On January 1st Chris Thompson the presenter of Behind the Scenes passed away. The time, effort and care Chris put into Behind the Scenes and all other programs he touched here at Vision Australia Radio are a tribute to his passion and dedication to Vision Australia Radio and the arts. 

Vision Australia Radio will always be indebted to Chris for his volunteering, and we share our deepest sympathies with his friends, family and colleagues. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris and his producer Mark put together some Summer Specials at the end of 2025 and with the blessing of his family we would like to share with you these Behind the Scenes specials.

Vision Australia Radio will always be indebted to Chris for his volunteering, and we share our deepest sympathies with his friends, family and colleagues. 

Summer Special #3 - Monday January 19, 2026

We kick off our third Behind the Scenes Summer Special for 2026 with Part 2 of our visit to Adelaide.

Over January we’ve been chatting with some remarkable people from the arts world - slightly longer chats about their lives and work. Some have joined us for the very first time, and others might have been familiar to you if you’re a regular listener. This week we focus on the State Theatre Company of South Australia when we meet designer Kathryn Sproul, who’s working on two shows in this year’s season as well as relatively new Artistic Director Petra Kalive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris and his producer Mark put together some Summer Specials at the end of 2025 and with the blessing of his family we would like to share with you these Behind the Scenes specials.

Vision Australia Radio will always be indebted to Chris for his volunteering, and we share our deepest sympathies with his friends, family and colleagues. 

SUMMER SPECIAL #2 – Monday January 12, 2026

Welcome to the second Behind the Scenes Summer Special for 2026. Over January we chat with some remarkable people from the arts world - slightly longer chats about their lives and work. Some will join us for the very first time, and others might be familiar to you if you’re a regular listener.

This week is part one of a two-part visit to Adelaide which, of course, means we will start with our regular Adelaide correspondent Elena Vereka but for a change, we’ll be talking about her work with InSite Arts – then she introduces us to dancer turned audio describer, Carol Wellman Kelly, before we catch up with Elena’s predecessor, our former Adelaide correspondent and Artistic Director of Patch Theatre, Geoff Cobham.

They’re all in Adelaide with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris and his producer Mark put together some Summer Specials at the end of 2025 and with the blessing of his family we would like to share with you these Behind the Scenes specials.

Vision Australia Radio will always be indebted to Chris for his volunteering, and we share our deepest sympathies with his friends, family and colleagues. 

Summer Special #1 - Monday January 5, 2026

This week we kick off our Behind the Scenes Summer Specials for 2026. Over January we chat with some remarkable people from the arts world - slightly longer chats about their lives and work. Some will join us for the very first time, and others might be familiar to you if you’re a regular listener.

First up, we meet a mother and daughter from a pretty famous artistic and musical family who both happened to release new albums at the end of last year. Tracey Miller has been a fixture of the music scene for around forty years - some might even say she’s a legend. Maybe she prefers ‘queen’ given that’s the title of her album – Queen of the Creek.

Tracey’s daughter Loretta Miller has also been around for a while, but while you’ll hear her voice on many other artists’ albums, she’s making her solo debut with a self-titled album, Loretta.

They both join Chris Thompson at his kitchen table to talk about their lives, about their music and, of course, about their new albums.

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Well, it’s that time of the year again when we look back at what we’ve been seeing on our big and small screens over the past twelve months. Marc Gracie is here for one last go around with our 2025 Screens&Streams Movie Wrap – what were our favourite movies and streamers? What were our biggest disappointments? What surprised us? And what are we looking forward to next year? You’ll get the answers to all these questions on this week’s special edition of the Behind the Scenes Movie Wrap with Chris Thompson and Marc Gracie right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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But first, let’s meet some people who are getting ready to help us kick off 2026 with some really great events.

First up, it’s the Peninsular Summer Music Festival which would explain why Melissa Doecke is back to let us know what she and Ben Opie have got lined up for us this year.

Then, it seems like Adelaide is taking over Arts Centre Melbourne in January when Patch Theatre returns with their sublime work for children – Zooom – and we’ll chat with our former Behind the Scenes Adelaide Correspondent Geoff Cobham, who also happens to be Artistic Director of Patch.

Then once Patch leaves the building, Gravity and Other Myths moves in with their high energy show, Ten Thousand Hours and we catch up with the company’s Co-Founder and Director of this production, Lachlan Binns.

And finally, Arena Theatre Company in Bendigo may not have anything planned for January, except maybe a farewell party for long-serving Artistic Director Christian Leavesley who, true to his name, is leaving.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we’re getting in early on the 2026 Midsumma Festival with CEO Karen Bryant who’s here to give us an overview of the whole programme… followed by Karan Nagrani whose festival show From Grndr to Blindr invites us to experience storytelling through the eyes of someone who's learning to live without sight.

And finally, some music to take us out from a Benson and Clem who go by the name Missing Opal and who, surprisingly write and record their music together even though Benson lives here in Naarm/Melbourne and Clem lives in London.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear my other conversations with Emilie Collyer – we spoke about her first collection – Do You Have Anything Less Domestic - on the December 12, 2022 show and we spoke about her play Super on the June 16 show this year - you’ll find them both on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again… talk with you next week… bye!

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After that, we’ve got a bit of music when we meet Anne Frankenberg CEO of Musica Viva Australia to find out what they’ve got programmed for 2026, followed by QiQi who’s followed up a successful Fringe season with a live album – Elysian Blues – recorded at this year’s Sleepless Festival AND a solo EP both of which will be launched this weekend at Tempo Rubato in Brunswick.

Then Marc Gracie’s here for a bumper, final Screens & Streams for the year ahead of our annual movie wrap at the end of the month.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, it's our last visit to Darwin for the year and Brown’s Mart Artistic Director Yvette Walker will be talking us through their recently released programme for 2026…

Then, it’s music all the way to the end of the show…

First up is young singer/songwriter and mental health advocate Harley Müller (aka Capes and Crowns) who’s just released a second single from his new album – Growing Pains…

…and then, Tim Richmond of the Tim Richmond Group fame has been recording songs since the early nineties and he’s just released a new solo album – The Taste…

We’ll meet both musos and listen to some of their music…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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…and then, to meet Co-Artistic Director of Rawcus Theatre Morgan Rose to chat about One Night Only, their new co-production with Jackson Castiglione for Darebin Arts Speakeasy…

After that, writer/director Demetra Giannakopoulos is here ahead of three return performances of her 2022 hit, Coming Out For Christmas a radio-play-style theatre performance about a young queer Australian-Greek woman who brings her Aussie girlfriend home for Christmas lunch… what could possibly go wrong…

And finally, Jayne Tuttle has followed up her first two memoirs – Paris or Die and My Sweet Guillotine with a third instalment, The Sea in the Metro… so that seems like a good time to catch up for a chat…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear the previous conversations with Jayne Tuttle – we spoke about My Sweet Guillotine in 2022 on the September 26 show and Paris or Die in 2019 on the December 16 show - you’ll find both on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again.

