Latest news with #LivingBlack
Courier-Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Star breaks silence on shock MAFS romance
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hook Ups & Break Ups. Followed categories will be added to My News. Journalist and television presenter Karla Grant has revealed for the first time how she and her boyfriend, former Married At First Sight star Nasser Sultan, got together. In an exclusive interview with Stellar, the Living Black host, who was married to fellow journalist Stan Grant for 16 years before their divorce in 2000, said the unlikely pair had a lot more in common than what people would think. 'I was taken by surprise myself,' she said, of her relationship with Sultan. 'Even though we're very different – I'm a serious, Walkley Award-winning journalist, and he's from Married At First Sight, so we couldn't be more worlds apart – we just have a lot of things in common. 'We love travelling, we love going to the movies, we love theatre. There's a lot of things that we have in common that probably people on the outside don't really appreciate.' Karla Grant, right, has opened up about her relationship with former MAFS star Nasser Sultan in a new interview with Stellar. Picture: 'He kept asking me out!' Karla Grant. Picture: The pair first met at an event in 2021. Sultan, who was on the 2018 season of the popular dating reality television series, confirmed their romance on Instagram in January of this year. 'The saying is timing is everything? Well, the universe has delivered a beautiful, smart and an intelligent woman and I'm excited,' Sultan wrote. In the comments, the 56-year-old noted how beautiful Grant was and that he was 'punching'. Grant told Stellar she watches Married At First Sight every year with her daughter Lowanna and son John (who she co-parents with her ex-husband, along with their youngest son Dylan). 'So of course I was well aware of who Nasser was when he approached me,' the 60-year-old said. 'Then we just keep on running into each other at different movie screenings and events and would have a chat. 'He kept on asking me out, but I was always so busy with work and travel. Finally, I said 'yes.'' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Karla Grant has spoken about the toll that online abuse directed at her ex-husband, Stan Grant, has taken on her family. Picture: Sam Ruttyn As NAIDOC Week begins, Grant also spoke to Stellar about how a torrent of malicious attacks and online abuse directed at Stan in the lead up to his 2023 resignation from the ABC took a wider personal toll. 'The filthy, racist remarks online that he faced on Twitter and in social media really did affect the family,' she said. 'One of the boys, he got threats as well. It was a pretty awful time. I hope no one ever has to go through that sort of thing ever again. 'Stan and all of us as First Nations journalists are only there telling the truth. We're truth seekers.' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: Read the full interview with Karla Grant and see the shoot inside today's Stellar, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland) and Sunday Mail (SA). For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here. Originally published as Star breaks silence on shock MAFS romance
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Star breaks silence on shock MAFS romance
Journalist and television presenter Karla Grant has revealed for the first time how she and her boyfriend, former Married At First Sight star Nasser Sultan, got together. In an exclusive interview with Stellar, the Living Black host, who was married to fellow journalist Stan Grant for 16 years before their divorce in 2000, said the unlikely pair had a lot more in common than what people would think. 'I was taken by surprise myself,' she said, of her relationship with Sultan. 'Even though we're very different – I'm a serious, Walkley Award-winning journalist, and he's from Married At First Sight, so we couldn't be more worlds apart – we just have a lot of things in common. 'We love travelling, we love going to the movies, we love theatre. There's a lot of things that we have in common that probably people on the outside don't really appreciate.' The pair first met at an event in 2021. Sultan, who was on the 2018 season of the popular dating reality television series, confirmed their romance on Instagram in January of this year. 'The saying is timing is everything? Well, the universe has delivered a beautiful, smart and an intelligent woman and I'm excited,' Sultan wrote. In the comments, the 56-year-old noted how beautiful Grant was and that he was 'punching'. Grant told Stellar she watches Married At First Sight every year with her daughter Lowanna and son John (who she co-parents with her ex-husband, along with their youngest son Dylan). 'So of course I was well aware of who Nasser was when he approached me,' the 60-year-old said. 'Then we just keep on running into each other at different movie screenings and events and would have a chat. 'He kept on asking me out, but I was always so busy with work and travel. Finally, I said 'yes.'' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below: As NAIDOC Week begins, Grant also spoke to Stellar about how a torrent of malicious attacks and online abuse directed at Stan in the lead up to his 2023 resignation from the ABC took a wider personal toll. 'The filthy, racist remarks online that he faced on Twitter and in social media really did affect the family,' she said. 'One of the boys, he got threats as well. It was a pretty awful time. I hope no one ever has to go through that sort of thing ever again. 'Stan and all of us as First Nations journalists are only there telling the truth. We're truth seekers.' Listen to Rebecca Judd on a new episode of the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About, below:
