Over a three course meal Marc Fennell guides participants through a discussion focusing on topics ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obesity, menopause and ageing.

Across, the series the guests are athletes, drag queens, artists, doctors and everyday, yet extraordinary, people, with little in common except the one health condition that binds them.

The dinner party becomes a space for empathy, disagreement, laughter and catharsis – where brain fog, body image, libido and late-age diagnosis are discussed as easily as wine is poured.

In the third episode of the series the topic of ageing is tackled. Sitting at the table is artist Lindy Lee, sexologist Dr Linda Kirkman, dementia advocate Gwenda Darling, and drag performer Stan Munro and Geriatrician Dr John Ward – who was New South Wales Senior of the Year in 2024.

During the conversation Lee notes that while the Baby Boomer generation have had a tendency to focus on materialism growing up in the post-war period they’re also the first generation to tackle many social issues.

“Baby Boomers were born from parents who had experienced war, deprivation, so the moment any sense of prosperity came on, of course people are going to buy houses because it was affordable, so that’s kind of a natural thing.” Lee says during the dinner conversation. “But we also had to contend with misogyny, racism, homophobia, so my generation I think have fought hard for inclusiveness.”

Eighty-four year old drag performer Stan Munro shares his frustration about how call centre operators speak to older people, as well as lamenting his lack of sex life.

“I haven’t been laid for about fifteen years,” he says, “It’s shocking.” Leading to some of the other attendees to suggest that all the action is happening in care homes.

Stan says that on the gay scene, ageism has always been a big factor, and it only gets worse the older you get, which kicks off a discussion about the differences between relationships, intimacy and pleasure.

As Australia’s population ages, people live longer and work longer attitudes to ageing and how to live your life are rapidly changing. While people used to retire in their sixties, now many people continue to work, and Dame Stan has no plans to stop performing. He currently delivers a show called Vintage Drag in Mint Condition.

Heartbreakingly, Stan also shares his fear of getting older and having to go in to care, where he fears he may encounter homophobia.

Across the series many interesting and prominent Australians appear including true crime podcasters, advertising experts, prison reform advocates, mental health experts and reality TV show champions. Plus there’s food writers, Olympians, influencers, famous authors, doctors, fashion designers and journalists.

The four-part series will be available to stream on SBS On Demand from Tuesday, 14 October, and air weekly on SBS, Tuesdays at 8.30pm.

The post New Marc Fennell SBS series tackles the big topics appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Director Elissa Down will helm a new series coming to SBS in 2023. While The Men Are Away is described as an eight-part queer revisionist comedy.

The broadcaster announced the director’s involvement and details of the cast ahead of filming commenting.

Elissa Down became internationally known in 2008 with her semi-autobiographical film The Black Balloon. The West Australian director was already well-known in the Western Australian screen industry for a series of highly praised short films that the Curtin University graduate had created.

Down’s most recent work includes the American feature film Feel the Beat and the Netflix children series Ivy + Bean.  Down will lead the eight-part series with director Monica Zanetti (Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), Iggy & Ace) joining to direct an episode.

The upcoming World War II dramedy, currently in pre-production in Sydney, introduces a mix of fresh talent including Shaka Cook who starred in the Australian production of Hamilton, Max McKenna best known for their theatrical roles in Jagged Little Pill and Muriel’s Wedding the Musical, as well as major Australian actor Benedict Hardie and Gemma Ward who starred in The Black Balloon.

Elissa Down said she was excited to back in Australia to work on the new project.

“I’m thrilled to be back home in Australia to direct While The Men Are Away. The scripts are like nothing I’ve read before – irreverent, absurd, funny and also incredibly heartfelt and moving. Our team, like the characters in the show, are a beautiful band of misfits. Huge kudos to SBS for commissioning the series.”

While The Men Are Away is a queer revisionist historical dramedy for SBS set in 1940s rural Australia. While the men are off fighting in WWII, the people who have been excluded from power suddenly find themselves running the show. Two Women’s Land Army recruits from Sydney arrive in the country and undergo a heady course in race relations, rural politics, spirituality, sex, and personal growth – oh, and farming.

