media platforms and how to access podcast

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Tommy is a rapidly rising multi-disciplinary artist from Canberra, Australia.  His work is represented and collected both nationally and internationally.  

He fuses organic abstract painting and light to create a new beast in his futuristic and emotive light reactive artworks.

His work is has been described as ‘transformative' and takes fluid art to places not seen before. He has calibrated with other artist to creat thought provoking art projects and experiences by transforming conventional spaces into places of wonder.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his passions and life journey. 

Victoria Pearce (a specialist Textiles Conservator) is the Director of Endangered Heritage in Canberra, its a conservation laboratory serving the public and private collectors. 

Victoria has worked in museums and galleries and auction houses around the world mentoring and teaching in best practice for the conservation of movable heritage. 

Victoria project managed the Establishment of the National Textiles Museum of Malaysia and went on to do conservation needs assessments on built heritage in China and worked in Singapore.

Join me on the ConFab with Michael G to gain an insight to her life story and passions.

Mary is an Australian actress, comedian, television personality and writer.

In 1987 Mary became a member of the ground-breaking stage show ‘Wogs out of Work’, where her comic creation Effie was born followed by the creation of TV comic series Acropolis Now. Mary has a diverse range of TV, film and stage credits are numerous. Mary has also written two books. Mary has also won the Logie Award for Most Popular Comedy Personality in 1993.

Mary is hanging up the wig and letting her hair down for a tour of her most intimate show to date. Having garnered rave reviews with her premiere of This Is Personal at the Sydney Opera House in May 2022, she is set to take her masterpiece to audiences Australia-wide.

Join me on the ConFab with Michael G to gain a insight of her life’s journey and her passions

Costa is a landscape architect, environmental educator and television presenter who has an all-consuming passion for plants and people. As co-creator and host of Costa’s Garden Odyssey for SBS, he caught the attention of a nation. 

Since 2013, Costa has continued his journey as the much-loved host of one of the ABC’s most iconic and Logie award-winning programs, Gardening Australia. Costa is a must have TV and radio guest on talk shows, lifestyle programs, current affairs programs, gameshows and brings the comedy gold in unexpected places to audiences young and old. 

Join me on the ConFab with Michael G to gain an understanding of his life journey and passions.  

  Meet Tiny who was the co-founder of The Green Shed. Locals have purchased nearly 69 million items sold by the iconic Canberra business since it first opened its doors in 2010.

The enterprise has saved more than 65,000 tonnes of goods from going to landfill. And they’ve given away almost 3.4 million items of clothing. But the milestone they celebrated in March 2020 was making more than $1 million in donations.

Tiny has taken on a new adventure, opening a maze and amusement park in his home country of Serbia which he and his wife have been building for the past seven years.

If you have donated a skateboard to Canberra's recycling shop the Green Shed in the past few years - the chances are, it is on its way to Serbia. 

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight to Tiny passions and his life journey.

 A masters in Forensic Medicine provides the participants expertise and specialised knowledge enabling them to become highly sought after in the forensic medical, or science fields.  Building on their qualification in medicine and associated disciplines , they  will be able to apply your knowledge in the interests of justice.

Tonight you will meet two key people who are instrumental in this program and we talk about gaining an understanding of the provision of medical and forensic care of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and a understanding of the sex industry and people engaged in this industry.

Join me on the Confab with Michael G to gain an insight into their story and the program.

This program covers a number of issues associated with the sex industry, which may offend some listeners. 

   If you have visited the Fyshwick markets on the weekend you may have meet Walid inspiring the general public about the merits of mangos, or if you want expert advice on what to buy, he’s the man who you go to get his wise advice on what in season. 

Tonight, we get to known his story, about his young life in war torn Lebanon, his journey to Australia and interest in marine life.

Join me ton the Confab to gain an insight into his passions and life journey.  

We will meet Dr Vanita Parekh OAM who is a senior staff specialist in sexual health and forensic medicine based in Canberra. Vanita is the director of the Clinical Forensic Medicine Services which includes the provision of medical and forensic care to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence funded under health. 

Vanita established a clinical forensic medical service almost overnight following a rape case in Canberra. 17 years later her work has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for Significant service to medicine as a specialist in the fields of sexual health and forensic medicine.

Join me the Confab to gain an insight into passions and life journey.

  Nurgul is a Uyghur community leader based in Canberra.  Nurgul campaigns for Uyghurs to promote and advocate for the human rights and democratic freedoms for the Uyghurs and other Turkic people in East Turkistan (referred to in China as “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region”).  
She has mobilizes individuals and the international community to build bridges to take action on behalf of and to raise public awareness of the Uyghur issue with a special focus on Uyghur women and youth, and to activate persons and entities to work together to stop the systematic human rights abuses against the people of East Turkistan.
Join me on the Confab to gain an insight to her life and passions. 

Tonight, we get to known his story, about his young life in war torn Lebanon, his journey to Australia and interest in marine life.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his passions and life journey.  

Caroline is a proud Ngunnawal woman who is dedicated to uniting people from all nations and walks of life.