The Age
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
How SBS evolved from ‘clogs and cooking' into our most innovative broadcaster
For some Australians, it was the soccer that first prompted them to watch SBS. Others came for its flagship World News bulletin; current affairs programs such as Dateline, Insight and Living Black; or cult hits including South Park, Queer as Folk and Fat Pizza. And for many teenagers, its racy international films served as a reliable drawcard (and a gateway drug to the appreciation of arthouse cinema). But for Julia Zemiro, SBS was a lifeline to her home country. 'I was born in France and did all my primary education at a French school in Australia,' says the popular presenter, who has hosted several series and specials for the broadcaster including RocKwiz, Who Do You Think You Are?, Great Australian Walks and the Eurovision Song Contest. 'To have all those French films and TV shows was incredible. There was French radio but to see those images on TV made you feel even more connected.' This month, the Special Broadcasting Service – affectionately dubbed the 'Sex Between Soccer' network by viewers – marks its 50th anniversary. And there is much to celebrate: over the course of five decades, it has evolved from two experimental radio stations (2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne; EA standing for 'Ethnic Australia') into a radio network broadcasting in 68 languages, as well as six television channels. In 2014, its share of the TV audience was 5.2 per cent; last year, it was 9.3 per cent. And its SBS On Demand service has grown by 18 per cent over the past 12 months, with almost 2.25 million active accounts logging into the platform in April alone. 'SBS has been a constant companion of multiculturalism in Australia,' says the network's managing director, James Taylor. 'I'm reminded of the Noel Pearson Boyer Lecture from 2022, where he spoke about the story of Australia resting on three pillars: our First Nations heritage, the British institutional foundations and the multicultural gift of migration. I like to think that SBS sits at the intersection of these pillars by brokering understanding, belonging and mutual respect.' When SBS was launched by the Whitlam government in 1975, it had a narrow aim: to inform non-English speaking Australians of the Medibank public health system, now known as Medicare. Indeed, it was intended to operate for just three months, until its success prompted the government to acknowledge the value of a permanent multicultural broadcaster in a country with a booming migrant population. In 1980, SBS expanded into television, with the Fraser government appointing former ABC chair Bruce Gyngell as its first chief executive. 'I was horrified with the concept they had,' Gyngell later recalled. 'It sounded to me like a typical sort of ethnic station with dancing and clogs and exotic cooking and not much more than that. The sense of culture seemed to be totally absent.' What Gyngell wanted was a channel that would encourage migrants to feel embraced by their adopted country – and to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of their cultures among Australian-born citizens. Loading 'If SBS had never existed, we'd understand so much less about ourselves,' says Jenny Brockie, who hosted the acclaimed Insight program between 2001 and 2020. 'It encouraged us to celebrate our differences while recognising that we're all part of a community, which I think is its biggest contribution. And at a programming level, SBS has been a real innovator; it's a place where a lot of risks have been taken.' Insight is a good example: under Brockie, it evolved from a magazine format into a discussion forum. Each episode is devoted to a single topic, from domestic terrorism to the pain of betrayal, with a studio audience – as opposed to a panel of talking heads – sharing their views and experiences. This might seem like a recipe for Jerry Springer-style conflict but in reality, Insight is among the most thoughtful and illuminating programs on Australian television. 'Every single person in the room is nurtured by producers through extensive conversations over a long period of time,' says Insight's current host, Kumi Taguchi. 'We don't do gotcha moments; if somebody says they don't want to discuss a particular part of their experience, we never cross that line. We're transparent with our guests about who else will be in the room, and the fact there will be differing opinions, which helps build trust and understanding. About 80 per cent of the work is done behind the scenes before people even get into the studio.' 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network.' Julia Zemiro Long before Taguchi joined SBS, she was an avid viewer of the network. 'It brought a new kind of quirkiness and irreverence to our screens,' she says. 'Everyone would talk about the late-night world movies, and it was the only station at the time to show South Park. I really like the way it pushed those boundaries.' Loading Zemiro agrees. 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network,' she says. 