What happens when an ensemble built on radical equity reimagines theatre and film? Meet Second Echo Ensemble and their recent work, Relache: The Last Dance on Earth.

Second Echo Ensemble is a unique arts organisation built on radical equity, in Hobart, Tasmania. In this episode, we talk with Creative Director Kelly Drummond Cawthon and members of the ensemble about their their 20th anniversary celebrations, including their theatrical production and film, Relache: The Last Dance On Earth.

Hear how SEE redefines what inclusive arts can be — and discover stories from the artists themselves.

👉 Watch the full video version on our YouTube channel, and subscribe for new StoryLabs and podcast films every month.

Thank you to the extended Second Echo family and the artists who feature in this episode (in order of appearance):

Kelly Drummond Cawthon;

Elise Romaszko;

Julia Drouhin;

William Webster;

Lily Alcock;

Michael Fortescue.

Their latest work The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony they Rode Upon opens at the Sydney Opera House this month and the Theatre Royal, Hobart next month.

Tickets available now here.

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Hobart-based painter Maggie Jeffries, who reflects on her creative path, shaped by childhood wonder, night-time focus, and a deep commitment to disability advocacy. A rising force in the Tasmanian art scene, Maggie shares how volunteering at Creative Growth in Oakland, California, transformed her relationship to both art and care.

We explore her magical painting practice — rich in memory, nature, and detail — and how she balances this with a day job supporting artists of all abilities. Maggie opens up about the emotional and practical tensions of working two roles in the arts, the value of feedback from her creative community, and how residencies and prizes have helped her grow as an artist.

This is a must-listen for those interested in the intersections of creativity and caregiving, the power of quiet persistence, and the ways art can offer both escape and responsibility.

Themes: disability arts and advocacy, whimsical painting, Creative Growth Oakland, Tasmanian artists, emerging painters, night-time creativity, art residencies, artist support roles, community and care in art, Maggie Jeffries artist

🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with artist and academic Dr Tony Curran about his vibrant abstract art, shaped by a deep interest in psychology, perception, and digital technology. We explore how Tony’s “attention machines” challenge the pace of modern life and invite a more mindful, immersive engagement with the world.

Tony reflects on the intersections between art and academia, the financial challenges of sustaining a creative career, and the collaborative energy behind his recent Collision exhibition. We also discuss his role as a mentor, and the ways he supports emerging artists to develop their own practices.

Themes: abstract painting, creative practice, psychology and art, digital attention, mentoring, regional artists, art and academia

🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.

In this powerful episode, I revisit my conversation with artist and educator Minami Ivory about the ways art can be used to process trauma, reclaim identity, and build connection. Minami shares her remarkable journey of resilience and creative recovery, from navigating rejection in art competitions to becoming a finalist in the Women’s Art Prize Tasmania.

We explore the emotional depth of her practice, the influence of artists like Keith Haring and Tracey Emin, and the therapeutic potential of collage, photography, and painting. Minami speaks candidly about the emotional toll of working through personal experiences, the courage it takes to share them, and the meaningful feedback she receives from those who see themselves in her work.

Themes: art and trauma, resilience through creativity, women artists, healing through art, collage practice, storytelling and vulnerability, regional arts

🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.

LINKS

Connect with Minami ⁠@minamiivory⁠

Other links:

⁠Photobook Launceston⁠

⁠Women’s Art Prize Tasmania⁠

⁠Blaze by Del Kathryn Barton⁠

⁠Intelligence Squared Podcast featuring Tracey Emin⁠

Links to support services:

https://www.respect.gov.au/support-services

⁠https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/partners/pink-elephants-support-network

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Aleks Crossan, who speaks candidly about overcoming creative block, shifting from external validation to inner purpose, and discovering joy in the process rather than the outcome. Her path to artistic empowerment began by embracing fear and rejection, and by learning to tune into what truly matters.

We explore the serendipity of finding her current studio—inside a former apple packing facility in Hobart—and how space and place shape artistic evolution. Aleks also reflects on the vibrant Tasmanian art scene, the role of community, and how digital platforms are empowering younger artists to share their stories on their own terms.

