Book Events
Image: Women (seen) Lunch Time Talk
2024 forum | exhibition and book launch | WSU | Sydney
Elvis and I will speak on our 2023 book Countess: Spoiling Illusions in the context of the Women (seen) exhibition at Margaret Whitlam Galleries, part of the Whitlam Institute. Women (seen) which has been developed by the curatorium of Dr Christine Dean, Hannah Donnelly, Julie Ewington, Margaret Hancock and Shivanjani Lal, speaks of identity, community, and belonging. Its location in Western Sydney - Australia’s most culturally diverse region and home to 10 percent of our nation’s population), provides fertile ground for creativity, rich with authentic storytelling, experimentation, and expression. This free event is Open to the public: - REGISTER HERE. Parramatta South Campus, Building EA.G.19 (lecture theatre) .12.00PM Tuesday 10 April 2024.
2023 discussion | labour | gender | Vitalstat |Port Adelaide,/Yartapuulti
In-conversation: with jennifer Mills Bodies of Work Symposium - Port Adelaide, Yartapuulti
An in-depth conversation with author and advocate Jennifer Mills on CoUNTess: Spoiling Illusions since 2008 in the perfect environment: Bodies of Work : Labour rights for artists, cultural democracy for workers. Three days of talks and discussion, activist training and art, explored the notions - have art and cultural sectors lost their connections to the rights, welfare and aspirations of working people and communities? What can legacies from past alliances and struggles teach us about current campaigns to combat precarity and poverty amongst cultural workers? What do the histories of union-led initiatives such as ‘art and working life’ offer us for the future? What can we learn from overseas experiments on basic income or co-operatives? Does the new National Cultural Policy give us hope?
Thanks to the brilliant team at Vitals and Reset Arts and Culture - Emma Webb, Justin O’Connor and Tully Barnett. 2 November 2023
Image courtesy JingWei Bu
2023 forum | feminism | Kaurna country /Adelaide
Spoiling Illusions ForuM Adelaide CENTRal school of art / Tarntanya
A robust and generous conversation between myself, artist and writer Sahsa Grbich, trans-media artist, writer and performer V Barratt and art ledgend Helen Fuller set in Fuller's survey exhibition Shedding at Adelaide Central Gallery.
Animated by by prolific cups of of tea and delicious biscuits many aspects of intergenerational and intersectional feminism in art practice were discussed. Saturday 29 November 2023.
Melinda, Elvis, and Kate Usher Image: Lousie Mayhew
2023 book launch | IMA | Meanjin/Brisbane
Spoiling Illusions boOK Launch Institute of Modern Art - Meanjin/Brisbane
Co-authors Professor Melinda Rackham and Elvis Richardson founder of CoUNTess blog and The Countess Report, discuss their unflinching publication with IMA Program Director Kate Usher on a balmy evening . Thanks to all who joined us there - so lovely to see aroom spilling out into the plaza full of kick ass women! CoUNTess: Spoiling Illusions since 2008 was launched at IMA 5 October 2023
ABC Radio National logo
2023 interview | CoUNTess Spoiling Illusions | national
Interview:
ABC Radio national - THE Art Show
Elvis and I were delighted to be interviewd by Rosa Ellen for The Arts Show on our book CoUNTess: Spoiling Illusions since 2008 published by Countess.Report. We speak on how Spoiling Illusions addresses gender inequity in the artworld, unconscious bias, structures of power and offers strategies for sustainable change. Aired Wednesday 2nd August @ 10am Repeated: Saturday 5th August @ 3am: Sunday 6th August @ 4pm.
Jacqueline Millner + Melinda Rackham + Elvis Richardson
2023 book launch and forum | speakers | feminism | Naarm/Melbourne
Spoiling Illusions ForuM NGV: Melbourne Now, NAARm/melbourne
A lively conversation between author and curator Professor Jacqueline Milner with authors Elvis Richardson and Melinda Rackham, and designers Elliott Bryce Foulkes and Maria Smit.
Lovely to see those who joined us in Naarm/Melbourne - Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Country @ the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square, as part of Melbourne Now Community Hall on Saturday 29 July 2023
2023 conference presentation | book launch | Kaurna country /Adelaide
Spoiling Illusions Launch and Confrence Paper Creative Spaces: National Public Galleries Summit, Lot 14, Adelaide /tarntanya
Co-authors Professor Melinda Rackham and Elvis Richardson founder of CoUNTess blog and The Countess Report, spoke of the background and process on writing their much-awaited publication which probes gender inequity in the Australian art world through raw data, biting humour, intimate memoir, theoretical musings, and strategies for sustainable change. CoUNTess: Spoiling Illusions since 2008 was offically launched on 19 July 2023.