'As a viewer, you'd see things that were a bit sexy or dangerous. SBS showed soccer before anyone gave a shit about soccer. We could say things like, 'Colonialism isn't great' or 'These animals are suffering and we need to do something about it'. And with [music quiz show] RocKwiz, they just let us go for it and be creative, which is pretty rare.' Of course, SBS – which receives about one third of its funding from commercial sponsors and the rest from taxpayers – is not immune to the difficulties facing free-to-air broadcasters in 2025. This is largely due to technological advances, which spawned direct rivals such as Netflix, Stan* and Disney+. (Meanwhile, Google and Meta now account for an estimated 70 per cent of digital advertising spend.) But technology has also been a boon for the network, allowing it to maintain its multilingual programming while reaching new audiences through SBS On Demand and additional channels such as Viceland, World Movies, Food, WorldWatch and NITV. Karla Grant, a Western Arrernte woman, joined SBS in 1995 as a producer and reporter on ICAM, the network's first Indigenous affairs program. In 2002, she created the acclaimed Living Black, which she hosts to this day, and she is one of the main presenters on the National Indigenous Television channel, which became part of SBS in 2012. Loading 'SBS has been a leader in terms of Indigenous programming and storytelling, giving First Nations people a platform and a voice they don't have anywhere else,' Grant says. 'But NITV and Living Black also play a huge part in informing and educating our nation about First Nations issues, history and culture, which is something we want to share with the rest of the country and the world. It's an important role and I think we do it well.' Among the reporting Grant is most proud of is an investigation called Taken, which examined the growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their homes by authorities. 'Everyone talks about the stolen generations as though they're a thing of the past,' she says. 'In fact, it's still happening today. We did a story about kids in detention, and how one boy had to drink from the toilet in his cell because the guard wouldn't let him have fresh water. A lot of people wrote to me saying, 'We had no idea this type of thing still happens, but it's an appalling breach of human rights'.' Over the past three decades, Grant has also told countless positive stories. Loading 'We shine a light on all the great things that are happening in our communities and the people who are making huge contributions to our country' she says. 'It's entertaining but it's also educating people at the same time.' The same could be said of many SBS dramas. East West 101, which was set in a major crime squad, explored issues of race and justice; Deep Water was based on unsolved gay hate murders in the 1980s; and New Gold Mountain captured the racial tensions of Victoria's goldfields in the 1850s. There have been warm-hearted comedies such as The Family Law, based on Benjamin Law's memoir of the same name; the groundbreaking documentary series Struggle Street, which detailed the reality of living in poverty in Australia; and the hit reality show Alone Australia, in which survivalists attempt to live by themselves for as long as possible in the wilderness. Among the network's best-known former presenters are newsreaders Lee Lin Chin and George Donikian; Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, who hosted The Movie Show between 1986 and 2004; and sports broadcasters Damien Lovelock and Les Murray. Craig Foster, who spent 18 years as SBS's chief football analyst, believes the network's purpose was best described by Murray, who died in 2019. 'Way back in the '80s, it was Les who rightly said that SBS is [an affirmation] of the value of pluralism and multiple ancestries,' Foster says. 'It didn't matter whether you spoke Turkish, Greek or Italian – that should be celebrated.' Foster recalls the semi-final between South Korea and Germany at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a particular fondness. 'There were hundreds of thousands of people watching that game with immense passion,' he says. 'And it was SBS that not only understood that fact, it celebrated it. In effect, what SBS was saying is, 'We are all connected through this game and we respect you as equal Australians. Your parents might have been looked down upon, but we want you to know that we love it when you speak different languages and we love it when you wear your ceremonial dress. In other words, we get you'.' Anton Enus, who hosts the World News bulletins on Fridays and Saturdays, echoes this sentiment. 'I came here from South Africa in 1999 and SBS really helped me embrace this nation that was new to me,' he says. 'As a migrant, you also want to feel connected [to your home country], so you're always looking for someone who sounds like you or speaks your language. But another great thing about SBS is that it teaches you about other cultures you might not have any direct connection to. You might start watching an Italian movie and before you know it, you're completely sucked in because it's something totally different to what you'd get from Hollywood or the BBC.' For managing director Taylor, this is the raison d'etre for the network. 'I regard SBS as a national broadcaster that tells the stories of all Australians,' he says. 'The Australia you see when you tune into any one of our channels or platforms is the same Australia you see when you walk out your front door.'
