This week, we're sharing stories performed at our live storytelling night (Un)Intended Consequences last October with live music composed and performed by Matthew Forbes.

Explore influential encounters, moments and ideas - and if you're eager for more, you can find three more stories in our 'Part I' Episode.

Highly Strung - 'Neverland'
Emily Suine and Oliver Durbidge are part of the lively puppeteering group Highly
Strung. Together, they tell a comical fantasy about the emotional waves of puberty.
Along this whimsical journey, the dashing boy from Neverland becomes our guide
through this tumultuous period of life.

Ruth Melville - 'Americana'
Ruth Melville is a nurse by trade and a literary artist by heart. She has published
numerous stories enriched with interpersonal details and it is here that she shares
one of these stories. A tale combining the enchanted wonder of Disney movies and
the unfiltered facets of reality. All in one big queer American road trip.

Jumaana Abdu - 'Children Go Straight to Heaven When They Die'
Jumaana Abdu is an award-winning writer exploring the friction between Islamic and
Australian culture. Through the reading of one of her short stories, Jumaana details
the bloody ordeal of adult prejudice and its impact on two childhood friends.

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer: Melanie Bakewell

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

Special thanks to the City of Sydney for helping us pay the artists involved, and to Knox Street Bar for hosting us!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, words by First Nations people on January 26, Sovereignty and Identity. 

'Australia Day'

In our first story, people at the 2012 Yabun festival speak about what so-called ‘Australia day’ means to them. 

That story was produced by Lauren Carroll Harris, with interviews gathered by Lauren Carroll Harris, Carly Anne Kenneally & Jesse Cox.

Unwelcome to Country by Dominic Guerrera

Written and performed by Dominic Guerrera, with production by Mel Bakewell. Unwelcome to Country is featured in a poetry and story collection co-edited by Dominic and Karen Wyld, called The Rocks Remain, available through Wakefield Press. 

Music: Submerging Green by Podington Bear. 

Murrumu - Selena Shannon

Produced by Selena Shannon in 2015. Murrumu’s goal was to return to his Country, return to his Elders, and to the law of Yidindji Nation. In many ways he has been successful, and as of 2023, there were 200 citizens of Yidindji Sovereign Nation. 

Finally, a piece about lost language and the difficulty of reconnecting to culture. 

 Bigger than School Stuff - Declan Furber Gillick

Written and performed by Declan Furber Gillick in 2020. Sound design was by Ryan Pemberton.

All The Best is recorded on stolen Gadigal land and we pay our respects to Gadigal elders past and present and also recognise that the area where fbi.radio is situated, Redfern, has long been a place of storytelling, strength, resistance and resilience for First Nations communities.

Yabun Day Broadcast

Bigger than ever, Yabun Festival is back January 26 live from Victoria Park, Gadigal Country.

This year, fbi radio is teaming up with Koori Radio, National Indigenous Radio Service, One Mob Radio, and the Community Radio Network to bring you a special live broadcast of the largest community led, one-day festival of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Join us from the Yabun main stage to hear knockout performances from Barkaa, Electric Fields, Miss Kanina, JK-47, Dameeela and many more.

Yabun Festival, live on-air! This January 26 from 12pm on fbi radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, stories that delve beneath the surface of the summer heat.

Sunburned

First up, Phoebe heads back to school to learn about workshops educating teens on sun safety and the lifelong risks of skin cancer - which affects two in three Australians. Through stories from survivors, students, and insights from experts and volunteers, she highlights the urgent need for prevention, behaviour change, and prioritising sun safety education.

What you do under the sun today is a step toward a safer, brighter tomorrow.

This story was produced by Phoebe Adler-Ryan with Supervising Production by Shelby Traynor.

Special thanks goes to Susan Collins, Simon Board, Dr. Philip Tong and the team at Dermscreen, Kirstie Fitzpatrick and the students and teachers at Inner Sydney School.

