This year, ArtsHub is proud to have launched the Amplify Collective, a writing and professional development opportunity for over 40 arts writers from across Australia. Supported by The Walkley Foundation and made possible through funding from the Meta Australian News Fund, Amplify Collective has created a platform to spotlight writers from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those based in regional and remote areas.
Amplify Collective writers have the freedom to pitch their own topics of interest, many of which revealed the shortcomings and challenges of our creative sector, including diversity, accessibility, equal opportunity, funding, labour structures and more. Yet, these writers, many of whom are also artists and arts workers themselves, have gone to lengths to support and empower those who have been long overlooked by platforming their voices and lived experiences.
As we reach the end of the Amplify Collective in 2024, ArtsHub takes a moment to recap the tremendous work these writers have created.
Last updated: 1 February 2024
Check out:
Feature and Op-Ed articles by topic*:
First Nations sovereignty
- The ‘helping’ hand of allyship: Indigenous art, authenticity and politics by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- The daring future of sovereign Blak storytelling by Axel Garay
- Local love bolsters the National Indigenous Music Awards event by Gina Machado
- Are you an imposter? by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- The trajectory of remote First Nations fashion by Cathy Cummins
- Under a wet blanket: navigating the Australian arts ecosystem as First Nations artists by Axel Garay
- On nature painting and colonial narratives by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- The state of Indigenous art organisations in Gimuy/Cairns by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- Art centres go above and beyond by Cathy Cummins
- (Dis)connected to Country: mapping the intersections of place, identity and family by Christy Tan
- Calls for a major First Nations arts body by Jack Wilkie-Jans
Diversity and representation
- Decolonising the written word by Monique Choy
- In the beginning: a deeper look at the stories behind Lele by Titilua Ikenasio
- Complicating Vietnamese diaspora stories for the better by Leo Chau
- Uninvited to the mainstage: the unfortunate consequence of approaching diversity without respect by Görkem Acaroğlu
- Artists highlight the heightening issue of homelessness among women by Pamela See
- Q&A: Meet the creatives behind Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! by Charmaine Idris
- Iconoclastic and empowered: the new wave of Middle Eastern Australian women writers by Leila Lois
- Why are we giving shows like Miss Saigon a rerun in 2023? by Satara Uthayakumaran
- The 2023 Art Music Awards: a celebration of community by Manan Luthra
- Shining a spotlight on South Asian Australian theatre by Leo Chau
- City Council’s art collection revived through Collective Knowledge by Manan Luthra
- Interview with the creatives behind Sweet Juices by Christy Tan
- CALD, CARM and collected: fostering the future artists of Australia by Görkem Acaroğlu
- The Bold and Beautiful by Christine Davey
- Beyond the runway: unveiling the multicultural mosaic of Australia’s fashion frontier by Erin Visagie
- Cultural diversity in Australia’s fashion industry: a call for true representation by Erin Visagie
- Constellations – creating community in Western Sydney by Leo Chau
- Bridging the diversity gap through art by Charmaine Idris
- Orientalism, a stain that taints Australian opera? by Leo Chau
- Why you should pay attention to Central Asia ecological art by Jahan Rezakhanlou
LGBTQIA+ and rainbow communities
- Queer and present danger: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 by Jessi Ryan
- Live Futures: an inquiry of queer sex and play by Karen Leong
- A director’s secret letter to his mother by Christy Tan
- The battle for Temperance Hall by Jessi Ryan
- ‘The artist is sacred’ – holding space for queer narratives by Jessi Ryan
- Through the queer lens by Jessi Ryan
Accessibility, disability and neurodiversity
- Radical access: the future of access in the arts by Heidi Everett
- Accessible writing is for everyone by Nicole Smith
- An accessible tour guide of a beachside sculpture festival by Charmaine Idris
- Something is happening… by Christine Davey
- Pushing limits and norms with Sense of Place by Heidi Everett
- How ‘mental health’ has been reimagined in the workplace by Heidi Everett
