Wellness. Healthy aspiration or sickening obsession? Join Brigid Delaney and Benjamin Law in conversation with Jenny Valentish to probe Sydney’s fixation...

Wellmania: Australian Museum X Vivid Ideas

Location:

1 William Street
2010 NSW
Australia

Venue:
Australian Museum
Wellmania: Australian Museum X Vivid Ideas
Wellmania: Australian Museum X Vivid Ideas

Featuring

Benjamin Law

Benjamin Law

Benjamin Law is a writer and broadcaster. He is best known for his memoir The Family Law, the Quarterly Essay Moral Panic 101, as editor of Growing Up Queer and host of ABC TV’s Waltzing the Dragon and co-host of Radio National’s Stop Everything. 

Jenny Valentish

Jenny Valentish

Jenny Valentish writes for The Guardian, The Age, the ABC and The Monthly, but has a particular love of immersion journalism in the form of her books. The latest, Everything Harder Than Everyone Else: Why Some of Us Push Our Bodies to Extremes, saw her having a live-streamed kickboxing fight, being flogged by a BDSM dom and trying performance-enhancing drugs – all in the name of research.

Brigid Delaney

Brigid Delaney

Brigid Delaney is a senior writer at Guardian Australia, and weekly columnist. 
She is the author of four books including Wellmania, and an upcoming book of Stoic philosophy to be published in August 2023. 
She is also the co-creator (with Benjamin Law), a script writer and associate producer of the new Netflix comedy series, Wellmania. The show starring Celeste Barber is currently filming in Sydney.

Bankstown Poetry Slam

Bankstown Poetry Slam

Bankstown Poetry Slam (BPS) is Australia's largest regular poetry slam, and has been dubbed the largest poetry slam in the Southern Hemisphere. BPS' award winning events and projects drive change by empowering young people and people from diverse backgrounds to express themselves through the medium of spoken word poetry.

Access and Inclusion

  • Auslan Interpreted - Auslan interpreted events are for audiences who are Deaf and use Australian Sign Language (Auslan) as their primary means of communication. Experienced Auslan theatre interpreters stand to the side of the stage and translate what the speakers are saying or Auslan signing the text and dialogue live. Audiences requiring this service are seated in the section closest to the interpreter to ensure good sightlines.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.

Event Details

Wellness. Healthy aspiration or sickening obsession? Join Brigid Delaney and Benjamin Law in conversation with Jenny Valentish to probe Sydney’s fixation with wellbeing.

How does pseudo-scientific ‘advice’ spread through social media influencers and celebrities? Why are we so beguiled by controversial treatments? And does any of this stuff work? Hear from Brigid who threw herself into a quest to find out.

Feeling exhausted, anxious, and out of shape, journalist Brigid Delaney decided to test whether paleo, quitting sugar, fasting, hot yoga, group therapy, colonics, silent retreats and more actually work – using herself as the guinea pig.

Brigid is a senior writer and weekly columnist at Guardian Australia. She is the author of four books including Wellmania and is also the co-creator, script writer and associate producer of the new Netflix comedy series, Wellmania, which stars Celeste Barber and is currently filming in Sydney.

Benjamin Law is a renowned writer and broadcaster. As a gay and Asian-Australian man, he has thought a lot about standards of conventional beauty. And as co-executive producer, co-creator and co-writer of Wellmania for Netflix, he is able to share his philosophy on the true meaning of wellness.

The McKinsey 2021 report Feeling Good tips the global wellness industry to be worth USD$1.5 trillion and growing at 5-10% annually. The Australian wellness industry is growing at double the rate of the tourism industry. It’s obvious the wellness industry is flourishing – but for whose benefit?

Jenny Valentish moderates this wide ranging and entertaining conversation. Jenny writes for The Guardian, The Age, the ABC and The Monthly, and has a particular love of immersion journalism in the form of her books. The latest, Everything Harder Than Everyone Else: Why Some of Us Push Our Bodies to Extremes took a flying leap into the world of chasing heightened experiences.

After the talk, stay for live poetry by Bankstown Poetry Slam that responds to the theme. Top off the night with music, drinks and the exhibitions – all for free.

In this series of FREE talks curated by Vivid Sydney and the Australian Museum, we reflect on what makes great cities, the joys and the pitfalls of city-living, and we hear personal stories of belonging.

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Access and Inclusion

  • Auslan Interpreted - Auslan interpreted events are for audiences who are Deaf and use Australian Sign Language (Auslan) as their primary means of communication. Experienced Auslan theatre interpreters stand to the side of the stage and translate what the speakers are saying or Auslan signing the text and dialogue live. Audiences requiring this service are seated in the section closest to the interpreter to ensure good sightlines.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.

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