Episode list

Welcome to the first episode of Here Goes Nothing - a dive into the impact of arts and culture on our lives. Jo Malone is currently the Head of Philanthropy at the Foundation of the WA Museum. She has had a long career in raising money for arts organisations in Perth including Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth Festival, St George's Cathedral and for a time consulted with nearly all small to medium arts organisations on their fundraising strategy. But most importantly, she is the one that took me to my first show, Peter Pan, at the age of 4. Put me in dance classes at 2 ½ and constantly supported my brother and I in anything we did which culminated for me as my first time as stage manager of the massive school production in year 12. Mum and I talk a lot. We solve the problems of the world and discuss a wide range of topics. We aren't experts, we are the audience. We aren't always right but say things with confidence.

We chat with the person that has lived the same childhood as me, was there for all of my earliest experiences and led me into my career and obsession with theatre. My brother, Dr Toby Malone. Toby is currently the Research Impact Librarian at Toronto Metropolitan University, a career move he took after 10 years as an academic and Dramaturg. Toby started his career as an actor before moving to Toronto and completing his PhD at the University of Toronto. Toby has been in Toronto now for 22 years and has a beautiful family including my superstar niece, Bridie and nephew, Cormac. Most recently, Toby has undertaken the task of creating WAKE: A Cold Reading of Finnegans Wake from beginning to end. A highly entertaining podcast that has Toby and his writing partner slogging through the text. It's well worth a listen.

All across Australia, in small regional towns, communities come together turning their quiet streets into places of celebration for a Festival. Whether it is celebrating food and multiculturalism, agricultural fairs that celebrate industry and history, or contemporary arts festivals in small remote towns. These community driven cultural and arts festivals create connection, offering hope and pride in their community... and an important part of the Australian cultural landscape. In the smallest corner of the smallest state in Australia is the headquarters of one of the country's leading international arts festivals, Ten Days on the Island. This bi-annual festival connects Tasmania with all corners of the world and celebrates the beauty and challenges of the Island through the voices of artists. This week's guest is the CEO of Ten Days, Vernon Guest, calling in from his office overlooking the Bass Strait in Burnie on the North West coast. Vern and I started our professional arts careers at the same time at the age of 23 at Perth Festival. Since then, Vern has worked all over the country and presented some of the most significant events in Australia. Vern now calls the North West home and understands the responsibility of his role to support and elevate artists in Australia. Join Vern and I for the next hour as we take a wide ranging conversation on the role of Festivals, artists and creative thinking. We also touch on AI, technology and the role of government. It's worth noting that this conversation was recorded late last year, before the controversies surrounding Creative Australia and the upcoming federal election.

Join Mace Francis and I as we discuss his journey into jazz and what is jazz really? Raised in a creative family in regional Victoria, Dr Mace Francis is the Artistic Director of the Perth International Jazz Festival and previously the Artistic Director of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra. Mace is a composer and musician and his band, the Mace Francis Orchestra released his 10th Album in 2024. Mace completed his PhD in 2015 and has undertaken a Churchill Fellowship and was composer in residence at the National Trust's Gallup House. Music is from 'No Postcode' by the Mace Francis Orchestra.

Books are such an important part of life. It's how we understand the world better and stretch our imagination. Whether it's only reading books about WWII conflicts or sticking to romance novels, all genres have their place and audience. This week I talk to Jayne Cleave, librarian and good friend, about her love of feminist sci-fi and big alien epics. Sci-fi isn't for me - but through this chat, I may have found a way in and realised that a lot of books do fall into this genre. We also discuss the importance of of libraries in communities, beyond being a place where you loan books, and how Jayne's career took a journey from arts marketing to publishing to working in libraries.

Talking about money can get uncomfortable but it's important to talk about it. In the arts, the world of philanthropy can be a tricky on to navigate - we all know we need to raise private funds to support the organisation and the work they create. This, expert philanthropy manager, and friend of the pod, Jo Malone returns to talk about money, how to raise it, how to give it and how to ensure you have a will.

Arts advocacy always requires its champions, and Jeremy Smith has been a constant presence in the Australian arts scene over the last 25 years. Jeremy is a Perth-based arts administrator and self-described fierce advocate and ally for difference. Jeremy joins Georgia for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the arts, on his origins in lighting design, and on advocacy that is all about turning empathy into tangible action. Jeremy is currently finishing his four-year term as senior producers at Performing Lines WA, building on his past experience in arts administration with organisations like PICA, Creative Australia, DADAA, the AWESOME Festival and ArtsWA / Department of Culture and the Arts. Jeremy has worked closely with artists, organisations and communities in all corners of the country promoting artistic bravery, self-determination and brokering opportunities. In addition to his extensive portfolio, Jeremy championed Regional and Remote Australia under the Australia Council's Cultural Engagement Framework and helped to develop and deliver key arts and disability initiatives.

The playwright's role is one of the most vital yet mysterious in all of the arts: far from the classic idea of a single writer in a room producing a completed script, the playwright is a collaborator and innovator, who generates ideas that must then be brought to life through dramaturgs, actors, directors, and designers. TJ Young is an award-winning playwright, fierce advocate for equity, beloved educator, and acclaimed podcaster. TJ joins Georgia this week to discuss the playwright's process, tips for getting started and keeping going, as well as details about the new play that Georgia has written. Inevitably, the conversation strays into American politics and the way the current environment has impacted the arts sector, but when you have two people in the room accustomed to solving all the problems in the world, the outcome is nothing but positive.

The role of the critic is a thankless one, and one whose influence is sadly waning as mainstream media abandons traditional criticism and resorts to reducing the arts to a mark out of five stars. Georgia welcomes Nina Levy: dancer, visionary, and writer: co-founder of the Seesaw arts magazine, and fierce defender of the importance of the critic's voice. This lively discussion includes insight into the way the critical voice has changed in recent years, reducing a critique to a poster quote, the logistics of writing about something you hated, and the truism that quality journalism must be paid for.

Australia has always punched well above its weight in global artistic affairs, and artistic collaboration is at the heart of that. David Ryding has had a long career in the arts, as a performer, director, and arts administrator, before beginning a fruitful term as Founding Director of the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office. Georgia and Dave take this opportunity to catch up, many years after they first connected at the University Dramatic Society, to talk about the state of the arts, literature, and how things have changed.