Creative Minds: Leanne Fried and Sarah Falconer Exploring art beyond the canvas has been central to the research of today’s two guests, Leanne Fried and Sarah Falconer, who both work with us at The Kids Research Institute Australia. As a part of the Social Emotional Wellbeing & the Arts project, they have developed resources to build the capacity of arts organisations and teaching artists to promote the wellbeing of young people.Leanne and Sarah talk us through their work with The West Australian Ballet and the WA Youth Theatre Company, among others, as they've established an evidence base for the role of the arts in strengthening resilience and fostering connections.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
Jun 16, 2026
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37 min 26 sec
Creative Minds: James Foley James Foley exudes humour and playfulness, and his back-catalogue of children’s books reflect this. Fans of his beloved works such as Stellarphant or Goldfish-Finger can tune into today’s episode to hear James discuss his career as a writer, cartoonist and creative workshop provider.We'll also learn why we should all try to harness our playfulside, even as adults, in this insightful conversation.To learn more about James, his books, and his workshops, check out his website: jamesfoley.com.au/
Jun 09, 2026
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32 min 45 sec
Creative Minds: Bobby Zheng Today’s guest Bobby Zheng reconnected with his passion for illustration while completing an internship with us at Embrace, where he assisted in the creation of a resource for young people experiencing dissociation.A recent bachelor of psychology graduate, Bobby tells us what it takes to study fashion in Florence, examines the distinctions between fine art and free art, and explores the importance of external validation.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
Jun 02, 2026
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27 min 36 sec
Creative Minds: Stormie Mills Keep an eye out next time you’re wandering the streets, and you may see a piece by today’s guest, Stormie Mills. His incredible art adorns blocks worldwide, using emotionally charged and monochromatic imagery to capture the attention of viewers.Stormie shares the power of journaling using sketches instead of words, and takes us on a journey that took his art career beyond the streets.TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health issuesEmbrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust. Links:To read more about Stormie and see his work, you can check out his website:https://www.stormiemills.com/
May 26, 2026
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34 min 2 sec
Creative Minds: Madeleine Griffith Madeleine Griffith has years of experience as a multidisciplinary artist, and is Creative Director at Satellite Foundation, which uses creativity to build connection for young people who have family mental health challenges. From building a gingerbread car for a Porsche ad campaign to making prop bird poo for Hamish and Andy, Madeleine has tried her hand at many wacky and wonderful projects.But it is her personal repertoire that hits home in today's episode, as she shares ways of bringing creativity into her family’s everyday life. Join us as Madeleine shares ways of capturing your own creative expression, and explains the work being done by Satellite Foundation, including in rural and remote areas. TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health issues.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.Links:https://www.satellitefoundation.org.au/ https://www.madeleinegriffith.com/
May 19, 2026
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32 min 10 sec
Creative Minds: Julie Fearns-Pheasant Today’s guest is Julie Fearns-Pheasant, an artist and educator with decades of experience teaching art to kids and adults.Julie shares how her experience as a person with a disability, and a breast cancer survivor, have shaped her own creative journey and artistic narrative.Join us as Julie explores how art can help when language is a barrier, how it can help us process trauma, and how clay isn’t just about moulding shapes – it’s about moulding minds.TW: This episode contains discussion of body image issues, ableism, and breast cancer.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
May 12, 2026
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44 min 57 sec
Creative Minds: Ernie Dingo Recognised as one of just 100 National Living Treasures, celebrated Australian television identity and doyen ofcinema Ernie Dingo is our gest today.But Ernie’s influence extends well beyond the great outdoors and rests in the heartland. Ernie shares his spiritual and familial connection to his Yamatji homeland and tells usabout his camps that aim to reconnect young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men back to country and improve wellbeing.TW: Today’s episode contains themes that may be triggering or upsetting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
May 05, 2026
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43 min 12 sec
Creative Minds: Chris Nixon Today we welcome Chris Nixon, a Perth local and visual artist, who has countless art installations and has worked with clients such as Tame Impala, Nurofen, and Adobe. Chris shares his experience with finding a balance between creativity and everyday life, encouraging creativity in kids, and how art has helped him through life’s highs and lows.TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health issues and the mention of the loss of a parentEmbrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust. Embracing the Mind is recorded on the land of the Nyoongar Wadjuk people. Embrace at The Kids acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians in Australia, and we pay respect to Elders past and present.Chris’ website:https://www.chrisnixon.net/
Apr 28, 2026
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48 min 35 sec
Creative Minds: Katherine Boydell Who better to provide evidence for the connection between creativity and mental health than Professor Katherine Boydell, director of the arts-based knowledge translation lab at the Black Dog Institute. She explores the research behind creativity as a tool for keeping us mentally healthy, her time on ABC documentary Space22, and the therapeutic process behind creative tasks. TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health issuesEmbrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.To read more about Katherine’s work at Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/researcher/katherine-boydell/The Conversation article about the COVID-19 art project ‘Topsy Turvy’: https://theconversation.com/what-this-collaboration-between-artists-and-health-care-leaders-teaches-us-about-living-through-covid-19-167637Embracing the Mind is recorded on the land of the Nyoongar Wadjuk people. Embrace at The Kids acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians in Australia, and we pay respect to Elders past and present.
Apr 28, 2026
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42 min 55 sec
Creative Minds: Shaun Tan Shaun Tan is widely recognised for his captivating books and illustrations, which are often studied for their imaginative and intricately detailed subject matter.Join Shaun as he takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings as a young budding artist through to his life as a parent and career as an artist and illustrator. TW: This episode contains discussion of mental health issues.Embrace is supported by its principal partner, Rio Tinto, and Channel 7 Telethon Trust.Embracing the Mind is recorded on the land of the Nyoongar Wadjuk people. Embrace at The Kids acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians in Australia, and we pay respect to Elders past and present. Shaun’s website: https://www.shauntan.net/
Apr 28, 2026
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50 min 34 sec