Chantel Le Cross

This year the Sydney Opera House dropped what they called the biggest All About Women festival yet. Some 22 talks and workshops took place under the iconic building’s white sails on Sunday, March 12 – bookmarked by an Opening Night Gala headlined by Eryn-Jean Norvill (star of STC’s The Picture of Dorian Gray) on Saturday, March 11, and a concert by feminist punk pioneers Bikini Kill on Monday, March 13.  An annual festival of ideas like this can often operate as a compass that illuminates the biggest social conversations of the past year, and points towards where we’re heading next. In 2023, the festival continued to push the envelope of more inclusive representation, welcoming trans and non-binary people onto panels to join in on discussions about gender and power. Two talks that drew the biggest crowds were Actually Autistic, a panel prompted by the rising awareness of how autism presents in women and non-binary people, and Jennette McCurdy: I’m Glad My Mom Died, an Australian exclusive conversation with the best-selling author and former child star. The Opera House was a bustling and invigorating place to be on Sunday, with the conversations that you’d strike up with strangers in the lift or while waiting for coffee being some of the best moments. It was inspiring to participate in, also a privilege – and, also, kinda overwhelming! Many of the talks clashed and overlapped. If you were able to afford the admission fee (which, after the booking fee, added up to nearly $40 pe

Award-winning Australian actor and advocate Chloé Hayden is no stranger to speaking up and standing out. She is best known for her role as Quinni Gallagher-Jones on the 2022 Netflix reboot of Heartbreak High. However, her contributions extend far beyond the entertainment industry. She is also a disability rights activist, author, and a prominent social media personality. Recently, Hayden sparked a national conversation around accessibility in public spaces – she made headlines for calling out Melbourne's Marvel Stadium after being denied entry to the stadium’s sensory room at the Harry Styles concert because she didn’t appear “Autistic enough”. She has also given testimony at the Disability Royal Commission, and has recently released her debut novel Different, Not Less: A Neurodivergent’s Guide to Embracing Your True Self and Finding Your Happily Ever After.  Question what you're not seeing. Question what you don't naturally believe to be the truth. At the 2023 All About Women Festival (Mar 10-13) at the Sydney Opera House, Hayden is a panellist on Actually Autistic: Women and Non-Binary People on the Spectrum, a talk that also features Grace Tame, Dr Jac Den Houting and Dr Amy Thunig.  We caught up with Hayden ahead of the festival to talk about representation, sensory spaces, TikTok and her love of sharks. Chloé, you give so much of your time and energy to answering other people's questions about Autism accessibility and equity. What questions do you wish other people would

The title of Martyna Majok’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play immediately evokes thoughts of skyrocketing rental prices, the grocery duopoly, and the decline in bulk-billing GPs. While Cost of Living does touch on pressing issues like these, it also delves deeper – exploring not only the economic costs, but also the emotional and social toll of navigating a world that places numerous barriers around the fundamental human right to receive care. Vulnerable, honest, and often heartwarmingly funny – the Australian production of this celebrated Broadway show (a co-pro from Sydney Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre) not only proves that inclusive storytelling is possible, but also that it can be profoundly impactful when disabled people are given the opportunity to participate in the telling of their stories. Centering around two characters living with visible disabilities (one present since birth, and the other acquired later in life) receiving care, Cost of Living explores disability as a multidimensional experience. Co-directors Priscilla Jackman (RBG: Of Many, One) and Dan Daw (The Dan Daw Show) – who also features in the cast – treat the characters with a sense of dignity and nuance that is all-too-rarely afforded to people with physical differences.  First, we meet Eddie (Philip Quast - Do not go gentle…) – an ex-truck driver whose many years on the road and in lonely motels across the United States have left him feeling uneasy about being alone with his thoughts. His attempts

Beef carpaccio sprinkled with horseradish, anchovy, figs, fried capers, parmesan and grissini; morcilla blood sausage on creamy pomme de purée with a buttery soubise sauce; and slow-braised meatballs in creamy and fragrant salsa de almendras – these aren't the types of dishes that come to mind when you imagine an entirely plant-based menu. However, the mastermind behind Melbourne's beloved Smith & Daughters, Shannon Martinez, has yet again brought innovation and adventure to vegan dining.  It's no secret that Sydney's plant-based dining options have diminished since the pandemic, with more than ten vegan eateries closing over the past 18 months (including ramen haven Lonely Mouth in June 2022 and beloved yum cha joint Bhodi in August of the same year). Alibi (inside the Ovolo Hotel at Woolloomooloo) didn’t go untouched. Regulars may have noticed the absence of celebrity chef Matthew Kenney’s signature Los Angeles style from their menu, which left a giant eight-course chef’s tasting menu-sized hole in our stomachs that needed to be filled.  So Martinez's first foray in Sydney couldn’t have come sooner. Despite the fact that she isn’t vegan herself, she’s Australia’s poster girl for plant-based eating. She’s published three vegan cookbooks, is at the helm of three Melbourne plant-based eateries – Lona Misa, Smith & Deli, and the aforementioned Smith & Daughters, and has rolled out pop-ups and restaurant takeovers across Australia, including at some of Sydney's most popular spot

