitioners/activists including Lena Nahlous, Bernardine Evaristo, Dr Paula Abood, Nur Shkembi, Melanie Abrahams and Sarah Dara.