Educate yourself about sun safety and skin cancer by heading to: https://conqueringcancercampaign.com/conquering-skin-cancer/

Music featured:

Nuisance - 'We live in gardens' & 'Flourescene' [Free Music Archive]

Howard Harper-Barnes - 'The Light from Within' [Epidemic Sound]

Sindrandi - 'Summer in November' [Epidemic Sound]

Hook Line and Sinker 

Then, Kwame and Ramon dive into the surprising world of fishing, uncovering its appeal among young people from diverse backgrounds who find it both relaxing and thrilling. Whether passed down through family, inspired by social media, or propelled by a need to escape, fishing is more than a hobby—it’s a blend of freedom and connection.

Beneath the surface, it’s not just about catching fish; it’s about finding peace, purpose, and a tug on the line that feels like life itself.

Produced by Ramon Briant and Kwame Slusher, featuring B Fung Ling.

The story was made in Audio Club's 24 Hour Radio Challenge in November 2024, you can hear the other works produced in our episode Beneath the Surface.

Do you have an idea for your own audio story?

We're currently accepting pitches and everyone is welcome to apply.

Find the full details here!

All The Best Credits:

All The Best is hosted by Madhuraa Prakash. 

Executive Producer is Phoebe Adler-Ryan.

Editorial Producer is Mel Bakewell.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final instalment of Sink or Swim, we look to the future and explore how we can survive the hotter summers that lie ahead for all of us. Blacktown is facing increasingly extreme urban heat, but locals are coming up with their own solutions. We visit two cool refuges where we discover ordinary citizens and local leaders who are shaping the communities they want in the places where they live.

You’ll hear from Maryam Zahid, a community leader creating spaces for newly arrived women to learn skills like swimming, and Emma Bacon, who is campaigning for community-led heat responses.

And you’ll find out – will Angelica and her swimming classmates reach their goals this summer? Will they sink or swim?

Sink or Swim is a UTS Impact Studios production. You can listen to the full series at Impact Studio’s official website: https://impactstudios.edu.au/sinkorswim/

It is written and produced by Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis and Britta Jorgensen.  

Audio editing by Britta Jorgensen and Celine Teo-Blockey.

Additional support from Jane Curtis and Tamson Pietsch.   

The executive producers are Olivia Rosenman and Sarah Gilbert. 

Sound design by Melissa May.

The theme song is Beaming by Friday.   

Podcast artwork and graphic design by Alexandra Morris. 

Research by Jackie May. 

All The Best Credits:

All The Best is hosted by Madhuraa Prakash. 

This episode was mixed by Zac Pennington.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angelica has decided: this is the summer she finally takes the plunge. Go with her as she joins an adult swim class for beginners, and realises that there are plenty of other adults who share both her trepidation and her determination.

Angelica’s home of Western Sydney is heating up faster than nearly anywhere else, making swimming an essential survival skill – not just for staying afloat, but for staying cool. She talks to local doctor Kim Loo to learn what extreme heat can do to the human body, and to urban planning and heat researcher Professor Sebastian Pfautsch, who explains how the new homes and suburbs we build – without the community’s input and without an eye to our hotter future – are exacerbating the discomfort and the risk.

Sink or Swim is a UTS Impact Studios production. You can listen to the full series at Impact Studio’s official website: https://impactstudios.edu.au/sinkorswim/

It is written and produced by Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis and Britta Jorgensen.  

Audio editing by Britta Jorgensen and Celine Teo-Blockey.

Additional support from Jane Curtis and Tamson Pietsch.   

The executive producers are Olivia Rosenman and Sarah Gilbert. 

Sound design by Melissa May.

The theme song is Beaming by Friday.   

Podcast artwork and graphic design by Alexandra Morris. 

Research by Jackie May. 

All The Best Credits:

All The Best is hosted by Madhuraa Prakash. 

This episode was mixed by Zac Pennington.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney holds a strong identity as the capital of sandy shores, ripper waves and the
finest swimmers in the world. But this idealistic depiction of a devoted swimming
culture doesn’t connect to many locals like Angelica who has never learned how to
swim.

Come and join Angelica on her personal quest to overcome the deep blue waters.
Along the way, she talks with her local community of Blacktown. A part of Sydney
that lacks the postcard beaches whilst the limited swimming spots fail to meet the
growing demand.

