Audiocraft Podcast Festival

Jesse Baker is vice president of Original Content at Audible. She is the executive producer on Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel and the new true crime thriller West Cork. Jesse was the executive producer and co-creator of the NPR’s Ask Me Another. She previously held producing roles in NPR’s newsroom, on shows including Weekend Edition Sunday, Day to Day and All Things Considered. Jesse helped to create ESPN’s award-winning radio show The Sporting Life and worked on WNYC’s The Takeaway and Slate’s Culture Gabfest.

Collin Campbell has been a reporter, editor and producer for local and national news organisations on many platforms. He is the co-creator of The Takeaway, Freakonomics Radio and The Frame. His audio and radio work has appeared on NPR News programs, WNYC, KPCC, The World, and Marketplace. Collin is now an executive producer for original content at Audible, where he creates new on-demand programs and podcasts, like Sincerely, X and Ponzi Supernova.

Eleanor McDowall is a senior producer at Falling Tree Productions and runs Radio Atlas in her spare time. She's the series producer of BBC Radio 4's Short Cuts — a space for new, innovative short documentaries from around the world — and has produced long-form documentaries on roller derby, Italo Calvino and the art of professional wrestling amongst other things.

Robert Smith is a host and correspondent for NPR’s Planet Money, a show that explains the global economy in the least boring way possible. While holding a microphone, Robert has drilled for crude oil, launched a satellite into space, and harvested cotton for the Planet Money T-shirt. His investigation into how Wells Fargo bank punished its employees won a Peabody award in 2017. Previously Robert was the New York correspondent for NPR and worked in local radio in Seattle, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

Helen Zaltzman is a podcast host and producer. With no relevant experience or skills, in January 2007 she started the comedy show Answer Me This in her living room in suburban London. Eleven years, more than 350 episodes and a book adaptation later, it is one of Britain's longest running podcasts. In 2015 she began the linguistics podcast The Allusionist for the prestigious Radiotopia collective; it was named Apple Podcasts' best new show of 2015.

Beverley Wang is a journalist, host and creator of the ABC podcast It’s Not A Race, and the producer and co-host of Stop Everything! on ABC RN, a weekly program focusing on the politics of the pop culture that consumes us. From 2012 to 2017 she was the executive producer of RN. Originally from Canada, Beverley moved to Australia in 2009.

Joel Werner is an executive producer with ABC Audio Studios, and hosts the podcast Sum of All Parts. In 2011, Joel created the ABC RN program Off Track, before relocating to the U.S. During a two-year stint in NYC, Joel worked for shows including Radiolab, Freakonomics, and 99% Invisible, with whom he won a Third Coast International Audio Festival Award. Joel also produced the ABC astronomy podcast Cosmic Vertigo.

Eric Nuzum loves hearing stories and telling stories. He is the senior vice president of Original Content Development at Audible, where he is building a portfolio of ground-breaking spoken word programs, like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson and Sincerely, X. Before coming to Audible, Eric was the vice president for programming at NPR. While there, he started and ran NPR’s podcasting efforts as well as created a number of well-known shows, like Invisibilia, TED Radio Hour and Ask Me Another.

Michelle Macklem is a Canadian audio artist and radio producer. Her work has aired on CBC, BBC, ABC Radio National, Radiotopia and Re:sound. She is the co-founder of Constellations, an experimental audio art podcast and online community space. Currently, she works as a producer with CBC Original Podcasts with Sleepover.

Mike Williams is a digital producer and documentary maker working as triple j's projects producer. He has produced and helped launch; The Real Thing, The J Files, Double J, Long Story Short and RN Drive.

Jon Tjhia is a radio maker, musician and writer whose career-long focus has been on prodding boundaries between pop and experimental forms. He is the cofounder of the podcast Paper Radio, the coeditor of the Australian Audio Guide and the Wheeler Centre’s senior digital editor. His work includes Better Off Dead (2016), and The Messenger (2017), which won several awards including the New York Festivals Radio Awards Grand Trophy, and Walkley for Best Radio/Audio Feature. He most recently released music with the group Speed Painters.

