How-To Knowledge with Nisha

We took five with Creative Producer, Nisha Madhan.

The ultimate slashie, this actress/director/artist/producer knows her way around a festival program. From curating them, to performing in them, or sitting front row at the hottest performances.

As we announce our final Program for the triennial, Knowledge, we sat down to get the scoop on her must-sees and how the Knowledge events completes the Asia TOPA program.

Describe the Knowledge stream in three emojis.

🤓🎨🔮
[nerd emoji, paint palette, crystal ball]

What are your top 5 unmissable moments in the Knowledge Program?

1 – Lunchtime choir drop in!

I was that nerdy girl in the lunchtime choir.

So wild horses couldn’t drag me away from the opportunity to learn Peroveta harmonies (a style of choral music from Papua New Guinea) from the Tatana Village Choir ahead of their one-off performance of Ane Ta Abia. Maybe the village will adopt me, and I can run away with their choir forever! Secure your spot.

2 – Generations Talks

If you need me, I’ll be fangirling hard, front and centre at our two keynote conversations that respond to the theme of “Generations.”

I love nothing more than listening to artists talk about what makes them tick. These two conversations explore living a creative life from generation to generation with a lineup of heavyweights including raymond d. blanco, Rhoda Roberts, The Pacific Sisters’ Ruth Woodbury and Rosanna Raymond and the absolute icons that are FAFSWAG!

3 – Rap Foundations

I’m OBSESSED!

My 90’s teenage heart is DYING to learn how to rap like Lil Kim, Missy Eliot or Lauryn Hill, take me back to Run DMC, Supersonic, Tupac, Biggie, De La Soul it’s high time I live out this sweet sweet fantasy, baby! Secure your spot.

4 – William Yang

I think I could sit anywhere anytime and listen to William Yang talk about his life. A life and career spent documenting monumental moments in, art, culture and community. From the first editions of Mardi Gras through to iconic bohemian artists, capturing our country and stories of migration. This will be super special, from his epic performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Elena Kats-Chernin in Milestone to this, an intimate, behind the scenes deep dive into how he lives and makes his art. Secure your spot.

5 – Mindy and Monica

First I will learn how to rap, then Monica Lim and Mindy Meng Wang will teach me how to play traditional Chinese instruments, then...world domination. These Melbourne-based heroes are in a league of their own and bring their musical prowess to Asia TOPA for a very special Process Lab.

This program gets you up close and personal with artists. As a practicing artist, director, art lover and producer, why is this such a unique offer?

This is a dream for practicing artists and anyone who is art-curious. Programs like Knowledge debunk the idea that only a chosen few can make art and reinforce that art is for everyone. 

It's about sharing stories to inspire you and giving you the tools to turn that inspiration into art yourself. Whether you’ve lived an entire life of making art or you just wanna have a go, Knowledge is a place for you to access the tricks of the trade.

Big ideas and art with bursting with heart is at the centre of Asia TOPA. How does this program cuddle the Asia TOPA program and what has already been unveiled?

Instead of google stalking the Pacific Sisters, come and hear straight from them about their lives and loves at their Generations conversation.

No need to try and figure out how to be a mini-Justin Shoulder on your own, he’ll literally teach you how to do it in a workshop.

Watch William Yang perform with the MSO in Hamer Hall, surrounded by a thousand people, then sit beside him, up close and personal in his Process Lab...maybe you hit it off and he becomes your new BFF.

This program is the perfect IRL rabbit hole for the shows and performers you can’t stop thinking about!

Your friend is in town and is up to try something special and uniquely Asia TOPA what are they seeing? What's their itinerary?

Asia TOPA is part performance, part visual arts part writers' festival part late-night-music-nightclub.

1) Wake up and head in to experience one of our big, free public programs like Home Bound, Sarapan or Bread, Circuses Home, or Frocka whanaungatanga.

2) Follow that up in the evening with gorgeous contemporary works from epic in scale like Milestone, future forward like KAGAMI, rich and intimate like Sauniga. 

3) Then party hard and sweat it all out on the dance floor at Club 8.

4) The next day head to a Knowledge talk or workshop featuring the artists you saw the day before and let them blow your mind.

5) Then quit your day job and become an artist.

What more could your hungry little art-heart want?!

Asia TOPA returns 20 February – 10 March with a big program bursting with art, culture and community.

Expect art in surprising places, free concerts, world premieres and the best new ideas from across the Asia-Pacific brought straight to you.


The Knowledge Program is presented by The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Arts.