SBS Head of Scripted, Julie Eckersley is enthused about the new series.

“While the Men Are Away is a series that delivers on our vision to tell exciting and authored work that is uniquely Australian while having global appeal. This queer, sexy, warm-hearted series is our first foray into half hour dramas and we think our audiences will love it. It is another great example of the fresh and distinct content that SBS brings to Australia.”

The series is producer Lisa Shaunessy’s first scripted series under her production company Arcadia. Her previous work includes the film Sissy – which opened this year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival.

Shaunessy said SBS had taken a brave step in commissioning the series.

“Bringing a show as cheeky, full of love and sex in all its colours, with a wink to the past and a foot firmly in today is a brave step for our partners, that we wholeheartedly applaud. Their foresight to see the world and the characters that we know audiences will love and crave more of, is a credit to the great commissioning team at SBS. We’re excited to light up screens with this fabulous cast, telling a part of the real home story of WWII”.

While The Men Are Away is created by acclaimed writer Kim Wilson (Wentworth, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Alexandra Burke (Sissy) and Monica Zanetti (Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)). The series is written and developed by Kim, Alexandra and Monica, alongside Magda Wozniak, Enoch Mailangi, Jada Alberts and Sam Icklow.

Look out for the show in 2023. 

OIP Staff, image shows clockwise Elissa Down, Monica Zanetti, Max McKenna, Benedict Hardie, Shaka Cook and Gemma Ward. 

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post Elissa Down to direct new SBS series 'While the Men Are Away' appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Curious Australia, a new strand of seven half-hour documentaries that innovatively explore issues relevant to contemporary Australia, is set to premiere on SBS VICELAND and NITV from 4 August.

Airing every Thursday evening, Curious Australia supports screen practitioners from under-represented backgrounds in the sector to amplify their authentic, enlightening and powerful stories on Australian screens.

From stories exploring what it’s like being young, disabled and sexual, to the inspiring story of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who is an aspiring screenwriter working in a coal mine, Curious Australia will reflect and explore the diversity of people and experiences of contemporary Australia, in revealing and entertaining ways.

The third episode on the series, celebrates the incredible Ballroom scene in Queensland. The documentary following the story of Samoan-Australian trans woman Ella Ganza as she prepares for the biggest event on the ballroom calendar: The Alexander Ball.

The seven documentaries selected in the first year of the initiative have been commissioned in partnership with Screen Australia, and state and territory agencies – Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screen Tasmania, Screen Territory, Screenwest, the South Australian Film Corporation and VicScreen.

Alongside The Alexander Ball, SBS has commissioned We Are Sexual Beings (VicScreen), Run Girl (Screen NSW), and Whatever Scares You (VicScreen), while Black Empire (South Australian Film Corporation), Sistas in Mining (Screen Queensland) and Un-Locked (Screen NSW) were commissioned by NITV.

Curious Australia begins airing Thursday 4th August on SBS VICELAND and NITV.

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post Queensland's ballroom scene shines in new series 'Curious Australia' appeared first on OUTinPerth.

SBS has launched a new interactive tool inviting all Australians to explore the 2021 Census results in eight different languages, extending the reach of the national snapshot to multilingual communities across Australia.

Alongside English, the SBS Australian Census Explorer is available for the first time in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese, presenting a powerful visual of who are as Australians today through fun and easy-to-use interactive elements.

Launched during NAIDOC Week, SBS’s unique tool also provides insights into First Nations peoples and communities, enabling all Australians to gain a deeper understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, languages and cultures.

SBS’s Census Explorer will be a useful and practical tool for any organisation that wishes to learn more about the makeup of an increasingly diverse Australia.

Settlement services and community groups can use the platform to better understand migrant demographics, educational institutions can engage students with new insights about their region, and business and government groups can rely on trusted, easy-access data to inform effective practice.

The SBS Australian Census Explorer is driven by the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2021 data, including data from 2016 and 2011 for comparison purposes.

