Arts figures reject cultural boycott at Sydney Festival

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

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

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

Kris Kringles and yuletide jingles

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

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

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

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.