Conversations: Art & Passions

Jane Fonda's big life has included Barbarella, activism, three husbands, workout videos and hair epiphanies. Now in her 80s, she's devoting her energy to raising awareness about climate change Jane has lived her entire life in the public eye, as the daughter of acting aristocracy. Her father Henry Fonda was a Hollywood legend by the time she was born. Jane grew up to study acting with Lee Strasber...

Australian comedian on Nanette, her 'farewell' to stand up comedy; being diagnosed with high-functioning autism as an adult; and on Douglas, the show and the dog Hannah made an instant impression with her first comedy set, winning a national contest in 2006. She quickly became a regular on the Australian and UK festival circuits, and on television shows including Adam Hills Tonight and Please Like...

Helen recently published her diaries from 1978-1987. They include her thoughts on writing and work, parenting, love affairs, the quest for the right pair of shoes, and the pleasures of mowing the grass Helen is the author of many books, including Monkey Grip, The First Stone, This House of Grief and The Spare Room. Helen's also kept a diary for almost all her life. But until now those exercise boo...

When David McAllister was a little boy growing up in Perth he would tuck tea towels into his undies and dance around in front of the TV. He watched his own reflection, as he twirled, and leapt around the lounge room. At 7, David went to his first ballet class at a suburban scout hall, and loved it right away. But doing ballet was a kind of social death for a boy, in the 1970s in Western Australia....

Archie tells of writing Took the Children Away and playing it in public for the first time, of his belated reunion with his siblings, and his love story with Ruby Hunter Widely admired for his powerful lyrics and the grace of his pin-drop performances, Archie has overcome blow after blow throughout his life. He was just two years old when he was taken from his Aboriginal mother and given to the Co...

Bryan’s played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world.  From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popularity and work ethic.  Bryan also spent a period working in America, star...

Exploring the drawings of children who've survived Syria's conflict. Australian artist Ben Quilty has made several visits with World Vision to camps in Greece, Lebanon and Serbia, housing refugees from the Syrian conflict. On his first visit to Lebanon’s Bekka Valley, Ben asked the children there to draw for him. The power of their pictures, expressing what they’d seen before fleeing their homelan...

Artist Davida Allen's true feelings about some of the trials of parenthood, bushwalking, and a raging attraction to actor Sam Neill have poured out through her paintbrush When Davida Allen was in her 30s and stuck at home looking after her four young children, she'd reward herself on a Sunday night by watching the TV series Reilly, Ace of Spies, starring Sam Neill. Davida is a painter, and around...

How a shy Mormon girl named Sharon became Poh Ling Yeow. Sharon Ling Yeow grew up in Malaysia, and moved to Adelaide with her parents at the age of 9. She was a shy child, who loved to paint and draw, but found school and socialising overwhelming. At home, her Aunty Kim taught her how to cook Malaysian food, and her mum taught her how to bake. At 16, Sharon joined the Mormon Church, where she met...

How the theatre tamed a wild child and helped him take on the world Wesley was a violent child who was expelled from school more than once until a teacher took him under her wing and introduced him to acting. Wesley credits the theatre with turning his life around completely, and he became a prolific playwright and director. His plays include the award-winning 7 Stages of Grieving, which he wrote...

Over four nights in 2004 Paul Kelly performed a hundred of his songs in alphabetical order. On stage he told the stories behind the songs - of his family and friends, his years on the road, and recording his many albums. Paul put these stories together in his book - a memoir and songwriting masterclass melded together and named for one of his most beautiful and popular songs: How to Make Gravy, pu...

Broadcast date: Thursday 1st October 2009