Right Now’s Most Read Stories in 2020
By Angus SmithOur three most-read stories this year encapsulate the adage ‘the personal is political,’ exploring wider issues in the world through lived experiences. Look out for these writers in 2021.
Society and culture – Page 2
Landmark Exhibition Celebrates First Nations Fashion
By Gabrielle EbelingCurated by Kaantju woman Shonae Hobson, the Bendigo Art Gallery’s first-ever First Nations Curator, Piinpi, is a landmark exploration of the cultural importance of Indigenous seasonal knowledge, community connection and storytelling in a contemporary context.
Music is A Weapon for West Papuan Liberation
By Ronny KareniTo commemorate Human Rights Day on 10 December 2020, the role of music as a right, and as an expression, is celebrated, writes West Papuan musician and activist Ronny Kareni.
Arrival
By Angela CostiAngela Costi’s poem considers how the stories of newly arrived people can be undermined by legal definitions, how Australia’s migration law is designed to keep them in a state of ‘arrival’.
The Subtle Art of Cultural Activism: a Review of Stateless
By Isabelle WinklerBased on the true story of a woman wrongfully detained in offshore detention, Stateless challenges our capacity for empathy.
The World Needs More Youth Art
By Maria GriffinYouth arts have suffered repetitive funding cuts, at a time when encouraging the arts in our children is more important than ever.
Fascists Among Us: a review
By Samaya BoromJeff Sparrow, in his book, Fascists Among Us: Online Hate and the Christchurch Massacre, charts the growing rise of a fascism particular to the 21st century.
Politics and Teen Masculinity: A Review of Boys State
By Charmaine ManuelFilmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine reflect on the tensions arising from an atmosphere of budding masculinity and divisive politics in their 2020 documentary Boys State.
Incremental Changes
By Dave ClarkIn this moment of rising authoritarianism and political theatre, Dave Clark reminds us not to lose sight of the cumulative effects of small shifts and injustices.
Lawless: a review
By Samaya BoromKimberley Motley’s memoir tells of a personal mission to bring justice to the defenceless. This book is an extraordinary story of an extraodinary woman.
Balibo 5 Murders Remain a Secret 45 Years On
By Clinton FernandesOn the 45th anniversary of the Balibo 5 murders, Australia’s secret intelligence service still refuses to publicly reveal what it knows, writes Clinton Fernandes.
The Empty Promises of the Tech Industry: a review of Uncanny Valley
By Amy WaltersAspiration and disillusionment come to the fore in Anna Wiener’s memoir, Uncanny valley, as she charts the rise and fall of the tech start-up industry.