The Australian Bite

Street art, good works and desert desserts

11 November 2010

Listen and download: MP3

This week on the Australian Bite, we travel to Alice Springs for a cooking competition with an outback twist.  We talk to one of the founders of Vietnam Vision – an Australian organisation doing great work restoring vision to cataract sufferers in Vietnam and Cambodia. And we”ll meet indigenous street artist Reko Rennie, whose art expores themes such as identity, law and justice, and tradition.

Desert cooks create native desserts

A cooking competition with an outback twist has been a highlight of the Alice Springs Desert Festival in Central Australia. Amateur chefs had to produce a desert dessert featuring native bush food ingredients such as saltbush, wattle seeds and quandongs. Reporter Paul Serratore joined the contestants as the wide selection of cakes, ice creams and jellies were put to the taste test.

Vietnam Vision changing people’s lives

In Vietnam, more than 400,000 people suffer from bilateral blindness caused by cataracts. And many more have cataract related eyesight problems. Seven years ago, Sydney-based general practitioner Dr. Vo Van Phuoc and computer consultant Le Duc Hong decided they wanted to do something for the people of their homeland, Vietnam. Aware of the issues caused by cataract blindness, they founded the non-profit organisation Vietnam Vision. Over the last eight years, volunteer teams from Vietnam Vision have operated on more than 4000 cataracts, making a huge change to people’s lives. Heather Jarvis spoke with Dr Vo about the organisation and its work.

Vietnam Vision’s website 

Indigenous stencil artist Reko Rennie

Melbourne street artist Reko Rennie uses stencilling to voice his Aboriginal culture and to also comment on social situations. A former print journalist, Reko started stencilling in the early eighties and has developed his own unique style. Reko was recently in Sydney giving stencilling workshops as part of the New South Wales Art Gallery’s open weekend. Rhianna Patrick from the ABC”s Speaking Out program, went along to find out more about his art and his recent adventures including collaborative work in China.

Check out Reko’s blog on ABC Arts

Music (not in podcast)

Singer/songwriter Washington was born in Papua New Guinea, moved to Queensland in 1997 and now lives in Melbourne. At the recent ARIA awards, she scooped up Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist for her debut album I Believe You Liar.

Artist: Washington

Track: The Hardest Part

Album: I Believe You Liar (2010)

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