Sydney Morning Herald
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
How SBS evolved from ‘clogs and cooking' into our most innovative broadcaster
For some Australians, it was the soccer that first prompted them to watch SBS. Others came for its flagship World News bulletin; current affairs programs such as Dateline, Insight and Living Black; or cult hits including South Park, Queer as Folk and Fat Pizza. And for many teenagers, its racy international films served as a reliable drawcard (and a gateway drug to the appreciation of arthouse cinema). But for Julia Zemiro, SBS was a lifeline to her home country. 'I was born in France and did all my primary education at a French school in Australia,' says the popular presenter, who has hosted several series and specials for the broadcaster including RocKwiz, Who Do You Think You Are?, Great Australian Walks and the Eurovision Song Contest. 'To have all those French films and TV shows was incredible. There was French radio but to see those images on TV made you feel even more connected.' This month, the Special Broadcasting Service – affectionately dubbed the 'Sex Between Soccer' network by viewers – marks its 50th anniversary. And there is much to celebrate: over the course of five decades, it has evolved from two experimental radio stations (2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne; EA standing for 'Ethnic Australia') into a radio network broadcasting in 68 languages, as well as six television channels. In 2014, its share of the TV audience was 5.2 per cent; last year, it was 9.3 per cent. And its SBS On Demand service has grown by 18 per cent over the past 12 months, with almost 2.25 million active accounts logging into the platform in April alone. 'SBS has been a constant companion of multiculturalism in Australia,' says the network's managing director, James Taylor. 'I'm reminded of the Noel Pearson Boyer Lecture from 2022, where he spoke about the story of Australia resting on three pillars: our First Nations heritage, the British institutional foundations and the multicultural gift of migration. I like to think that SBS sits at the intersection of these pillars by brokering understanding, belonging and mutual respect.' When SBS was launched by the Whitlam government in 1975, it had a narrow aim: to inform non-English speaking Australians of the Medibank public health system, now known as Medicare. Indeed, it was intended to operate for just three months, until its success prompted the government to acknowledge the value of a permanent multicultural broadcaster in a country with a booming migrant population. In 1980, SBS expanded into television, with the Fraser government appointing former ABC chair Bruce Gyngell as its first chief executive. 'I was horrified with the concept they had,' Gyngell later recalled. 'It sounded to me like a typical sort of ethnic station with dancing and clogs and exotic cooking and not much more than that. The sense of culture seemed to be totally absent.' What Gyngell wanted was a channel that would encourage migrants to feel embraced by their adopted country – and to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of their cultures among Australian-born citizens. Loading 'If SBS had never existed, we'd understand so much less about ourselves,' says Jenny Brockie, who hosted the acclaimed Insight program between 2001 and 2020. 'It encouraged us to celebrate our differences while recognising that we're all part of a community, which I think is its biggest contribution. And at a programming level, SBS has been a real innovator; it's a place where a lot of risks have been taken.' Insight is a good example: under Brockie, it evolved from a magazine format into a discussion forum. Each episode is devoted to a single topic, from domestic terrorism to the pain of betrayal, with a studio audience – as opposed to a panel of talking heads – sharing their views and experiences. This might seem like a recipe for Jerry Springer-style conflict but in reality, Insight is among the most thoughtful and illuminating programs on Australian television. 'Every single person in the room is nurtured by producers through extensive conversations over a long period of time,' says Insight's current host, Kumi Taguchi. 'We don't do gotcha moments; if somebody says they don't want to discuss a particular part of their experience, we never cross that line. We're transparent with our guests about who else will be in the room, and the fact there will be differing opinions, which helps build trust and understanding. About 80 per cent of the work is done behind the scenes before people even get into the studio.' 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network.' Julia Zemiro Long before Taguchi joined SBS, she was an avid viewer of the network. 'It brought a new kind of quirkiness and irreverence to our screens,' she says. 'Everyone would talk about the late-night world movies, and it was the only station at the time to show South Park. I really like the way it pushed those boundaries.' Loading Zemiro agrees. 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network,' she says. 