What values have migrants brought to Australia over the years? How have they changed the nation’s culture? Have they broken laws in an attempt to impose foreign ways of life on the population?
Gus Petersilka of Canberra did. By putting out tables and chairs on the sidewalks of Australia’s capital, he forced the uptight city government to acknowledge, accept, and ultimately embrace convivial traditions of outdoor dining.
Now Gus’ Cafe is gone.
“I want to see technology used for good, but I’m fascinated by the possibilities for destruction!”
Joel Edmondson, CEO of Queensland’s QMusic network talks digital technology, music beyond entertainment, mysterious orchestras in the middle of the ocean, and the “nefarious, sulphuric beginning of life” in this week’s Marvellous, Electrical.
This week’s Marvellous, Electrical brings us hardcore Brisbane punk, Hallowe’en summonings, and the tender power of a Tasmanian wombat sanctuary.
This week’s Marvellous, Electrical explores the Brisbane suburb of West End and its annual Kurilpa Derby, street art, social justice, censorship, and the ways communities get inside your head – for good and ill.
What does a man have to do to be accepted as a true Australian?
We took a walk through the suburbs to Brisbane’s Toowong Cemetery, exploring the legacy of the 19th century champion boxer – and adopted Aussie – Peter Jackson.
This week, in Marvellous, Electrical: storytelling, town planning, sculpture, and the smell of first rain on dry stone.
What’s it like to cook and clean for the soldiers and hospital patients of Brisbane?
How do you cope with split shifts on the city’s south side when you live in a northern suburb?
There’s evil eyes, paperclip pranks, and butter on the windows in Marvellous, Electrical: This Means War.
“Dance, whatever you say, it’s mostly all about me: its own kind of hedonism. You look in the mirror and judge yourself. You entertain the audience, maybe you inspire one or two kids who’d like to be dancers themselves, but that’s about it. It can be overwhelming to focus on yourself that way.”
“What I do now, I don’t stop people getting sick, I don’t fix every problem, but at least I know I’ve helped.”
A classic Queensland amublance. Image from Queensland State Archives.
This week’s Marvellous, Electrical tells the story of a top-flight contemporary dancer turned Brisbane paramedic.
Read Curious, Mysterious, Marvellous, Electrical: Eustress here.
“And this is how it works when crossing a border doesn’t feel like a crime…”
This week’s Marvellous, Electrical visits the midnight bakeries of Brisbane to tell a story of migration.
This weekend, join me for two events at the Brisbane Writers Festival.
On Saturday 10th September at 4pm, I’ll be on the Rules of Engagement panel with Kate Pullinger and Caroline Heim, talking about the shifting relationships between institutions, artmakers, scientists, audiences, and participants.
Then, on Sunday 11th September at 11.30am, join Ellen Van Neerven, Maggie Hardy, Tamara Davis, and Maree Kimberley for Science and Belonging, a special presentation by the State Library of Queensland.
Instead of the usual panel discussion, we’ll be running a Beyond Panels session which maximises your chance to talk to our guests.
Our panel of scientists and speculative fiction writers will talk about their work with Festival visitors before leading a discussion exploring the collisions, contrasts, and common ground between speculative fiction and scientific practice.
Find out more about Rules of Engagement and Science and Belonging at the Brisbane Writers Festival website.
