Latest Episodes from Wide Open Air Exchange

Hospital volunteer Bernadette Gallagher

Insights from a long-serving hospital volunteer who has shared many profound experiences with people in their final days of life in palliative care wards. Bernadette Gallagher had been a volunteer for more than 30 years in Sydney hospitals, including as a patient escort and giving pastoral care, until the Covid pandemic put that on hold. Like other seniors who volunteer, Bernadette would like to return to her meaningful work and community connections. Read More

Material culture and museology

Matthew Connell's early interests in science and culture led to a 30+ year career as a museum curator specialising in computing and mathematics. We hear about Matthew's early influences, his thoughts on the relevance of museums and material culture, and his concerns about the trappings of technology.  Read More

TikTok creator Tracy Taylor aka everydaytrace

An introduction to TikTok as a forum for special interests and for community-building. Tracy Taylor aka everydaytrace joined Tik Tok during the first Covid lockdown and found communities of like-minded people in comedy and lesbian Tik Tok channels. Being on Tik Tok has helped Tracy to identify her storytelling abilities as something which has been a thread throughout her vocational history. Read More

Scriptwriter and author Clare Atkins

Author Clare Atkins has a great interest in real stories and exploring themes of culture and identity informed by her own experience of living and feeling in between worlds, culturally. Her novels feature political backdrops of the Australian Government's Intervention in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (Nona and Me) and the conditions for asylum seekers in detention in Australia (Between Us). An award winning young fiction author, Clare's novels are read by high school students and used as teaching resources by high school teachers. Read More

Plant scientist Oula Ghannoum

Plant physiologist Associate Professor Oula Ghannoum is working on solutions to problems of climate change and food security. Her research aims at discovering ways of enhancing photosynthesis and optimising protected cropping. As well as explaining her research interests, Oula shares personal and vocational experiences such as migrating to Australia from war-torn Lebanon and how being vision-impaired informed some aspects of her career choices. Read More

Artist Tom Swain aka Dript

Artist Tom Swain aka Dript found an expression through art after having a hard time at school with ADHD and dyslexia. Tom shares his experience of realising he’s an artist and the stories behind some of his artworks. Read More

Nixon in China 50th anniversary

On the 50th anniversary of US President Nixon's visit to China, a discussion of the historical significance of the event and its legacy in current US-China relations. Our guest, Jingdong Yuan, was a middle school student in China when Nixon made the historic visit and these days he's an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney specialising in Chinese defence and foreign policy and Asia-Pacific security.  Read More

Philosopher Dr Tim Dean

Dr Tim Dean describes his approach to philosophy communication and explains his interdisciplinary research on the evolution of morality including some of the ideas explored in his book, How We Became Human: And Why Need to Change Read More

Carpenter Allan Killick

Allan Killick is a carpenter and joiner with more than 37 years experience as a contractor in the construction industry. You'll hear a discussion of the culture of worksites and the importance of mentoring when learning a trade. Read More

Astronomer and astrophysicist Sarah Caddy

Sarah Caddy is an astronomer and astrophysicist working on the Huntsman Telescope. Includes foundational knowledge about the universe, ideas about life on other planets, and the potential for space tourism to change humanity for the better. Read More