There is no denying the power of nostalgia. This complex emotion enables us to reflect on the past and contextualise where we are today. Lately, the zeitgeist has been inundated with millennial nostalgia. We’re dreading the return of low-rise jeans and squealing with excitement at the resurgence of groups like The Sugababes and My Chemical Romance.  But what happens when you reflect on the past and struggle to see the person that you are now? Luckily, comedian Cara Whitehouse and sometimes drag king Anna Gambrill are here to take you on a sentimental pop culture journey that has been rewritten the way it should have been: queer.  Part trauma therapy and part educational satire, I Want It That Gay explores the deeply relatable (and deeply queer) lived experiences of Cara and Anna via pop bangers. Destiny's Child’s ‘Say My Name’  is reappropriated to explore the disappointment of being misgendered with the parody spin ‘Say My Pronouns’. The Backstreet Boys’ 'I Want It That Way' is used to convey the exploration and celebration of one's sexuality. An interpretation of 'The Rainbow Connection', famously sung by Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie, highlights that truly everything is gay if you try hard enough to connect the dots.  Gambrill looks at home behind the white grand piano, delivering powerful vocals with ease. But this isn't a totally stripped back set – wigs, pride flags, and a variety of hats are deployed – and Cara, in all their self-awareness, even pulls out a ukule

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Sydney could easily nab the title of the culture capital of Australia. Yep, there’s more to the Harbour City than beautiful beaches, top notch restaurants, and a steadily-reanimating nightlife scene with rad dancefloors to keep you busy during the warmer months in the Emerald City.  The Sydney International Art Series (SIAS) amps up the offerings from the city’s gallery scene every summer, bringing major exhibitions from some of the world’s most influential artists exclusively to Sydney. With the latest contingent of Sydney International still open to visit through March and April, we decided to play tourist in our own city and put together the ultimate three-day itinerary for visitors and locals alike to get an in-depth art and culture fix (paired with some equally fun and sophisticated eating and drinking, too boot).  Photograph: AGNSW/Mim Stirling | Installation view of 'Kandinsky' exhibition featuring 'Around the circle' (1940) This year, the trio of exhibitions in the series are spread across the recently expanded Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and the iconic Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) on the edge of Circular Quay and The Rocks. You’ve probably seen images of the impressive giant metal spider that’s perched on the forecourt outside AGNSW? Well, Sydney’s cultural offerings only get more intriguing, beautiful and edgy as you explore further. Our tip: Book in for a guided tour whenever possible. The SIAS exhibiti

Renowned American writer, professor and cultural critic Roxane Gay is known for her bold perspectives that challenge the status quo. So, it makes sense that this August you’ll find her at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI), which is taking over Carriageworks in Eora/Sydney. This year’s theme – Sanctuary – aims to create a space where we can pause, reflect and delve into the complex and confronting topics we rarely get to engage with. Gay will be discussing the power of “dangerous ideas” and the importance of asking questions of a society that often prefers its answers in neat little boxes. (FYI: Gay is also presenting a talk in Melbourne on August 29 for Now or Never – tell your Melburnian mates!) If you’re a Millennial like me who took it upon yourself to dip your toes into feminist discourse beyond the generic yassification of girl-boss/gaslight/gatekeep culture, you might already be familiar with Roxane Gay. For those who aren’t, let this be your guide to why you should be. I’m not really dissenting...I’m just articulating what everyone deserves; a voice, safety, and the right to live freely. Like a lot of well-meaning white women, my first exposure to Gay came with the release of Bad Feminist in 2014. The essays in this book gave me and many others permission to draw outside the lines of the feminism we felt we had to conform to – freeing us to enjoy those “guilty pleasures” that seem at odds with feminist ideology, like trashy television and problematic song lyrics.

The evolution of Sam Smith has reached its euphoric peak through the Gloria tour. This curated three-part experience of Sam’s discography takes you from their early days of stripped-back soulful songs of heartbreak, starting with ‘Stay With Me’, through the uncomfortable growing pains of learning to love themself, and to a celebratory round of queer discotheque, ending on a high with ‘Unholy’. Smith kicked off the two-date Sydney leg of their world tour at the Qudos Bank Arena on Friday, November 3. Featuring Australian-grown Meg Mac as their supporting act – who provided a suitable warm-up with her soulful and emotive music which speaks to Smith’s early work. Sam is an artist who has lived out much of their personal and professional journey in the scrutinising glow of the public spotlight. A nod to the non-binary singer’s growth and commitment to personal truth in spite of this comes early on, when the lyrics “cause I’m just a man” in ‘Stay With Me’ are updated to “please baby understand”.  Meanwhile, their vocal performance is as strong as ever. As crystal clear as a mastered studio recording, their voice is like brown butter – it goes down smooth, but you can feel every tangy grain of grit and pain. A beacon of megawatt stage presence, Sam simultaneously has a relaxed charm.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by SAM SMITH (@samsmith) The Sydney dates fall towards the tail end of the Gloria world tour. Despite this, the stage is full of energy. As

Last week the Sydney Morning Herald published an opinion piece with a bold statement declaring “Sydney has died”. The author, stuck on a train for two hours between North Sydney and Central, was inspired to declare the city “cancelled”. He goes on to outline that Sydney no longer offers nice weather, public transport is in tatters, pubs are being bought by Merivale, Oxford Street is still a bit quiet, and a popular late-night Indian takeaway almost got shut down. Ergo: “What is the point of the city any more?” OK, so being stuck on a stalled train is no fun. And to be fair, the author admits upfront that his is an emotional argument – “you should never make a decision when you’re angry”. But if we accept the conceit that Sydney has indeed died, it begs the question: who or what killed it? Because to me, the piece actually reads as an angry commuter taking out his frustration on a city battered by climate change, government miststeps, and a growing class divide.  While many of the SMH article’s points are valid, they don’t acknowledge that the inconveniences suffered here are symptoms of much broader issues. He’s complaining about flooded train lines instead of worker conditions and climate change. Dying retail districts are angrily decried, rather than gentrification that prices local residents and business owners out of rental markets (not to mention a rising cost of living that leaves many with little to spend within their local economy). ‘Over-regulation’ is listed as a vi