Johanna Bell is an award-winning author, Churchill fellow and executive producer for the live storytelling podcast SPUN Stories. She runs Darwin-based creative agency, StoryProjects and is the creative director behind SPUN, ATMOS listening parties and InsideOUT, an audio storytelling project with women prisoners. When she’s not doing story stuff, you’ll probably find her out in the bush with a set of binoculars and a bird book.

Rudi Bremer has been a broadcaster since 2012. Having honed her skills at community radio, she initially joined the ABC as a master control technician before returning to her producer roots in 2017. She has a unique perspective on how the ABC works — from chasing interviews to switching satellites. As the producer of RN’s Awaye! Rudi relishes the opportunity to share her love of performing arts, literature and Indigenous languages — like her own, Gamilaraay, from Kamilaroi country.

Giordana Caputo is the CEO of the Community Media Training Organisation. Giordana is an executive producer of the National Features and Documentary Series, former executive producer of the FBi's All The Best and a former station manager of Brisbane's 4ZZZ. She earned a degree in journalism from Queensland University of Technology, has a Certificate IV in training and assessment and has produced content for a range of media organisations including FBi, 4ZZZ, SBS Radio, Rave Magazine, The Australian Ballet and Media Monitors Australia.

Born in New Delhi, Masako Fukui is an English and Japanese bilingual writer, journalist and producer based in Sydney. She has worked at major media organisations including The New York Times, NHK, Nikkei, and has been a regular independent contributor at ABC RN. She produces audio stories on social history, religion, health, culture and food. She has won Australian and international awards for her radio documentaries.

Leona Hameed produces It’s Not A Race, ABC RN’s podcast about race, identity and culture and daily current affairs program ABC RN's Drive. She’s previously produced politics podcast The Party Room, stories for All The Best and the Meanjin podcast, written for The Lifted Brow and presented on Hidden Voices of Podcasting at the Emerging Writers Festival.

Natalie Kestecher blends documentary material, performance, fact and fiction to create unusual stories for public broadcasters, podcasts and publications around the world. She’s won numerous international awards for her work including the Prix Marulic in Croatia, the Third Coast Festival in Chicago and several New York Festival medals. She’s also a marriage celebrant and fiction writer and is currently working on a podcast series and novel as part of a practice lead PhD.

Jaye Kranz is a documentary audio producer, writer and musician. Her documentaries have featured on numerous ABC RN shows, the BBC and the Third Coast Festival Podcast. She hosted, produced and directed The Radio Hour: the sellout nonfiction radio storytelling event for the Melbourne Writers Festival/RN. She’s mentored in audio storytelling; presented at Audiocraft’s 2016 Conference; published fiction, nonfiction and written for film. Jaye’s self-produced album The Wolves was nominated for the Australian Music Prize.

Chris Mottes is the CEO of Hindenburg. He has more than 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management and business development in London, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Before joining the Hindenburg team in 2011, Chris successfully founded several media companies including Deadline Film and TV, Deadline Games, Vision Park Entertainment and Six Ravens Capital.

Areej Nur is a radio producer, presenter and educator. She is also co-founder of podcast network, Broadwave. Most of Areej’s work seeks to support women of colour, particularly black women, to be at the forefront of discussions about media, art, race and feminism in Australia.

Martin Peralta is an award-winning audio engineer, digital producer and sound designer. You’ll mostly find him at ABC studios working across RN programs and ABC podcasts like Ladies We Need Talk, Little Tiny and Walkley Award winning Trace.

His work as part of SBS My Grandmother's Lingo team won a 2017 Webby Award, SXSW Interactive Innovation Award, and the 2016 Walkley Award for Multimedia Storytelling. He also works with Gimlet Media, on podcasts Science Vs, Crimetown and StartUp, and many other podcasts.

