Category: News

The Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have jointly launched the ‘Know Where the Line Is’ awareness strategy intended to run in workplaces around the country to help workers and employers recognise sexual harassment and know how to take action.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, said the ‘Know Where the Line Is’ awareness strategy features a video and a suite of workplace posters that illustrate the line between acceptable questions or comments and workplace sexual harassment.

“On one side of the line is an acceptable behaviour, on the other, a behaviour that is typical of sexual harassment,” she said, “For example, one of the posters reads ‘how was your weekend… /…did you get any?’. The posters also feature advice on how the target of the harassment, as well as bystanders, can take action or seek help.”

“From the research the Commission has done on the prevalence of sexual harassment, we know that many people who experience it know that they are experiencing something that is not right, but are not sure what it is, or that it is unlawful,” she said. “We found that one in five people who say they have not experienced sexual harassment then go on to describe experiences that would constitute sexual harassment under the legal definition.”

President of the ACTU, Ged Kearney, said research also shows that people who experience sexual harassment rarely report it. “The hidden nature of this issue means that we must enlist the support of bystanders – we need our colleagues in the workplace to be aware when harassment occurs, and to stand up against it.”

CEO of ACCI, Kate Carnell AO, said the ‘see-talk-support’ messaging in the campaign was developed specifically with bystanders in mind.

“Workplaces have a leadership role to play when it comes to ending workplace sexual harassment. We want people and businesses – small, medium and large – to ‘see’ the sexual harassment that may occur around them and recognise those behaviours that cross the line. But we also want people to ‘talk’ about this issue and to raise awareness in their teams about how harmful harassment is not only for the individuals who experience it, but for workplaces as a whole,” Ms Carnell said.

The three leaders said they also hoped the strategy would help to provide a ‘call to action’ for Australian employers to support their staff in taking bystander action if they see or hear sexual harassment.

Resources for employers and employees are available on the Know Where the Line Is website, including the Commission’s new ‘Ending workplace sexual harassment: A resource for small, medium and large employers’: www.knowtheline.com.au

 

“WE ARE ALL GHOSTS’

by Josh Donellan 

The beauty of the Anywhere Theatre Festival is that every production is unique in its choice of venue and frequently that choice plays out in a powerful and significant way.

‘We are all ghosts’ is no exception.

Set in a 19th street in the ambling hills of inner city Paddington, the stage is set for an urban contemporary ghost story. The audience is led into the privacy and intimacy of the home by candlelit pathway, setting the stage for an expectation of secrets revealed.

This self-directed and perfectly cast vignette written by Josh Donellan gives ample scope for the characters played by Jessica McGaw, Helen Stephens and Daren King to explore the collective memories of lost friend Eric.

The setting and text combine in an intimate, atmospheric and subtle story which explores concepts of physics and metaphysics, friendship and mental health, love and loss. Contemporary, relatable and yet transcendent with the interweaving of poetry and science, past and present, the house and ultimately the audience, become the increasingly evident presence of ‘Eric’. Beautifully nuanced performances by the cast, who were never more than a metre from the audience, ensure that the intimacies of the individual anecdotes are powerful and affecting.

“THE BALD PRIMA DONNA” by Eugene Ionesco Paddington Substation

Directed by Heidi Manche

The Bald Prima Donna at the Paddington Substation is the perfect marriage of text and location. The stark white walls, minimalist set and all important clock provide an excellent playing arena for this absurdist farce. The highly skilled cast provide a thrilling fast paced romp through bizarre and hilarious scenes.

Surreal choreographyis seamlessly integrated throughout and the physical features of the building, stairs, balcony, massive entrance doors are used thematically and purposefully. The cast, Crystal Arons, Lizzie Ballinger, Jane Barry, Iain Gardiner, Robert Horton, and Alastair Tomkins deliver with perfect timing and aplomb, and appear to relish in this superb absurdist delicacy.

The Bald Prima Donna is a most welcome addition to the Festival’s programme providing Brisbane audiences with an opportunity to experience a style of theatre rarely on offer.