A true champion of Aboriginal Culture, Caroline’s efforts have enhanced and grown the capacity of the Yurauna Centre to meet the needs of the community – while ensuring that preserving cultural heritage remains the essence of the Centre’s work.

As a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, Caroline generously gives much of her time to improving the lives of others and provides a shining example of what can be achieved in the community.

Join me on the Confab with Michael G to gain an insight into her story and passions.

Michael is currently co-host of the ABC's breakfast program News Breakfast alongside Lisa Millar and is the ABC's senior network presenter.

Michael was previously North America correspondent and during his posting covered stories including the election of Barack Obama as US President, the outbreak of the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the Virginia Tech massacre and David Hicks release from Guantanamo Bay.

He is a seasoned journalist and broadcaster, he has spent more than 25 years covering some of the biggest stories in Australia and around the world.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight to his life and passions.  

The Phoenix Kings band are a alt-rock pub band from Canberra.  Their music is fast-paced with an Australian feel.  They have been influenced by blues-rock bands of yesterday like Led Zep, ACDC, Angels, Screaming Jets but with a modern feel.

The band comprises Dion (vocals/rhythm guitar, song writer), Andrew (lead guitar), Paul (bass) and Brett (drums).

Their first album, ‘Yesterday Knows’ an independent, was a digital release in February and contains 12 tracks with a unique Aussie theme.  One track has cracked the 1,000 hits.

Join me  on the Confab  to gain an insight into a couple of band members life journeys and passions.

Meet Annie, you may meet or heard Annie and the Armadillos who are known for their groove based music, a mixture of rhythm and blues, funk, bop, soul and jazz, the kind that’s intended to get people on their feet. 

 The group began in the mid 1990S as a trio doing cover versions of ballads and torch songs.  They became popular at local restaurants and had a regular gig at the former Gypsy Bar in Civic.

We talk about her childhood and her passions, nursing career and love of music.

Join me  on the Confab  to gain an insight into Annie and her journey.

Dan has presented the breakfast on ABC Radio Canberra and now is one of the 7pm News bulletin presenter on Canberra ABC TV.

Dan grew up in the outback Northern Territory mining town of Tennant Creek and began reporting for the local newspaper when he was 14, going on to work for the NT News.  From 2010 he was with National Indigenous Television (NITV) in Sydney and Canberra.

We talk about his passions and life story.

Join me  on the Confab to gain an insight into his journey.

You may have seen a short story about Steve on our local ABC nightly news program about how the gift of music is changing the life of Canberra's school students.  

Steve works with St Vincent de Paul by providing free music lessons.  For the best part of a decade, Steve has opened his door free-of-charge to kids on the margins, to share the "gift of music" with those who couldn't normally afford it.  His motto is, I want to celebrate the gift of music, and spread the word.

Steve is a Classical Guitarist influenced by Flamenco, Jazz, Fingerpicking and Folk. He has Performed with artists such as Tommy Emmanuel, James Morrison, Victor Borge, Slava Grigoryan, Riley Lee and William Barton, Grace Knight, Yothu Yindi and Sirocco.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his life journey and passions.

Bruce is a first nation (Aboriginal Australian) writer of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays and children's literature. As well as his own name, he has written under the pen names Murray Gray and Leopold Glass.  Since August 2020, he has been Enterprise Professor in Indigenous Agriculture at the University of Melbourne.

Bruce is best known for his work Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? (2014), which reexamines colonial accounts of first nation people in Australia and cites evidence of pre-colonial agriculture, engineering and building construction by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We talk about his childhood and passions, books and truth telling.

Join me   to gain an insight into his life journey and passions.

 I meet Lexxie during the recording of the Confab focusing on the masters in Forensic Medicine (the podcast was uploaded in July 2021). 

 You will gain an understanding of the provision of medical and forensic care of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and in particular a understanding of the sex industry and people engaged in this industry.

Join me on the Confab  to gain an insight into Lexxie’s story and passions.

This program covers a number of issues associated with the sex industry, which may offend some listeners. 

Chris chose to be a flower man because it brings his two loves together, the land and people.

His journey as a flower man began by selling flowers from the back of a truck on the side of the road. With time I was then able to establish my presence in key farmers markets around Sydney.

Several years ago he started his own flower farm in Freemans Reach in NSW and got to experience directly the amazing feeling that growing your own flowers give.

His main purpose is to share a wonderful and affordable variety of flowers of superior quality to fill customers lives with beauty.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his life journey and passions.

Emma is an emerging ceramic artist from Canberra, creating jewelry and homewares.

Emma trained in Silversmithing at the Canberra School of Art in 1999 before transitioning to a career in counselling and community education, working with young people experiencing barriers to participating fully in education and employment. 

Emma kept up an art practice on the side as a hobby, including studying to be an Ikebana teacher.  In 2008 she enrolled in a pottery class at her local arts center and since then Emma has been building up her ceramic skills before launching 'The Seasonal Ceramicist' label in 2018.  

Emma now works part-time in education policy and part-time running 'The Seasonal Ceramicist'.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into her life journey and passions.

Glenda is currently the interim general manager at Canberra-based not-for-profit Domestic Violence and Crisis Service (DVCS).