“The SBS Australian Census Explorer is unique and invites Australians to be curious about their neighbourhood, town or city, to see for themselves how our population is changing and how our diversity is increasing; all brought alive by the Explorer’s interactive platform,” Mandi Wicks, SBS Director of News and Current Affairs said.

“The accessibility of the SBS Australian Census Explorer, released for the first time in eight languages, speaks to our purpose – to encourage all Australians to explore and appreciate Australia’s diversity and in doing so increase our understanding of each other”.

David Hua, SBS Director of Audio and Language Content adds that the explorer offers new migrants an opportunity to unearth new information about their own communities.

“It’s a unique tool that supports social cohesion, especially as it provides a means for new Australians to gain deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures.”

The SBS Australian Census Explorer drills down into the detail of the Census’ key findings, illustrating a larger and increasingly diverse population with more than half of all Australians being first or second-generation migrants and with 5.5 million Australians speaking a language other than English at home.

Users can explore Census data collected from more than 250 ethnicities and 350 languages, which for the first time highlighted India as the third largest country of birth after Australia and England, and Punjabi as the fastest growing language.

The SBS Census Explorer also invites Australians to explore the rich diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, presenting the 167 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia, with the Census counting 812,728 First Nations people (3.2 per cent of the population).

Discover for yourself how Australia is changing. Access the SBS Australian Census Explorer here.

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post SBS launch interactive multilingual Australian Census Explorer appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Liberal party election candidate Katherine Deves has broken her silence and granted an exclusive pre-recorded interview with SBS World News, saying she’s received death and rape threats and has had to send her family away due the furor around her comments about transgender people.

The heavily edited interview was filmed at a “secret location”, and saw the candidate for Warringah reflecting on her previous comments and promising to contribute to a more nuanced discussion in the future.

“I have received death threats. I have had to have the police and the AFP involved, my safety has been threatened, my family are away out of Sydney because I don’t want them to witness what I am going through and nor do I want their safety put at risk.” Deves said.

Deves said she was shocked to be selected as the party’s candidate and was a supporter of the plebiscite process which sees local branch members selecting the candidate, something she says she’ll continue to advocate in the future. She said she believed she could win the seat back for the Liberals and was excited to be their candidate.

Addressing suggestions that she had only been picked by the Prime Minister because her stance against transgender women would trigger debate that might play well in other seats the government was hoping to win, Deves said she was unaware of any plan along those lines.

Asked if she was sorry about the comments she’d made in the past and the offence they had caused Deves said she had been ‘chastened”, but then appeared to struggle to recall what seemed to be a prepared line to the question.

“I have been very chastened by this process. I recognise that trying to prosecute the arguments about complex, nuanced and difficult subjects…” Deves said, pausing and apologising to presenter Janice Peterson, before continuing, “on complex, difficult and nuanced subjects, it should not take place on a platform the propagates offence and division and hurt, and going forward I will be conducting myself in a dignified and respectful fashion.”

Peterson asked Deves if she didn’t mean the things she’s said in the past, why did she say them?

“As a mother, as a woman, I recognise that the way I prosecuted those arguments was not conducive to proper reasonable debate, it was not the appropriate platform to do so, I’ve removed myself from that platform and I will not be going back there again.” Deves said.

Deves denied the accusation that she is transphobic. “No I am not.” she said. “My issue is the right of women and girls to have a dedicated female sports category for fair competition and players safety.”

Asked what her message would be to young transgender people, Deves said they should understand it is about women’s rights.

“With this issue we have a collision of rights, and thus far the voices of women and girls have not been heard, and when we have a collision of rights in liberal democracies we debate them in a reasonable and measured fashion, and that’s what should have taken place here.”

Deves acknowledged that transgender people make up a miniscule percentage of the population but said “even one male taking a space of a girl means there is a woman who missed out.”

The aspiring politician said she’d had held back on speaking to any media hoping that the coverage around her comments would die down, but had eventually taken up the offer to speak to SBS because she knew they were a broadcaster that reached many Australians across many different demographics.

Deves said she had selected Peterson because she would also know what it’s like to be a woman under pressure.

