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Ireland in the mid-1800s was not a particularly happy or pleasant time as it was the period of the Great Hunger. Tom Sullivan, writer and director of the film, ARRACHT joins Richard to chat about the impact of the great hunger on Irish Culture and the way it's explored in ARRACHT. Every year, Creative Partnerships Australia gives out awards to celebrate philanthropy in the arts sector. Richard is joined by the CEO of Creative Partnerships Australia, Fiona Menzies, to discuss the 2020 awards winners, plus provide an overview of the awards and why philanthropy is an important part of the arts sector. Waanyi artist Judy Watson and Kokatha and Nukunu artist Yhonnie Scarce share recent and personally painful histories of the destruction, exploitation, and degradation of land and of colonisation. Curator of the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Hetti Perkins discusses with Richard Judy and Yhonnie’s latest exhibition Looking Glass. Detailing Australia’s secret and dirty war—a battle fought on many fronts from colonial massacres to Stolen Generations, from the Maralinga bomb tests to the climate emergency. Looking Glass is being exhibited at TarraWarra from November 28th to March 8th.The Melbourne Fringe Festival is a mix of wacky and wonderful shows. Two such shows are CATS: The Movie, the Musical, The Production, The Artist & Lousical The Musical, created by Jean Tong and Lou Wall respectively. One is a mockumentary that punches down on a musical that has been “piss taken to the ends of the Earth and back,” whilst the other is a pop music comedy, part stand up, part song, and part “online meme content”. Both shows were available to stream online as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival’s 2020 programming. ARRACHT (Trailer) | YouTubeIreland Picks ‘Arracht’ for Oscars’ International Feature Film Race | VarietyMeet our 2020 Creative Partnerships Award recipients | Creative Partnerships AustraliaMATCH Lab | Creative Partnerships AustraliaPlus1 | Creative Partnerships AustraliaLooking Glass | TarraWarra Museum of ArtCATS: The Movie, the Musical, The Production, The Artist | Melbourne FringeLousical The Musical | Melbourne Fringe

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 2020 programming.Richard is also joined by Australian playwright, Wesley Enoch to chat about the launch of the 2021 Sydney Festival. Next year’s Sydney Festival will continue the festival’s proud 44-year history of commissioning and presenting inspiring and ground-breaking new Australian art, running from January 6th to 26thThese are probably questions you can’t answer but, What Would John Hughes Do? Is your adulthood living up to what you thought it would be? Writer and performer, Telia Neville, joins Richard to talk about her aforementioned play, a punk cabaret about pop-culture-induced expectations and the real experiences that follow. What Would John Hughes Do? Is part of Melbourne Fringe’s 2020 Digital Fringe programming.Lastly, the Artistic Director of Photo 2021, Elias Redstone talks to Richard about the launch of the festival and to provide an overview of what will be on offer. Photo 2021 will run online and in-person from February 8th to March 7th, 2021.Irish Film Festival AustraliaSydney Festival | SydFest 2021 LaunchWhat Would John Hughes Do | Melbourne FringePhoto 2021

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 crowdfunding campaign.The coronavirus pandemic's arrival in Australia in March 2020 caused multiple arts festivals to cancel events earlier in the year. One such event was the Melbourne Queer Film Festival which was 5 days into its programming when restrictions and lockdowns began. Program Director of MQFF, Spiro Economopoulos, joins Richard to chat about MQFF Interrupted, the online relaunch of the festival’s 2020 programming. Streaming from November 19th to 30th, the program will show the best of top-notch queer cinema.As restrictions ease, Artistic Director of Heide Museum of Modern Art, Lesley Harding joins Richard to chat about the gallery’s 2021 programming announcements, the future plans of the gallery, and Heide Summer Festival, an outdoor event series designed to support local performing artists, live music and cultural festivals. Tickets for the Summer Festival will go on sale from December 1st with Heide reopening on November 28th.AOC Initiative WebsiteTop Six Finalist Announced for AOC | Arts ReviewMelbourne Queer Film FestivalHeide Re-opens November 28th Heide Summer Festival

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 structured set up at Birrarung Marr that invites everyone to reflect on humanity and what it means to be in a community.The temporary structure will be situated at Birrarung Marr until December 13th with the museum reopening its doors to the public in February 2021.Lastly, Festival Director of the Irish Film Festival of Australia, Dr. Enda Murray joins Richard to chat about how this year’s festival will run and provide an overview of the program on offer.Streaming on-demand from November 19th to 29th, the Irish Film Festival is coming to a sofa near you!Bowness Prize | Monash Gallery of ArtSukkah | Jewish Museum of AustraliaIrish Film Festival of Australia

