SmartArts

The 8th Amendment was one of Ireland’s most controversial pieces of legislation, heavily limiting women's reproductive rights. Filmmaker Anna Rodgers joins Richard to discuss When Women Won a documentary about the referendum to overturn the 8th Amendment and the emotional inside story of the Together for Yes campaign. When Women Won is screening as part of the Irish Film Festival of Australia’s 20...

Back in September, an initiative and Kickstarter campaign was launched to help provide both financial assistance and industry support for BIPOC theatre performers. Tarik Frimpong, founder of the Artists of Colour Initiative joins Richard to talk about the announcement of the six finalists. Prizes include scholarships from the Patrick School of Arts, plus a share of the total money raised from the...

This week, Richard is joined by Gallery Director of the Monash Gallery of Art, Anouska Phizacklea, to discuss this year’s Bowness Photography Prize, the proposed exhibition of the shortlisted works and the changes in Australian photography over the last decade and a half. Director of the Jewish Museum of Australia, Jess Bram, joins Richard to talk about Sukkah by Zahava Elenberg, a temporary struc...

Being creative during a lockdown and a global pandemic mustn’t be easy but it’s amazing just what can be created whilst under pressuring conditions. Creative Director and CEO of Melbourne Fringe, Simon Abrahams joins Richard to discuss how the 2020 rendition of the Melbourne Fringe festival will look and just what will be on offer, running from November 12th to 29th. Back in March, a new play, Sin...

Managing Director of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sophie Galaise joins Richard to chat about the first part of the MSO’s 2021 programming. Featuring a range of free concerts and more, part 1 of the MSO’s 2021 programming will begin on January 29th and run until June. Also, Jenny M Thomas of folk band Bush Gothic chats to Richard about their recent collaboration with Welsh fiddle-player, Angha...

Director and CEO of ACMI, Katrina Sedgewick joins Richard to talk about the launch of a new gallery in 2021. After ACMI’s closure in 2019 and subsequent 40 million dollar renovation of the new gallery. Richard is also joined by Craft Victoria director, Bryony Nainby to discuss Craft Contemporary, a new festival exploring how craft is evolving in the 21st century. Also, Artistic Director of the Kor...

Tai Snaith joins Richard for the visual arts review segment Art Attack to review Jamie O'Connell's Love Saves the Day . A poetic, simple, sort of strange but ephemeral exhibition on until the 7th of November at Neon Parc Gallery. Also, Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Victoria Ted Gott talks to Richard about Don’t Leave Me This Way: Art in the Age of AIDS, an online lecture released as pa...

Literary Manager of Australian Plays, John Kachoyan joins Richard to discuss the launch of the NIMROD 50 Collection. An extensive and exciting collection of previously unpublished or out of print works to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Nimrod Street Theatre Company. Richard is also joined by playwright and assistant lecturer at Monash University, Fleur Kilpatrick, and Gemma Livingstone, a t...

Gallery Director of No Vacancy, Hayley Hanes joins Richard to discuss the online exhibition Still Life. Featuring works from over sixty artists, the exhibition is inspired by objects that provide comfort and stillness of mind. Ace Wagstaff returns for his fortnightly Art Attack segment, reviewing Tom Civil’s Sparks exhibition on until September 20th at Backwoods Gallery. Lastly, Melbourne artist,...

Assistant Director of Curatorial and Audience Engagement at the NGV, Donna McColm joins Richard to talk about the announcement of Melbourne Now 2023, a massive free exhibition of art, design, and performance that celebrates Victoria’s creativity. The NGV hopes the exhibition will reignite the state’s creative spark and give the population something to look forward to as Melbourne retains its cultu...

Richard is joined by Paul Davies, Director of MEAA Musicians who discussed the need for a comprehensive cultural policy to help sustain the arts in all its forms and invigorating everyone who consumes and creates art as well as increasing participation in the sector. Plus Richard chats with writer and journalist Ben Eltham about the Parliament of Australia’s inquiry into our creative and cultural...

Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung woman and recently appointed First Peoples curator at the TarraWarra Art Gallery, Stacie Piper joined Richard to talk about the Djirri Djirri Cultural Group who spoke as part of the Tall Trees Festival that happened on Sunday, August 23rd. The ticket proceeds from this year’s festival will be spent helping defend our vital native forests. Plus the Artistic Director o...

