Josh Lowe is here for out Theatre Network Australia spot this month and he’ll introduce us to the TNA member of the Month, lighting designer Lucy Birkinshaw…   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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our week to start in Darwin with Sophia Hall from Brown’s Mart who gives us her highlights of the Darwin Festival before introducing her local guest artist –  Natalie Leysley, a Torres Strait Islander multi-disciplinary artist and co-founder of Upai Purri, Darwin’s traditional Torres Strait Island dance group. 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boola Bardip WA Museum’s Helen Simondson is here with her Perth round up and, of course, a local guest artist… Olivia Davies – Composer in Residence with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.   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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elena Vereker from InSite Arts gets us off to a start this week with a round up of what’s happening in Adelaide PLUS her local guest multi-disciplinary artist, Catherine Fitz-Gerald…   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.

It's the first show for August and we’ve got Theatre Network Australia Board member Sue Giles here to give us a TNA update and let us know what she’s been up to as President of ASSITEJ International AND to introduce James Jackson from Bloomshed as the TNA member of the Month…   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.

The contribution of Queer artists to Australian performing arts history has largely gone untold – until now. Queering the Collection from Arts Centre Melbourne is an eight-episode audio series which looks at notable items from the Australian Performing Arts Collection and the Australian Queer Archives and captures conversations with nine prominent LGBTQIA+ artists. The host of those conversations is Tristan Meecham who is here to have a conversation with us…   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.

Last month, our Darwin correspondent Sophia Hall from Brown’s Mart promised to update us on the Darwin Festival in her July spot…  and not only is she doing that, but she’s also welcoming back Director and Choreographer Rosealee Pearson who spoke with us last year about the development of Song Spirals…  and now here she is talking about the production of that work…   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.

It's 55 years since the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, so it makes sense that Helen Simondson from Boola Bardip WA Museum is here to talk about their current To The Moon exhibition which not only features a scale replica of the moon, but an actual piece of the Moon itself…   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.

This year, Arts Access Victoria turn 50 and to celebrate they’re presenting ‘The Collective’ – an exhibition highlighting half a century of disability justice through art. This July, Disability Pride month, AAV highlights art from their extensive archives, alongside new works by artists working with AAV today. The exhibition is at the Meat Market Stables, North Melbourne, and includes panels and workshops every Friday afternoon. But if you’d like a sneak preview of the exhibition, join AAV Marketing & Communications Coordinator Sabina Knox, Manager of Studios and Mentorships Geof Robinson and artist Deanna as they walk & talk Behind the Scenes’ Presenter Chris Thompson through the spaces and through the history of the organisation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's NAIDOC Week and on this week’s show we’ll chat with First Nations artists from Naarm/Melbourne, Tarndanya/Adelaide and Boorloo/Perth…   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.

Liv Satchell is a writer, dramaturg, theatre maker and Co-Artistic Director of Voice in my Hands…  AND as Yuhui Ng Rodriguez from Theatre Network Australia will tell us, she’s also the TNA member of the Month for July.   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.

It's Darwin’s week for the spotlight which means we welcome back Sophia Hall from Brown’s Mart and she’ll be introducing us to her local guest artist Melanie Mununggurr who, amongst other things, is guest Curator for the NT Writers Festival…   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.

We start this week by saying welcome back to Helen Simondson from WA Museum Boola Bardip for our regular Perth wrap which will include the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts presentation of When I Am Not Here which, you might recall we spoke about when it was in Melbourne, so we’ll catch up again with choreographer Shelley Lasica to find what her 40 year retrospective is doing in Perth…   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.

Elena Vereka from Insite Arts gets us going this week with her Adelaide wrap-up and a guest local multi-media and video artist - Juha Vanhakartano   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.

Steph Speirs from Theatre Network Australia is here to kick off June with a bit of circus news AND to introduce us to the TNA Member of the Month – Efren Pamilican , Artistic Director of the community focused street dance initiative Cypher Culture… 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.