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, Single Ladies was in its first week of previews but Covid-19 forced it to close. Since then a new set of audio plays were developed in its place. Actor, Caroline Lee joins Richard to discuss Single Ladies Now a prequel to the aforementioned play. Set in Collingwood, the audio works were written as companions to the original piece.How well do you know your bushrangers? Can you name just one (most likely Ned Kelly) or many? A lesser-known bushranger, Captain Moonlite is the subject of author Garry Linnell’s latest book aptly titled Moonlite. Garry joined Richard to discuss the writing of Moonlite & also about why he feels Australian history should be retold so it’s more accessible and entertaining to both students and history lovers alike. Moonlite is out now via Penguin Books Australia.Welcome to the 2020 Festival | Melbourne FringeSingle Ladies Now | Red Stitch Actors' TheatreRed Stitch - Single Ladies Now | Aussie TheatreMoonlite - Garry Linnell | Penguin Books Australia

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, Angharad Jenkins, the struggles of pronouncing Welsh properly plus their new songs, I Fyw I Fôd (To Live and To Be) and Sosbahn Fach (Little Saucepan) - the story about just how crazy domesticity can be.Lastly, Danny Pearson MP, the new Minister for Creative Industries, chats to Richard about the announcement of the Victorian Creative Strategy and Survey. The survey is looking to hear from young people aged 15 to 25, First Nations People, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone else who feels as though their voices are not heard in order to make sure the resources, strategic focus, and intent are properly allocated to guide Victoria’s creative sector out of the Covid-19 pandemic.Season 2021 Guide | MSOBush Gothic | BandcampCreative Strategy Survey | Engage Victoria

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 Korean Film Festival of Australia, David Park joins the show to give an overview of this year’s edition of the festival as well as talk about the challenges all festivals have faced so far in 2020. Running from October 29th to November 5th, the full program will be available to anyone, anywhere in Australia for free!And lastly, what have you been doing during Covid-19? Have you been using this time for self-reflection and exercise or perhaps, because the gyms are closed, you’ve found the couch to be quite comfortable and chocolate has become your vice. Whatever you’ve been up to, we’ve all got something to confess in regards to our activities. Co-lead artist, Joseph Appleton, joins Richard to chat about the Corona Confessions project asking Melbournians to share their innermost thoughts and create a collective snapshot of the city during Covid-19. Organised by independent artist-collective, FLAG inc., you can submit your confessions via FLAG inc.’s website.The Story of the Moving Image | ACMIACMI is reopening in 2021, here's what to expect | BroadsheetCraft Contemporary | Craft.orgKorean Film Festival of Australia 2020FLAG inc | Corona Confessions

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 part of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art’s Defining Moments annual lecture series. It's about a 1994 exhibition that presented over 200 works on the subject of HIV/AIDS by more than 100 Australian and international artists, covering the scope and inception stories behind the exhibition.Lastly, Chaosium’s Michael O’Brien chats with Richard about tabletop games, RPGs, and Melbourne International Games Week's Big Games Night In happening on Sunday, October 4.Love Saves the Day | Neon Parc GalleryDon't Leave Me this Way | ACCA MelbourneChaosium | Home Games Week Melbourne

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 theatre student at Monash University, who shared their thoughts about the proposed closure of the university’s Centre for Theatre and Performing Arts.Fleur also talked about how COVID-19 has changed the manner in which theatre companies, actors, artists and others involved in the industry now operate.Australian Plays launches the NIMROD 50 Collection | Arts ReviewNIMROD 50 Collection | Australian PlaysThe Centre Cannot Hold | Witness PerformanceSave Our CTPWhy the "new normal" should be artist led | Arts Hub

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, Laresa Kosloff discusses Radical Acts, a darkly humorous and critical short film commissioned by Buxton Contemporary, assembled and edited entirely using stock footage as its medium. Radical Acts tells the fantastical story of frustrated climate scientists who devise a plan to ensure they’re no longer ignored.Still Life | No VacancySparks by Tom Civil | Backwoods GalleryLaresa Kosloff - Radical Acts | Buxton Contemporary

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 of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Janina Harding, joined Richard for an overview of the festival including a talk about the indigenous response to the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s voyage.Lastly, Richard spoke with Joel McGuiness, the Chief Executive Officer of the Geelong Arts Centre to chat about the centre’s ongoing August live streams and the package of grants released through its Creative Engine program to benefit artists and creatives of the Geelong and Surf Coast Shire area.Cairns Indigenous Art Fair | HomepageGeelong Arts Centre | HomepageGeelong Arts Centre | Creative Engine Grant

