• Arts figures reject cultural boycott at Sydney Festival

    Open Forum     |      January 7, 2022

    More than 120 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter in support of the Sydney Festival and participating artists after several organisations withdrew after the Israeli Embassy in Australia sponsored a performance by an Israeli dance ensemble.

  • Party on, Santa

    James Lancaster     |      December 25, 2021

    Even the most boisterous Christmas party today pales in comparison with the raucous celebrations of previous eras.

  • Miracles and magic: the dual stories at the heart of Christmas

    Robyn Whitaker     |      December 24, 2021

    Christmas brings together diverse myths and European traditions full of magic, mystery and miraculous activity.

  • Kris Kringles and yuletide jingles

    Kate Burridge     |      December 21, 2021

    Christmas is a time for giving new gifts, but also reminds us of the importance of dusting down old favourites – from decorations stowed in closets to understanding the archaic words and phrases repeated at this time of year.

  • Augmented reality project explores lived experience of disaster survivors

    Kay Harrison     |      December 17, 2021

    Art meets mental health in an immersive art project co-designed with people with lived experience of trauma from regional, rural and remote areas.

  • Rulers of the Earth

    Alan Stevenson     |      December 14, 2021

    What is it about Homo Sapiens that allowed us to overcome rival hominids and all other creatures to dominate planet Earth?

  • The religious discrimination debate

    Alan Stevenson     |      December 10, 2021

    Whatever the results of current legislative efforts to reduce religious discrimination, history suggests that competing religious groups tend to cause strife in any nation.

  • How many likes is your life worth?

    Emi Berry     |      December 4, 2021

    Thrill seeking selfie-hunters are risking drowning, attacks from wild animals, electrocution, lightning strikes and traffic accidents in pursuit of the perfect shot.

  • The world within

    Alan Stevenson     |      November 30, 2021

    The pandemic allowed many of us to catch up on some reading, but with more people using their phones or e-readers rather than traditional books, does the very different experience of reading on a screen compared to a printed page affect our comprehension?

  • I’m a feminist editor – but what does that even mean?

    Rochelle Jones     |      November 29, 2021

    Even small language shifts can contribute to cultural change, and editors are important cogs in the machine.

  • 5 films to catch at the Sydney Film Festival

    Ari Mattes     |      November 17, 2021

    Cinemas are reopening after the long COVID lockdown and, if Hollywood blockbusters aren’t your cup of tea, there’s a feast of more substantial international fare to enjoy at the Sydney Film Festival.

  • Midnight mass – Horror and Catholicism

    Regina Hansen     |      November 7, 2021

    Horror and Catholicism have walked hand in hand on screen for almost a century. From Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 film “Häxan” to Mike Flanagan’s 2021 Netflix series “Midnight Mass,” scary films and television shows have portrayed the Catholic religion in both reverent and shocking ways.