Sophia Hall from Brown’s Mart is back for a round up of all things Darwin and to introduce her local guest artist… Creative Director of the Garrmalang Festival and Event Producer for the Sugarbag Festival, Ben Graetz…   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.

WA Museum Boola Bardip’s Helen Simondson gets us going tonight with her round up of what’s been happening in Perth before she invites us to meet Mark Haslam who’s here to tell us about Fake an immersive, electronic visual theatre experience that promises to be different every night…   Then we’re off to the Butterfly Club for a bit of Cabaret with Imogen Whittaker who’s turned her love of British romcoms, Tim Minchin, Missy Higgins and having the last word into a show called, fittingly, The Last Word…   Meanwhile, Outer Urban Projects is about to undertake a metro-Melbourne tour of their acclaimed production – The Audition – and we’ll meet performer Evangelos Arabatzis …   And finally, Confined, the annual exhibition of works by First Nations artists who’ve experienced incarceration is back for its fifteenth year and that means it’s time for our annual walk and talk through the gallery with Founder and Creative Director Kent Morris…   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.

Our South Australia correspondent, Elena Vereka from InSite Arts is here for the second show of the month with her guest local artist, playwright Sarah Peters who’ll tell us about her new play, An Incomplete Encyclopedia of Hugs…   Another new play – one we spoke about during its development last year – is Kate Herbert’s Lung and Kate’s back to tell us what’s changed in the lead up to its current LaMama season…   A play that’s not so new is Salty Theatre’s production of The Grinning Man which tells its tale with the help of an old puppeteer, his pet wolf and a blind girl who’s played by blind actor Lily Cascun who’ll tell us more about this gothic, horror, musical fairytale…   Meanwhile, it’s time for a Family Cultural Day at McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park with a great programme of First Nations’ musicians and storytellers and we’ll chat with Project Coordinator Nikki Browne…   And finally, it’s St Kilda Film Festival time again and we’ll meet Fred Gesha, the First Peoples Arts Festivals and Events Officer to find out about Through the Moving Lens of Protest and Resistance,  a special event at the Espy…   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.

It’s the first show for May and for our Theatre Network Australia spot, we’ll be meeting TNA Intern Georgie Bright before announcing the TNA Member of the Month for May – St Martins Youth Arts Centre and we chat with Artistic Director Nadja Kostich as well as young performers Sunday, Oscar and Frankie   Then it’s a bumper edition of Screens & Streams…  of course, Marc Gracie will be here to talk about what we’ve seen on our big and small screens this month…   …but before he arrives, we’ll meet Lucie McMahon who’s directed the documentary Things Will Be Different which focuses on the last two residents of the Walker Street Public Housing Estate in Northcote…   …and then we’ll meet Christoph Mucher from the Goethe Institute to find out what we can expect from this year’s German Film Festival…   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.

Tom Guttridge is Senior Producer at Monash performing Arts Centres, so he’s bound to know what’s happening in their programme over the next month or two…   Then, even though Screens & Streams isn’t until next week, it’s hard to turn up the opportunity to chat with film writer turned screenwriter Nick Pinkerton about The Sweet East - his first crack at a feature film…   Meanwhile, Director Kevin Hopkins has been working with poet and playwright Emilie Collier on a new production of her play Once Were Pirates which will be heading off to Prague after a short season in Melbourne…   After that we’re back at Arts House in North Melbourne for The Bridal Lament 哭嫁歌 a genre bending art pop song cycle that reimagines an obsolete ritual of grief… if you’re wondering what that all means, then it’s a good thing that creator Rainbow Chan 陳雋然 is here to explain…   And finally, we say welcome back to Nilgun Guven who’s not quite here to talk about her work as an audio describer of live theatre…  instead, she’ll tell us about a series of workshop she’s running at Arts Centre Melbourne under the heading of Disrupting Sighted Ableism: Call to Action…   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.