A LIMINAL SPACE

Bruce Parry is a documentary filmmaker, indigenous rights advocate, author, explorer and former Royal Marines commando officer. He is most well known for his multiple BBC documentary series: Tribe, Amazon and Arctic – where he lived with remote indigenous communities, highlighting important environmental and other issues faced by these tribes. Bruce’s latest film project is a feature-length documentary called “TAWAI – A Voice from the Forest”. Focussing on the Penan of Borneo, one of the last remaining nomadic indigenous people on the planet, this film explores the different ways that humans relate to the natural world, and how this influences the way in which we create societies. Bruce also has a deep interest in plant medicines, psychedelics, consciousness and meditation – exploring different ways in which the lessons learnt from his experiences can be integrated into his own life.

Sheldon Solomon is an experimental social psychologist at Skidmore College in the United States. He is the co-developer of "Terror Management Theory", and co-author of the book "The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life", and he has been featured in several films (Flight from Death), television documentaries and radio interviews. Sheldon's life work is based on the concept that our knowledge and fear of death is at the core of the human experience and condition, and the hidden motive behind almost everything that we do, how we see the world, and the decisions that we make. I truly believe that Sheldon's work is of critical importance in attempting to understand what it means to be human, and why we do what we do, and is deeply rooted in compassion, peace and love. It's made a huge impact on me, so it's a huge honour to be able to share this conversation with you.

Can Indigenous thinking save the world? Tyson Yunkaporta's new book "Sand Talk" explores this question, offering techniques and processes for living and learning. It's a book of sense-making, bringing clarity to complexity, and is making a huge impact around the globe. Tyson is a member of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland, in Australia, and is also a senior lecturer in indigenous knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne, working extensively with Aboriginal languages and in Indigenous education. In this conversation, Tyson encourages us to look at global systems through an indigenous lens, challenging us to think differently, and reconsider our relationships with each other and the natural world around us. He is brutally honest and unfiltered, at times confronting, but always speaks with an incredible authenticity and passion - buckle up, you're in for quite a ride!

Cyrus Shahrad is a British Iranian musician, releasing music under the name HIATUS. His music combines soft piano melodies with electronic music and haunting soundscapes, heavily influenced by his Iranian roots and film soundtracks … taking listeners on deep and hypnotic journeys. Cyrus is also a journalist, novelist and film critic; Using his writing to explore, and attempt to make sense of the world around him. Some of the things we discuss include: Finding your voice as an artist and staying authentic, the curse of perfectionism, embracing mistakes and uncertainty, the benefits and power of collaboration, creating space for ideas and creativity to flourish, meditation and being gentle on yourself, dealing with ego and fame, technology and social media, and the role of art and artists in 2020 and beyond.

Marc Hauser is a Swiss skydiver, adventurer, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. He holds the world record for the fastest horizontal free fall, traveling at 304km/hr without wings, and without a tail wind. And he is the first person to sky dive into the jet stream – a high-altitude, fast-flowing air current in the atmosphere, which is believed to contain 20 times the energy needed for all of humanity, documented in the film "Chasing the Jet Stream". This discussion goes deep on many issues, including facing and embracing fear and risk, strength vs bravery, using pressure to excel in your life and discover your best self, the thrill of flying, physical and mental training and preparation for extreme activities, using high altitude winds as alternate energy sources, trusting technology, artificial intelligence and self-driving cars, Covid-19 and fear, and how to live a fulfilled life.

Dr. Arne Rubinstein is an internationally recognised expert on adolescent development and rites of passage, with 30 years experience as a medical doctor (family & emergency medicine), counsellor, author, mentor, speaker and workshop facilitator. He is the founder of The Rites of Passage Institute, whose programs have been attended by more than 200,000 young people around the world, which helps boys and girls to successfully make a safe and healthy transition to adulthood – to strengthen their sense of self, discover their potential and create a healthy vision for the future. This discussion explores the concept of liminal space, rites of passage for personal growth and development, trans-generational relationships, and opening the psyche for transformation and change.

With an Australian mother and Indigenous Māori father, Hineani's mixed upbringing has provided her with a very unique lens through which she sees the world, and in this discussion she invites us to consider; Can Indigenous wisdom change the world? Hineani Tunoa Roberts (ko Rongowhakaata iwi) works as a media artist in Naarm (Melbourne). Her work takes inspiration from visual symbolism found in traditional Māori art and its strong design principles. She combines digital printmaking techniques, digital technology and design process to bring cultural iconography into a modern context.

Jon Muir is one of the world’s greatest mountaineers and explorers. He was the first Australian to reach the summit of Mt Everest alone, and has walked to both the North and South poles. Perhaps Jon's greatest achievement was walking alone across Australia, covering 2,500kms in 128 days, traveling through the driest of Australian deserts with only his dog Seraphine for company - totally reliant on the landscape around him for his food, shelter and ultimate survival. Jon also filmed this journey - released as a documentary titled “Alone Across Australia”. Jon was awarded the Order of Australia medal in 1989 for his services to mountaineering, and is the recipient of two Australian Geographic Awards, including the "Lifetime of Adventure" award in 2017. Today, Jon lives totally off-grid on a sustainable property with his wife Suzy, who also is quite the adventurer – and together they are featured in a documentary called “Suzy and the Simple Man”. This is a truly fascinating chat with a unique human being, and we discuss so many issues including chasing your dreams and the mental toughness required a lifetime of adventure and exploration, and how to live a sustainable life in the great outdoors.