- Patrick Gunasekera and Georgi Ivers: two artists and their journeys in crip time by Jaimi Wright
- Take us as we are – empowering neurodivergent and disabled experiences in the arts by Satara Uthayakumaran
- Sculpture on the Edge promises an immersive experience to suit all abilities by Charmaine Idris
Regional and remote
- Ballet on the road: what goes into a regional ballet tour by Ava Cadee
- Cultural collaboration between remote Kimberley art centres by Cathy Cummins
- Diversity and the regional arts sector by Görkem Acaroğlu
- The Barossa is more than just wine by Ekkia Evans
- Returning to Country and supporting regional arts by Angelina Hurley
- The five creatives of Christmas by Christine Davey
- Regional connections – a case for a Regional Arts Triennial by Cathy Cummins
Industry, funding and labour
- Indigenous art centres at the precipice of outdated approaches to funding by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- Artist burnout is not a mental health issue – it is a labour issue by Marisa Georgiou
- Fundamentals of arts fundraising by Christine Davey
- Are we missing an opportunity when we say ‘arts jobs are real jobs’? by Marisa Georgiou
- The rise of South Australian film festivals by Ekkia Evans
- A look at the immersive shift in Australia’s cultural sector and how to fund it by Kim Balfour
- Just an Inquiry or a golden opportunity? by Jessi Ryan
- Arts with law: a complementary and powerful combination by Leo Chau
- Arts funding that honours artists rather than neoliberal markets by Görkem Acaroğlu
- Dark side of the arts: where fear and transparency collide by Jessi Ryan
- Melbourne gallery has artists seeing red by Jessi Ryan
- Why is the art world still married to meritocracy? by Marisa Georgiou
- Creative development – a work in progress by Christine Davey
- Perspectives on the concept, craft and currency of community engagement by Madeleine Gandhi
- The controversies of ‘political art’ exploring war and violence by Leo Chau
Show previews and organisation spotlights
- West Space celebrates 30 years with Unison by Christy Tan
- The darkness of the image by Kelly Bartholomeusz
- Site-specific dance in the digital world by Ava Cadee
- Regeneration: empowering artists with a landmark art collection by Karen Leong
- ‘A glorious anomaly’: would the Sydney Opera House be built today? by Madeleine Gandhi
- Prophecy comes full circle in Heirs of America by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- The power of portraiture and human connection by Jaimi Wright
- New Ghosts take over the Old Fitz by Madeleine Gandhi
- Affordable Art Fairs – bridging the gap between desire and affordability by Charmaine Idris
- Towards continuum: behind the hardware of digital art by Karen Leong
- A collection’s blueprint for ruins by Karen Leong
- An unfunded discovery platform: inside Phoenix Central Park by Madeleine Gandhi
- How Bluey made the move from animation to stage by Gemma Betros
- Conversion practice survivor spins story to comedic gold by Jessi Ryan
- Australians fighting for the Parthenon Marbles’ return by Satara Uthayakumaran
- Woodford’s renewed approach to ritual by Marisa Georgiou
- Only the future revisits the past by Christy Tan
Career insights and artist profiles
- Peers and portals by Karen Leong
- Dancing on a tightrope: young dancers creating independent work for Fringe by Leila Lois
- Full spectrum: the broad-reaching appeal of Hiromi Tango by Pamela See
- Exit interview: Sue Roff, Art Projects Australia by Aimee Dodds
- A burgeoning career path that links arts and law by Leo Chau
- From the bottom of her harp: contemporary women artists finding their song by Leila Lois
- Creativity begins at home? Families in support of artistic growth by Jahan Rezakhanlou
- To leave, or not to leave – this is the question by Charmaine Idris
- The case for flexible journalism by Jaimi Wright
- The Sun Sets and Once Again the Earth is Upright by Christy Tan
- Australian independent music, where is it? by Ekkia Evans
- A matter of perception by Charmaine Idris
- Sculptor David Attwood on our obsession with domestic maintenance by Aimee Dodds
- Self-representation and cultural references in the work of Telly Tuita by Karen Leong
International stories
- Postcard from Hong Kong by Jahan Rezakhanlou
- World of WearableArt goes beyond imagination by Charmaine Idris
- Learnings from the International Association for Art Critics’ inaugural Academy by Lucy Hawthorne
*Many of these stories are intersectional, but for the sake of organisation they are categorised based on the main topic of discussion.