'As a viewer, you'd see things that were a bit sexy or dangerous. SBS showed soccer before anyone gave a shit about soccer. We could say things like, 'Colonialism isn't great' or 'These animals are suffering and we need to do something about it'. And with [music quiz show] RocKwiz, they just let us go for it and be creative, which is pretty rare.' Of course, SBS – which receives about one third of its funding from commercial sponsors and the rest from taxpayers – is not immune to the difficulties facing free-to-air broadcasters in 2025. This is largely due to technological advances, which spawned direct rivals such as Netflix, Stan* and Disney+. (Meanwhile, Google and Meta now account for an estimated 70 per cent of digital advertising spend.) But technology has also been a boon for the network, allowing it to maintain its multilingual programming while reaching new audiences through SBS On Demand and additional channels such as Viceland, World Movies, Food, WorldWatch and NITV. Karla Grant, a Western Arrernte woman, joined SBS in 1995 as a producer and reporter on ICAM, the network's first Indigenous affairs program. In 2002, she created the acclaimed Living Black, which she hosts to this day, and she is one of the main presenters on the National Indigenous Television channel, which became part of SBS in 2012. Loading 'SBS has been a leader in terms of Indigenous programming and storytelling, giving First Nations people a platform and a voice they don't have anywhere else,' Grant says. 'But NITV and Living Black also play a huge part in informing and educating our nation about First Nations issues, history and culture, which is something we want to share with the rest of the country and the world. It's an important role and I think we do it well.' Among the reporting Grant is most proud of is an investigation called Taken, which examined the growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their homes by authorities. 'Everyone talks about the stolen generations as though they're a thing of the past,' she says. 'In fact, it's still happening today. We did a story about kids in detention, and how one boy had to drink from the toilet in his cell because the guard wouldn't let him have fresh water. A lot of people wrote to me saying, 'We had no idea this type of thing still happens, but it's an appalling breach of human rights'.' Over the past three decades, Grant has also told countless positive stories. Loading 'We shine a light on all the great things that are happening in our communities and the people who are making huge contributions to our country' she says. 'It's entertaining but it's also educating people at the same time.' The same could be said of many SBS dramas. East West 101, which was set in a major crime squad, explored issues of race and justice; Deep Water was based on unsolved gay hate murders in the 1980s; and New Gold Mountain captured the racial tensions of Victoria's goldfields in the 1850s. There have been warm-hearted comedies such as The Family Law, based on Benjamin Law's memoir of the same name; the groundbreaking documentary series Struggle Street, which detailed the reality of living in poverty in Australia; and the hit reality show Alone Australia, in which survivalists attempt to live by themselves for as long as possible in the wilderness. Among the network's best-known former presenters are newsreaders Lee Lin Chin and George Donikian; Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, who hosted The Movie Show between 1986 and 2004; and sports broadcasters Damien Lovelock and Les Murray. Craig Foster, who spent 18 years as SBS's chief football analyst, believes the network's purpose was best described by Murray, who died in 2019. 'Way back in the '80s, it was Les who rightly said that SBS is [an affirmation] of the value of pluralism and multiple ancestries,' Foster says. 'It didn't matter whether you spoke Turkish, Greek or Italian – that should be celebrated.' Foster recalls the semi-final between South Korea and Germany at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a particular fondness. 'There were hundreds of thousands of people watching that game with immense passion,' he says. 'And it was SBS that not only understood that fact, it celebrated it. In effect, what SBS was saying is, 'We are all connected through this game and we respect you as equal Australians. Your parents might have been looked down upon, but we want you to know that we love it when you speak different languages and we love it when you wear your ceremonial dress. In other words, we get you'.' Anton Enus, who hosts the World News bulletins on Fridays and Saturdays, echoes this sentiment. 'I came here from South Africa in 1999 and SBS really helped me embrace this nation that was new to me,' he says. 'As a migrant, you also want to feel connected [to your home country], so you're always looking for someone who sounds like you or speaks your language. But another great thing about SBS is that it teaches you about other cultures you might not have any direct connection to. You might start watching an Italian movie and before you know it, you're completely sucked in because it's something totally different to what you'd get from Hollywood or the BBC.' For managing director Taylor, this is the raison d'etre for the network. 'I regard SBS as a national broadcaster that tells the stories of all Australians,' he says. 'The Australia you see when you tune into any one of our channels or platforms is the same Australia you see when you walk out your front door.'