Deves said she would be continuing with her campaign because thousands of Australian of different backgrounds, religions and sexual orientations had reached out to her and told her they were too afraid to speak of the issues she was raising.

“We are in a time where it’s dangerous to speak your mind.” Deves said.

Reactions to the interview

The interview has been slammed by veteran journalist Barrie Cassidy, who used to host the ABC’s political show Insiders.

“It was pathetic. You would think she was interviewing the Queen of England terrified she would offend her.” Cassidy said of Petersen’s chat with Deves.

The current member for Warringah, Independent Zali Steggall responded to Cassidy’s message, saying it looked like Deves had been given the questions in advance.

“The interview reeked of pre-vetted questions and pre-drafted answers. Where were the questions about existing rules and laws for participation in sport? Or real issues of women’s rights like domestic violence, equal pay, homelessness?” Steggall asked.

The New South Wales Police have told the ABC that they have not received any reports about the threats Deves referred to in her interview. OUTinPerth has contacted the Australian Federal Police for comment.

Update: 25-05-2022 1:38pm A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police has responded to inquiries from OUTinPerth saying “The AFP does not comment on matters that may be the subject of investigation.”

OIP Staff

Do you need some support?

If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:

QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.

DISCHARGED: info@discharged.org.au / discharged.org.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au

The post Katherine Deves breaks her silence saying she's 'chastened' appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Australia’s newest rep Sheldon Riley is ready to perform for the world, and SBS is a one stop shop for everything you need to get swept up in Eurovision fever.

The 66th Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live and in primetime exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand from 11 to 15 May, with primetime broadcasts on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 May at 8.30pm, and Sunday 15 May at 7.30pm.

Eurovision 2022 kicks off on SBS with Semi Final 1 live at 5am on Wednesday 11, followed by a primetime broadcast on Friday 13th. Sheldon is set to compete against 17 countries in Semi Final 2, which will be broadcast live at 5am on Friday 13. He’ll be up against The Rasmus from Finland who will be opening the show with a bang, fan favourite Swedish singer-songwriter Cornelia Jakobs and one of Sheldon’s favourite competitors, Krystian Ochman from Poland.

SBS’s exclusive coverage will once again be in the capable hands of music buff Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey who will guide Australia through the glitz, glamour and madness of the Semi-Finals and spectacular Grand Final direct from PalaOlimpico in Turin, Italy.

With live broadcasts of Semi Final 1, Semi Final 2 and the Grand Final for immediate results and voting along with Europe, and a weekend of primetime broadcasts for fabulous Euro-themed parties around the country, there are plenty of opportunities to get behind Sheldon and join in the fun of picking favourites from the 40 competing nations, each bringing a taste of their own musical culture.

Australians will be able to vote again this year during the early morning broadcasts and then join in the conversation using the hashtag #SBSEurovision during the interactive evening broadcasts, with tweets and party pictures promoted on screen.

As per the official Eurovision rules, viewers can vote in the Semi Final in which their country is participating, as well as the Grand Final. The viewers’ votes make up 50% of the final result. The other 50% of the vote is decided by a National Jury in each participating country.

Australia’s jury will be announced soon, and the jury and Australian public can vote for any country except Australia.

For Australian viewers, this means they will need to tune into the live broadcast of Semi Final 2 on Friday May 13 at 3am (AWST) and the Grand Final on Sunday 15 May at 3am (AWST) by following the voting prompts that appear on screen during the live broadcasts.

SBS World Movies will also celebrate Eurovision with a season of musical movie favourites from around the globe, and SBS’s favourite foodie and mega Eurovision fan Adam Liaw will take viewers on a culinary adventure with an encore of Destination Flavour Eurovision on SBS Food on May 7.

SBS Radio will also be dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing audiences exclusive news and Eurovision artist interviews in English and in language.

Eurovision Song Contest will be held from May 11 – 15. Stay tuned to SBS Eurovision for updates.

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post SBS prepares for Eurovision fever as song contest approaches appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Sheldon Riley is heading to Turin Italy to represent Australia at Eurovision 2022, the singer won Eurovision – Australia Decides on Saturday night with his powerful song about discrimination and exclusion.

