Skip to content

Cultural Cringe: The Role of the Arts Critic in Australia

When

Event Status

The role of the arts critic has undergone a profound shift in Australia. There are now fewer arts pages in our newspapers and more online outlets covering the arts. What impact is this having on the discussion of culture in Australia? In a post-Margaret and David world, what media space is available for critics to do their work? How does the critic balance the ‘consumer guide’ mode of criticism with more in-depth, less timely approaches?

Our panellists represent a broad survey of the Australian arts criticism scene. They work for outlets from the Big Issue to the Age; Meanjin to ABC RN. Each will bring their unique perspective on the role of the arts critic in a small industry full of big egos. Hosted by Anders Furze with Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Jonathan Green, Ramona Koval and Jason Di Rosso.

Featuring

Anders Furze

Anders Furze is film critic in residence at The Citizen and Program & Communications Coordinator at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. His writing on film, television and popular culture has been published in Junkee, the Age, Mubi Notebook and Screen Machine jour... Read more

Rebecca Harkins-Cross

Rebecca Harkins-Cross is a writer and cultural critic from Naarm/Melbourne. Her work has been published widely in journals and periodicals across Australia and the world. Rebecca is currently a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University’s Writing Program in New York City and finalising her PhD i... Read more

Jonathan Green

Jonathan Green has been an editor, writer, commentator and broadcaster in a 40-year career as a journalist, beginning with a cadetship at The Canberra Times and taking in various Australian dailies: the Melbourne Herald, The Herald Sun, the Sunday Herald, The Sunday Age and 15 years at The Age. Jona... Read more

Ramona Koval

Ramona Koval is a writer who has worked as a journalist and broadcaster. Her most recent books are A Letter to Layla: Travels to our Deep Past and Near Future, Bloodhound: Searching For My Father, and By the Book: A Reader’s Guide to Life (all published by Text). She was the editor of two volumes ... Read more

Jason Di Rosso

Jason Di Rosso is ABC RN’s film critic, host of the weekly film show The Final Cut and a reviewer across a range of RN programs. Before becoming RN’s chief film specialist, Jason spent six years as associate producer and reviewer on Movietime, a weekly show hosted by Julie Rigg. Outside the... Read more

Location

The Wheeler Centre Workshop Space

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

More details

Stay up to date with our upcoming events and special announcements by subscribing to The Wheeler Centre's mailing list.

Privacy Policy

The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.