Race Matters

Nardi Simpson  is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller from NSW’s North West freshwater plains. Her work has long been dedicated to breathing life into objects and story of the past through song, language revival and she continues to be heavily involved in the teaching and sharing of culture in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities. Her work spans  music , composing, music direction and her debut novel...

Everyday is a good day to  support and buy from Black artists .  Formerly known as Black Bandcamp -  Black Artist Database  has a simple premise: to get more Black people paid for their music. It’s a crowdfunded resource of artists, aimed at bringing cultural and material support to the Black community. Alongside artists and DJs; they throw events, skills-building workshops and now have a  podcast...

What is the balance of curation and community-consultation especially when cultural identities are so fraught and disparate? How can a community-rooted event still serve as an invitation for learning and connection across differences? These are some of the themes that we explore with our guest this week, Hajer Al-Awsi. Alongside her new role festival director of the inaugural SWANA Film Festival ,...

On today’s show we’re exploring what it is to continue to tell stories across evolving digital landscapes and the need to teach younger generations to care for, learn and grow alongside Country. That’s done in creative ways with the multimedia, First Nations theatre production  Saltbush . It’s a production that follows two friends, discovering and growing an understanding of the land; and how that...

Race Matters were joined by Catherine Madviza, project lead of  Codebreakers  - an innovative output working alongside young people in Western Sydney to critically engage with social media, carving space to explore their identities, and advocate for social change in creative ways. Alongside its social platforms, Codebreakers in unique in that it has multiple ways of engaging with community and bri...

Content note:  This talk describes instances of transphobia and a mention of black deaths in custody. These are told from the lived experience of our panelists and how this shapes their response to the questions as well as their creative practice. Whilst not described in detail, we ask that you go gently and decide when the time is right for you to listen in.  What role does art have in inciting s...

Fjorn Bastos is someone who speaks and moves with intention. As an artist, Fjorn works primarily in sound and a style of narrativised performance under the name Papaphilia . Her 2021 album - ‘Remembrance of Things to Come’ is a pulsing and abstract exploration of time and grief.  As a researcher and community organiser - she’s also long been an outspoken voice for anti-racism, anti-colonial resist...

A very special guest host this week, Sezzo: kōtare/kingfisher turned proud Ngāpuhi DJ, writer, curator, and medical student. She stepped on to the mic bringing with her a profound and loving dialogue with her kin Grayson  and  Hāmiora visiting from Aotearoa for World Pride. Their conversation spanned questions like "what is World Pride on stolen land?" and delved into First Peoples solidarities, t...

What would it mean to consider the radical potential of love, empathy, and pleasure— as an antidote to oppression and disconnection? Mimi Zhu doesn't want to romanticise love. Their debut title "Be Not Afraid of Love" is devoted to answering this, sharing in a way that is intimate and heart-tugging. Our conversation with them maps the pain and violence that can stop us from knowing how to enact an...

What does it mean to engage with the stories of the forcibly displaced? What happens when those people seek support in each other - and what does solidarity with that movement look like for queer people, leading into a time like World Pride?  Shareeka Helaluddin spoke with Renee Dixson, co-founder of the Forcibly Displaced People's Network (FDPN) ahead of their 2023 Queer Displacements Conference...

An emotional one ... Sara's last show. Join us as we revel, celebrate, cry, remember the four formidable and inimitable years that Sara Khan has offered us. It’s hard to say what Race Matters would be without her, and the depths of knowledge, power, care, laughter she has given to this show and FBi radio more broadly. There aren’t enough words to describe how much Sara has changed the landscape of...

Content note: this story revolves around racial trauma and has mention of trauma, anti-Asian racism, colourism and references to statistics on suicide and self harm. Whilst not discussed in detail, we ask that you go gently, surround yourself with some comforts, or come back to this at a time that feels okay for you.  What are the impacts of racism when it comes to our minds, bodies and spiritual...

Too many incredible writers of colour, not enough time to read and do them justice! We are excited to be airing the first episode of BOOK CLUB with our friends at Amplify Bookstore - a site dedicated to Black, First Nations and writers of colour. Hear co-founders Xuan and Marina on how they started Amplify, what makes an Amplify book (it's not just about race and racism!), and the curation they wa...

A treat to be in conversation with Kombumerri man, sound artist and performer Rowan Savage aka salllvage ; who has long-worked at the intersection of queer club music, performance and connection with Country, helming a truly unique creative output. Hear him chat on the power and politics of deep listening amid the current exhibition NURA: Deep Listening, currently on Cement Fondu alongside Barkind...