Riley was one of eleven Australian performers competing for the privilege to be Australia’s entrant, he scored highly with both the industry judges and the public.

The judges scores saw Jaguar Jonze top the leaderboard with 51 points, but Riley came in a close second with just one point less. When the audience votes were added into the mix Riley shot to the top of the pack.

Perth band Voyager came a close second trailing by just three points, while Jaguar Jonze fell to third place.

The voting between the industry experts and the public had some notable differences of opinion, girl group G Nation didn;t find favour with the judges, but got a bump from the public vote, while Isaiah Firebrace and Evie Irie’s duet scored well with the the judges but bombed out when the pubic vote came in.

The final results were Sheldon Riley (100), Voyager (97), Jaquar Jonze (91), Charley (63), G Nation (56), Paulini (52), Andrew Lambrou (51), Jude York (47), Isaiah Firebrace and Evie Irie (45), Erica Padilla (45) and Seann Miley Moore (23).

Riley took to the stage to perform his song Not the Same at the closing of the show but was overcome by emotion.

Sheldon Riley explains the story behind Not the Same 

Not The Same has dark elements found very familiar in many of Riley’s viral live performances. Unlike his last singles Left Broken and Again lyrically is a more obvious story ready to be heard, followed and visualized.

Written from the perspective of young Riley who was told “he would never quite be understood.” Not The Same is heartbreaking but gives a sense of hope to those in similar situations.

The singers mesmerising performance saw him remove his trademark mask, ready to take on the world.

Speaking on the track, Sheldon Riley said, “Not The Same is the story I never thought I’d ever feel I’d be able to tell. Written from the memories of a child who at age 6 was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Growing up in public housing, moving from home to home, unaware of my sexuality, among a deeply religious family. A path already laid that I would never be able to properly understand or interact with other people.”

The track was written, musically and lyrically by Riley and brought to life in production by Australian Producer Cameron Nacson. The instrumentation and lyrics alike shed moments of light and dark, fear and hope, following tentatively alongside the growing vocal to assist in telling Riley’s story of although you’re Not The Same, you’re not alone.

“I actually wrote this song back around late 2015, I had sent myself the lyrics on my old Facebook account. It was more of a poem back then though, reflecting on how far I had come, recently having come out to my family and feeling so free to speak my mind more and more each day,” Riley continues.

“I have always connected to darker Disney Animations, characters that were perceived to be different, evil, misunderstood and weren’t given a chance to explain parts of themselves that they ultimately couldn’t change. Maleficent, Cruella DeVille, Ursula. It probably explains my dark aesthetic.”

“I mention this because Eurovision really was my first real life Disney fantasy, filled with outcasts and artists who just didn’t fit the mold of mainstream music and the competition gave them a loud enough voice that showed people will choose different if given the chance. That is what I connected so strongly to. I wanted to put a song forward that came from that same place.”

“The song is really a gift back to any one who might be in my position when I first fell in love with Eurovision. Regardless of gender, sexuality, race, financial position, trauma, color, age, shape or size.”

Sheldon Riley released his debut single More Than I in late 2020, setting the tone for his original sound. Showcasing his captivating vocals, formidable songwriting abilities and exquisite style and soundscapes, More Than I is representative of Sheldon’s own truth and the instincts and intuitions that co-exist.

Riley released his sophomore single Left Broken which combined the worlds of luxury fashion and brooding dark pop music. The artwork for Left Broken features Sheldon wearing an exclusive custom made mask from San Francisco based avant-garde fashion designer Lance Victor Moore (Lady Gaga, Mila Jovovich). The track was a polished, stylish sample of Sheldon Riley’s genuine self that Rolling Stone Australia dubbed, “an intimate, unforgettable experience.”

Sheldon Riley released his latest single AGAIN a confession to self sabotage and torment, in October 2021. This orchestral and emotional new-age cinematic track has the heart of a SIA classic with the modern soundscapes from the likes of FKA Twigs. Riley’s music showcases his empathetic and impactful song writing abilities along with his exquisite and captivating vocals.