“BLOKE”

by Shane Pike and Zoe Tuffin

The venue for Bloke opens up a hidden nest of artistic wonders and re-use of industrial space tucked away behind Boundary and Mollison Streets West End.

Suddenly Brisbane has its own Manchester or Berlin ambience – a welcome relief from the spruced bare sanitized and polished concrete of state funded arts establishments. Here, are real stories, and real artists telling them.

Zoe Tuffin’s Director’s notes say (this) ‘is no romanticised, commercialized Crocodile Dundee’, and that is correct. The recurring phrase of the evening was ‘hurt men hurt’ and it succinctly encapsulates the dilemma the audience face.

Shane Pike as both actor and writer excels. This is a fast paced engrossing and highly relevant tale, in which humour, revulsion, anger and empathy are dealt in equal measure. Shane Pike never loses momentum as he pauses, reflects, jokes and teases and ultimately leaves us questioning good, evil, innocence and justice.

The chosen location for this contemporary tale of manhood again perfectly provides all that the most highly funded production could not. This is real, genuine, gritty, personal and intimate. Audience members introduce themselves to each other as Silvan Rus warmly announces his next song accompanying himself on electric guitar; this is where friends meet and mingle, and where it is safe to reveal inner torments over a beer. Perched on stairs, on beer barrels, cramped in corner couches, the packed audience strain necks to hear their ‘mate’ tell his tale.

This is story-telling at its best.

Confusion reigns as different departments of the Brisbane City Council coordinate their response to community concerns over the disappearance of the tree outside Suncorp at 108 Boundary St West End.

The tree appears to have been removed by Council because of traffic concerns and that there is no intention of replanting another tree to replace it.

The Google Street View shows the Sun Corp building before the storms damaged the two trees on the corner earlier this year. The before and after shots taken by Tony Robertson show the change to the landscape over the weekend.

Readers reported responses ranging from secret contractors in the dead of night, to council officers claiming that police had called for the removal of the trees. Council’s media department is working to obtain an official response for Westender.

We can already report that the police deny making any complaint about the tree, that photographs of the tree being removed during the day indicate there was no secrecy involved and the tree assessment form provided by Council indicates that it was undertaken using standard council procedures.

West End Community Association (WECA) is spearheading a campaign to have the trees replaced and has prepared drawings to alleviate any concerns regarding traffic safety.

We have specifically asked Council to respond to questions regarding community consultation and streetscape design for Boundary St and will report them as soon as they are available.

The Brisbane Produce Market ‘How do you like them apples’ scratch and win campaign kicked off on Saturday 17 May with participating greengrocers across South East Queensland.

Customers who shop at their participating local greengrocer in May and June could win $1,000 worth of fruit and vegetables along with instant prizes, like a bag of free apples or $5 off their next visit.

The promotion is part of the Brisbane Produce Market’s retailer program which is designed to encourage consumers to shop at their local independent greengrocers and support excellence in fresh produce retailing.

Ben Hannant, Healthy Eating Ambassador for the Brisbane Produce Markets is an advocate of the retailer program. “I shop at my local greengrocer and they provide excellent customer service and they are the experts in their field—they know what is in season, what is fresh and how to use it.

“And I really know it’s fresh because just before I started my professional football career I worked at the Brisbane Produce Market, and it’s the owners of these independent greengrocers who personally select their produce at the Markets every day.

“Shopping at your local greengrocers not only helps a family business it could also help your family budget with the chance of winning $1,000 worth of fruit and veg,” said Mr Hannant.

Consumers have a great chance of winning as each participating store is offering the major draw of $1,000 worth of fruit and vegetables as well as instant prizes.

The promotion commenced on Saturday 17 May and closes on Saturday 14 June. The major winners will be drawn and notified on Wednesday 18 June. Full terms, conditions and participating stores can be found at www.promotions.brisbanemarkets.com.au

This week the federal government launched yet another attack on the environment through the budget – including the complete removal of Queensland Conservation’s federal government funding.

This mean spirited budget has singled out small community and environment organisations.