This week’s episode of All the Best is the first episode of a 3-part series called “Sink
or Swim”. A podcast hosted by Angelica Ojinnaka Psillakis and produced by Impact
Studios, located at UTS. You can listen to the full series at Impact Studio’s official
website: https://impactstudios.edu.au/sinkorswim/

Sink or Swim is a UTS Impact Studios production.

It is written and produced by Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis and Britta Jorgensen.  

Audio editing by Britta Jorgensen and Celine Teo-Blockey.

Additional support from Jane Curtis and Tamson Pietsch.   

The executive producers are Olivia Rosenman and Sarah Gilbert. 

Sound design by Melissa May.

The theme song is Beaming by Friday.   

Podcast artwork and graphic design by Alexandra Morris. 

Research by Jackie May. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we journey back in time to look at Sydney’s music scene through the eyes of three different women. 

You can hit it as loud as you can

First up, we hear from musician and music mentor turned academic, Hannah Fairlamb, about rock boot camps and gender equity.

Produced by Mel Bakewell, with music by Ferus Cut Blue Dot Sessions.
You can learn more about Rock Camp here.

What About Her?

Frances Swan co-wrote What About Me (A Moving Pictures Song), the 1982 classic Australian anthem, during a decade often described as a boy’s club. Christa Hughes rejected gender expectations in the late 90s and early 2000s, touring with Machine Gun Fellatio. Today, up-and-coming Milly McPherson has been making waves in a rock and roll circuit, inspired by the women who came before her.

Join your host, Zara Upfold, as she explores the expectations and successes of these incredible women, the sadly predictable reactions of a male dominated music industry, and asks What About Her?

Frances Swan played her original music live in front of an audience for the first time on the 25th of November. Milly McPherson is currently raising funds to re-released Milly's song under her own name, alongside a new album and a short film. Finally, Machine Gun Felatio have recently reunited and Christa Hughes has been performing in the band for the first time in 20 years.

Produced by Zara Upfold, with support from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Evana Ho.

Songs Played (in Chronological Order)

What About Me, Gary Frost & Frances Swan - Frances Swan

Beer Drinking Woman - Christa Hughes, Dick Hughes

Mutha Fukka On A Motorcycle - Machine Gun Fellatio

Milly’s Song (Live Recording) - Milly McPherson

Blue Moon - Frances Swan 

Sound Effects

ES_Digital, Call On Speaker, No Answer, Russian Voicemail, Plastic, Modern, Office - Epidemic Sound.wav from Epidemic Sound.

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer Mel Bakewell

Host Madhuraa Prakash

Episode Mixed and Compiled by Emma Higgins

Image credit: Lindsey Vassallo

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re playing stories from our 24 hour radio challenge, in which producers are tasked with creating audio stories from scratch in a day!

This year we had people participating in Sydney here at fbi but also down in Naarm and even overseas as far as Italy and the UK.

1 - Cristina Marras takes us into a recurring dream. 

2 - Keyari Page constructs a radio drama about the road to perfection.

3 - You know when you keep texting someone but they just..don’t reply? Linda Gao, B Fung Ling and Kaspar Visser weave a tale through voice notes about a secret and a lie wrapped up in sushi. 

4 -  Finally, Jac Hope delves into an underground community that subverts expectations. 

Congratulations to all of the makers who took part. We’ll be playing more stories from our 24 hour radio race in upcoming episodes. 

Can’t wait? Come hang out with us early for an online listening party on 11 December at 8am Eastern Standard time. You can register via the humanitix link here.

And you can always support the show by hitting subscribe or follow if you're listening to the podcast, or tuning in to your weekly broadcast on fbi radio at 9.30 am on Sunday or the Community Radio Network.

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer Mel Bakewell

Host Madhuraa Prakash

Episode Mixed and Compiled by Emma Higgins

Image credit: Lindsey Vassallo

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re diving deep into the world of lost media, and in particular the mystery of - Australia's most intriguing missing song - which you might just be able to help solve! 

The Most Mysterious Song in Australia: A Lostwave Story by Strange Australian

In January 2024, Strange Australian was browsing Reddit looking for some obscure lost media, when he came across a thread about something they weren't really expecting to. A mysterious Australian song. A Lostwave. This pop-punk song has been unidentified since 2019, and is connected to a Sydney suburb.

