Arts Week on ABC

The ABC screens an inaugural Arts Week.

Audiences will be immersed in arts content that will uplift, inspire, educate, and entertain.

ABC Managing Editor, Arts Edwina Throsby said: “It has been a challenging couple of years for artists, and the whole arts sector continues to grapple with the impacts of lockdowns, illness and border closures. At the same time, the arts have never been more important: for making us all feel connected to each other, for reminding us of the extraordinary power of creativity, or simply for entertaining us.

Be it going to a concert or the theatre, picking up a paintbrush, or settling in at home with a movie or book, we believe the arts are for everyone to enjoy. This year’s Arts Week theme, “Art is Everywhere”, reminds us that art and creativity are easily accessible, wonderfully diverse, and integral to our society.”

Great Southern Landscapes
Tuesday 9 August at 8pm on ABC
Art lover Rachel Griffiths returns to ABC screens and heads off across Australia to discover the exact spot where some of our most famous artists captured their interpretation of our iconic landscapes. Along the way she meets people who will help unlock the hidden secrets of the works and the untold stories behind them.

Walking Man
Wednesday 10 August at 7.30pm on ABC
The Walking Man was a prolific Perth artist, hidden in plain sight, who’s work shines a light on the concept of making art just for art’s sake. This is the story of Ross Seaton, the Walking Man, through the lens of Professor Ted Snell, as he sorts through thousands of artworks and collected items hoarded and stockpiled in every room of Ross’s home to bring together an eclectic exhibition set to stun the local Arts community and beyond.

Art Works
Tuesday 9 August special time 9.25pm on ABC TV
Hosted by Namila Benson, Art Works is the ABC’s weekly half-hour arts show sharing the most inspiring, surprising, and formative ways that Australian creatives are telling our stories today. Celebrating the diversity of Australian creatives and bringing new voices and ideas into the conversation, the show redefines how we tell the stories of Australia today and tomorrow. Art Works invites audiences to look, debate, consider and reflect on what the arts bring to all our lives.

Jeffery Smart (pictured)
Wednesday 10 August at 8.30pm on ABC TV Plus
The comprehensive story of one of Australia’s greatest 20th century painters. The documentary incorporates rich archive material including rare interviews with Smart and his long-term partner Ermes De Zan at their wonderful Tuscan farmhouse and vision of places around Arezzo that inspired the artist.

Anatomy of a String Quartet
Wednesday 10 August at 9.30pm on ABC TV Plus
Guided by four musicians from the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Anatomy of String Quartet takes audiences on an intimate journey through the rehearsal and performance of an iconic piece of string music. As the players explore the story behind the music, they also share in their artistic process and the challenges of collaboration.

ABC iview will have special Arts Week curated collections over the week, drawing on their robust inventory of over 150 hours of arts content