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 Monographs series of books published by Thames and Hudson. The series is a collection of small, compact books on an artist containing images of their most loved works accompanied by text written by someone outside of the art world. Lastly, Richard is joined by choreographer Prue Lang, who is involved in the Science Gallery’s Body / Insect / Machine, a work that explores the body, androids, artificial movement and intelligence on the one side and the body, human instinct, natural movement and nature on the other.Dramageddon | MWF DigitalNatalie King's Mini Monographs | Thames and HudsonScience Gallery | Body / Insect / Move

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 festival which has moved online amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Lastly, Creative Producer for Families and Children at Arts Centre Melbourne, Mary Harvey, discusses the launch of Bambert’s Lost Stories, a theatrical tale for families by Barking Gecko Theatre plus the complementary range of creative activities inspired by the show to keep young minds occupied during this time. Moonlite Radio-PlayMIFF | MIFF 2020Bambert's Book of Lost Stories | Arts Centre Melbourne

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 Precinct - AKA Collingwood Yards, Marcus Westbury chats to Richard about how the closing of arts precincts affected not only the venues themselves but the commercial outlets that also operate within these venues such as food and beverage outlets. Marcus also talked about the $300,000 grant from the Victorian Government issued to help venues such as the Collingwood Yards afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.suzannephoenix.com.au/isolation-portraits https://collingwoodyards.org/

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 his new exhibition Black Crow, which is available online via the Koorie Heritage Trust. Sansbury-Smith sees his art as a responsibility; a way to share his stories and culture with his family and those around him.Richard finishes with a discussion with Lena Nahlous, the Executive Director of Diversity Arts Australia, about their Creative Equity Toolkit. Nahlous hopes the kit can provide tools for people in the arts industry to have empowered conversations about the underrepresentation of CALD people in every area, and particularly in management. Nahlous would like to see organisations proactively challenging systemic racism.

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 her piece Peninsula Pearls, due to be unveiled in spring, next year.Richard follows with a conversation with Spiro Economopoulos, the Program Director of Melbourne Queer Film Festival, which had to cancel it's 2020 program only days after launching in March due to Covid-19. They've returned with a special Online MQFF streaming Festival built around representing the diversity of queer stories.Finally Richard talks with Simon Abrahams, the Creative Director and CEO of Melbourne Fringe about their new festival, VCR Fest 2020. Melbourne Fringe have engaged big-name artists to create special online content, including a new work by Zoë Coombs Marr. Abrahams hopes to be able to keep artists in paid work and to continue the important contribution of arts to the community.

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 going to resonate with the government can they at least understand that the individuals concerned here are workers. They are part of an economy that functions as an ecology and if you cut out any section of it you harm the whole thing."Next Richard is on the line with Ben Byrne, Founder and director of the Avantwhatever Festival, which bills itself as "an online festival of experimental music, sonic art and design." Byrne is not just interested in sonic art, he's also interested in the platform. He has concentrated on accessibility, both in the sense of securing alternative funding for the festival, and in ensuring that Avantwhatever is one corner of the internet that doesn't work to pull the user into a commercial space.Richard continues the conversation about arts funding with Esther Anatolitis, who is the Executive Director of the National Association For The Visual Arts. Anatolitis says that the funding available isn't reaching the artists who need it because it has not taken into account the reality of how arts workers earn their income.And finally a catch up with Fleur Kilpatrick for the Shoot the Messenger theatre segment. Kilpatrick appreciates artists' creativity, flexibility and resilience in creating new works that have embraced the mediums available during the pandemic.

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 experience and the way it has influenced artistic practice. "I have to thank the artists. It's quite incredible their resilience and their ability to shift the orientation of their work at quite short notice."Finally Richard chats with Dr Darrin Verhagen about his new projecting Remixing ACMI. Verhagen's research is on the relationship of sound to emotion in the context of the moving image. In collaboration with ACMI he has led a team to produce some creative re-mixes of archival works.

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, about an exciting new work that speaks to the COVID experience. Dear Australia is a collaboration of 50 Australian playwrights creating 50 "postcards" which will be livestreamed. The works diverge, but Berthold said a theme that has emerged is 'hope'.Finally Richard chats with Lesley Harding, the Artistic Director of Heide Museum of Modern Art, which is reopening with a retrospective of Joy Hester. Hester has been somewhat overlooked amongst her modernist contemporaries such as Albert Tucker and Sidney Nolan. This exhibition aims to showcase her powerful work to a wide audience.

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. The idea of a digital festival was in the works before the pandemic. Sexton doesn't want to simply use digital technology, but also to interrogate its place in our lives.Finally Richard talks with Jason Smith, Director and CEO of Geelong Art Gallery which is set to reopen on Monday 22nd June. Smith says that the work people have done to maintain engagement with the arts throughout the pandemic has been terrific, but nothing quite compares to being in the same room as an artwork.