Radio show keeps nation’s art pulse beating

Having delivered more than 700 episodes over 13 years, you might expect the producers behind Arts Alive to sit back and rest on their laurels.

Instead, even as much of the country kicks back on a beach somewhere, the national community radio program based at RMIT University is continuing to deliver its unique weekly wrap of arts and culture current affairs.

Producer and presenter, Dr Vincent O’Donnell, said the community radio program continued to fill a key gap in Australian arts coverage, primarily by being driven by issues rather than arts reviews.

“Arts Alive is produced with outer-suburban, rural and region audiences in mind, not the cognoscenti of Carlton, Paddington or Milton,” Dr O’Donnell, an honorary fellow in the School of Media and Communication, said.

“Our audience is people with catholic taste in the arts who enjoy a string quartet as much as a folk festival and especially, people who are poorly served by their available media when it comes to arts and cultural content.

“In terms of radio, that means everyone, including ABC Radio National listeners who get no current affairs-style program on arts and culture.”

In 2010, five Arts Alive episodes were produced overseas, with the show providing coverage from:

• the Australian Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo during Victoria Week;
• the Singapore Arts Festival;

• Singpore’s new LIVE performing arts market;
• the 6th Commonwealth Diversity Matters conference; and

• the Ottawa Jazz Festival.

In previous years, episodes have come from New Zealand, Indonesia, the Venice Biennale and the Cite International des Arts in Paris.

“Part of the program’s philosophy is that Australian arts and culture doesn't end at the three-mile limit – we are part of our region, our world,” Dr O’Donnell said.

“Another idea is that you don't have to be an expert to do good arts journalism, just the conventional journalistic tools of broadcast literacy, curiosity and the willingness to investigate a story.”

Since its launch, the program has given more than 200 students from RMIT and other tertiary institutions the opportunity to develop their broadcasting and journalism skills in a professional environment.

Emilia Sala, who graduated from RMIT with a Master of Communication (Journalism) last month and was an associate producer of the program throughout 2010, has secured a role as the new producer for the Matt and Jo breakfast show on Fox FM on the back of her experience.

Other Arts Alive alumni include Channel Nine reporter Alicia Gorey, ABC Regional Mornings presenter Fiona Parker and former ABC Victorian parliamentary reporter, Kate Thwaites.

Plaudits for the show have included a LOUD award, a prestigious nomination for a Walkley Award for journalism, a citation from the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies in Canberra and a special mention in the annual Manning Clark House awards.

The production of each episode is supported by RMIT’s School of Media and Communication. The program is heard on the national Community Radio Network.

Kerry Greenwood, author of the Phryne Fisher detective series, was also featured on the show this year.

Photographer Ponch Hawkes, winner of the Basil Sellers Creative Fellowship for 2011, was another notable guest in the past year. Photo: Georgia Metaxas.

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