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Then, we meet author Roland Perry whose latest book Oliphant fills in the story of Australian Mark Oliphant whose work in nuclear physics was crucial to the development of the atom bomb – even if Christopher Nolan left him out of Oppenheimer…

And finally, Genevieve Morris is here to chat about her terrific solo performance in the MTC production of Benjamin Law’s adaptation of Cory Taylor’s Dying: A Memoir…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we’re off to Ballarat for a brand-new art experience – Sunnyside at the Ballarat Mining Exchange – and we’ll meet the first artist to exhibit there, UK based installation artist, Morag Myerscough.

After that, we’re in for a bit of Shakespeare when Th’Unguarded Duncan and Theatre Works present the Prague Shakespeare Company version of Titus Andronicus. We’ll meet Co-Directors Kevin Hopkins and Claire Nichols as well as actor and Prague Shakespeare Company Associate Director, Josh Morrison.

And finally, Jeremy Goldstein has been in South Africa working with Windybrow Arts Centre in Hillbrow on This Is Who I Am - an ongoing multidisciplinary, intercultural arts platform featuring live and online performances, photo portraits, exhibitions, workshops and dialogues.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, keeping on the topic of access, we’ll welcome Rachel Edward back to the show, this time in her capacity as Creative Producer for the Arts Access Supported Residential Services programme which is presenting Outside In/Inside Out, an exhibition of puppetry at the Schoolhouse Studios in Coburg

Then it’s time for Screens & Streams but before Marc Gracie drops by to talk about what we’ve seen on our big and small screens, we’ll have a chat with Sophie Somerville about her directorial debut with the feature film Fwends.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear longer conversations with Anna Molnar -Programme Manager: Disability, Arts Access and Inclusion at Arts Centre Melbourne AND Rachel Edward: Creative Producer, Arts Access Supported Residential Services Programme, you’ll find both on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

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Then we catch up with LA based Aussie comedian Monty Franklin who’s following up his highly successful Yeah, Nah tour with a new show called Is That Your Mate?

After that, we’ll chat with Ross Larkin about The Last Sunday in June, Firerock Productions’ new show at Chapel off Chapel…

And speaking of Chapel off Chapel, Russell Fletcher is back on the show, this time to talk about directing the upcoming spooky comedy The Haunting of Spook Mansion (by Ghosts)

And finally, a bit of music to take us out when we meet David Hyams who’s currently touring the country with Human Highway, his tribute to the great songs of Neil Young…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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After that, even though it’s not our week for Screens&Streams, we’ll check out the Irish Film Festival with Festival Director Dr Enda Murray…

Meanwhile, opera, monsters and pantomime will be taking over Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory when Bladderwrack opens there in a couple of weeks, and we’ll meet co-creator David Tredinnick…

Then, we catch up with Professor Wesley Enoch who amongst his many hats wears one that says Ambassador for the first ever AusArt Day…

And finally, a bit of music to take us out when we meet Nashville based singer-songwriter Imogen Clark to talk about her tour with Keziah Gill and her new album Choking on Fuel…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, it’s our final week of Fast Fringe – our effort to cram as many Melbourne Fringe Festival artists into four weeks of shows as we can.

This week you’ll meet…

Sammy J and his show Fiasco: A Burke and Wills Musical – Moira Finucane and students from Monash Uni with Chambers of the Heart – Lliam Amor who’s back to give us clues to Murder in the Graveyard, the latest Murder Village improvised murder mystery – Cat Sewell from Polyglot who’ve made Whirlwind, a new participatory arts experience for children – Sarah Bird Miller and Ria Soemardjo who are retelling the myths of Persephone and Demeter with What Lies Beneath – and, finally, Jo Raphael from Fusion Theatre who are performing The Weathering…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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So, our other Fast Fringe friends this week include Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Carly Sheppard in The Blok! - our favourite blind comedian Jeremy Moses who claims that he’s Hard to Work With – Stephen Wakefield from Museums Victoria to talk about Nocturnal – and Rebecca Jensen who’s choreographer and lead artist for Flesh Mirror in collaboration with Weave Movement Theatre…

After that, Marc Gracie is here for our usual chat about what we’ve seen on our Screens & Streams.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we meet Damon Branacki who’s here to talk about the Thursday Group whose latest production Falling Heads will follow up its Melbourne debut with a tour to Denmark…

After that, we catch up with Nancy Black from Black Hole Theatre who’ve been working hard on three new projects performing in regional Victoria – Journey of the Karen – Someone in the Dark - and the third – Sky Could Be Blue - provides a nice segue into our second week of Fast Fringe, our attempt to meet as many Melbourne Fringe Festival artists as possible in a short space of time…

After Nancy, the Fast Fringe chat just keep on rolling with first time playwright of A Guide to Being Immortal, Shane Woon - producer of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari with a live score, Johannes Luebbers – choreographer of The Break, Zoe Bastin – Creator (with FUZEensemble) of Beneath, Fleur Dean and young performer Mitchell Gee – and QiQi from Elysian Blues II

Whew! That’s a lot… and they’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then it’s a chat with author Rhonda McCoy about her new novel Crow…

…before we launch into this year’s Fast Fringe – quick chats with as many Melbourne Fringe artists as we can fit into the three weeks of the festival...

Melbourne Fringe CEO and Creative Director, Simon Abrahams, along with Deadly Fringe Programming Coordinator Peta Duncan are here to kick us off with our annual overview of the festival…

…before we get into it all with Alex Walker from House of Muchness and their Fed Square event – The Square…

…followed by a bit of unscripted mayhem with friends of the show, Sam Lohs and Rosie Burgess, better known as The Tuck Shop Ladies…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, we stick with literature for most of the rest of the show, catching up with Alison Booth whose eighth novel is Death at Booroomba, her first venture into historical crime fiction… and then much loved multi-award winning author Kate Grenville whose new book Unsettled takes her on a road journey into her own past and the often denied past of our own country post colonisation.

