Content disclaimer: this podcast contains content that is explicit in nature.   For All About Women 2023, the Sydney Opera House partnered with Western Sydney-based literacy movement Sweatshop on an emerging writers mentorship program for women and non-binary First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse writers.    The recipients worked on short fiction pieces, responding to Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement and those left behind as it evolved, under the guidance of Sweatshop judges and...

Capturing global attention through recipes so popular they became viral hashtags (#TheCookies, #ThePasta, #TheDip), Alison Roman wowed Sydney audiences in May 2023 in her quest for us all to ditch “domestic goddess” perfection and embrace a no-fuss, no-nonsense approach to cooking at home. Roman spoke to fellow cook and Australian television presenter Adam Liaw about all the things that took her from early life as a pastry chef in California to the stage of the Sydney Opera House Concert...

In a year when everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, we need to talk about the human kind. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be conscious of your existence, your thoughts, your dreams? As machines develop, what might be left that is uniquely human? Our pursuit of pleasure and its rewards? Our ability to love?    AI expert Toby Walsh and evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks join journalist Rae Johnston to tackle the fundamental questions we should be asking amid the...

We kick off a new five-part season with a debate from our 50th Birthday Festival, discussing whether or not the Sydney Opera House would be built today. It's an iconic building that inspires imagination and sparks conversations, but do we still have what it takes to bring such a bold vision to fruition? Arguing for the motion are: Osman Faruqi, Rebecca Huntley, and Benjamin Law and arguing against are: Wendy Harmer, Helen Pitt, and Yumi Stynes.Hosted by Julia Zemiro, this event was recorded...

Unsure about parenthood? You're not alone. There's a lot to consider when it comes to reproductive choice, evolving social norms mean that women don't have to follow a one-way path to motherhood. Either flying solo or coupled, hetero or queer, when it comes to taking control of fertility there's IVF, egg freezing, and more. And the decision to have children only leads to more questions - about careers, relationships, AND the state of the world. At All About Women 2023, our panellists share...

Independent single women are a threat to the status quo. So, it comes as no surprise that the demonisation of single women is not new. From the European witch trials to the formation of the western legal system and its impact on survivors today, the patriarchy has gone to diabolical lengths in order to keep women under its watch. In this invigorating All About Women 2023 session, Clementine Ford’s eye-opening and hilarious walk through history explored why unmarried spinsters strike fear in...

Reality tv has always been a contentious category of television especially when it comes to authenticity and finding true love. Many of us love the drama, the tropes and stereotyping, even if we’re just poking fun at it.   This session at All About Women 2023 explored Brooke Blurton’s time on The Bachelorette and Rosie Waterland’s satirical take on dating shows. Hosted by Nakkiah Lui, they delve into what it’s like to participate in traditionally heteronormative dating shows as a queer...

From repressed women in Iran to the rollback of abortion rights in the US, alongside the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the continuing fight for rights for First Nations people and justice for victims of sexual assault, there appears to be a global war against women. Women around the world are speaking up and there has been a ferocious backlash. Karen Iles, Mona Eltahawy, Fatima Bhutto, and Chelsea Watego spoke at All About Women 2023 with host Sam Mostyn about women’s rights at this...

Being a girlboss meant that you could have it all, a renlentlessly demanding job, the side hustle that swallowed your downtime, and a phone that never stops pinging.   This session explored questions such as: Is burnout the only path to modern career success? Will all the girl bossing in the world win a pay rise for those women stuck in the underpaid and undervalued care economy? And can Gen Z remake the game, for the better?   Flex Mami, Jamila Rizvi and host Jan Fran sat down at All About...

Since time immemorial, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have looked after human, spiritual and ecological wellbeing. Many First Nations women's activism is empowered through continuation of a long history of matriarchs who embody kinship and moral responsibility to community and country. This session will examine how this activism intersects and conflicts with mainstream feminism today.   In this session from All About Women 2023, a multi-generational panel featuring: Jackie...

We live in a society that is only just beginning to recognise neurodivergence in women and non-binary people. So how does it feel to be misdiagnosed for years? Does greater public awareness make socialising a little bit simpler? What are some strategies to cope with ableist systems? And what stereotypes do we really need to put in the bin? In this session at All About Women 2023, host and festival co-curator Dr. Amy Thunig is joined by panellists Chloe Hayden, Grace Tame and Dr. Jac den...

Legendary punk band Bikini Kill headlined Sydney Opera House’s 2023 All About Women Festival with a reminder of what it was like to perform in a male-dominated music industry in the 90s. They represented anarchist feminist music and encouraged disobedience in young women, emboldening them to publish zines and start bands as acts of cultural resistance.  In this session, Bikini Kill’s lead singer Kathleen Hanna, and bassist Kathi Wilcox, were joined by writer and Bikini Kill mega fan Marieke...