Reviews by location:
Victoria
- Theatre review: Exiles, fortyfivedownstairs ★★★1/2 by Christy Tan
- Exhibition review: Shadow Spirit, RISING ★★★★ by Axel Garay
- Performance review: Risky Business, Geelong Arts Centre ★★★★ by Christine Davey
- Dance review: Jewels, Arts Centre Melbourne ★★★★ by Leila Lois
- Theatre review: Is God Is, Melbourne Theatre Company ★★★★1/2 by Chido Mwat
- Exhibition review: What Is Your Gov’ment Name: Olana Janfa, Immigration Museum ★★★★1/2 by Erin Visagie
- Exhibition review: Between Waves, ACCA ★★★★★ by Michael Gentle
- Exhibition review: Two Girls From Amoonguna, ACMI ★★★★1/2 by Axel Garay
- Concert review: FLIGHT: The Next Generation of Artists, Fitzroy Town Hall ★★★★ by Jahan Rezakhanlou
- Theatre review: I Said This To the Bird, La Mama Courthouse ★★1/2 by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- Theatre review: Telethon Kid, Malthouse Theatre ★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Theatre review: Hells Gates, Geelong Arts Centre ★★★1/2 by Christine Davey
- Theatre review: Escaped Alone and What If If Only, Southbank Theatre ★★★★ by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- Theatre review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Chapel Off Chapel ★★★★ by Chido Mwat
- Exhibition review: Tools For After, Fitzroy Town Hall ★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Performance reviews: The Hotline, Poet No.7 and Zaffé, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- Performance reviews: How to Shave and It’s Like a Circle, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Performance reviews: Big Dyke Energy and T4T: A Transgender Showcase, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Performance reviews: Access, Dougie Baldwin and Aza: stories of grief in diaspora, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- Performance reviews: Myth, Propaganda and Disaster and the Heirs of America, and Le Freak, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Dance review: Shower Thots, Melbourne City Baths, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Leila Lois
- Performance reviews: The Coconuts – Brown on the Outside, White on the Inside and Breaking, Melbourne Fringe Festival ★★★★ by Chido Mwat
- Video work review: Angela Tiatia: The Dark Current, ACMI ★★★1/2 by Madeleine Gandhi
- Theatre review: How Do I Let You Die?, Arts House ★★★ by Lakshmi Ganapathy
- Exhibition review: Heavenly Bodies, James Makin Gallery ★★★★ by Jahan Rezakhanlou
- Music review: Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram, Arts Centre Melbourne ★★★ by Leila Lois
- Performance review: BLAKTIVISM, Hamer Hall ★★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Performance review: Mary Lattimore + Eric Avery + Benjamin Skepper, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall ★★★★ by Leila Lois
- Event review: ganbu marra runway, THE LUME ★★★★★ by Erin Visagie
- Theatre review: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Geelong Arts Centre ★★★1/2 by Christine Davey
- Performance reviews: The Search and Trevor Ashley: The (First Annual) Farewell Show, Midsumma Festival ★★★★1/2 by Jessi Ryan
- Performance reviews: Ruff Trade and Trans Woman Kills Influencer, Midsumma Festival ★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Exhibition review: Bloodlines by The Huxleys, Abbotsford Convent ★★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Theatre review: A Body at Work, La Mama ★★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
Queensland