And finally, we’ll wrap up the show with a couple of the filmmakers - Sally Newman and Violeta Abarzua - whose short films are finalists in this year’s Focus On Ability festival again celebrating ability in all forms through the works of a diverse group of international filmmakers.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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…and then introduces us to Ben Francis who’s part of the retro vocal group The 60-Four who are celebrating their tenth birthday with a gig in Shepparton…

Meanwhile, back in Melbourne at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Fairfax Studio, playwright Daniel Keene, director Matt Sholten and actor Noni Hazelhurst have reunited after the success of Mother, to present The Lark, and we’ll catch up with the entire cast of the show, which is to say, with Noni herself…

Then it’s time for the Arts Projects Australia open day again, so we’ll drop in on their studio to meet artist Mark Smith and Jo Salt who’s Curator of their current exhibition Embodied, showing at their Collingwood Yards gallery…

And finally, it’s RUOK Day this Thursday, which means it’s time to catch up with RUOK Day Ambassador Aislinn Sharp and to listen to Replacing Feelings the new song she’s released for this year’s event…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, it’s a bumper edition of Screens & Streams starting with director Kate Woods who, 25 years after directing Looking for Alibrandi, is back on the big screen with the captivating family film; Kangaroo…

…and after that, Marc Gracie joins in for our usual round up of what we’ve seen on our big and small screens…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then it’s Spring in Darebin and that means it’s time for the FUSE Festival and we’ll meet this year’s Ganbu Gulin Curator in Residence, Ethan Savage…

Meanwhile, Bangarra Dance Theatre is back in town with a new work – Illume, and Daniel Mateo, one of the dancers for this performance is dropping by for a chat…

After that, much loved comedian John Clarke left us way too early and never wrote down his life story. So his daughter Lorin Clarke has done the job for him in her new doco – But Also John Clarke - and she’s here to tell us about it AND him …

And, just in case we didn’t get enough of McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery’s Music Curator Monica Curro at the start of the month, she’s back to tell us more about her last few Music on Sunday events for the year…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear Shane Carroll talking about Bangarra’s innovative audio description for dance, you can find her on the August 12 show from last year (2024) as well as a special longer conversation on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats…

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Then Chamber Made is taking over the public and hidden spaces of the Melbourne Recital Centre when they present Listening Acts – a programme of three live performances and six sound installations – and we’ll meet one of the artists – Aviva Endean – to find out what we’ll be listening to…

Meanwhile, the Bowlines trio is back with another live, improvised performance that could include echoes of classical, Norwegian, Indian, blues, klezmer, Balkan, Turkish , Greek, Irish, Scottish and jazz music styles. How do they fit all that in? Ernie Gruner is here to explain…

And finally, it might be our week to focus on Perth, but we’re sneaking in an artist from Adelaide when we meet young singer songwriter Zara Chantelle who’s just released a song about breakups that, oddly, is called Happiness…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Speaking of festivals, MUDfest – Melbourne Uni’s biennial student arts festival is back and one of its Co-Directors – Riya Gupta – will tell us about how this year’s theme – Refraction – has influence the programme…

Meanwhile, at Theatre Works Briony Dunn is adapting and directing The Machine Stops from a 1909 novella by EM Forster that predicted the internet, TED Talks and video calls…

And finally, Screens & Streams may be a week late, but we make up for it with a bumper edition when Marc Gracie drops in for a look at three movie franchises that are trying their best to maintain our interest…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then Producer and Musical Director Ben Samuel is here for a chat about Songs for a New World and to tell us why a Producer would add in more performers than the script actually calls for…

Then we’re off to the Royal Botanic Gardens with our ear buds in for a new episode of Sonica Botanica - the free self-guided listening experience set in the new climate-adapted Australian Drylands and we’ll find out what that means when we chat with Creative Producer Sally McPhee…

After that, we head down on the Peninsular Link to McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery where we’ll welcome back Music Curactor Monica Curro to find out what the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is doing there…

And finally, a very short Screens & Streams this week when Tom Middleditch swings by to let us know all the access arrangements we can take advantage of in this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. But fear not…  we’ve only delayed the arrival of Marc Gracie until next week when there’ll be a bumper Screens & Streams to make up for our tardiness…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, we drop in on Bloomshed’s rehearsals for their latest production – Pride and Prejudice – and talk Jane Austen, housing shortages and playdoh with James Jackson …

After that, Peter Knight is here to talk about his new album Too Long; Didn’t Read and why all the track titles are cloud names…

And finally, Melbourne Fringe is quite a way off, but we’re sneaking in a quick catch up with Creative Director Simon Abrahams to talk about First Trimester, one of its upcoming shows where you could be involved – as a sperm donor…  What’s all that about? That’s Simon’s job to explain…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson, right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Coming Home by Dr. Jenny Murray-Jones - a Yorta Yorta and Baraparapa artist whose work offers a poignant exploration of family reconnection, delving into themes of Country, Kinship, and the enduring impact of colonisation and institutional life.

Connections to Home showcases fifty artworks by revered Barkindji and Ngiyampaa Elder, Uncle Colin (Col) Clark.  including spears, shields, clubs, tapping sticks, digging sticks, boomerangs, didgeridoos, painted emu eggs, bowls, and paintings created over the past 20 years.

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Then, we’re back at the Koorie Heritage Trust for another walk and talk with Curator Gail Harradine – this time it’s through two exhibitions: Coming Home by Jenny Murray-Jones and Connections to Home by Uncle Col Clarke…

Meanwhile, at the Wyndham Cultural Centre in Werribee, you get a second opportunity to see the fantastic theatre performance – The Yellow Line, and we’ll meet Co-Writer and Co-Director Alaine Beek and performer Wiremu Morris…

And finally, if you’re a fan of Leonard Cohen, then you’ll probably want to hear Monsieur Camembert’s performance of Cohen Noir, a 35-year retrospective of his songs as we’ll discover when we meet Yaron Hallis…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear a longer Walk & Talk with Gail Harradine at the Koorie Heritage Trust OR my May 19 chat with Tyson Tuala  - creator/producer of The Yellow Line you’ll find BOTH on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again… talk with you next week… bye!

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Then, St Martins Youth Arts Centre’s Artistic Director Nadja Kostich isn’t in Melbourne – she’s in Darwin with St Martin’s beautiful, award-winning show Gene Tree: Listen. Now. Again. which has headed north for the Darwin Fringe Festival…

Meanwhile, at Arts Centre Melbourne, they’re gearing up for the opening of Monkey Baa’s production of Yong, a tale of Chinese Australians on the Victorian Goldfields and we’ll meet writer Jenevieve Chang…

And speaking of Monkey Baa’s (a bit of a tortured segue) we’ll finish the show out at The Incinerator Gallery for a walk and talk (and a climb on the monkey bars) at the fabulous, interactive Playground Project with visiting Curator Gabriela Burkhalter and City of Moonee Valley’s Head of Visual and Public Art, Jade Niklai…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, sticking with the NAIDOC Week theme and as a follow up to last month’s visit with Jacob, Alisha and Timothy at Confined16, we’ll be talking about another powerful exhibition of works by First Nations artists who’ve experienced incarceration presented by the Torch, this time in partnership with Heide Museum of Modern Art – it’s called Blak In Justice and its curator Kent Morris is on the line to talk about it.

After that there’s more from Darebin Speakeasy – this time it’s award-winning visual artist, installation artist, spoken word poet, and storyteller wani toaishara who’s about to present his solo show Garçon.

And finally, Marc Gracie is back for a bit of a catch up on what we’ve seen on our Screens & Streams…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear the artists Jacob, Alisha and Timothy talking about the Torch’s other project – Confined 16 it was on the June 9 edition of the show and you’ll find it on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again… talk with you next week… bye!

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Allara’s performance in the David Li Sound Gallery is on July 6 which is also the start of NAIDOC WEEK 2025.

