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.
About this program
Visual art, theatre, film and literature. Segments include:
- 'Art Attack' - fortnightly visual arts reviews with Ace Wagstaff and Tai Snaith.
- 'Shoot the Messenger' - fortnightly theatre news & reviews with Fleur Kilpatrick.
- 'Drawn Out' - monthly chat about comic books and graphic novels with Bernard Caleo.
Please email talks@rrr.org.au for all interview requests.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Richard Watts has many years experience working in the arts industry, including five years as the Artistic Director of the youth arts organisation Express Media, seven years on the Board of Melbourne Fringe (including three years as Chair), and six years on the Committee of Management at La Mama Theatre, where he currently serves as Chair. Richard has helped program a range of festivals including Next Wave, the National Young Writers' Festival, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the Emerging Writers' Festival (which he founded) and he has written for various broadsheets, journals, zines and magazines. Currently he pays the rent by working as the Performing Arts Editor at www.artshub.com.au. In his spare time he watches old Doctor Who episodes.
The podcast intro and outro theme is Soft Illusion and was generously provided by Andras.
https://andras.bandcamp.com/track/soft-illusion