Almost $5 million in grants to community organisations will end from July 2014, including $1.3 million to over 150 environment organisation across Australia through the Grants to Voluntary Environment, Sustainability and Heritage Organisations.

Queensland Conservation is one of the environment organisations around Australia that will be affected by these funding cuts …. with the loss of $70,000 towards our vital work.

“The loss of these vital funds to our organisation will have a devastating affect on our ability to work on the protection of Queenslands environment” said Toby Hutcheon, Executive Director of Queensland Conservation.

“We are asking not only our committed supporters but every Queenslander who cares about the environment and is concerned about the raft of funding cuts and the changes to policy and legislation that is being introduced by the State and Federal Governments, to support QCC with a donation to help ensure our financial future.

The funding cut comes at a time when the Federal Government has just removed support for clean energy, is likely to approve a new mega mine in Queensland, supports the dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef and is winding back a range of hard won environmental laws.

Cutting Queensland Conservation funding will make little difference to the budget bottom line, but does harm our ability to fight for the environment.

“The State and Federal Governments have made it clear that the environment is not a priority for them. As Premier Newman said “we are in the coal business” – a statement which is supported by their actions and those of the Federal Government.”

As you would know, budget cuts are not the only problem facing the environment. The federal government is currently holding an Inquiry into streamlining environmental regulation, ‘green tape’, and one-stop-shops, which looks set to completely change the way environmental regulation works across Australia. Ultimately it risks creating a confusing array of rules and lower environmental standards, where the main winners will be mining and property development lobby groups.

There has never been a more important period in the history of Queensland for every environment organisation or community group to rally the people of Queensland into taking action to ensure that our voices are heard and that governments are held accountable for their actions both now and in the future.

PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO DONATE ONLINE. YOUR DONATION WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE QUEENSLAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO BE QUEENSLAND”S VOICE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

http://qldconservation.org.au/donate-now/

Museum of Brisbane has teamed up with David Malouf and five eminent contemporary artists to pay homage to one of Australia’s most treasured authors in his 80^th year to create a new exhibition.

For David Malouf and friends, artists Bruce Reynolds, Noel McKenna, Karla Marchesi, Anna Carey and Camille Serisier will create works based on Mr Malouf’s quintessentially Australian writings, which the famed author will respond to in writing.

The exhibition, which opens on 6 May, will feature illustrations, paintings, photography, multimedia works and installations that explore Mr Malouf’s life and writings, focusing on key moments from his time growing up in Brisbane.

The artists have investigated themes including Australian motifs, Queensland’s tropical climate and architecture, Mr Malouf’s family holidays at Scarborough and his involvement in the arts.

Originally from Brisbane, Mr Malouf has lived and worked in England, Italy and Sydney where he has written prolifically since the 1970s. His award-winning works include nine novels, five non-fiction books, and several collections of poems, short stories and essays.

The exhibition will also feature family photos, theatre programs, personal letters and postcards from Mr Malouf’s extraordinary life.

Museum of Brisbane Director Peter Denham said it was a massive feat to have initiated a creative dialogue between one of Australia’s best loved authors and each of the artists.

“Generations of Australians have grown up enjoying David’s books, essays and poems so it is a privilege to have him on board for our latest exhibition that will pay homage to his incredible contribution to Australian culture,” Mr Denham said.

“This is a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between David, a national icon in Australian literature, and five renowned Australian artists, so it is a significant accomplishment for the Museum and one we think all Australians will appreciate.”

David Malouf and friends will run until 26 October 2014. For more information visit www.museumofbrisbane.com.au.
Museum of Brisbane is open daily from 10am to 5pm on Level 3 of Brisbane City Hall. Free entry.

Public Programs: Events, Tours & Talks

A substantial program of free events will accompany the exhibition, including artist talks, workshops, panel discussions, teacher viewings and appearances from David Malouf himself.

2pm Sun 18 May 2014
In Conversation with David Malouf and ABC TV presenter Karina Carvalho

2pm Sun 27 Jul 2014
Panel discussion: Exploring David Malouf and friends

2pm Sun 17 Aug 2014
Panel discussion: Malouf’s Brisbane with ABC presenter Tim Cox