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Then it’s music all the way for the rest of the show…

First up is Alex Watts who’s just released a very cool EP – Permission…

…then it’s welcome back Allara Briggs Pattison whose gig at Monash Performing Arts Centres next weekend will simultaneously round out the Blakout Festival AND see in the start of NAIDOC Week…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear a longer version of my conversation with Tim Wilson about Folk Architects you’ll find it on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

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Then we catch up with Sarah Hopkins who’s the CEO of Your Library – at least it’s your library if you live in the Knox, Maroondah or Yarra Ranges local council areas – confused? Well, Sarah clears it up when she tells us about LIBBY the ebook and audio book app that’s had more than one million borrowings already…

After that, we’ll chat with photographer and video artist Laki Sideris who’s part of the ngurrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain exhibition at Burrinja Gallery in Upwey.

And finally, Moira Finucane is best known for her work in burlesque, but she’s also knows a lot about Antarctica, and she’ll be sharing that knowledge with children when her kids show The Rockstar and the Krill opens at Monash Performing Arts Centres as part of Family Fiesta.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, we drop in on rehearsals for the remount of the smash hit Happy Go Wrong and find out what it’s like to revisit such a personal show after seven years when we chat with creator/performer Andi Snelling…

Meanwhile, the stage adaptation of the popular novel about the youngest soldier at Gallipoli – Soldier Boy – is about to open at Theatre Works and writer/adaptor Anthony Hill is here to talk about the difference between being the novelist and being the playwright…

And finally, yet another new play has just opened, this time at Red Stitch and poet, essayist and playwright Emilie Collyer will tell us about Super…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, even though the Comedy Festival is well over, there’s still funny stuff happening, and to prove it, we’ll meet comedian Chris Ryan and find out why she’s an Extreme Tennant…

Meanwhile, Polyglot’s Artistic Director Cat Sewell is playing in the Cubbyhood and if you’re wondering what that means, then you’re sure to find out from Cat…

And finally, it’s our annual visit to Confined, the exhibition of remarkable work by First Nations’ artists who’ve experienced incarceration…  usually, we’d be talking to curator Kent Morris but this year we’re mixing it up a bit by talking to three of the artists in the exhibition – Jacob, Alisha and Timothy…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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And speaking of shows opening, Belle Hansen’s production of Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information has just opened at Theatre Works and for a change of pace, we’ll chat with that show’s composer and sound designer Jack Burmeister…

Then, LOTS to talk about on Screens&Streams…  first up we’ll meet Finnish/Australian filmmaker Saara Lamberg who’s having their own film festival – Winter Warmers – at Henkel Street Cinema… then Richard Sowada is back to talk about this year’s St Kilda Film Festival…  AND we’ll look at one of the festival’s films screens as part of the festival’s Pride Without Prejudice event – a new short film – Found – written and directed by our very own Luka Gracie… and if that’s not enough screen culture for you, Marc Gracie is here as usual to chat about a couple of new movies we’ve seen…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we’re off to Monash Performing Arts Centres to find out about Blakout – six weeks of First Nation’s music, dance and storytelling running from Reconciliation Week (May 27 to June 3) to NAIDOC Week (July 6 to 13) and who better to tell us about it than MPAC’s Senior Producer First Nations, Tom Molyneux…

And while we’re at Monash University, let’s drop in on Professor Kim Marriott at MATS (the Monash Assistive Technology and Society Centre) to find out how his work and the work of his team is changing the lives of the blind and low vision community…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear my previous conversation with Kim Marriott about his book The Golden Age of Data Visualization, it was on the December 9 show last year and you’ll find it on our podcast page- just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats…

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Then we’re off to the Bowery Theatre in St Albans for the world premiere of The Yellow Line, a play that asks whether culture and connection can break the cycle of incarceration. We’ll meet Producer-Creator Tyson Tuala…

Meanwhile, at Darebin Arts Speakeasy, dance maker Sarah Aiken has a new work – Body Corp – and we’ll catch up with her to find out how easily the body in space merges with technology…

And finally, we’ll head up to Bendigo to catch up with Janice Donnelly to find out about the Bendigo Chorale’s latest performance – Songs of the Isles…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, Conductor Mario Dobernig is back to tell us about the latest Victoria Chorale and Art of Sound Orchestra performance – Jospeh Hayden’s The Creation…

After that we’ll visit Theatre Works not once but twice – first to chat with Director Teresa Izzard about her production of Shadowboxing – and then to chat with Director Maude Davey and Writer/Performer Myf Hocking about the Antipodes Theatre production of Storked…

And finally, some very cool music from Wild Gloriosa from the new EP Growing Pains…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, it’s time for the Melbourne Writers’ Festival and Vision Australia Radio is a media partner – so let’s do some media with Festival Director, Veronica Sullivan…

After that, it’s time for Screens & Streams, and we’ll start with Elysia Zeccola from Palace Films for a chat about the German Film Festival…  before Marc Gracie drops by to talk about what we’ve seen on our big and small screens…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then it’s time for the Yirramboi Festival again and we’ll sit down with Co-Leads Sherene Stewart and J’Maine Beezley to find out all the good stuff…

And then a bit of music to finish off the show…  new instrumental dance group Intermood have released their debut album – Casuarina – so, we’ll listen to a couple of tracks and chat with drummer Miles Murray…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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…and speaking of Linden New Art, and exhibition we missed last year has been captured in a beautiful book – I’m A Believer by artist Michelle Hamer capturing her exploration of the invalidation and dismissive language we often encounter in healthcare systems all over the world…

And why not spend the whole show in galleries…  we’ll finish up at McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery where Monica Curro is rolling out a fabulous new programme of Music on Sundays…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we’re off on a bit of a nostalgia trip at the Museum of Australian Photography when we check out The Basement, their exhibition devoted to celebrating the Photography Course at Prahran College from 1968 to 1981 and we’ll meet photographer Paul Lambeth who was there as a student AND there on opening night…

Meanwhile, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is still going so let’s catch up with comedian Anisa Nandaula who’ll tell us why You Can’t Say That…

…and then let’s drop in on Gasworks for a bit of Berlin Burlesque from the Lyttelton Circus Theatre Company and we’ll chat with David Ladderman… who is either a narrating juggler or a juggling narrator…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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First show of the month means a visit from Theatre Network Australia and this month we catch up with Josh Lowe who’ll also introduce the TNA member of the Month – Bina Bhattacharya from PYT Fairfield Theatre for young and emerging artists…

Then, Amanda Douge is an Australian actor and Theatre Maker who’s been living in the UK where she’s been investigating the intersection between theatre and the climate crisis…  and she’s brought part of that investigation – Rosa Luxemburg and I - back home for a one night showing and discussion at the Abbotsford Convent…

Ross Judd is a consultant in communication management, and he’s brought together many of the things he’s learned over the years into a book about – exactly what its title says – Listening…

And finally, it’s Screens&Streams time again with Marc Gracie and a whole bunch of new films…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, New Zealand theatre company – A Slightly Isolated Dog – has made the trip across the ditch to bring us their latest production – Jekyll and Hyde…  we were to catch up with company members Jonathan Price and Andrew Paterson but sadly, they’ve gone AWOL but never fear… in their place we’ll meet Phillipe and Julie…  who might well be in the production, or maybe not…

Then, it’s two for price of one when Rueben Kaye drops by to talk about playing the iconic role of Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar PLUS what he’s got in store for us with his latest Melbourne International Comedy Festival show…

And speaking of the Comedy Festival, UK comedian and occasional equine Elf Lyons claims to have the first comedy show ever performed entirely by a horse…  appropriately titled…  Horses…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, author Maryrose Cuskelly is back to talk about her new book – The Campers…  which she’s referring to as Neighbourhood Noir…  what’s that about? And if it’s noir, who is the homme fatale?