- Exhibition review: Henri van Noordenburg, Logan Art Gallery ★★★1/2 by Pamela See
- Exhibition review: Troy-Anthony Baylis, QUT Art Museum ★★★★1/2 by Pamela See
- Performance review: Chopin’s Piano, QPAC Concert Hall ★★★★ by Gemma Betros
- Theatre Review: Capricorn, La Boite Theatre ★★★★★ by Charmaine Idris
- Exhibition review: Paul Bai, Pestorius Sweeney House ★★★★ by Pamela See
- Exhibition review: Pantini Kalijarrala Ngatiki, Wapami Kalijarra Wirliyala, Suzanne O’Connell Gallery ★★★★★ by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- Exhibition review: Heather Wunjarra Koowootha, Cairns Art Gallery ★★★★★ by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- Theatre review: Betsy and I (Undercover Artist Festival), Queensland Theatre ★★★★★ by Charmaine Idris
- Theatre review: Every Brilliant Thing, New Benner Theatre ★★★★★ by Charmaine Idris
- Exhibition review: Melanie Hava: Bugan Mungan, Cairns Art Gallery ★★★★★ by Jack Wilkie-Jans
- Exhibition review: Each, Other, Griffith University Art Museum (GUAM) ★★★★★ by Pamela See
- Theatre review: Vietgone, QPAC ★★★★★ by Charmaine Idris
- Performance review: Son and Wolfgang’s Magical Musical Circus, Playhouse Theatre, QPAC ★★★★ by Gemma Betros
- Film review: Napoleon ★★★ by Gemma Betros
- Exhibition review: Donna Marcus, Radiate, HOTA ★★★★ by Pamela See
- Theatre review: Is That You, Ruthie?, Cremorne Theatre ★★★★★ by Charmaine Idris
South Australia
- Exhibition review: Willful Subjects, Nexus Arts ★★★1/2 by Nicky TszTung Li
- Light event review: Resonate and Mirror Mirror, Illuminate Adelaide ★★★★1/2 by Lyn Dickens
- Performance review: Adelaide Guitar Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre ★★★★★ by Ekkia Evans
- Dance review: Shifting Perspectives, Queen’s Theatre ★★★★★ by Nicky TszTung Li
- Event review: SALA Festival, Adelaide ★★★1/2 by Manuela Barry
- Theatre review: Ink, Little Theatre University of Adelaide ★★★★1/2 by Ekkia Evans
- Dance review: tiaen tiamen Episode 1, Dunstan Playhouse ★★★★★ by Nicky TszTung Li
- Theatre review: The Bridal Lament, Space Theatre ★★★1/2 by Nicky TszTung Li
- Performance review: FEAST Festival, Adelaide ★★★★★ by Ekkia Evans
- Exhibition review: Studios: 2023, Adelaide Contemporary Experimental ★★★★★ by Lyn Dickens
- Theatre review: Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Slingsby’s Hall of Possibility ★★★★★ by Ekkia Evans
Northern Territory
- Film review: Audrey Napanangka ★★★★ by Hannah Kothe’
- Dance review: The Other Side of Me, Darwin Festival ★★★★1/2 by Gina Machado
- Exhibition review: Our Land. Our Future, Tangentyere Artists Gallery ★★★★ by Hannah Kothe
- Exhibition review: Short Shelf Life, Tactile Arts ★★★1/2 by Pamela See
New South Wales
- Performance review: City of Angels, Hayes Theatre ★★★1/2 by Karen Leong
- Theatre review: Miss Peony, Belvoir Theatre ★★★1/2 by Karen Leong
- Theatre review: Fade, Riverside Theatres ★★★★ by Manan Luthra
- Theatre review: The Approach, Flight Path Theatre ★★★1/2 by Manan Luthra
- Musical review: Miss Saigon, Sydney Opera House ★★★ by Leo Chau
- Film review: Little Blue, Taiwan Film Festival in Australia ★★★ by Karen Leong
- Exhibition review: Zoe Leonard: Al río/To the River, MCA ★★★★ by Manan Luthra
- Exhibition review: Atmospheric Memory, Powerhouse Ultimo ★★★★ by Manan Luthra
- Theatre review: The Hen House, Riverside Theatre ★★★★ by Madeleine Gandhi
- Performance reviews: One Who Wants To Cross, Dalo Chips and Imli Chutney and WATER-MIRROR, Sydney Fringe Festival ★★★★1/2 by Leo Chau