Not The Same is available on all platforms now.

OIP Staff

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post Sheldon Riley heads to Eurovision with 'Not the Same' appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Screen Australia, SBS and National Indigenous Television (NITV) have announced that applications are now open for the third Digital Originals initiative.

The Digital Originals initiative aims to develop exciting and innovative short-form drama projects to premiere as a single episode program on SBS On Demand and NITV, from screen creatives who are currently under-represented in the sector.

This includes people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations Australians, people with disability, female and gender diverse, LGBTIQ+ and those who are located in regional and remote areas.

Past recipients include AACTA Award-winning Tasmanian mystery The Tailings, Western Australian comedy Iggy & Ace (pictured above), and the upcoming South Australian drama A Beginner’s Guide to Grief, with three more projects from the 2021 cohort heading into production to be announced soon.

Screen Australia’s Head of Online Lee Naimo said they were excited about what new talent the project might uncover.

“We are thrilled to partner with SBS and NITV on the third instalment of Digital Originals, to continue to build this pathway for premium online Australian drama. I can’t wait to take the new batch of talent creators through the workshop, and work with them on developing their projects for the SBS OnDemand audience.”

SBS Head of Scripted, Julie Eckersley said projects previously createwd through the scheme had resonated with audiences.

“Digital Originals continues to be a great success and an important initiative SBS is incredibly proud to be a part of. Over three years, we’ve seen unique and award-winning stories from across the country resonate with audiences, while supporting and showcasing incredible emerging talent in our sector. It continues to be a key element of our drama offering, and I’m looking forward to seeing what fresh voices and amazing talent this next round uncovers.”

NITV’s Head of Commissioning and Programming, Kyas Hepworth, added, “Digital Originals provides a brilliant opportunity to support more First Nations narrative writers and practitioners to hone their skills and have their voices heard. NITV, as part of the SBS network, is committed to bringing stories from underrepresented communities to a national audience, I encourage our next wave of creatives to get involved.”

Up to 10 teams will be selected to attend an exclusive workshop from 17 – 19 May 2022, run by Screen Australia, SBS and NITV.

The workshop will focus on narrative writing skills, as well as developing the projects to align with the SBS Charter and SBS On Demand platform, culminating in a pitch to Screen Australia, SBS and NITV.

Teams of either two or three members are eligible to apply and must include one writer. Teams outside of Sydney will receive flights and accommodation for up to three team members to attend the workshop. The workshop may be held virtually pending travel restrictions in place at the time.

From these 10 teams, up to four will be chosen to take their projects into further development, and from these up to three will be chosen for production funding and commissioning with SBS, NITV and Screen Australia.

Submissions should include an up to three page pitch document outlining the details of the series and more information on the creative team; an up to three minute pitch video outlining the creators’ personal connection to and reason for wanting to develop the project; and an up to 10 page script sample of previous work.

Find out more at Screen Australia. 

Source: Media Release

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post SBS, NITV and Screen Australia launch third Digital Originals initiative appeared first on OUTinPerth.

SBS, Blink TV and TikTok have today announced a national TikTok Wildcard contest to find an 11th artist to take part in Eurovision – Australia Decides on the Gold Coast in February 2022.

From today, Australians over 16 years of age can be in the running to become the TikTok Wildcard Artist to compete in Eurovision – Australia Decides.

Just post a vocal performance clip, up to one minute long, with the hashtag #EurovisionAustralia on TikTok.

What entrants sing and how they perform it is up to them. A panel of industry experts will then determine the winner, who will go on to round out a total line-up of 11 incredible artists on the Gold Coast – all chasing their dreams to represent Australia at Eurovision 2022 in Turin, Italy.

The TikTok Wildcard Artist contest via #EurovisionAustralia is open for submissions from today until Sunday, 16 January 2022. There are no restrictions on the number of videos artists can submit. Entrants can submit a video as individuals or as a group with up to six members in total.