And finally, award winning opera singer Piera Dennerstein is Pursuing Pleasure…  at least that’s the name of her show, and we’ll find out whether her pursuit pays off…  and listen to a bit of a song…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, at Theatre Works, they have a brand new building in their back stage area and a brand new show – The Three Sisters – in their onstage area…  so it’s a good time to drop in on Executive Director and Creative Producer Dianne Toulson…

Meanwhile, Vision Australia Radio is an official sponsor of the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, so why don’t we chat with Community Learning Officer Silvia Velez and featured  author Holden Sheppard…

And finally, let’s head up the Hume Highway to the Albury Entertainment Centre where blind singer and former Voice contenstant Julee-Anne Bell is collaborating with pianist Melissa Buchholz to bring us Perfectly Imperfect – Songs and Stories of Life, Love and Laughter…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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So, our first guest this week is trans playwright Eva Rees who’s new psychological thriller, Djuna is about to open as part of Darebin Speakeasy…

Then, it’s a bumper edition of Screens & Streams…

…starting with Sian Mitchell who returns to the show to let us know all the good things she’s got in store for us at this year’s Melbourne Women in Film Festival…

…then we’ll meet Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Producer of the new Australian film My Melbourne which has just hit the local cinema screens and will soon be on screens in India…

And finally, Marc Gracie is here for a debrief on this year’s Oscars and some thoughts on some of the contenders for best picture…  did the Academy get it right?

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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After that, Susie Dee is back for a chat – this time about THREE different show’s she directed…  Rodeo Clown and I’m With Her at HotHouse Theatre… and the new Patricia Cornelius play Truth at The Malthouse…

Then we catch up with Captain Fish AKA Bill Marshall to tell us what we’ll experience at this year’s Festival of Surrealisms…

And finally, it should be Screens & Streams this week, but it’s Oscar night! So we’ve decided to hold off until next week when we can reflect on the gongs and the snubs…  but we still have a movie to talk about…  twenty-two years after David Wenham as Johnny ‘Spit’ Spitieri made his famous run down the street wearing only thongs and underpants in Gettin’ Square, he’s back in the eponymous sequel Spit – and we’ll ask screenwriter Chris Nyst why it took so long…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we’re off to the Pacific Islands to talk about two works coming soon to AsiaTOPA… our first stop is New Zealand/Aotearoa where we’ll meet FAFSWAG’s Tanu Gago, Producer of Sauniga… and then we’re off to Java to meet Melati Suryodarmo, creator of Lapse…

Meanwhile, in regional Victoria and regional South Australia, three leading youth theatre companies – Arena Theatre, D’Faces of Youth and Riverland Youth Theatre - have joined forces for a unique production of HG Wells War of the Worlds, and Arena’s Artistic Director Christian Leavesley is here to tell us how that partnership works…

And finally, Morning Melodies at Arts Centre Melbourne is turning 40 and we’ll chat with one of the performers in this year’s programme, singer and storyteller Darren Coggan…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, even though the Midsumma Festival is done and dusted, one of its exhibitions is still going strong and Jake Treacy, Curator at the Incinerator Gallery walks and talks us through Chthonic Chorus…

Meanwhile, at Northcote Town Hall, Darebin Arts Speakeasy is underway with Tantrum for 6 and choreographer Harrison Ritchie-Jones is here to tell us about it…

And finally, we get a bit more of AsiaTOPA when co-creator of Opera for the Dead (祭歌), Monica Lim, is here to tell us why there are no seats for this immersive performance…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, it’s St Kilda Festival time again and that’s a good reason to chat with City of Port Philip Mayor Louise Crawford to find out what they’ve got lined up for us this year…

Meanwhile, in the lead up to AsiaTOPA we’ll talk with celebrated photographer and visual artist William Yang who’s teamed up with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to make Milestone, a look back at fifty years of social change and the evolution of our bohemian artist community…

Over at Theatre Works, they’re gearing up for a gothic suburban horror show in which, it seems, the Monster’s name is Jerry. Writer, Amy May Nunn is here to tell us how all that relates to having kids…

And finally, this Thursday, February 13 is World Radio Day and this year’s environmental theme matches quite nicely with Limb: Ode to the Trees, a new show about to premier as part of Flinders Fringe on the Mornington Peninsular and we’ll meet two of its creators, Sally Grage-Moore and Carole Patullo…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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…and speaking of Midsumma AND Theatre Works, we’ll also be catching up with writer/performer/songwriter Ella Filar and Director Kevin Hopkins to talk about their Midsumma entry – The Butcher The Baker…

And finally, it’s our first Screens&Streams segment for the year which means Marc Gracie is here and Luka Gracie is with him to the throw in his two cents worth on what we’ve seen on our big and small screens (In fact, this month it’s Big Screens all the way!)

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

PLUS - If you’d like to hear more of the conversation with Jeremy Goldstein, you can catch it on the Behind the Scenes Podcast page - just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine and you’ll find this and all our other episodes and bonus chats… plus if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Theatre Works/Midsumma Festival season is the first time Truth to Power Café has been seen in Melbourne.

In addition to speaking about the show, Jeremy also reflects on his time with ActUP in the 80s and 90s, working with Handspan Theatre and Melbourne Fringe and with Penny Arcade in London.

An edited version of that conversation went to air on the February 3 edition of Behind the Scenes, but here is the complete, unedited version. It’s a lovely conversation and well worth the listening.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meanwhile, back in Melbourne at the City Gallery, we catch up with Patrick Pound for a walk and talk through his latest curated collection, The Museum of Falling where the challenge is to find the connection between the many objects on display and the various ways we think about falling.

And then finally, we’re at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall for a sit down with the Australian Art Orchestra’s Artistic Director, Aaron Choulai to find out about Ane Ta Abia, their collaboration with the Tatana Village Choir from Papua New Guinea who’ll be performing as part of AsiaTOPA.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They both have new albums – Cinta’s album Worth Control came out late last year and Ella’s album Through Blood Like Kin, will be out later this year.