Glenda was previously the President of ACTCOSS which is the peak body for community organisations and people experiencing disadvantage in the ACT. 

Its vision is to live in a fair and equitable community that respects and values diversity, human rights and sustainability and promotes justice, equity, 

reconciliation and social inclusion.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into her life journey and passions.

The Xyrakis’s started their family business in Ainslie a historic suburb in Canberra in 1963.  The family doubled the size of the store in 1973, making it the largest independent supermarket in Canberra. In november 1975, it became one of the foundation stores of the Shop-Rite group of supermarkets in the ACT. 

When Manuel’s father died in July 1986 and the business was continued by Alice, son Manuel, daughters Irene and Yvonne. Also the respective spouses of Nick and Alice’s children and other members of their families would also work in the business the Ainslie IGA Supermarket.

To the present day, the Ainslie IGA Supermarket remains a family owned and operated enterprise, employing around 75 people. Its survival and expansion in the face of severe competition have been critical to the flourishing of the Ainslie Shopping Centre as a whole, both as a suburban retail center and as a social center for the residents of Ainslie.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his life journey and passions

Ralph is an award winning Australian fine art photographer who has exhibited in Berlin, Dubai, Palm Beach, Latvia, Portugal and Australia.  His art represent how the power of physical movement in kayaking and the movements on the surface of the water can synthesize to act as creative inspiration freeing the mind of mental darkness to heal, recharge and inspire the inner self.

Before his emergence as a photo artist, Ralph had been involved in fine art in Australia since the 1970s, graduating from the Victorian College of The Arts majoring in Dramatic Arts in 1979 and with a Masters in Creative Industries. He came to prominence in Australia in the early 90s as an arts pioneer in multi-media performance whilst he was Associate Director of Sydney Theatre Company. This work led him to a decade or so in directing TV commercials with Australia’s leading advertising agencies.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into his life journey and passions.

You may have tuned into the local ABC breakfast program and heard Lish Fejer from 5:30 am during the week.  Tonight, Lish is my guest on the other side of the microphone.

Lish has worked in the field of science communication as a presenter, speaker, writer and exhibition developer. She joined the ABC Radio Canberra team in 2010. 

 We talk about her passions and life story.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight into her passions and life journey.

The REACH for Nepal foundation was established to help people make a real difference in the lives of those less fortunate in Nepal.

The Canberra based foundation was established after the 2015 earthquakes with the objectives of the foundation being defined in its acronym Rebuild, Educate, Assist, Children/Communities (providing) Hope for Nepal.

Initially established to focus on providing aid after the 2015 earthquakes, the foundation is now providing support in a range of other areas where there is a desperate need for assistance.

What sets REACH for Nepal apart is that it uses its strong cultural ties and detailed knowledge of Nepal to identify and support projects that contribute to rebuilding schools and villages. 

The foundation also provides an opportunity for people who might otherwise feel quite helpless to assist and make a difference in a practical and/or financial manner.

Join me on the Confab to meet Craig, Taj and Lou to gain an insight into with they are involved in the foundation how this has changed their lives.

Con is a Cornea transplant and Refractive surgeon and a consultant at the Sydney Eye Hospital and Bowral District Hospital. He is Associate Director of the NSW Tissue Bank and Senior Lecturer for the Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology University of Sydney. Upon finishing his ophthalmology training through the Sydney Eye Hospital he completed a fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and worked there as a consultant for 3.5 years.

Con annually  visits Darwin, Mandalay Myanmar and Vietnam where he provides expert care and training to local eye specialists.

Join me on the Confab to gain an insight to his passions and life journey.

 Barry heads up the Barry Tomes Media Group which includes Record Companies, conducts PR seminars, provides advice classes, artist management and DJ promotion.  His experience stretches back 40 years and in that 40 years, media really has exploded.  

With now hundreds of Television stations in every country, thousands of radio stations, accessibility of media coverage plus of course, the internet. 

 The organisation under his leadership has changed with the times – from a humble management company representing one artist, to a global media company working with hundreds of artists at any one time.

Join me on the Confab with Michael G to gain an insight into his story and passions. 

Jo  is a Green member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and was elected in 2020.

Jo is a lawyer, writer, artist and businesswoman who has lived in Ginninderra for most of her life. Jo is strongly committed to urgent action on climate change and understands that we don’t have a moment to lose. As a child, Jo was concerned about climate change but assumed that by the time she grew up someone would have fixed the problem. Unfortunately, this is not the case and so Jo has decided to do everything in her power to help find solutions. 

We talk about her childhood, her passions.

Join me on the Confab with Michael G to gain an insight to Jo and her journey.

Johnathan is a Green member of ACT Legislative Assembly and was elected in 2020.

Johnathan is committed to progressive social reform, economic justice that tackles wealth and income inequality and strong environmental action to fight the climate crisis. As a crossbench member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, Johnathan seeks to hold the major parties to account and introduce new ideas and fresh perspectives. 

We talk about his childhood, his  passions. 

Join me on the Confab with Michael G to gain an insight to  Johnathan and his journey.