Standing Room Only for Sunday 13 June 2021

12:16   20 years covering the arts - from WGO to SRO 

This time 20 years ago - virtually to the day - marked the launch of Radio New Zealand's brand new daily arts show, What's Going On.   Since then it's gone weekly, changed its name a couple of times but it's maintained its fierce enthusiasm for creative New Zealand.  And also its personnel.  Lynn Freeman has always presented it and edited it, Simon Morris has produced it, and for much of the time looked after the movie side.

Lynn and Simon look back over 20 years of watching the Arts of NZ/Aotearoa flourish and go from strength to strength, here and overseas.  From Lord of the Rings to Lorde, from the Donkey in the Dunny to the Flight of the Conchords, from Eleanor Cattan to Alien Weaponry, from Jonathan Lemalu to Benee - it's been an amazing ride!

 

12:33  Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni's big payout 

Survival and now growth - that's how the Government is selling its $374 million, Covid-recovery investment in the arts.

Overseeing this unprecedented spending in a sector that's often been neglected in the past is the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni.

She took over the portfolio from the Prime Minister after last year's election, having served as Associate Minister for the previous three years.

She's entrusted Creative New Zealand and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to hand out the money,  so is she confident that the government is getting enough bang for its big bucks?   And once we're through the Recovery phase, and that specifically-targeted funding has been spent, what's next?

Many artists have fond memories of the so-called "artists' benefit" PACE - the Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment programme - that ran from 2001 to 2012.   

This government is spending $7.5 million on a Careers Support for Creative Jobseekers' programme, working with tertiary institutions to upskill arts workers in areas like finances and marketing.

Lynn Freeman sat down with the Minister to find out the priorities set when deciding how much money to invest in the art and entertainment sectors.  .

 

1:10 At The Movies

This week Simon Morris reviews Dream Horse and The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It.  And he talks to actor turned director Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners) about his new film Days of the Bagnold Summer.

 

1:33  Philip Sharp - from fantasy props-maker to wildlife photographer

From set decoration, making props, models and costumes and art direction to cinematography and special effects, Philip Sharpe's film CV makes for impressive reading.

He's worked on major motion pictures like Batman Begins, several James Bonds,  District 9, The Hobbit  and Avatar.

Then there's his previous life as a wildlife cameraman that took him around the world.

The expat Brit has called New Zealand home for more than 10 years.   In between working on film projects and passing on his prop-making skills to the next generation, he's got a plan to set up a wildlife reserve on Vanuatu.

Lynn Freeman asked Philip Sharpe why he moved into making props for blockbuster movies, away from the wildlife cinematography he loved so much.
 

1:47  Shooting the night sky

The Wairarapa just north of Wellington has applied to become the country's latest Dark Sky Reserve.  And a new exhibition is encouraging people to look up at the night sky and soak up the darkness.

But as many of us will have realised after trying to photograph the recent blood super moon, it's not easy to capture a crystal-clear, close-up shot.

The Aratoi Museum of Art and History in Masterton has invited several photographers who specialise in night sky images to contribute work to the exhibition.   Within the Hours of Darkness: Astrophotography opens on the 19th of June, to tie in with Matariki.

Lynn Freeman asks photographer Pete Monk to walk us through some of the tricks of photographing the night sky.  She also talks with the show's curator and member of the Wairarapa Dark Sky Association Committee, Becky Bateman.

 

2:06 The Laugh Track - Brendhan Lovegrove

Today's a day for looking back, and 20 years ago comedy in New Zealand was still in its infancy...   Or perhaps in its early teens - lots of bad language and risky behaviour!

One comedian who remembers it all is today's Laugh Track guest, Brendhan Lovegrove.  He was there and, in the words of Elton John, he's still standing.  

He's about to appear as a quarter of The Great Comedy Heist - four comedy legends at Auckland's Sky Theatre later this month.

But we have the inadulterated Brendhan Lovegrove  on today's Laugh Track.   Brendhan picks include Adam Bloom,  Dave Allen, Emo Phillips, Mitch Hedberg, Ewan Gilmore and Melanie Bracewell.  

Brendhan's appearing as part of The Great Comedy Heist  - along with Justine Smith, Ben Hurley and Paul Ego - at Auckland's Sky City Theatre on Saturday, June the 19th. 
 

2:25  Poet Sam Duckor-Jones finds himself inspired by train trips

 

Sam Duckor-Jones takes on God and politics in his new poetry collection, Party Legend.

Sam, who's also a sculptor, won the Biggs Poetry Prize from Victoria University of Wellington in 2017.

He's currently living in Wellington after moving from the Wairarapa.  

But those long commutes he used to do provided the self-described eavesdropper with rich pickings for his new poetry collection.

Lynn Freeman talks with Sam Duckor-Jones about trains, God and pronouns.

Party Legend by Sam Duckor-Jones is published by Victoria University of Wellington Press.

 

 

2:44  Nicola Daly says children can handle complex - even confronting - books

Can young readers deal with complex themes, issues and feelings?   The judges for the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults say yes, and writers are crediting their readers with what they call "emotional intelligence".

There are six main categories - Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te reo Māori - and 28 finalists.

So what makes a great - and challenging - book for children and young people?   One of the judges this year is an expert in the field, Associate Professor Nicola Daly from the University of Waikato.

Lynn Freeman asks Nicola what got her interested in this specific genre:

The winners of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be announced on the 11th of August.
 

3:06 Drama at 3 - Straight man by Ken Duncum

Today's Classic Drama is a radio play that was acclaimed not only in this country, but also in Australia, Canada, Britain and the United States.

It asks what defines the modern family?  Who belongs?  Who doesn't belong?  What is a family in this, the age of divorce and separation?  Peter Hambleton plays a man struggling to fit into his new, extended family that has somehow assembled itself in his home.