Katie Rogers is the product owner for content at Acast, the world’s leading audio on demand technology platform. Katie has been with Acast for more than two years, and is currently responsible for the development of tools to help empower content creators to grow their shows and think creatively about content distribution and creation. Before joining Acast, Katie worked as a freelance radio producer after completing her masters in radio production at Goldsmiths University, London.

A Gomeroi man from Moree NSW, Danny Teece-Johnson has been studying and working in film for nearly 15 years, and is currently the output producer for NITV News and Current Affairs team. He worked with Indigenous youth to write and direct Songline to Happiness, receiving Best Short Documentary at the 2012 ImagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto, Canada.

His production company, Gondwana Productions has produced over 200 hours of content for NITV. Danny has also produced broadcast works for ABC, SBS, BBC 4 and the Foxtel Network and was the NITV Northern Territory correspondent for five years.

Sophie Townsend is a senior producer and editor in ABC Audio Studios, and her feature-making work is internationally recognised. In 2015, she won the HearSay International Audio competition with her piece ‘Mr Fix-it’. Her works ‘Stories and Driving’ and ‘The Updates’ were featured at Third Coast in 2015, and she was a Walkley Award nominee for her documentary Cancer as a Battleground.

Sophie regularly makes work for the BBC’s Short Cuts, and has also featured in CBC’s Love Me and Radiotopia’s The Heart. In 2017, she was script editor on Trace, the ABC’s most successful podcast ever.

Namila Benson is a broadcaster and educator who engages in robust and well-informed narratives to decolonise past, present and future stories. After two decades working across radio, television and digital platforms, Namila continues to spark vital conversations that explore race, culture and identity politics — particularly within the context of settler communities navigating their place on stolen land. These days, she runs media and podcast training workshops across Narrm/Melbourne and overseas and is a producer on the ABC RN’s Life Matters.

Alice Brennan is an award winning multimedia investigative journalist more than a decade’s experience in Australia and the US. She has hosted, produced, and reported radio shows, news and longform documentaries on issues from Indigenous housing to politics, to the Panama Papers and sex trafficking. She’s freelanced for NPR, BBC, The New York Times, Al Jazeera and most recently she was a senior investigative producer for Fusion Media Group based out of Miami.

Erin Kyan is a disabled, queer, trans man who is the driving force behind the audio drama podcast Love and Luck. Passionate about the transformative power of art and emotion, he draws on all his experiences in stage work, community education, and interactive fiction to build a production that cares as much for its journey as its destination.

Lee Davis-Thalbourne is a gentle cat lover with a passion for statistics and detail oriented work. His experience in production has always been "helping out behind the scenes" until the Love and Luck podcast, where he takes his first steps in a more central role as a co-producer and voice actor.

Broadwave is a curated network of Australian podcasts telling community-driven stories, co-founded by Areej Nur, Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Izzy Roberts-Orr. Broadwave develops, nurtures and promotes emerging Australian podcasts and producers to provide an honest, intelligent and insightful alternative space for quality independent audio content. It equips producers and communities with the skills and resources to make their best work, reach new audiences and sustainably fund their practice. Partnering with existing independent podcasts, commissioning new podcasts and one-off creative audio pieces, Broadwave works with communities and seeks to provide a platform for self-determination and story sharing.

Tom Morton is a radio producer, journalist and university lecturer at UTS. His most recent production was a three-part series on coal and climate change, Beyond the Coal Rush, broadcast on the Science Show on RN in 2016. The series won a Bronze Award at the 2017 New York Festivals (Radio). Tom has produced radio features and documentaries for Dossier (Deutschlandradio), Background Briefing, Hindsight, Into the Music, 360 and Radio Eye on RN, and co-produced audio fictions for Radiotonic and Soundproof with Stuart Brown. He also plays in LST and the Garages of Desire.