In November last year we caught up with them both but you only heard an edited version of our conversation. This is your chance to hear the whole thing PLUS a selection of their songs – you’ll hear Cinta sing Walls and More Than Enuff from the new album – as well as Bang Up To The Elephant, a very cool instrumental from her previous album Feel Good. You’ll also hear Ella sing Good For Me and My Father from her previous album Moments Between Dreams – but to get us started, we hear Ella with the first single from her soon to be released album – Walk On.

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At the end of last year, RJ was a guest on the December 16 episode of Behind the Scenes… if you missed it, all is not lost – just search for Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes wherever you get your podcasts and you can hear that show and any others you might have missed, or want to hear again…

If you did catch that episode, you only got to hear an edited version of that conversation. Tonight is your chance to hear the whole thing PLUS a selection of songs from RJ’s new Joyslam album – Spirit Star.

We play Misfortune, Real World, Spirit, Set The World and Drum Beats…  BUT we start off with another track from that album – Who Do You Want To Be…?

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ll chat with Simon Myers to hear what gigs are coming up at MEMO Music Hall in ST Kilda…

We’ll chat with Melissa Doecke to find out what she and Ben Opie have planned for the 2025 Peninsular Summer Music Festival…

Plus we’ll meet Giovanni Adams who plays Ike Turner in the fabulous Tina: The Tina Turner Musical….

AND, just for good measure, we’ll welcome back Aislinn Sharpe who’s just released a new single… AND a bit of Christmas music from two or three of the stars appearing at this year’s Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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How many artworks can you see at Linden New Art’s annual Postcard Show and how can you get an audio described tour of the exhibition? Best we ask Linden New Art Curator Hamish Sawyer.

How do you capture the magic of an Alison Lester book in a live performance on stage? Best we ask the creative mind who adapted Imagine Live from her book Imagine – Jolyon James.

And who is Canada’s premiere Aboriginal Funk Rock Recording Project? Best we ask RJ Martine from Joyslam.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Meanwhile, in Japan, singer/songwriter Laurier Tiernan (who we met some time ago as one half of the group Nature Airliner) has just released Descending, a new album – except that it’s not really – it’s actually his very first solo album re-released after twenty years.

Back in Naarm/Melbourne it’s time for our annual visit to the Koorie Art Show with Gail Harradine at the Koorie Heritage Trust and we’re also just in time to get excited about a Very Koorie Kristmas…

And speaking of Christmas, the Victoria Chorale and the Art of Sound Orchestra are about to head into St Paul’s Cathedral for their Christmas Celebration and Conductor Dr Mario Dobernig returns to the show to tell us what he’ll be conducting…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, Theatre Works’ final show for the year is Skating in the Clouds and its writer, Clare Mendes will tell us what kind of skating that is, and what it has to do with Juli Gillard…

After that, Stuart Maunder is back to tell us what Victorian Opera has on offer for 2025…

And finally, it’s our last Screens & Streams for the year and Marc Gracie is nowhere in sight (but he’ll be back for our annual wrap up) Sitting in for Marc, his first appearance for quite a while, is former kids’ films reviewer, Gully Thompson.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, I drop in on Next Wave where Jacina Leong and Frances Robinson can tell us about their exciting new strategic plan…

Meanwhile, the Bendigo Brass Band and the Bendigo Chorale are joining forces for a spectacular Christmas concert and Janice Donnelly will spill the beans about what they’re playing…

And at Melbourne Theatre Company Ilbijerri Theatre is rehearsing Blak In The Room and I catch up with Directors Rachael Maza, Amy Sole and Kamarra Bel-Wykes…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, I’m down on the banks of the Birrarung/Yarra River with author Dr Judith Buckrich to talk about her new book which, of course, is all about the Birrarung/Yarra

Meanwhile, at ArtsHouse in North Melbourne, immersive theatre group Zaffe is throwing a wedding party unlike anything you’ve ever seen and Taj Aldeeb is here to invite us along…

And finally, a bit of music from our old friend Ernie Gruner who’s soon to be playing new, improvised and surprising music with Bowlines at Prana House in Thornbury…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, Australia’s first and only environmental festival – the Mountain Festival - is about to kick off near Mt Macedon and its founder and Director Sonia Orchard will tell us what’s in the programme…

Meanwhile, La Mama Theatre is about to launch its Festival of Mother Tongues – a celebration of the diversity of languages spoken in our communities and we’ll drop in to LaMama HQ to chat about it with Dora Abraham and Deakin Uni Interns Dustin Waters and Jonas Saw…

And finally, two great Australian singer-songwriters have new singles out ahead of new albums in the not too distant future. Both Ella Haber and Cinta create compelling songs delivered in soulful mesmerising voices so how exciting to find out they’re touring together… so that’s a good excuse to meet them both and hear their new music,,,

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then a bit of music from Oscar nominated, BAFTA Award winning composer David Hirschfelder who’s collaborating with renowned Chinese Harp artist, Mindy Meng Wang, to performing compositions inspired by ancient Chinese poems at Darebin Arts Centre.

Then it’s time for Screens & Streams…

…and first up, we’ll meet Luke Rynderman who, with Adam Kamien has co-written and co-directed the fascinating true crime documentary The Speedway Murders…

…after which, Marc Gracie will be along for our regular look at what we’ve seen on our big and small screens…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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After that, we’ll meet Communications Manager and Performer Madeleine Magee-Carr from WIT Theatre who are soon to open their new play First Love is the Revolution…

Meanwhile, it’s Melbourne Queer Film Festival time again and we’ll meet David Cook - writer, director and performer from Heart of the Man which is one of the 42 feature films in this year’s line up…

Then, the Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival is back with a terrific line up of artists and we catch up with just one of them - the fabulous Hetty Kate and her band Bass to the Power of Two…

And finally, it’s that time of the year when everyone’s telling us what they got planned for next year. Last week it was the MSO and this week it’s MPAC and Executive Director of Monash Performing Arts Centres, Paul Grabowsky will tell us what to expect…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, if you were listening to Melbourne Fringe Creative Director Simon Abrahams a few weeks ago you’d know that even though the Naarm/Melbourne programme is done and dusted, there still a bit to go in Djilang/Geelong, so here are two more artists for our final week of Fast Fringe…

First up we meet Tash York from Tash York’s Happy Hour…  and then Kyle Page from Wayfinder…

After that, we’ll meet the relatively new Director of Programming for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Moore to talk about the 2025 Programme AND the imminent Beethoven Festival…

And finally, composer Edwin Montgomery will introduce us to his live score for the 1922 version of Nosferatu to be played for Hallowe’en along with a screening of the classic film…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, another four Melbourne Fringe artists are here for our third week of Fast Fringe… this week we meet…

Acclaimed writer, Van Badham whose political thriller Werewolf is at Arts Centre Melbourne…

Dominic Weintraub from PonyCam who promise to both feed and entertain us with Feast…

Fringe Living Legend Moira Finucane who’s celebrating 20 years since The Burlesque Hour with Global Smash Club…

And Harley Mann from Na Djinang Circus and Circa Cairns who are ‘In Place’ at the Footscray Community Arts Amphitheatre…

And finally…  ANOTHER festival is about to kick off and Christian Serrao from Untitled Group is here to tell us about the line up for this year’s AbilityFest…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

PLUS - If you’d like to hear more of the conversation about AbilityFest with Christian Serrao, you can catch it on the Behind the Scenes Podcast page - just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine… and if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

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Proudly supported by Vision Australia Radio, Ability Fest is designed to ensure everyone can experience live music, regardless of ability. With tickets priced at $60 (plus booking fees), fans can enjoy an incredible lineup featuring Ocean Alley, Kita Alexander, Cub Sport, ONEFOUR, Bag Raiders, King Stingray, Asha Jefferies, and more. The festival kicks off on October 19 at Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne (ages 16+), with a second show in Brisbane's Victorian Park on October 26.