- Performance reviews: Best of the Fest and Me, My Cult & I, Sydney Fringe Festival ★★★ by Manan Luthra
- Theatre review: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Belvoir St Theatre ★★★★1/2 by Madeleine Gandhi
- Dance review: Angela Goh Axe Arch Echo, AGNSW ★★★1/2 by Karen Leong
- Theatre review: Boom, KXT on Broadway ★★★★★ by Leo Chau
- Film reviews: Flora on the Sand (1964) and Juvenile Jungle (1956), Japanese Film Festival ★★★★1/2 by Karen Leong
- Opera review: Sibyl, Sydney Opera House ★★★★1/2 by Leo Chau
- Performance review: Nighttime Righttime, Carriageworks ★★★★ by Karen Leong
- Exhibition review: Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, Australian Museum ★★★★★ by Leo Chau
- Theatre review: Shakespeare in the Garden – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wollongong Botanic Garden ★★★★★ by Titilua Ikenasio
- Dance review: New Breed 2023, Carriageworks ★★★★ by Karen Leong
- Exhibition review: Halfway, Yarrila Arts and Museum ★★★★1/2 by Pamela See
- Exhibition review: Salote Tawale, Carriageworks ★★★★ by Titilua Ikenasio
- Performance review: Big Name, No Blankets, Sydney Festival ★★★★★ by Leo Chau
- Performance reviews: A Bucket of Beetles and White Gold, Sydney Festival ★★★★ by Leo Chau
- Theatre Review: Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, Sydney Festival ★★★1/2 by Madeleine Gandhi
- Performance review: Viva Korea, Riverside Theatres ★★★1/2 by Karen Leong
- Performance reviews: Smashed: The Nightcap, The Chosen Haram and Peter Cat Recording Co., Sydney Festival ★★★★ by Karen Leong
Australian Capital Territory
- Exhibition review: Kayannie Denigan, Belconnen Arts Centre ★★★★ By Barrina South
- Exhibition review: Dean Cross, Canberra Contemporary Art Space ★★★1/2 by Barrina South
- Exhibition review: Know My Name: Making it Modern, NGA ★★★★ by Satara Uthayakumaran
- Ballet review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Canberra Theatre Centre ★★★★1/2 by Ava Cadee
- Exhibition review: Nicholas Burridge: Built Geologies, Canberra Glassworks ★★★★ by Alice Rezende
Western Australia
- Exhibition review: KANANGOOR/Shimmer, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery ★★★★ by Jaimi Wright
- Exhibition review: Open Borders, John Curtin Gallery ★★★★1/2 by Cathy Cummins
- Performance review: The Journey Down, WA ★★★★★ by Cathy Cummins
- Exhibition review: Djilba/Kambarang season, PICA ★★★★ by Gok-Lim Finch
- Theatre review: The Final Line, Nexus Theatre ★★★ by Gok-Lim Finch
Tasmania
- Exhibition review: Holding Pattern, Haus of Vovo ★★★★★ by Lucy Hawthorne
- Exhibition reviews: Heavenly Beings: Icons of the Christian Orthodox World, Jean-Luc Moulène and Teams, and Jónsi Hrafntinna (Obsidian), Mona ★★★★★ by Jessi Ryan
- Festival review: The Unconformity, Queenstown ★★★★★ by Lucy Hawthorne
Book and publication reviews
- Book review: The Days Toppled Over, Vidya Madabushi ★★★★1/2 by Manuela Barry
- Book review: Serengotti, Eugen Bacon ★★★★1/2 by Manuela Barry
- Book review: Songs for the Dead and the Living, Sara M Saleh ★★★★ by Ava Cadee
- Book review: The Sitter, Angela O’Keeffe ★★1/2 by Gemma Betros
- Book review: New Australian Fiction 2023, edited by Suzy Garcia ★★★★ by Monique Choy
- Book review: Ballet Confidential by David McAllister ★★★1/2 by Leila Lois
- Book review: At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker ★★★★ by Monique Choy
- Book review: She’s Not Normal, Koraly Dimitriadis ★★★1/2 by Ava Cadee
- Book review: Burn, Melanie Saward ★★★★★ by Anne-Marie Te Whiu
- Book review: Women & Children, Tony Birch ★★★★1/2 by Gemma Betros