Dani Torresan has been working in commercial radio for the past 20 years, as an announcer, producer and voice-over artist. She completed a Bachelor of Education majoring in Media Studies (Radio, Production, Television, Film and Photography), and studied broadcasting and publicity at Bangkok University. As well as co-hosting a multi-ACRA nominated breakfast show across Northern Tasmania, she has also won an ACRA for her national night show, The Nitemix, across the Southern Cross Austereo Network, and can be currently heard on air WEEKENDS on the Central Coast’s 107.7 2GO. She was Southern Cross Television Tasmania’s nightly weather presenter, has worked in promotions at GWR FM Bristol UK, as a breakfast producer in Melbourne, and records commercials and corporate work from her own at-home studio.

Fyona Smith is head of Radio at The Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), responsible for the development and delivery of AFTRS Radio and Podcasting courses. She is executive producer of AFTRS Audio Boom channel, showcasing student work and industry research and holds a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching. Prior to AFTRS, Fyona produced and presented SCA’s national top rated School of Rock radio show, hosted Southern Cross Television’s, Australian music TV show School of Rock Oz Made and held the position of network music director for Triple M Localworks. Fyona has produced and presented award-winning local and national shows and is a multi-Australian Commercial Radio Award winner.

Virginia Madsen is a senior lecturer/convenor radio, and now director of the Centre for Media History, Macquarie University. Previously awarded a Vice Chancellor's Research Fellowship UNSW and Doctorate of Creative Arts UTS, she also taught radio and sound design. Virginia started her radio career with 2ser before joining ABC Radio National/Classic FM’s The Listening Room. Her features and performance productions have been broadcast nationally and internationally and her writing on radio appears in key collections.

Angelina Hurley is co-host of Wild Black Women with Dr Chelsea Watego Bond on Brisbane's 98.9fm’s Let's Talk Program. An Aboriginal woman, her heritage is from Jagera, Gooreng Gooreng, Mununjali, Birriah and Kamilaroi peoples. She is currently undertaking a Doctorate of Creative Arts at UTS and working on a pilot of her comedy series, as one of the winners of Endemol Shine Australia’s Smart for a Girl: ROAR development program with Screen Australia.

Eliza is a solicitor with Hall Payne Lawyers practising in employment law, industrial relations and defamation, with a history working in broadcasting and the arts. Eliza was previously artistic director at Underbelly Arts, executive officer of MusicNSW, co-founder and executive producer of All the Best and a board member of both FBi Radio and Audiocraft. Eliza has produced events at Cockatoo Island, the Sydney Opera House and more, and has appeared at Sydney Writers’ Festival, Melbourne Writers’ Festival and Vivid Ideas.

Brett Oaten is the principal of the imaginatively named law firm, Brett Oaten Solicitors. Since 1992, Brett has represented many of Australia’s leading musicians, personalities, film and TV producers, start ups and creative businesses. Brett has written about music for Rolling Stone, the Drum Media and other publications, is a founding and life member of radio station FBi 94.5 and presented a weekly “comedy” show on FBi for 10 years. His favourite podcast ever is the ‘Gregor' episode of Heavyweight.

Suzanne Derry is the senior solicitor at the Arts Law Centre of Australia, and their director of National Partnerships and Programs. Suzanne has worked for a number of community legal centres and a boutique entertainment law practice. Suzanne provides legal advice on a copyright, contract, defamation, debt and business structures. She enjoys educating artists about their rights and providing practical advice across a range of arts areas.

Andrew McLellan is operations coordinator for the Community Radio Network, the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia's national live satellite and file delivery service. He first popped behind the scenes of radio at Brisbane's 4ZZZ where he worked as their content development coordinator — that was while he helped produce a weekly arts program at the station (distributed through his now employer). He's also a sound engineer, musician and composer.

Alice Brennan is an award winning multimedia investigative journalist more than a decade’s experience in Australia and the US. She has hosted, produced, and reported radio shows, news and longform documentaries on issues from Indigenous housing to politics, to the Panama Papers and sex trafficking. She’s freelanced for NPR, BBC, The New York Times, Al Jazeera and most recently she was a senior investigative producer for Fusion Media Group based out of Miami.