The addition of the TikTok Wildcard contest to Eurovision – Australia Decides is so exciting that it deserves an ambassador to fly the flag for the new generation of Australian Eurovision entrants – and who better than Eurovision 2016 runner up, Dami Im. Check out Dami’s TikTok account for all her tips and tricks on how to curate a powerful, Eurovision-worthy performance.

With the full line-up of artists for Eurovision – Australia Decides almost complete, SBS and Blink TV have a further four more artists to announce for the 2022 line-up. Pop newcomer Charley, the fabulous Seann Miley Moore, Perth’s metal quintet Voyager and singer-songwriter Jude York, who will all perform original songs for their chance to represent Australia at Eurovision 2022.

“I don’t stand here like ‘I want to be different’, ‘I want to be unique’, or ‘I want to wear all this to be seen and heard.’,” Seann Miley Moore said.

“I stand here as a proud queer man, a proud brown man and most importantly, a proud Australian – it comes down to authenticity and happiness. Doing all these things make me happy. They make me feel alive. That’s what matters.”

“Eurovision is about celebrating your pride and I’m ready to give you all the fabulous joy baby! EveryBODY is welcome in Seann Miley Moore’s world – so Australia, pack your bags, we’re going to the Gold Coast!”

They join six previously announced artists – Sheldon Riley, G-Nat!on, Andrew Lambrou, PAULINI, Jaguar Jonze, and Isaiah Firebrace who will be singing a duet with a soon-to-be-revealed Australian artist.

For the terms and conditions, and further information about how to enter, visit sbs.com.au/eurovision 

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post Seann Miley Moore, Charley, Voyager and you(?) join Eurovision contest appeared first on OUTinPerth.

The broadcast of Mardi Gras is moving from SBS to a new home at the ABC.

SBS has been the event’s broadcast partner since 2014 but in 2022 it’s going to have a new home at the National Broadcaster under a three year deal. The ABC will also be the broadcaster for World Pride when it come to Sydney in 2023.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson described the new deal as a ‘homecoming’.

“This is a homecoming for Mardi Gras. The ABC was the first broadcaster to televise Sydney Mardi Gras in 1994. We’ve waited 28 years for it to return and from 2022 onwards, we will provide coverage of Mardi Gras that only the ABC can, without commercial interests.”

Albert Kruger, the CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras described the new partnership as one that would amplify LGBIQA+ voices.

“We’re thrilled to have the ABC join us as our broadcast partner for the next three years. Our national broadcaster has been a longtime champion of LGBTQI+ communities, and we are proud to partner with such an icon of the Australian media landscape whose values and ethics align with our own. We look forward to working alongside their talented and committed team to amplify the diverse voices of our LGBTQI+ communities, as well as share our stories with the rest of the country.”

WorldPride CEO Kate Wickett said the ABC were the ideal broadcaster for the event.

“When WorldPride comes to the Asia-Pacific in 2023, Australia’s national broadcaster is the ideal broadcasting partner to amplify our LGBTQI+ culture and community. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, with Sydney WorldPride is coming home to where it belongs.”

Wickett also highlighted ABC Chair Ita Buttrose’s long commitment to supporting people living with HIV, and been an LGBTQI+ ally.

“I would like to thank and acknowledge ABC chair Ita Buttrose for her unwavering support and advocacy for our LGBTQI+ communities throughout the decades, in particular for taking a leading role as a national voice of health messaging during the AIDS crisis.”

A spokesperson for SBS told advertising industry website Munbrella that while they would no longer be the home of Mardi Gras they remained committed to telling LGBTIQA+ stories.

“SBS has been proud to be the official broadcast partner for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for eight wonderful years, beaming the parade to communities throughout Australia and around the world, while also ensuring stories of people from across the country were a part of the occasion.

“There is nothing like the celebration of pride, inclusion and acceptance of Mardi Gras, and having both the parade and the World Pride events come to Sydney marks an exciting new era. We look forward to seeing what’s to come and joining in the party alongside Australians, whilst SBS will continue to find new ways to explore LGBTQI+ issues, stories and perspectives across our network.”

OIP Staff

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

The post The broadcast of Sydney Mardi Gras is moving to the ABC appeared first on OUTinPerth.