Chris and Christian discuss the behind-the-scenes efforts to make festivals like Ability Fest more inclusive for people with disabilities.

100% of ticket sales from Ability Fest go to the Dylan Alcott Foundation, helping young Australians with disabilities pursue their dreams.

For more details, visit AbilityFest.com.au.

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Luke Hockley who’ll invite us to the Big Sing Your Heart Out…

Sarah Kriegler from Lemony S Puppets whose been working with Deniz Aslan to create Ada Asmin and the Analytical Engine based on the life of Ada Lovelace (and if you don’t know who she is, you should)

And Patricia Cornelius who has a new play Bad Boy directed by Susie Dee and performed by Nicci Wilkes…

Then it’s on to the AlterState festival and we’ll drop in on Transmit Futures for a chat with ensemble members Linnie Jane Marsh, Mark Smith, Ann Hantzolos, Support Artist Lily Primmer, and Director Andi Snelling while they’re rehearsing The Manifesto…

And we’ll carry AlterState over into this month’s Screens & Streams so we can catch up with The Other Film Festival’s Artistic Director Fiona Tuomy before Marc Gracie comes along talk about what we’ve seen on our big and small screens during September…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! If you’d like to hear more of the conversations with Andi Snelling and Transmit Futures OR Fiona Tuomy from The Other Film Festival they’re both on the Behind the Scenes Podcast Page - just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine… and if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up is Joshua Pether, relatively new CEO of Arts Access Victoria PLUS director of Phases for the AlterState festival (and Josh is joined by VCA student performer Lexi Smith)…

And while we’re on AlterState we’ll catch up with Kath Duncan to talk about Specials!  her show at Arts House…

Our second TNA Member of the Month is Clair Korobacz from One Step at a Time Like This who are producing Transmission: Into the Dark, a spooky secret performance radio based Fringe performance…

And speaking of Melbourne Fringe, we’re doing Fast Fringe again this year – quick chats with a whole bunch of artists who are part of the festival… this week it’s Jeremy Moses who’s performing Hear/See No Evil with Emilie Biggar – then Patrick Livesey, writer and performer of I Hope This Means Something – James Howard who’s performing in Gikilangangu Wergaia for Deadly Fringe – Ben Noble, writer of The Dilly Dally of Death & Dying – and Rebecca Jensen, one of four choreographers for Four Sites at the Abbostford Convent…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then it’s time for some festival mayhem…  first up will be Melbourne Fringe and we’ll make our annual visit to the office of Creative Director Simon Abrahams who’ll be joined by Deadly Fringe Programme Coordinator Peta Duncan…

Then we’ll get a head start on the festival with Liam James from Linden New Art who’ll talk us through Design Fringe…

…before we drop into DanceHouse to meet performer David Baker and director Milly Cooper who are just one part of Weave Movement Theatre’s production, The Solos…

And finally, Fringe isn’t the only festival in town which we’ll find out when Creative Lead Jodee Mundy joins us to talk about AlterState…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we meet another playwright, who’s also a psychologist and those two experiences come together in Grazia Marin’s new play Why Can’t Women Be Like Men?

After that, even though it’s not our week for Screens & Streams, we’re off to the movies… first of all with the brand new Young Australian Film Festival and we’ll meet one of its founders; Alexander Dymalovski

Plus we’re about to see the return of the Italian Film Festival and Elysia Zecolla is back to tell us what she’s got lined up for us…

And finally, I catch up mutli-award winning author and now screenwriter, Craig Silvey, to talk about the adaptation of his book Runt…

They’re all on this wee’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we’ll drop in on the Koorie Heritage Trust where Curatorial Manager Gail Harradine will again be our guide for a walk & talk – this time for the exhibition Let’s Shake, an installation of 200 plaster casts of different handshakes created by the late Karen Casey…

Then we’re back out to Monash Performing Arts Centres where First Nations’ writer/performer Glenn Shea presents his work Three Magpies Perched in a Tree which includes the recorded voice of the much-missed Uncle Jack Charles…

And finally, Ganbu Gulin, means “One Mob” in Woi-Wurrung language. It’s also a family event being presented as part of the Fuse Darebin Spring Festival and we’ll chat with Curator in Residence Allara Briggs Patterson…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then it’s an extended Screens & Streams this month – of course Marc Gracie will be here to talk about what we’ve been watching on our big and small screens – but before he arrives, we’re off to the USA to meet author Robert E Eliot who’s written not one but two books about his theories for how we might view two iconic films by two iconic directors…  Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we catch up with a couple of new music releases…  the first is The Making of Silk from jazz-soul singer-songwriter Allysha Joy…

And the second is In The Space You Carry, the first solo album from the founder of Beloved Records, Darvid Thor…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then, Daniel Keene is back to talk about the Arts Centre Melbourne production of his play Mother -  a solo performance from the always fantastic Noni Hazelhurst…

After that, we drop in on ArtPlay where it’s raining inside – well. sort of. Rain is an interactive installation for children and families and we chat with two of its creators – Sarah Lockwood and Zoë Barry…

And then a real treat to go out on…  a song and a chat from Mama Alto whose latest show Songs for my Father is coming to Monash Performing Arts Centres…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

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Then we meet Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, Director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne to find out what she’s got in store for us in the festival’s fifteenth year…

Meanwhile, comedians Alex Lee and Lewis Garnham are on their couch GoggleBox style watching ads not programmes and commenting on how prevalent gender stereotypes are and how out of touch that is with contemporary society… it’s an initiative of Women’s Health Victoria called shEqual and Campaign Creative Director Jess Lilley will tell us where we can find it…

Then, Bangarra Dance Theatre is set to return to Arts Centre Melbourne with Horizon later this month and we’ll meet Shane Carroll who’s responsible for Bangarra’s Audio Described Performance Initiative…

