Category: Vocational

Heritage Interpretation, Sue Hodges

With 30 years of experience in the heritage sector, and as Managing Director of SHP, Sue Hodges exercises best practices in enabling the rights of Firsts Nations peoples to determine how their histories are told in the design and production of heritage interpretation. Sue is a doctoral researcher at UTS with a PhD project on the 'Economic and social value of heritage interpretation'. In this extended podcast version, we also discuss Sue's international work and recognition as an international leader in heritage interpretation. Sue works with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) as President of the Committee on Interpretation, which is a global role. Sue also shares further thoughts on History as a profession and her view on doing meaningful commercial work.

Becoming an historical fiction novelist

In part two of this chat with author Nicholas Graham we hear about his vocational pathway to becoming a novelist of historical fiction, and what horse riding and reading Latin have to do with this vocational pursuit. This follows an earlier episode about Nicholas' debut novel The Judas Case which is set in the first century with a biblical backdrop and told as a master detective story.

Former Superyachts steward and deckhand

Julia Beveridge is a former Superyacht crew worker with experience as a steward and deckhand. Julia reflects on this vocational experience and comments on the accuracy of the reality TV show 'Below Deck'. The audio montage from Below Deck comes from a few seconds of various episodes of the program owned by Bravo TV. The theme music is derived from ‘Tuesday Morning’ by The Pogues written by Spider Stacy.

Master Control Operator Julia Beveridge

A television professional with vast experience as a Master Control Operator, Julia Beveridge gives us an introduction to what’s involved in the role including some of the technicalities of managing all of the vision and audio for the network and the communication skills that help in this line of work.

Gender Equity Programs Manager, Dr Kumi de Silva

Dr Kumi de Silva is Gender Equity Programs Manager at the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion at UTS in conversation about gender equity issues and sharing what motivated her vocational shift away from academic research as a scientist to this professional role.

Lebanese food culture, Karima Hazim

Karima Hazim shares the motivation behind her efforts to document and share Lebanese food culture and how it relates to the history of the migrant experience. One of the ways Karima is doing this is through Sunday Kitchen, a cooking class she runs with her mother whose family left Lebanon at the start of the civil war in the 1970s and migrated to Australia where traditional recipes, ingredients and cooking methods were passed down through the generations. Karima had been a student of Fashion Design at UTS and went on to create her own small fashion label. She tells the story of her experiences meeting with tailors in regional Vietnam and how she found a way to overcome the language barriers and cultural differences by relating through food. The theme music is derived from 'Tuesday Morning' by The Pogues written by Spider Stacy.

Live at the Powerhouse: DJ Soup in conversation

This episode of the Wide Open Air Exchange was recorded with a live audience at the Powerhouse Museum as part of an event celebrating recorded sound, music, radio and audiophile content. We learn about DJ Soup's lifelong interests in sampling and beat-making as a pioneer of the Australian hip hop and trip hop music scene in the 1990s and beyond, as well as his experience playing professional basketball for the Sydney Kings.

High School Careers Advisor (radio version)

Jenine Smith shares insights from her vocation as a careers adviser, assisting high school students with understanding their skills, abilities and interests and with identifying post-school learning and vocational opportunities. Jenine is President of the Careers Advisers Association of NSW & ACT. The live event mentioned in the opening is in Sydney at the Powerhouse Museum on 2 February 2023.

Crystal healing and chakras, Emma Bellamy

Emma Bellamy shares what's involved in her crystal bed healing practice and the qualities that are ascribed to chakras in her wisdom tradition. This conversation was conducted in a spirit of agnostic curiosity and openness to learn about different world views and theologies.

Quit smoking facilitator, Natalie Clays

Natalie Clays had a vocational calling after quitting smoking at an Allen Carr's Easyway seminar and made a mid-career change from a successful corporate role to helping other people to quit smoking. Natalie is Director and Facilitator for Allen Carr's Easyway operations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. I also credit Allen Carr's methods for my own success (Christine Gallagher) with quitting smoking tobacco and quitting drinking alcohol, and we share those experiences.