Through Reddit, Discord and other conversations and research, he learned an incredible story. It is about a song, and it's also about community. So sit back and let us tell you the story about the most mysterious song in Australia-The Chatswood Youth Unknown Song.

You can discover the full documentary on Strange Australian's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeGemmNlo6U

A Lost Media Deep Dive

In this episode, we also speak to the caretakers of this great search - Lindsey Vassallo and Strange Australian to discover more about the world of lost media, archiving practices and the latest updates in the search for Austalia's most mysterious song!

Produced by Phoebe Adler-Ryan featuring an audio documentary on The Chatswood Lost Tape by Strange Australian with the support of Lindsey Vassallo.

Featured music 'Just Be Curious' by Jerry Lacey on Epidemic Sound

Do you have a lead on the Chatswood Lost Song? Reach out to us at All The Best ([email protected]) or reach out to the Lost Wave Community: https://lostwaves-finest.fandom.com/wiki/Woo_Hoo

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer Mel Bakewell

Host Madhuraa Prakash

Episode Mixed and Compiled by Emma Higgins

Image credit: Lindsey Vassallo

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, stories about reclaiming public spaces.

Demon Derriere by Azrielle de Vor

Azrielle interviews an absolute icon of the local arts scene here in Sydney. Demon Derriere is a mesmerising performer and host, and the creator of Big Thick Energy. 

Produced by Azrielle de Vor with mentorship from Danni Stewart. It was produced as part of the Community Media Training Organisations’s Audio Ability program.

Audio Ability is currently open for applications for their 2025 cohort, head to www.cmto.org.au to learn more and apply!

Out here by Angelina Mazza

Producer Angelina explores queers reclaiming the hiking trail in New York City. She investigates how the policing of public spaces has made it hard for queer and trans people to access the outdoors. 

Riis Beach by Danni Stewart

During New York Pride last year Danni took their Zoom recorder to Riis Beach.

For generations Queer New Yorkers have come to Riis but it’s a space that is constantly under threat.

This moment in time was contentious for the future of the space as the abandoned hospital building behind it had just been demolished, with property developers and conservative council members eyeing off the space for development.

Produced by Danni Stewart.

Have an idea for your own story?

If you have an idea for your very own ambitious audio documentary, think about applying for the Jesse Cox Audio Fellowship. Successful applicants will get access to monetary support as well as individualised training and mentorship to help realise their ideas.  Applications are open until November 27, head to www.allthebestradio.com

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer Mel Bakewell

Host Madhuraa Prakash

Episode Mixed and Compiled by Emma Higgins

Image: Danni Stewart 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you think I look like?

Is that a weird question? Probably. But I do have a point, stay with me. 

In a perfect world we’re all moving away from judging a book by its cover, I don’t think we can say we’ve achieved this quite yet.  

This idea is unpacked in our stories this week which delve into growing into our own skin, against the grain of social expectations. 

Dating when different by Carey Scheer

In our first story, Daniella Biagi shares the challenges of dating with physical differences. From traumatic encounters, malicious body-shaming to numerous not-so-happy dates, Daniella finds healing, growth, and resilience, as she leads us through a quest for genuine connection—with others and herself—in a world too quick to judge.

Remember, you are worthy of love just as you are—the right person won’t need you to have Snow White’s beauty, or Cinderella’s glass slippers to see the princess you’ve always been.

This story was produced by Carey Scheer with additional production by Mel Bakewell.

You can discover more of Carey's work at Purple Orange podcast.

Comfortable by Samuel Luke

In the second story, Samuel reflects on his transition journey of coming out as transgender and the emotional weight of his first year on testosterone. Through recalling vivid memories and emotions, Samuel explores the dissonance between his evolving body, the long-held feelings of discomfort, alongside the slow, surreal process of self-acceptance. 

It’s not just about becoming—it’s about relearning how to exist, to heal, and to finally see oneself in a body that feels like home.

Find more of Samuel's work on Instagram @samuellukeart or at samuellukeart.com.

All The Best Credits

Executive Producer Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Producer Mel Bakewell

Host Madhuraa Prakash

Episode Mixed and Compiled by Emma Higgins

Image: Liz Ham lizham.com 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.