The Oscars embrace stunt design and Maud Page takes over at the Art Gallery of NSW
The Academy Awards have announced a new category, which will recognise the best stunt design in a film, but what does it take to actually pull off those stunts safely? Keir Beck, who has worked on everything from James Bond to Mad Max, takes us behind the scenes.The Art Gallery of NSW, one of the oldest and most prestigious art institutions in the country, recently announced a new director. Maud Page has become the 10th director and the first woman to take on the role. After making history in her appointment, what does the future hold for Page and for the gallery?Our track of the week is Coming Home by Liz StringerStories mentioned in the headlines:Prada acquires VersaceWriter-director James Toback ordered to pay $1.68 billion US in sexual abuse caseCommittee investigating abuse in French arts publishes damning reportRob Hirst reveals pancreatic cancer battle
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Can the arts industry revive its appetite for risk? And are the visual arts a gig economy?
Whatever their medium, artists deal with sensitive topics, often taking a critical, anti-establishment approach. But at the moment, some artists are finding that their art, and their opinions, can see them shut out of the business. Leading arts figure Louise Adler discusses what arts organisations and leaders should do to protect the independence of the arts, and the impact that changes to boards and funding have had on their preparedness to take a risk.And a new report compares the jobs of the visual arts industry to the gig economy, with low wages, high levels of unpaid work, and a significant gender pay gap. Professor Grace McQuilten and Madeleine Thornton-Smith take us into the galleries and explore whether an art market with stable employment is a possibility.Our track of the week is Young Americans by David BowieStories mentioned in the headlines:Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assaultAdditional charges laid against Sean (Diddy) CombsSundance Film Festival moving to Boulder, ColoradoThe Stella Prize shortlist is announcedThe NGA makes its biggest acquisition of the 2st Century, a work by Edvard Munch
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Creative Australia, local quotas, and AI theft: Tony Burke revives Labor's arts policy
In 2023, the Labor Government launched a major arts policy, Revive: a five year plan that promised substantial funding and a renewed focus on the arts by the Australian Government. With Australia heading to the polls on May 3rd to elect a new Federal government, how has the reality stacked up against the commitments? And what would Revive look like under a second Labor term?Our track of the week is Love by Andrea LamStories mentioned in the headlines:Monash University indefinitely postpones MUMA exhibition featuring Khaled Sabsabi's workOpenAI produces work in the style of Studio GhibliAcademy apologizes for not adequately supporting Oscar-winning Palestinian director
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Meta uses pirated books to train its AI platform and Wanda Gibson makes history
After internal documents from Meta were made public via a US court case, many Australian authors have found out that their work may have been used by the tech giant to train its generative AI model, Llama 3, without their permission. Jennifer Mills, an author and director of the Australian Society of Authors, discusses how authors can be protected from copyright infringement on this unprecedented scale.And Three Dresses by Nukgal Wurra writer and artist Wanda Gibson became the first children's book to win the Victorian Prize for Literature at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. Gibson shares memories of her own childhood at Hope Vale mission and her family's two-day walks to the beach for holidays.Our track of the week is Nonna's Trolley by Mika James.
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Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively and the court of public opinion
Last year, the actor Blake Lively accused her co-star Justin Baldoni of inappropriate conduct on the set of their film, It Ends With Us. That's led to lawsuits and counter-lawsuits, but it's also created an industry of influencers with very strong opinions about the cases, and particularly about Blake Lively. Kat Tenbarge explains how celebrities are using social media to shape public opinions — and why women tend to get caught in the crosshairs.Our track of the week is Wrong by Annie & The Caldwells.Stories mentioned in the headlines:Creative Australia releases the terms of reference for the review into the Venice Biennale decision.Initial hearings begin in the court case between Jayson Gillham and the MSOPresident Trump and Vice President Vance receive very different receptions at the Kennedy Center
Your ultimate guide for staying in the know and getting inspired. An essential wrap-up of arts news and the best interviews, brought to you by the Arts team at ABC Radio National.
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