Nominate a nonagenarian

We are seeking to feature intergenerational conversations with people aged in their 90s who have some aspect of their vocational history or a special interest that would be a good fit for the Wide Open Air Exchange. Do you know someone who would be interested in sharing their experiences and insights? Find more information at wideopenairexchange.com

Film reviewer Michael Jones

Michael Jones has been reviewing movies for a morning radio segment since 1997 and here he shares his approach to film reviewing, what kinds of movies he enjoys, what it is about the cinema experience that appeals to him, some formative experiences watching movies, and other experiences and interests.

Travel writer Alex Carlton

Alex Carlton shares what it's like being a travel writer—a vocational speciality she's developed over the course of two decades working as a journalist. You'll hear Alex's experience of international travel at a time when the world is emerging from the Covid pandemic, and her tips for being prepared when travelling through airports.

Zero-waste innovator, Joost Bakker

Joost Bakker is a zero-waste activist and innovator who is the subject of the documentary film 'Greenhouse by Joost' about his Future Food System: a project of designing and constructing a zero-waste building installed with a self-sustaining urban food system.

Careers adviser Jenine Smith

Jenine Smith is President of the Careers Advisers Association of NSW and ACT and shares insights from her role as a careers adviser at an independent secondary school. Careers advisers assist students with understanding their skills, abilities and interests and with identifying post-school learning and vocational opportunities.

Urbanist Dr Sarah Barns

"Urbanist" is only one of the vocational descriptors for Dr Sarah Barns who has an interesting and varied vocational life at the intersections of academic research, public art and creative practice, and policy and strategy, with some of her specialities being in Urban Research and Digital Futures. Here we discuss Sarah's early influences and interests and some of the thinking that informs her interdisciplinary approach.

Small bar owner Adam Parker

Adam Parker shares his vocational pathway to being a venue licensee starting out as a musician and a sound and lighting technician, along with thoughts on his business ethos as a small craft beer bar owner.

Getting to know Robin Dunbar

Oxford Professor Robin Dunbar speaks about his early life in Australia and East Africa, his early interest in philosophy, and his accidental pathway to making a world famous scientific discovery and becoming a professor of evolutionary psychology. Professor Dunbar will be our guest again in September 2022 for a seminar style discussion of his recent books, answering your questions. Listen to find out more.

Gaming and Tech Exploration with Jeremy Ray

Jeremy Ray is a video game critic aka "Junglist" and content strategist for the blockchain tech company Enjin. You'll hear about Jeremy's aptitude for problem solving and his interest in systems exploration which are qualities that have informed some of his vocational choices. We also discuss Jeremy's use of the Zettlekasten system of note taking and his research interest in the relationship between wait time and toxicity in gaming. Jeremy has been a guest on the Wide Open Air Exchange a few times and most of his episodes were archived along with the first few years of the program when the Wide Open Air Exchange found a radio home at 2SER 107.3FM in 2022. This conversation introduces Jeremy to new listeners who have recently found the program and covers new topics as well.

High school teacher Rowan Barrow

Rowan Barrow is a special needs high school teacher in Darwin with a background in Sport and Recreation including school sports administration in Arnhem Land and Penang. The conversation follows Rowan's vocational pathway from being a competitive school age swimmer and triathlete to professions as a school sports coordinator and high school teacher and overcoming classroom presentation nerves along the way. The feature photo is Rowan at Nawurlandja lookout Arnhem Land escarpment, Kakadu National Park. We pay respects to the Bininj/Mungguy people traditional custodians of Kakadu.

Social enterprise founder, Yvonne Kelly

On World Refugee Day, we hear about a social enterprise that is connecting refugees and new migrants with career coaches and mentors. Yvonne Kelly is a recruitment specialist and careers coach with 25 years experience who founded a social enterprise called Glow Up Careers that trains corporate coaches and mentors to help nurture diverse talent.

