Audiences can take a front row seat from the comfort of their own home to enjoy thought-provoking conversations from some of Adelaide Festival Centre’s most memorable events, via its new podcast series, From the Wings, launching tomorrow via all major podcasting platforms.
From the Wings is an inclusive, intelligent, and enjoyable look at the arts, and episodes include audio from selected Adelaide Festival Centre talks as well as conversations with Australian artists, writers, poets, and performers, discussing topics ranging from politics and society to food and family.
Episodes are introduced by hosts such as OUR WORDS Creative Producer Celia Coulthard or OzAsia Festival Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah, and episode one discusses themes of identity and representation by Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna poet Dominic Guerrera; Narungga woman, activist-poet and Flinders University Research Fellow Dr Natalie Harkin; and Yankunytjatjara / Kokatha woman and poet Ali Cobby Eckermann. The recording was taken from OUR WORDS in 2021, an exploration of First Nations voices on page, stage and screen as part of Adelaide Festival Centre’s annual OUR MOB exhibition.
Episodes two and three were also recorded during OUR WORDS, with the second episode featuring prized Martu author Karen Wyld and Yankunytjatjara woman and Australian music industry creative Deb Edwards discussing Wyld’s 2021 multi-generational novel, Where the Fruit Falls. Following on, the third episode draws together Pitjantjatjara and Warrigmal South Sea actress and writer Elaine Crombie; Birri Gubba, Wakka Wakka and Kanak writer, Kokotha and Mirning Man and Emerging First Nations Producer at ActNow Theatre Seb Lawrie; and Wirangu, Kokatha and Larrakia SA Film Corporation Executive Nara Wilson to explore First Nations representation on stage and screen.
Episodes four to six were selected from recordings taken during Adelaide Festival Centre’s 2021 OzAsia Festival’s In Other Words program of new writing and ideas. Listeners can enjoy three sessions from prominent Asian-Australians in an exploration of issues pertaining to modern life:
- Racism 2.0 featuring author Michael Mohammed Ahmad; Chinese American Australian fiction writer, researcher and teacher Paige Clark; and Thai Australian theatre artist Anchuli Felicia King, moderated by journalist and author Benjamin Law
- At What Cost? A Free Media featuring returning expat journalists James Oaten and Michael Smith, moderated by journalist Peter Greste
- The Closing Night Debate featuring media identities Marc Fennell, Sunil Badami, Eugenia Flynn, Anchuli Felicia King and Jennifer Wong, moderated by Benjamin Law
Episodes seven to nine were selected from the inaugural inDiscussion talk series held in early April 2022 to celebrate 20 years of supporting local independent artists through Adelaide Festival Centre’s inSPACE Development Program. You’ll hear from some of South Australia’s leading arts practitioners who will give you an inside look at creating some of their most unforgettable works.
OUR WORDS was and will continue to be a meaningful platform on which to elevate First Nations literary voices. The creatives and conversations featured in the 2021 line-up are thought provoking, contemporary and important and it’s wonderful to share them with a wider audience.
We were thrilled by the provocative and insightful discussions from a range of writers and thinkers at the inaugural In Other Words. This podcast series provides an opportunity to catch up with these timely conversations from the brightest minds.
Future podcast episodes will be recorded and released in coming months.