And finally, the Victoria Welsh Choir is set for a big event in Bendigo next month and Keva Lloyd is here to tell you how you could get involved…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we’ll meet Irine Vela from The Resonant Heart who are presenting The Heart Whispers and Whirls – a night of poetry, song, dance and shadow puppetry – as the first of three nights of eclectic theatre experiences at Kingston Arts…

Then, it’s time for Screens & Streams and we’ll start by meeting Tom Middleditch, the Access Coordinator for the Melbourne International Film Festival before Marc Gracie joins in to talk about what we’ve seen on our big and small screens.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you imagine an event where the set is a writing desk at which you’re invited to write an obituary for Mother Earth at a venue which is a 200 metre stretch of beach with a running time that’s determined by the tides, then you’ll have a bit of an idea as what Nature Obituary is… but we’ll find out a lot more about it when we catch up with  creator Janenne Willis…

Only about 2% of almost 600m statues we find in public spaces around Melbourne represent women…  the rest are of men and animals. Well, a state government initiative is aiming to address that imbalance with the Victorian Women’s Public Art Programme and we’ll chat with McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery’s Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Byrne about how it’s going to happen…

And finally, Victorian Opera is celebrating a century since the death of Giacomo Puccini with a production of his work La Rondine and VO Artistic Director Stuart Maunder will talk to us about that old opera AND about a new opera they’ve got coming up later in the year…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, it’s time for the Scandinavian Film Festival again and the Icelandic Film Centre’s, Christof Wehmeieer is in town to tell us all about it…

And then, a special treat for the rest of the show when the Creative Producer for Special Projects at the Royal Botanic Gardens – Kara Ward – takes us on an extended walk & talk through the astounding sensory experience that is Lightscape…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear last October’s conversation with Rosealee Pearson, you can find it HERE -  or just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine… and if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arts Access Victoria might not have been around for the Moon landing, but it got its start pretty soon after and Sabina Knox and Geof Robinson will walk & talk us through The Collective, their fiftieth birthday exhibition at the Meta Market…

If you were listening to the show at the start of June you might have heard a conversation with Efren Pamilacan, Artistic Director of the street dance orgnaistion Cypher Culture… well, now you can meet the Executive Director Geoffrey Lim as a follow up to that earlier story…

And finally, in April last year Gabrielle Leah New was here to talk about Reclaim the Crone a performance by a group of ‘dangerous older women’…  well, that show is back, and one of those ‘dangerous older women’ - Karen Berger – is here to give us an update on the new season at Theatre Works…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’d like to hear the conversation with Cypher Culture Artistic Director Efren Pamilacan it was on the June 3 edition of the show which you’ll find HERE

OR if you’d like to hear an extended version of the walk and talk around the Arts Access Victoria exhibition, you can find that HERE

OR if you’d like to hear Gabrielle Leah New talking about Reclaiming the Crone, she was on the April 17 show last year  and you can find that HERE) - 

OR just put Vision Australia Radio Behind the Scenes into your favourite podcast search engine… and if you subscribe, you’ll never have to search for an episode or our bonus material again…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off with InSite Arts’ Elena Vereka who’ll catch us up on the latest in her neck of the woods before introducing her local guest artist… muralist Scott Rathman…

Then, we’re back at the Koorie Heritage Trust but this time we’re with Curator Gail Harradine who walks & talks us though their current exhibition; JXSH MVIR: FOREVER I LIVE… (and check out the podcast of the June 24 edition of Behind the Scenes, to hear Public Programmes Coordinator Gemma Jones tell us what else is on at KHT during NAIDOC Week)

After that, we drop in on Ilbijerri Theatre Company’s rehearsals for their latest production, a remounted adaptation of Declan Furbar Gillick’s play Scar Trees and we’ll chat with Director Amy Sole and Producer Joel Stevens…

And finally, we’re back with Yirra Yaakin where they’re in rehearsal for a new production of Brothers Wreck and we’ll catch up with playwright Jada Alberts…

They’re all on this week’s special NAIDOC Week edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then, it’s school holiday time which is why the Young Australian Broadway Chorus is presenting Shrek The Musical (jr) and we’ll catch up with Musical Director Chelsea Plumley…

Then, it’s time for Screens & Streams and this month we’ll start with the Spanish Film Festival which means we say welcome back to Benjamin Zeccola from Palace Films – after which Marc Gracie and I are joined by Luka Gracie who’s not only got some thoughts about Inside Out 2, but is also in the middle of making a short film…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we’ll check out an opportunity for you to get up close and personal with some puppet making when Golden Scissor Puppets continue their workshop residency at the Motley Bauhaus and we’ll meet the person behind the puppets, Opal…

After that, with only a fortnight to go before NAIDOC Week, it’s seems like a good time to visit the Koorie Heritage Trust where Gemma Jones who’s in charge of Public Programmes will let us know how many free events and activities they’ll be running over the week…

And finally, if you were a fan of the 60’s UK rock and roll sensations The Animals whose hits like The House of the Rising Sun, We Gotta Get Outta This Place and many more put them on the world stage after only releasing two singles… them you’ll want to know about The Animals Final Encore Tour playing venues all over the country and we get to have a chat with founding member and drummer John Steel…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meanwhile, at Theatre Works, Francis Greenslade is showing us that in addition to being a well known and popular actor, he is also a writer and director…  and he’s here to talk about his production of The Platypus…

Then, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is about to pay tribute to legendary composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach with What the World Needs Now at Hamer Hall and the equally legendary Caroline O’Connor is here to tell us which selections from his amazing songbook she’ll be singing…

And finally, at Chapel off Chapel, Finucane and Smith are back with a new production of their not-quite-new play The Exotic Lives of Lola Montez and we’ll chat with playwright Jackie Smith, director Moira Finucane and actor Caroline Lee…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meanwhile, at LaMama, there’s about to be Blood in the Water and to find out why, we’ll drop in on rehearsals for a chat with playwright Jorja Bentley and director Tansy Gorman…

And finally, a bit of music to take us out… singer/songwriter Rowena Wise has committed Senseless Acts of Beauty – which is her new album and in between chatting with her we’ll listen to a couple of tracks…

It’s all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then we’re off to Theatre Works for a chat with playwright Jodi Gallagher who’s written Ghosts, a new adaptation of the 1882 play by Henrik Ibsen…

After that, we hop over to Red Stitch Theatre Company to meet Director Tom Healey and actors Sarah Sutherland and Jack Twelvetree to find out about their current production of Blackout Songs…

And finally, it’s Screens & Streams; our regular movie review segment with Marc Gracie…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Then Back to Back is back with a new show called Multiple Bad Things and we’ll meet Co-Director Tamara Searle…

After that we’re up the Western Highway to meet Dr Greer Honeywill, curator of Lost in Palm Springs, Art Gallery of Ballarat’s latest exhibition – a multi-disciplinary response to the mid-century landscape and architecture of Palm Springs, California… and right here in Australia…

And finally, some music from violinist, vocalist and composer Véronique Serret who has a new album called Migrating Bird…

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.