Media presenter and writer James Jennings

A conversation with James Jennings about some of his many encounters with the creative people he's met or interviewed over the years as a film and music journalist, including Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cyndi Lauper, Ice Cube, Grandmaster Flash, Mark Ronson and others. James is a host of The Australian Ghost Whisperer podcast and you'll hear about his experiences with the supernatural and paranormal.

Workplace diversity and inclusion

Research by academics from Business Schools at UTS and Macquarie University finds that Diversity and Inclusion programs in organisations may actually be perpetuating inequalities. Professor Alison Pullen is a Professor of Gender, Work and Organization at Macquarie University and a chief investigator in this ARC research project.

Birth educator and doula Ann Bridges

Ann Bridges is a birth educator, registered nurse, doula, clinical hypnotherapist and author of the book Gentle Birthing which is a practical guide for having a positive birth experience through the power of thought and preparedness.

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.

Material culture and museology, Matthew Connell

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.

Immunologist Dr Kumi de Silva (not about Covid!)

Dr Kumudika (Kumi) de Silva is a senior immunologist developing vaccines for livestock and advocating for cultural diversity in higher education leadership.

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

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.

Oral History Transcript: Social History and Women’s History (Dr Lis Kirkby)

If public records are correct Dr Elisabeth Kirkby turned 100 earlier this year (2021). I've been thinking about our conversation for the Wide Open Air Exchange podcast when Lis was aged 96 and how it could be of interest to researchers of women in mid-20th century British and Australian social and political culture and to other readers more generally.

Mid-career change, Jo Oakes

After 20 years working as a successful media strategist and public relations consultant, including for the UK Ministry of Justice, Jo Oakes made a bold decision to make a change and retrain as a clinical audiologist. With the help of a career counsellor, Jo identified her vocational values, goals and skills and is now working as a health practitioner in a clinical setting and testing patients in her role as a clinical audiologist and neurophysiology technician.

Author and comedian Sam Bowring

Talking sci-fi and fantasy fiction with author and comedian Sam Bowring. You’ll hear about some of the thinking behind Sam’s Broken Well Trilogy and his approach to writing his latest book, Scharlette Doesn't Matter and Goes Time Travelling.

Writer and journalist Alexandra Carlton

In her 20 year career Alexandra Carlton has carved out a reputation as a skilled feature writer and editor across numerous magazines and digital media sites. These days as an accomplished freelance writer Alex's work can be found across a variety of formats and publications including features for Marie Claire, articles for News.com.au and travel writing for Qantas.

In this conversation Alex shares insights about her practices of interviewing and storytelling and thoughts on how developments in digital media have informed changing practices of journalists along with the core skills that transcend media technologies.

Fashion label founder, Marianna Papas

Marianna Papas is the creator of women's fashion label LuLu Manna and founder of LuLu Manna Boutique. Marianna shares insights from her years of experience within the fashion retail and textile industries including the challenges and rewards of starting her own business. I was also interested to hear Marianna's views on personal styling and to reminisce a little about fashion trends of the 1990s (some of which are coming back in style again).

Public policy, Nick Rowley

Nick Rowley shares insights from his time as a senior advisor on climate change at the 10 Downing St Policy Directorate in the Office of Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with his thoughts on Brexit, political communication, and his experiences teaching public policy at the University of Sydney.

Professional tennis, Jaslyn Hewitt-Shehadie

Insights about professional tennis from player development to life on the circuit and coaching and management approaches as well as some of the basics of what are the grand slam tournaments and court surfaces. Jaslyn Hewitt-Shehadie from Tennis Australia is National Academy Manager, Talent Development Manager and Wellbeing Ambassador for New South Wales and a former professional player who shares her expertise and personal experiences.