Comedian and composer, Lou Wall phones in to talk to Richard about Dramageddon a genre-bending choose your own adventure podcast created by Lou and Jean Tong that pits two queer people against the climate apocalypse in 2050. Dramageddon is part of the Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2020 MWF Digital programming. Richard is also joined by curator and arts writer, Natalie King, to discuss the Mini Monog...

Melbourne based playwright, Gabriel Bergmoser talks to Richard about the musical radio-play adaptation of the Midsumma 2018 Bittern By Productions, Moonlite, one of Australia’s lesser-known bushrangers, out now online. Richard is also joined by Mia Falstein Rush, MIFF’s Shorts programmer to chat about the festival’s 68½ programming for 2020 and the various short films on offer for this year’s fest...

Bernard Caleo returns for his regular segment, Drawn Out exploring all things comics and visual novels. Richard is also joined by Yarra Valley based photographer, Suzanne Phoenix to discuss her Isolation Portraits Exhibition which is now available online now. The portraits were taken during the various stages of Coronavirus restrictions in Upper Yarra Valley. Lastly, CEO of the Contemporary Arts P...

Richard starts the episode with Veronica Pardo, CEO of Multicultural Arts Victoria about a new commissions program  Shelter . The program sees art as a powerful way to share the unique perspective of multicultural practitioners on the experience of Covid because "what artists do is kind of creep in under your skin". Next Richard chats with Narungga and Trawoolwaway artist Daen Sansbury-Smith about...

Richard chats with Lisa Byrne, the Director of McClelland Sculpture Park about the announcement of the Southern Way McClelland Commission 2021. The sculptures are initially exhibited for a period of four years at one of two sites beside the highway, before finding a permanent home at the sculpture park. The 2021 Commission recipient, Manon van Kouswijk, is a jeweller, which will be reflected in he...

Richard speaks with Shadow Arts Minister Tony Burke about the government's arts package. He argues that arts workers need JobKeeper and not JobSeeker so as to keep them in the industry. "I've spent a lifetime arguing about the arts being important for our stories, for our soul, for oxygen, for our community to define who we are, how we see each other, how the world sees us. If that argument's not...

Richard chats with Tariro Mavondo, co-Artistic Director of Western Edge Youth Arts. WEYA have put young people at the centre of their organising model because "at WEYA we really believe that our young people are the change". Plus Martina Copley, Gallery Coordinator and Artistic Director of BLINDSIDE Gallery hops on the line to talk about reopening during COVID-19. She reflects upon their experienc...

Richard speaks with Nicole Beyer, the Executive Director of Theatre Network Australia about the Federal Government's recently announced $250 million arts sector bail-out package. Beyer shared her cautious confidence in the government implementing a strategy that takes into account the long-term impacts of COVID. Plus Richard chats with David Berthold, the executive chair of Playwriting Australia,...

Richard talks with Mary Jane Warfield from Regional Arts Australia, the Manager of the Regional Arts Fund, which has received a significant increase in funding. She hopes that the money will aid community building in regional areas. Plus a conversation with Artshouse Artistic Director Emily Sexton about BLEED , a digital festival that will be held in collaboration with Campbelltown Arts Centre. Th...

This week on SmartArts, Richard chats with Simon Abrahams, the Creative Director and CEO of Melbourne Fringe about the plans for the upcoming festival. Simon outlines plans on how the festival will adapt around covid-19 with four planned scenarios in the works, from business-as-usual to a full lockdown. One way or another the show must go on. Melbourne Theatre Company are facing a different set of...

In new segment Demystifying the Arts Richard explores the work of a choreographer with Jo Lloyd. Lloyd says choreography is all around us and describes it as "an intersection of space and time. It's also about structured action". Richard speaks with Maree Di Pasquale who is the Fair Director and CEO of Melbourne Art Foundation about their annual Melbourne Art Fair and the trials and tribulations o...

Richard chats with Gideon Obarzanek and Hannah Fox, the co-artistic directors of  RISING , a new festival taking the place of  Melbourne Festival  and  White Night .  RISING  has put a call-out for new works from Victorian artists  with the aim to showcase pieces that are bold, outside of the box and very Melbourne. Richard also speaks with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young about the Green's push for a g...

Richard is joined by Evelyn Richardson, the Chief Executive of Live Performance Australia, to discuss the organisation's two-year recovery plan for the arts. Richardson would like to see live venues and their staff supported by the government until they can resume their work in a safe way. Plus Kent Morris, the CEO of Torch Gallery, gets on the line to talk about Confined 11 . It's the latest in t...