Whether you’re navigating creative uncertainty or seeking inspiration for your own practice, Aleks’ story is a moving reminder that fulfilment often follows when we stop chasing and start listening.

Keywords: Aleks Crossan, Tasmanian artist, performance to painting, creative resilience, overcoming creative block, finding a studio, art and personal growth, regional art community, social media and youth art, digital storytelling, women artists, visual arts in Tasmania, creative empowerment

🎙️ Connect Curate Create features stories of artists cultivating courage, place, and meaning through creativity in regional Australia.

How do we hold space for creativity while raising kids and navigating grief? I’m revisiting this warm and insightful episode with Launceston-based illustrator and zine maker Bianca Jagoe, who shares her playful, poetic approach to making art rooted in everyday life. From supermarket moments to her children’s antics, Bianca draws inspiration from the ordinary, using zines, mail art and illustration to explore deeper themes like grief, pain, parenting and joy.

We chat about the messy beauty of balancing creativity with adult responsibilities—pen marks on the walls, freelance deadlines, parenting through hard times, and keeping wonder alive in the process. Bianca reflects on how growing up close to nature shaped her worldview, and how living in Launceston offers a community-centred charm that continues to fuel her artistic outlook.

From small creative interventions to deeply personal projects about childhood grief, Bianca’s work invites us to pause, notice, and create meaning from our daily lives. We also unpack the practicalities of maintaining a freelance art practice, the challenges of self-promotion, and how embracing imperfection can make creative work more accessible and authentic.

Themes: parenting and creativity, freelance illustration, zines and grief, mail art, regional arts practice, childhood inspiration, Launceston arts community, everyday storytelling, balancing art and life, CCC podcast

🎙️ Connect Curate Create shares stories of artists and creatives finding courage, connection, and place through creativity in regional Australia.

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Fran Reeve, a multidisciplinary artist from Hobart, Tasmania, whose creative world blends textiles, performance, sculpture, and immersive energy work. In this lively and inspiring episode, Fran opens the doors to her vibrant studio and her ever-evolving art practice—one that includes needle-felted soft sculpture heads, roving performance characters, and interactive festival art.

Fran shares her fascinating journey from art school to circus arts, and how a series of creative pivots led her to invent new ways of combining visual arts with movement, play and expression. Whether she’s transforming spaces at major Tasmanian events or developing hula hooping characters for roving shows, Fran’s work asks how facial expression, gesture, and wearable art can shift the energy of a room—or a field.

Together we explore:

• Soft sculpture as performance
• The power of expression in costume design
• Making roving characters for festivals and immersive events
• Art as energy exchange and activation
• Textiles, spirals, circles & storytelling in motion
• Creating art that invites curiosity, movement & joy
  

If you’re drawn to performance art, wearable sculpture, festival-making or playful, embodied creativity, Fran’s episode will light you up.

Keywords: Fran Reeve, performance art, soft sculpture, wearable art, roving characters, immersive art, Hobart artist, Tasmanian arts, circus arts, needle felting, festival art, textile sculpture, character design, creative energy, Connect Curate Create, arts festivals, experiential art, movement and storytelling, costume-based performance

🎙️ Connect Curate Create brings you honest conversations with artists working across disciplines—nurturing community, place and creative ecosystems through their work.

In this episode, I revisit my conversation with Zara Sully — artist, curator, and Director of Sawtooth ARI in Launceston, Tasmania. We talk about creative practice, identity, and the delicate balance between sustaining a personal arts practice and leading a regional arts organisation.

Zara shares their journey from science student to queer artist, and from the high school darkroom to a leadership role in one of Tasmania’s most vital creative spaces. We explore image-making, mental health, and the slow formation of queer community in regional Australia.

Themes:

queer art, creative practice, arts management, vulnerability, regional identity, Tasmania, curating community, scanner photography, creative ecosystems

🎙️ Connect Curate Create is a podcast about creative courage, community, and place-based storytelling in regional Australia.