Media, comedy and political satire with Dan Ilic

Dan Ilic shares stories and insights from his career in media and work at the intersections of comedy and journalism including creating sketch comedy and political satire. Dan has been a presenter on numerous network television and public radio programs and most recently held senior roles as Executive Producer of 'Tonightly' on ABC television and as Executive Producer of Satire at Fusion Media.

Indonesian diplomat Bapak Hermanus Dimara

A conversation about diplomacy and Indonesia including the Australia-Indonesia relationship. Bapak Hermanus Dimara is Consul for Information, Social and Culture at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia for New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia based in Sydney. Bapak Hermanus Dimara adalah Konsul Fungsi Penerangan, Sosial dan Budaya, Konsulat Jenderal Republik Indonesia untuk New … Continue reading Indonesian diplomat Bapak Hermanus Dimara →

Public relations, Nicole Reaney

Insights about public relations techniques with Nicole Reaney who is founder and director of InsideOut PR and #AsSeenOn. Topics include tips for agency pitches to potential clients and to traditional media journalists and more recent developments in brand marketing via social influencers. Nicole also shares her story of entering the industry and starting and growing her business.

Craft beer brewer and Associate Professor John Dumay

A conversation about some of the techniques of beer brewing and the flavour profiles of different beer styles with master brewer and Director of Dad and Dave's Brewing, John Dumay.

Nonagenarian Dr Lis Kirkby – former actress, broadcaster, parliamentarian, and doctoral researcher

Dr Elisabeth Kirkby shares insights from her lifetime of vocational pursuits. Lis was a theatre actress in Britain, a radio broadcaster in Singapore and Malaya, and a star of the Australian television soapie 'Number 96' before becoming a parliamentarian and state leader for the Australian Democrats political party. At the age of 93, Lis graduated with a doctorate from the University of Sydney.

Outdoor search and rescuer Dr Marilynn Davis

Dr Marilynn Davis is a professional educator of outdoor leaders in first response strategies for mountaineering accidents and other pre-hospital care. Marilynn has volunteered with Teton County Search and Rescue in Wyoming and she featured on the television program Backcountry Rescue on the Outdoor Channel.

Egyptology and Archaeology, Professor Naguib Kanawati

Professor Naguib Kanawati is Director of the Australian Centre for Egyptology. He explains his fascination with the Old Kingdom and why he considers that researchers should have hands-on experience of archaeological digs. Professor Kanawati has an inspirational personal story of pursuing what he loves doing.

Counter Terrorism, Associate Professor Nick O’Brien

Nick O’Brien is Associate Professor of Counter Terrorism and Head of the Australian Graduate School of Policing & Security at Charles Sturt University. Nick worked for Scotland Yard for thirty years and on the day of the 9/11 terror attacks, he was in charge of international intelligence and operations in Special Branch. We discuss issues related to terrorism including the impacts of community relations and possible future implications of climate change on migration and security.

Theologist Timothy Farrant

As a school leaver Timothy Farrant took up a trade in amenity horticulture and worked as a greenkeeper on golf courses and as a farm labourer. It was whilst on his Morman mission that Tim was encouraged to apply to university and went on to study Medieval History. Tim is currently a Clarendon Scholar of Theology at Pembroke College, Oxford where he's researching Augustinian influences on zoology in the Middle Ages.

Lucinda Cadzow, International Relations

Lucinda Cadzow is a Clarendon Scholar in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University. Lucinda has written about soft balancing and is currently researching the global governance of tax. Hailing from the Yarra Valley in Australia, Lucinda shares her story of exploring other vocations before discovering an interest and aptitude for political theory, political economy and international relations. We also discuss our mutual appreciation of soul and disco music.

Archaeological science, Jaime Swift

Jaime Swift is a biological and forensic anthropologist and archaeologist. She is a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University and a doctoral candidate in Archaeological Science. Jaime studied criminology and was a federal agent with the Australian Federal Police. She also previously spent a year on the professional tennis circuit. We discuss Jaime's career as well as her impressive archaeological research findings.