Country Creatives

Episode 018. Check-in chat

As we begin to wind down to the end of the year, Caleb & Reece are grabbing a beer and sitting down for a bit of a check-in chat.  First up they talk with honesty about a situation familiar to many creatives at this time of the year- the financial black hole that can open up when clients, and their money, go on Summer holidays.   Thankfully Caleb has some very recent experience staring down, and then solving, this very problem in his own video production company.  Reece has been venturing into his home shed, aka laboratory, to invent some new ideas for future podcast episodes and Caleb also shares a huge creative win.
Sit back and relax as Caleb and Reece cover some great creative business learning, some laughing and then round it out with some table tennis talk.

Episode 017. Burn Out- What is it and how to get out of it.

Reece and Caleb speak candidly about an all too common occurrence for creatives - Burn Out.  They look at what it is, how to recognise it, what might be causing it, and drawing from their own experiences, some of the ways that you might work through it to a brighter side.  This is important work for all creatives who want to cultivate long enriched careers, so go easy on yourself and settle in here for some empathy and wisdom.

Episode 016. Megan Champion

Caleb and Reece discuss the invisibility of female artists and the devaluing of women's work with creative Megan Champion, founder of not for profit organisation 'We Are Untold'. Megan shares how she is building a business that utilises storytelling and visual art to ensure that the achievements of females working across all sectors is visible, valued and held up as vitally important. Megan talks about her Women of Gold program that is creating role models for the present day, stories that will become required historical learnings for future generations, as well as ensuring female art is paid for appropriately and displayed in prominent locations. There are more than a couple of mic drop moments as Megan turns the questions on Reece and Caleb and they delve deep into how we can all play a big role in shifting the needle on gender equality and eradicating the motherhood penalty. Listen in now and perhaps bring a notepad and pen, it's a big one.

Episode 015: Kylie Eddy

Kylie Eddy's presentation and workshop at Conflux Bendigo (A creative industries event held in regional Victoria in September 2022) was a highlight for so many of the participants including Caleb and Reece.  So much so, that they asked Kylie to join them in this episode to give us the lowdown on Lean Filmmaking, a revolutionary method for making feature films (or short films, book publishing or many other creative projects) using Agile processes.  In the past, gatekeepers like studios, distributors and exhibitors had the power to dictate which films got made and what audiences saw on screens. They’ve had a notorious reputation for silencing marginalized voices, discouraging diversity and lacking inclusivity. But as Kylie explains in this in-depth chat, you don’t need permission from the gatekeepers to make your film anymore.   Tune in now to discover a whole new way of working that puts collaboration, fans and story at the forefront.
 
 

Episode 014: How to have difficult conversations in business

Listen in to sharpen up your communication skills in less than 60 minutes with Country Creatives!If you struggle with asking your clients 'what is your budget?'. If you find it hard to put boundaries in when they ask you 'for just a little change', if you find your ego in the drivers seat when a client doesn't like the work you deliver, or when a project simply all goes a bit awry and you need to pick up the pieces pronto, then this episode is for you.  Using real life situations from their own creative careers, Reece and Caleb unpack communication fails and troubleshoot how to ensure better outcomes as well as sharing their key strategies and scripts for all too common pitfalls when navigation the client/creative relationship.  

Episode 013: Conflux Bendigo Highlights

Over two days in September 2022, creative trailblazers converged for Conflux Bendigo. It was full of thought provoking conversations, inspirational performance, enlightening workshops and purposeful connection. There were panel discussions, masterclasses, practitioner presentations, group forums, lively debates, Q&As, workshops, networking, performance, installations and Caleb and Reece were right in the thick of it as artistic contributors as well as audience members.   Tune in as Country Creatives take you inside their Conflux Bendigo experience and recap the thoughts and ideas that resonated with them, the performances that moved them deeply and the people they met who inspired them.  In between all the action Reece and Caleb also managed to grab some microphones and speak to a bunch of the creative folk about what Conflux Bendigo meant to them and what they hoped would grow from this fantastic creative gathering.  

Episode 012. Toby Benador

In this live podcast recording from Conflux Bendigo (A Creative Industries gathering that took place on September 9 & 10, 2022), Caleb and Reece speak with Toby Benador in the pop up studio just after a presentation Toby had given on cultivating strong partnerships.  Toby Benador is a neurodiverse, genderqueer, POC who has successfully made a name for themselves as an independent gallery owner, project manager, and curator in the Urban Art sector for over 15 years. Throughout their extensive time spent involved in the industry, Toby has opened and run several notable galleries and businesses all with a driving force to showcase and support emerging and established artists. 
 
In this chat, Caleb and Reece get the lowdown on how Just Another Agency came to be back in 2010, the type of work that the agency undertakes including large-scale, multi-artist creative projects, what kind of artists and clients Toby likes to work with and most importantly how, with some humanity, empathy and radical collaboration, this work can thrive in an incredibly fun and fulfilling way.

Episode 011: Louise Terra

Louise Terra is the epitome of a multi-facitated creative.  She is an electronic music producer, songwriter and performer, tertiary educator, festival programmer and community cultural development artist. As a solo artist or as a member of bands such as Sugar Fed Leopards and Sawtooth she has appeared at iconic events such as Woodford Folk Fest, Reservoir Stomp, Melbourne Int'l Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe and more. 
In this episode of Country Creatives Caleb and Aimee speak to Louise about her pathway to electronic music and VR collaborations, the challenges and approaches for creating work such as her current VR live shoot when you don't have an audience present and Louise presents a future vision for the music industry that is Artist led!  
It's another rich, inspiring episode so settle in for a listen now.

Episode 010: David Gagliardi

What happens when you let the ideas guide the way? For composer and artistic director David Gagliardi, guest of Country Creatives 10th episode, the answer is EVERYTHING!  Using his immersive performance work 'Everybody Goes To Heaven in the Clothes They Died In' as a vibrant example, David illustrates his process for allowing ideas to emerge and be explored with much needed time and space.  David also brings some great grant writing tips on how to get the funding you need to support the making of ambitious projects as well as his thoughts on assembling a creative team to really take on the journey with you.  Listen now for the inspiration you need to show up to your creative work.

Episode 009. Ben Watts

Delivering a veritable masterclass in how to live and thrive as a regionally based creative, is this weeks guest Ben Watts. Ben who lives and works in Swan Hill, Victoria is a Motion FX expert who has created stunning work with major film, tv and advertising companies across the world including Pixar and Disney to Nike and Playstation. Caleb and Reece have their minds blown by Ben's insights and experience on how to build this kind of fast paced creative tech career without any tertiary studies. They discover what skills other than the technical are absolutely integral in order to get hired, and what opportunities the future of motion fx and similar technology hold (Spoiler alert- it’s HUGE) Strap in for a truly fascinating chat!