ACCA promotional Image, Countess graphic Elvis Richardson, 2020
2020 book club | feminism | art education | labour | podcast | Melbourne
Elvis Richardson and Melinda Rackham ACCA Book Club, Melbourne
We shared a preview of chapter 3 - ‘My Brilliant Art School Career’ from Countess: Spoiling Illusions since 2008 at the ACCA Book Club, a monthly lunch-time catch up about reading, writing and more. Zoom interactive with Audience and Podcast at SoundcloudThe Australian Centre for Contemporary Art - ACCASouthbank, Melbourne, Australia
EVENTS & PERFormance
Image: Helen Fuller and Melinda Rackham at Shedding, Adelaide Central School of Art. Photo: samroberts.photo
2023 opening speaker | exhibition and book launch | Helen Fuller | Adelaide
Helen Fuller : Shedding Adelaide CENTRal school of art / Tarntanya
I was honoured to open Helen Fuller's esoteric survey exhibition Shedding at Adelaide Central Gallery, accompanying the launch of Helen Fuller a new monograph on her prolific, multifaceted practice, with essays by Ross Wolfe, Sahha Grbich and Glenn Barkley. It was a pleasure to work with Helen on biographical and archival research for this Monograph, beautifully designed by Adam Johnson, produced by Samstag Museum and published by Wakefield Press. Adelaide 26 September 2023.
2021-2022 memoir | performance | adoption | social justice | poetry
cold case Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE)
Image: V Barratt performing with a satin Tongue in cold case, ACE Gallery, Adelaide, November 2021. Photo: Tom McCammon
An experiemental telling of the true tale of my birth mother’s husbands’ murder in Western Sydney in 1984. Over 9 parts this performance piece draws from her forgotten texts, and my life writing as well as public records to expose the hidden violence of intergenerational forced adoption. In progress for page and stage. Performed by V Barratt and Grace Marlow as part of Follow that Feeling /Slip of the tongue, a series of text and language based interventions curated by Grace Marlow at ACE Adelaide - 10 November 2021. Also perfomed at RASA Adoption Apology Event Adelaide July 2022 by Melinda Rackham.
Melinda Rackham, Video still, You Should be So Grateful, 2018
GOMA Talks pannel: Dr Emma A Jane, Paul Barclay, Dr Melinda Rackham, Dr Nicolas Suzor and Alanah Pearce via skype, Thursday 21 July 2016
2018 documentary | adoption | trauma | advocacy | Australia
You Should be So Grateful - documentary Producer/Director Heather Waters
Five adoptees reveal their most personal experiences of adoption and how it has affected their lives. In February 2018, I was one of five adult adoptees filmed and interviewed over several days at Barrenjoey Hideaway in the Adelaide Hills. The aim of this getaway was to connect adopted adults in a relaxed setting, for them to share their experiences of what life has been like as an adopted person. This internaltional award-winning Documentary, produced and directed by Heather Waters raises awareness of the complexities and issues surrounding adoption, dispelling the many myths which have kept adoptees silent for decades.
2016 feminism | technology | gaming | GOMA | Brisbane
From trolling, to gaming and online culture, is technology feminism's new frontier? GOMA Talks, Brisbane
Great to be a panel guest at GOMA in conjunction with QAGOMA's Cindy Sherman exhibition. ABC Radio National Big Ideas host Paul Barclay played devils advocate in pondering the question: From trolling, to gaming and online culture, is technology feminism's new frontier? GOMA Talks - Is technology feminism's new frontier? Filmed Live at QAGOMA, Brisbane GOMA TV and ABC Radio National Big Ideas
2016 performance | washing | settler | adoption | poetry | Kaurna country
white wash Poetry Reading & Performance Sauerbier House, Nurlungga
Re-telling fictional memories of a young C19 resettled unmarried pregnant Irish domestic servant. Poems explore dislocation, loss of identity and uncertaintly, as well as curious wondement of a strange new antipodean home on the magnificent Ngangkiparringga/ Onkaparinga estuary at Nurlungga/Port Noaralunga. In performance I wash away the poetic fragments inscribed onto the walls of this late 1890's homestead, now known as Sauerbier House, to alay her fears and cleanse her of catholic guilt in bearing an illegimate child.