THE BOB HAWKE PRIME MINISTERIAL CENTRE – UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre is a dynamic and eclectic Centre devoted to generating ideas and solutions to achieve cohesive, sustainable societies. They engage national and international speakers to contribute to a year-long free events programme including lectures and art exhibitions on topics ranging from human rights to space technology, arts to environment and more.

The 2019 programme will be no exception, with the Centre’s Executive Director & Events and Exhibitions Producer, Jacinta Thompson stating that: “We anticipate 2019 will give our audiences the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most exciting and contemporary thinkers, writers, scientists, film makers, artists – the list goes on. Our audiences are set to be inspired”. Jacinta previews an exciting programme of events planned for this year.

“Registrations are open for a number of events, including our ever-popular Art Talks series, co-presented with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. This series gifts our audience with an ‘insider’s view’ of the incredibly creative people who make such inspirational music. It also enables our audience to reflect on how musicians generate ideas and solutions to achieve cohesive and sustainable societies.”

The Hawke Centre is thrilled to be associated with the Adelaide Fringe Festival, one of Australia’s largest open-access arts festivals, and internationally renowned as one of the best. In 2019, the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery will once again host: Sanaa: A Better World Through Creativity. Jacinta speaks highly of the exhibition and artists, explaining: “Each artist has a unique style and story – but common to all is the fact that their art portrays a vibrant, positive and energetic view of Africa – different to the one so often portrayed by Western media”. In association with Sanaa, the Hawke Centre will also present an Artist Talk, giving the audience the opportunity to hear first-hand from the artists, who will talk about their creative journey.

Artwork by Mwamba Chikwemba

In the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, the 2019 Exhibitions programme will include Fire and Flavour, a collection of photographs that records the journey of photographer Tony Lewis and writer Nigel Hopkins through Thailand with chef Nu Suandokmai, to Nu’s family farm where he was taught to cook by his mother and older sister Lek. Nu’s whole family grew up knowing how to cook, and a couple of his siblings run restaurants in Bangkok.  The aim of the journey was to document the food grown and cooked on the farm, and produce a book as a tribute to Nu’s mother.  Many of the photos of his food were taken at his restaurant, the farm in Thailand and in markets in Ang Thong and Bangkok.

Nu Suandokmai, Farm Kitchen (Photo Credit: Tony Lewis)

In March, the Hawke Centre looks forward to presenting Gemma Sisia. At 22 years old, Gemma travelled to Uganda to volunteer as a teacher, where she taught girls science and sewing. This experience led to a fervent belief that a free, high-quality education should be the right of all children in the world and that education is the strongest weapon in the fight against poverty, corruption and political instability. Upon returning to her native Australia, Gemma fundraised to help underprivileged children in East Africa complete their schooling. She would raise enough money to start an official fund to invest in the education of East Africa’s poorest children. Along with the gift of a small plot of land in Arusha, Tanzania, Gemma began to build The School of St Jude with the help of friends, family and Rotary groups.

Presented by the Hawke Centre, in arrangement with WOMADelaide Festival’s Planet Talks Programme, the renowned series of political, social and planetary discussions addressing key issues which confront humanity is continued. A public lecture will be held on 7 Mar, with the details of the speaker to be announced shortly.

Jacinta says that there are many more events to be added to the 2019 Hawke Centre calendar, including topics and speakers that captured her interest at the 2018 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

The Hawke Centre aims to – Strengthen our Democracy; Value our Diversity and Build our Future – with these in mind Jacinta anticipates the 2019 programme will provide the audience with the knowledge and means to navigate some of the world’s more complicated issues.

Find out more about the Hawke Centre and keep up-to-date with its latest programme.

2018 Annual Hawke Lecturer, Stan Grant (Photo Credit: Kathy Luu 2015)

There is also the opportunity to catch up on recent events, by accessing podcasts or videos from the Relive our Events section on the Hawke Centre website – including the 21st Annual Hawke Lecture, delivered by Stan Grant, 2018 UniSA Nelson Mandela Lecture with OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn, and a look at life on Mars with our Future Martians Josh Richards and Dianne McGrath.

Click here to visit The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre’s website.