Big Ideas ABC listen

Drawing on his experiences working across continents in the "shatter zones" of society — jails, war zones, refugee shelters – Andre de Quadros explains how music and creativity can be used to build peace, reconciliation and empowerment in a troubled world. Later, Anne-Marie Forbes explains how music improves mental, physical and community well-being.

These events were recorded at the 2024 Miegunyah Lecture at the University of Melbourne on April 11, 2024, and Melodies as Medicine at the University of Tasmania on April 10, 2024.

Speakers

Andre de Quadros Professor of Music, Boston University
2024 Miegunyah Visiting Fellow, University of Melbourne

Anne-Marie Forbes Associate Professor Musicology, University of Tasmania
Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.

Nourish Women's Choir

Join Natasha Mitchell and guests at the 2024 Ocean Lovers Festival in Bondi. From deep sea mining to illegal fishing on the high seas, who is the boss of the ocean? And why are scientists-turned-entrepreneurs singing the praises of seaweed?  Two panels of big thinkers exploring new frontiers for ocean exploitation — and inspiration — the risks, the rewards, and the regulation of this vast wilderness which covers 70% of the planet's surface

Panel 1 - Who owns the high seas and deep seas? Deep sea mining and illegal fishing 

Associate Professor Aline Jaeckel
Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS)
University of Wollongong

Captain Peter Hammarstedt
Director of Campaigns and Chairman of Sea Shepherd Australia

Mattheiu Rytz
Director of the film Deep Rising

Panel 2 - Is algae the new gold?

Dr Michael Askew
Executive Director and co-founder
Algae Co

Dr Pia Winberg
Founder and chief scientist
Venus Shell Systems

Dr Alexandra Thomson,
Industry Engagement Manager
Climate Change Cluster (C3) Research Institute
University of Technology Sydney

It took until the late 1990s for Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. Since then, the law has changed and evolved in a multitude of ways for LGBTQIA+ people, but not without a fight virtually every step of the way. 

This event was recorded as part of Victorian Law Week on May 22, 2024.

Speakers

Elizabeth Bennett SC, Barrister
Vice President, Victorian Barristers Network

Sam Elkin Author, Detachable Penis: A queer legal saga (Upswell publishing)
Legal aid lawyer (inaugural lawyer for Victoria's first Queer legal service)
Host, Queer View Mirror, Triple R

Yves Rees (host) Senior Lecturer in History, La Trobe University

Firstly, make sure you become a grandparent. It apparently adds five years to your life. And it can make you very happy - if you do grandparenting right! Hear about the does and don'ts in this discussion about how to age well. Then add a good diet. With the six secret ingredients provided by one of Australia's most recognised leaders in the fields of sports nutrition and dietetics. And lastly, ignore social attitudes and images, that tell you how old you should feel.

'How To Grow Old. It ain't for the faint-hearted' was presented by the Sorrento Writers Festival.

Speakers

Michael Carr-Gregg
Adolescent psychologist, and one of Australia's leading authorities on teenage behaviour
Author of Grandparents: A practical guide to navigating grandparenting today Allen & Unwin, 2023

Karen Inge
One of Australia's most recognised leaders in the fields of sports nutrition and dietetics
Author of 'Let's Eat Right! for Families', 'Food, Fitness and Feeling Good', Co-author of the award winning book 'Food for Sport' and 'Food for Sport Cookbook'

Bernard Salt
Author, demographer, social commentator and regular columnist with The Australian

Hannie Rayson (host)
Australian playwright and newspaper columnist

Listen to Big Ideas – The ingredients to ageing well

It's often said that democracies can't function well without a strong opposition to hold the government of the day to account. But what does it take to be an effective opposition? This event was recorded at the Centre for Independent Studies on Thursday 16 May 2024.

Speakers

Scott Prasser 
Co-author with David Clune, The Art of Opposition (Connor Court publishing)
Senior Fellow, Centre for Independent Studies

John Howard
Former Prime Minister 1996 – 2007

Tom Switzer 
Director, Centre for Independent Studies

Andrew Blythe (host)
Fellow, Centre for Independent Studies

From stopping the boats to building a wall, countries have gone to great lengths to stop the flow of people migrating across borders in search of a better life. But are these efforts realistic – let alone humane — when there are an estimated 110 million people forcibly displaced by war, persecution, hunger and climate change worldwide?

This event was recorded at the University of Tasmania on May 8, 2024.

Speakers

Dr Tamara Wood Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Tasmania

Sanushka Mudaliar Director, Global Migration Lab, Red Cross and Red Crescent

Arad Nik Iranian refugee, human rights activist and business owner