Sabine Choucair is a Lebanese humanitarian clown, storyteller and performer – with qualifications in performing arts from London, and social therapy from New York. She is the co-founder of “CLOWN ME IN” – a group that uses the art of clowning to fight social injustice, spreading laughter and providing relief in refugee camps and disadvantaged communities around the world. Sabine is also a member of Clowns Without Borders, and is the artistic director of “The Caravan Project” – an interactive and participatory live performance that brings together professional theatre makers and non-professional refugee artists, incorporating interviews conducted with people from Lebanon, and Palestinian and Syrian refugees, and sharing these with the world. She is currently in Beirut, where an enormous explosion three weeks ago, caused by the detonation of almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored illegally for six years at Beirut’s port, left more than 220 people dead, 6,000 injured, and 300,000 homeless.

Originally from the Uk and now based in Australia, Felicity Gerry is a barrister and QC who specialises in representing the world's most vulnerable people, and was recently awarded "Barrister of the Year" at the Australian Law Awards 2020. Felicity mainly works in the fields of human trafficking, modern slavery, sex trafficking, torture, terrorism, war crimes and female genital mutilation, with a specific interest in issues related to women. Felicity is also an educator, public speaker, teacher, university lecturer and mentor and is a powerful advocate for the rights of prisoners and other vulnerable people, especially during this Covid-19 period. I'm incredibly lucky to have been able to have a conversation with such a global "heavy hitter", and I hope you get something out of the discussion.

From his early days in the 1970’s protesting in the streets of Sydney against the Vietnam War, and being arrested at the very first Mardi Gras, Chips Mackinolty has made a career from his provocative art and activism, and his weapons of choice are generally screen printing, graphic design and radical poster art. Chips is also a journalist and government adviser, and for the past forty years has been very active in supporting Aboriginal art and artists, and using his own art to bring attention to injustices and inequalities experienced by Aboriginal Australians. His art is exhibited in museums, galleries and private collections all over the world, but you’re far more likely to see Chips walking the streets, slapping up his posters and artwork, in a no-frills fashion that perfectly describes Chips and his general approach to his work and his life.

Alan Dean Foster is a true Renaissance man. He is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, best known for his many novelizations of film scripts including Star Trek, Alien, Terminator, Transformers and Star Wars ... which he ghost wrote for George Lucas. He has also written several book series and more than twenty stand-alone novels, many of which have strong environmental and ecological elements to them, and his work has been translated into more than fifty languages. Alan is also an intrepid traveller, with a particular love of discovering traditional cultures and wild places. In this discussion, Alan discusses many and varied topics including the intention and motivation for his writing, the power of science fiction to tell stories with an environmental focus, the importance of being curious and understanding how things work, good vs evil, where his ideas come from, how story and character are key to his storytelling, how his experiences of traveling have shaped his life views and his writing, and how to make your voice heard.

HENRY PURCELL is an aboriginal Australian, who was given up for adoption as a baby, and raised by non-aboriginal parents. Today he works in child protection, working for the same Aboriginal-controlled organisation that facilitated his own adoption. Henry is also an activist and DJ, performing under the name DJ fosters. He hosts his own radio show, and uses music as a way to bring people together, share messages, raise issues, and improve emotional health and wellbeing. In this discussion, Henry opens up to reveal his own incredible personal journey towards reconciliation – it’s a fascinating story, told in an intimate way, and I’m proud to be able to be able to share it with you.

Listed as one of the world's Top 100 DJs in the 1990's, RAY GOOD discovered meditation as a way to improve his own mental health, wellbeing and happiness. Today he is a meditation and mindfulness practitioner and coach, teaching these techniques to help the lives of others. In this episode, Ray discusses many ways that mindfulness and meditation can be used to improve wellbeing and mental health, and lead to greater happiness in our lives. He also talks about the concept of "micro-meditations" - short meditations from 30 seconds up to only a few minutes, that can have immediate results, and give us essential "mental breaks" throughout the day. Ray then guides me through one of these meditations .... with surprising results!

OMER TZUK is a scientist and philosopher, currently working in the Laboratory for Epidemic Modelling and Analysis at Tel-Aviv University in Israel, where he is using mathematical modelling and statistical analysis to predict the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Omer provides an extraordinary insight, right from the scientific frontline in the fight against the global Covid-19 pandemic, and I’m sure you won’t want to miss what he has to say.

IARA LEE is the founder of Cultures of Resistance Films, whose mission is to create and distribute films that advance public awareness about issues of social and economic justice, and that showcase creative efforts to promote peace and protect human rights. Iara speaks with an optimism and positivity that is contagious, and it’s impossible to not be touched, moved, inspired and motived by her words, and more importantly, her actions.