Head On Photo Festival is an annual event open to local and international photographers, now in its 11th year. Initially they had to reimagine this year’s festival as the world’s 1st online photo festival. However the recent relaxation of COVID restrictions now allows audiences to view the Festival in 25 venues across Sydney. Primary locations include Bondi Beach and the Paddington Reservoir.

Brian Cassey is an internationally acclaimed photojournalist who is exhibiting his series, Me Too!…Where the Boys Are…The Girls Are, in this year’s festival. The images take a look at a men’s burlesque group, MenXclusive, who perform exclusively to young female audiences. This twist on the #metoo movement is a departure from his usual work covering riots and natural disasters such as the 2004 Asian tsunami and cyclones Larry and Yassi. He chats to Arts Monday about his long career and his 4th appearance in the Head On Festival, which can be seen at the Paddington Reservoir. The Festival runs from 9-30 November.

Jarrod Draper was the 1st indigenous graduate from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. After a successful season in Sunday in the Park with George, he is now appearing in a one man cabaret show as part of Bloom Festival, a carnival of radical delight at the Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s Eternity Playhouse. He also previews some of the other cabaret acts in the Festival that appear in intimate cabaret mode. The Bloom Festival includes a program of live music, burlesque, dinner shows and talks and runs through until November 29. You can see and hear Jarrod on Sunday 15 November at 5.30 pm.

And finally the brand new Chau Chak Wing Museum is set to open at the University of Sydney, a magnificent addition to the cultural life of Sydney. Director David Ellis is excited to be finally moving paintings, objects and artefacts into the museum. It is a multi levelled state-of-the-art purpose built museum and will house the University’s three main collections: the Nicholson Collection of antiquities, the Macleay Collection of natural history and the University’s Art Collection.

Many of the works from these collections haven’t been displayed in decades because of limited space, that is about to change. The museum will be open not just to students but to the public as well. Admission is free. Opening day is Wednesday 18 November and entry is ticketed to control numbers due to COVID.

Arts Monday 9 November 1030-1200.

Listen back later here.