The conduct of many journalists during the 2022 federal election appeared to expose media bias on the campaign trail. Many Australians were dissatisfied with journalists who seemed more concerned with catching politicians out than helping us understand their vision and priorities for the country.  At Antidote 2022, journalists Maddison Connaughton, Barrie Cassidy, Osman Faruqi & Janine Perrett came together to ask, “ is there something fundamentally wrong with Australian media?” - Watch...

Knowledge around sex, intimacy and pleasure is regularly dismissed as society has often shrouded the subject in shame and awkwardness.  At Antidote 2022, psychosexologist Chantelle Otten delves into the many forms of desire, the vulnerability of sexual pleasure, and helps us to build sexual confidence in ourselves and our relationships. Alongside host, Lucinda 'Froomes' Price, they talk about creating a sex-positive frame of mind and give us a sex re-education. This event was recorded live at...

With growing momentum to enact the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and The Voice to Parliament on the agenda, is a meaningful change for First Nations people finally happening in Australia? In a First Nations led discussion at Antidote 2022, host Jason Glanville was joined by Nareen Young and Nardi Simpson, to discuss what needs to change in our politics, our society and our culture. And what needs to change in the heart of Australians as individuals, as community and as a nation, to realise...

Can someone else's story change your life?  Dai Le, Nardi Simpson, Dinesh Palipana, Antoinette Lattouf and host, Steph Tisdell, took the stage at Antidote 2022 to draw back the curtain on their worlds and reveal what happened to them. We hear stories that are tragic, hilarious, engaging, and life changing, and learn how they shaped who they have become. This event was recorded live at the Sydney Opera House in September 2022.  - Watch talks from Antidote 2022 on Stream, the streaming platform...

In the wake of multiple political crises in the United States, a rich and powerful China increasingly asserts itself. How does Australia navigate this new world order?   China will soon overtake the US as the world’s largest economy and has swiftly become a strategic powerhouse with relationships across the globe. With America’s deep political divisions and diminishing consensus around key democratic norms, it’s hard to argue that China’s rise won’t be accompanied by a greater say in global...

The Last White Man is the latest novel from internationally bestselling author Mohsin Hamid. The book reimagines Kafka's Metamorphosis and taps into white anxiety about replacement in unique and enlightening ways.    The British Pakistani novelist of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Booker-Prize-nominated Exit West, talked to Osman Faruqi at Antidote 2022 about whiteness, privilege, prejudice, and the transcendent power of love.   This event was recorded live at the Sydney Opera House in...

The 2022 federal election saw Australian voters moving away from the traditional two-party system, with a record number of Independents and Greens candidates elected. How will this change the way our government is formed in the future? Will we stitch coalitions together after elections to assemble government like in many other countries? At Antidote 2022, Karen Middleton, Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper, sat down with crossbench trendsetters, Cathy McGowan, Adam Bandt and...

Would you quit your job to serve others? These two high-achievers sacrificed successful careers in journalism to take up the rigorous study necessary to become medical doctors. What drives such a sacrifice, and how does it feel to be called to serve? Lisa Pryor, previously a lawyer and a columnist is now a psychiatry registrar, listening and responding to human stories in a different way. Amy Coopes was a journalist dispatched to meet victims of violent crimes, left the newsroom to pursue...

Is Covid just the beginning? The climate crisis has created a unique situation that has the potential to breed many more viruses, forcing animals to migrate to new habitats, creating new inter-species infections. This means more and more of the world's viruses could leap from animals to humans.  Science journalist Ed Yong - who won a Pulitzer Prize for his COVID explanatory articles and Professor Raina MacIntyre - epidemiologist and UNSW Chair of Biosecurity tell host Rebecca Huntley at...

There are over 150 Indigenous languages actively maintained by community groups in Australia, and a growing movement to protect, revitalise and promote Indigenous language. There are 7000 languages in use worldwide - but many Indigenous languages are falling out of use. What does Australia need to do to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous languages? Uncle Gary Williams, Shelley Ware & Kirli Saunders sat down at Antidote 2022 to embark on an agenda-setting conversation.  Hosted by...

Bodies carry and represent so much, these fragile vessels that we are "stuck in" can dictate privilege or oppression not only within ourselves but in wider society.  In a talk recorded at our Antidote festival in September 2022, trans and non-binary author, Olivia Laing is joined by host Jessie Tu in a profound discussion about the ideas in Laing's latest book 'Everybody', which draws on figures such as Malcolm X, Andrea Dworkin, Nina Simone and more, exploring the human body and its effect...