The Score

This week Samira is joined by Dr Sam Whiting, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University and a 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient, to discuss challenges faced by grassroots music venues in Australia and his travels to the UK and Europe in 2025 as part of his Churchill Fellowship to investigate and learn from the work of the UK Music Venue Trust.

She then has a chat with director and composer Lamine Sonko of 13.12 about Guewel. In collaboration with the National Theatre of Senegal, Guewel explores an ancient African cosmovision, illuminating new perspectives of the world around us.

Samria then talks with Nikki Lam, co-director of Hyphenated Projects, an artist-led network nurturing practice in Asian diasporas focusing on supporting artists who operate with hyphens culturally, socially and geographically.

She is then joined by musician Yona Su who talks about Shrishti, a new collective dedicated to promoting diverse experimental music, embracing improvised, notated, and electronic approaches to music-making, and Shrishti's upcoming event Colonialists Can’t Dance.

General Vibes fills in for Samira this week. They speak with Jenna Rain Warwick, a First Nations artist and ACMI curator, about her latest exhibition 'Beneath Roads', a three-channel work at ACMI running from June 25th to August 25th.

Next, by Amanda Villalobos rings in to discuss the A.W. Bell Community Picket, organised by the “Weapons Out of Naarm” Campaign, and Australia's involvement in manufacturing weapons that are being used by Israel on it's war on Gaza..

Last but not least, General Vibes is joined in the studio by Harley Jobling to talk about Tjum Tjumba's Launch Fundraiser as part of Leaps and Bounds Festival and making space for Indigenous artists.

Samira is joined by PhD cadidate Aviroop Gupta about the recent election that took place in India. Shes also joined by Aunty Marjorie Anderson, who is the national spokesperson for 13 YARN, as we look back at 2 years of the support line service and how it's changed lives. Lastly we have Darebin for Palestine protest speaker Nathalie Farah on as they discuss the organisation Disrupt Wars and Social Media Mobilising.

This week, Samira is back to keep the important conversations coming.

Starting off with Monash University scholars, Stephanie Wescott and Steven Roberts, who recently published their research into how the manosphere and men’s rights content creators are influencing boys behaviour and attitudes towards women in Australian schools. They say the response needs to be urgent, especially after the disturbing spreadsheet that saw boys expelled from their private school in Melbourne… read more here: https://theconversation.com/andrew-tates-extreme-views-about-women-are-infiltrating-australian-schools-we-need-a-zero-tolerance-response-229603

Plus, artist Nū (aka Fetle Wondimu) tells Samira all about her new music, upcoming gigs and explains how live coding works… Nū says we shouldn’t be afraid. You can catch some live coding at the upcoming Next Wave 40th (re)birthday party on May 25! There will be cake!

This week, Samira is joined by Jana Favero, ASRC’s Head of Systemic Change & Betia Shakiba, Human Rights Lawyer and Refugee Advocate, to discuss Betia’s op-ed for The Guardian on Labor’s Deportation bill controversy, the vicious cycles of how Australia's current system treats refugees, and they work to answer the question: what’s been going on with immigration law in AU lately?

Maria Birch-Morunga, co-host of the Being Biracial podcast comes in to discuss her venture hosting the Creative Conversations series by Colour Box Studio. Maria and Samira talk all about creative process, making your own spaces as a biracial woman and run through some of the guests appearing at the FREE Creative Conversations events!

Daizy Maan, Co-Founder and director/producer of Brown Women Comedy brings in her friend and fellow comedian, Shyaire Ganglani, to talk about their show at MICF 2024. The multi-performer show is on until April 21 - go because it’s hilarious and you might end up in comedy!

PLUS, the National Inaugural West Papua Mini Film Festival is running across nine Australian cities from April 9, 2024. Organiser, Ronny Kareni, and organiser and film-maker, Charlie Hill-Smith, speak to Samira about the lack of representation of West Papuan stories in western media and why it can be really difficult to put on events like this. The festival comes to Melbourne on April 19.

Samira speaks with Professor Sunil Bhar on how half of all Australians in aged care live with depression; the challenges older Australians face in receiving mental health care; and his new research on how psychological therapies may help, following his recent co-authored article for The Conversation.

This week, Samira is joined by actor and screenwriter Osamah Sami on his new ABC TV series, ‘House of Gods’. Having grown up with a father who was the head cleric, Osamah took stories and experiences from his own life to co-create this series with Shahim Shafaei. They have dubbed the show as ’Succession in a mosque’ and 'House of Gods' is screening now.

Tito Ambyo, host of ‘Talking Indonesia’ podcast and Journalism lecturer at RMIT, gives us an Indonesian election explainer. Tito answers questions like: who is Soeharto? What does this election mean for democracy in Indonesia? And what influenced voters decisions?

Plus, Sara from Families for Palestine speaks on the indefinite picket and vigil out the front of Anthony Albanese’s electorate office in Grayndler. They are demanding for the Australian government to support a ceasefire and denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza. Follow @familiesforpalestine to stay up to date.

Samira Farah speaks to Iranian-Australian singer/instrumentalist and one half of band ZÖJ, Gela Pour who will be composing a special live performace set to the screening of the 1925 silent documentary film GRASS for the Castlemaine Documentary Festival.

She also speaks to Griffith University advance research fellow Shima Ziajahromi, about thier new reseach into how microplastics leave our clothes washers & washing machines and reach agricultural soil and farms across the country.

Plus DJ, Broadcaster and event organiser MzRizk & Liona Tatafu with fellow members of the Halo Vocal Ensemble hop into the studio and serenade The Score ahead of their show at Fairfield Ampitheatre on Feb 25.

This week, Samira is joined in the studio by Brodie Murray, Wamba Wamba and Ngarrindjeri storyteller, playwright and performing artist. Brodie talks through his debut production ‘The Whisper’, which is playing at Fortyfivedownstairs from 15-25 February.

Samira also speaks to Rawan Arraf, the Principal Lawyer & Executive Director at the Australian Centre for International Justice discusses the ICJ ruling regarding South Africa Vs Israel.

PLUS Naarm-based musical artist, MUDRAT, talks through genre bending, finding your sound and changing your alias.

Samira speaks to Kate Power, senior lecturer at the University of Queensland discussing burn out in the arts and culture sector. She also speaks with PhD candidate Aviroop Gupta about research into state sponsored violence directed towards minorities in India. Finally, Dr Natalia Gwincheva, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne calls in to discuss digital political machines and digital archiving within museums.