Eliza is a solicitor with Hall Payne Lawyers practising in employment law, industrial relations and defamation, with a history working in broadcasting and the arts. Eliza was previously artistic director at Underbelly Arts, executive officer of MusicNSW, co-founder and executive producer of All the Best and a board member of both FBi Radio and Audiocraft. Eliza has produced events at Cockatoo Island, the Sydney Opera House and more, and has appeared at Sydney Writers’ Festival, Melbourne Writers’ Festival and Vivid Ideas.

Brett Oaten is the principal of the imaginatively named law firm, Brett Oaten Solicitors. Since 1992, Brett has represented many of Australia’s leading musicians, personalities, film and TV producers, start ups and creative businesses. Brett has written about music for Rolling Stone, the Drum Media and other publications, is a founding and life member of radio station FBi 94.5 and presented a weekly “comedy” show on FBi for 10 years. His favourite podcast ever is the ‘Gregor' episode of Heavyweight.

Suzanne Derry is the senior solicitor at the Arts Law Centre of Australia, and their director of National Partnerships and Programs. Suzanne has worked for a number of community legal centres and a boutique entertainment law practice. Suzanne provides legal advice on a copyright, contract, defamation, debt and business structures. She enjoys educating artists about their rights and providing practical advice across a range of arts areas.

Tom Morton is a radio producer, journalist and university lecturer at UTS. His most recent production was a three-part series on coal and climate change, Beyond the Coal Rush, broadcast on the Science Show on RN in 2016. The series won a Bronze Award at the 2017 New York Festivals (Radio). Tom has produced radio features and documentaries for Dossier (Deutschlandradio), Background Briefing, Hindsight, Into the Music, 360 and Radio Eye on RN, and co-produced audio fictions for Radiotonic and Soundproof with Stuart Brown. He also plays in LST and the Garages of Desire.

Virginia Madsen is a senior lecturer/convenor radio, and now director of the Centre for Media History, Macquarie University. Previously awarded a Vice Chancellor's Research Fellowship UNSW and Doctorate of Creative Arts UTS, she also taught radio and sound design. Virginia started her radio career with 2ser before joining ABC Radio National/Classic FM’s The Listening Room. Her features and performance productions have been broadcast nationally and internationally and her writing on radio appears in key collections.

Fyona Smith is head of Radio at The Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), responsible for the development and delivery of AFTRS Radio and Podcasting courses. She is executive producer of AFTRS Audio Boom channel, showcasing student work and industry research and holds a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching. Prior to AFTRS, Fyona produced and presented SCA’s national top rated School of Rock radio show, hosted Southern Cross Television’s, Australian music TV show School of Rock Oz Made and held the position of network music director for Triple M Localworks. Fyona has produced and presented award-winning local and national shows and is a multi-Australian Commercial Radio Award winner.

Dani Torresan has been working in commercial radio for the past 20 years, as an announcer, producer and voice-over artist. She completed a Bachelor of Education majoring in Media Studies (Radio, Production, Television, Film and Photography), and studied broadcasting and publicity at Bangkok University. As well as co-hosting a multi-ACRA nominated breakfast show across Northern Tasmania, she has also won an ACRA for her national night show, The Nitemix, across the Southern Cross Austereo Network, and can be currently heard on air WEEKENDS on the Central Coast’s 107.7 2GO. She was Southern Cross Television Tasmania’s nightly weather presenter, has worked in promotions at GWR FM Bristol UK, as a breakfast producer in Melbourne, and records commercials and corporate work from her own at-home studio.

Alex Mann is a Sydney-based broadcast journalist with the ABC's flagship investigative radio documentary program Background Briefing. His reporting has taken him across the country from the APY Lands in northern South Australia, to Dalby in south-east Queensland.