SBS Australia
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
SBS and NITV mark National Reconciliation Week with compelling premieres recognising the strength and resilience of First Nations peoples
Enlightening documentary Namatjira Project premieres on Sunday 25 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand. premieres on Sunday 25 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand. A special episode of Living Black premieres Monday 26 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand. premieres Monday 26 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand. A live reconciliation breakfast event, National Reconciliation Week featuring Patrick Dodson, will broadcast from Western Australia on Tuesday 27 May at 11am (AEST) on NITV and SBS On Demand. will broadcast from Western Australia on Tuesday 27 May at 11am (AEST) on NITV and SBS On Demand. Groundbreaking documentary series Our Medicine premieres Thursday 29 May at 7.30pm on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand. Assets available here Trailer here Interviews available National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), a time for all Australians to learn more about the nation's shared histories, cultures and achievements, will be recognised by the SBS network, with National Indigenous Television (NITV) at its heart, in the coming weeks. SBS continues to celebrate the world's oldest continuous cultures. reflecting on the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with a curated collection of First Nations content premiering from Sunday 25 May on NITV, SBS and SBS on Demand. This special Reconciliation Week line-up includes extensive multiplatform and multilingual coverage, exploring the 2025 National Reconciliation Week theme, Bridging Now to Next . Highlights include a live event for all Australians from Reconciliation WA and the 'Father of Reconciliation', Uncle Patrick Dodson, timely documentaries such as Our Medicine and Namatjira Project and a Living Black special, which commemorates the iconic Corroboree 2000 reconciliation event in Sydney. Broadcast live from Walyalup (Fremantle), National Reconciliation Week featuring Patrick Dodson is a reconciliation breakfast featuring the prominent Indigenous rights activist and former WA senator. Premiering on Tuesday 27 May at 11am (AEST), truth-telling, leadership, and connection will take centre stage in Dodson's address. Also premiering on NITV, SBS and SBS on Demand is the groundbreaking observational documentary series, Our Medicine .With unique access to First Nations doctors, nurses, paramedics, traditional healers and other medical professionals around Australia, Our Medicine takes viewers behind the frontline of Australia's strained medical services and joins patients on their journeys through the system. The timely six-part series, narrated by screen icon Leah Purcell AM, premieres on Thursday 29 May at 7.30pm. Powerful and personal documentary, Namatjira Project, premieres on Sunday 25 May at 8.30pm about Albert Namatjira, one of the most revered names in Australian art history. From the remote Australian desert to the opulence of Buckingham Palace – this is the iconic story of the Namatjira family, tracing their quest for justice. Namatjira was a man caught between cultures – paraded as a great Australian, whilst treated with contempt. He was the first Indigenous person to be made a citizen by the Australian Government and the founder of the Indigenous art movement in Australia. Living Black , the longest-running Indigenous news and current affairs program on Australian television, marks National Reconciliation Week with a special episode on Monday 26 May at 8.30pm. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Walk for Reconciliation/Corroboree 2000, the episode charts the impact of the largest political demonstration in Australia's history, which had 250,000 people marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation. SBS covered the event at the time with ICAM , the network's premier Indigenous news and current affairs program before Living Black . Episode guests include Former Minister for Indigenous Australians, Hon. Linda Burney and CEO of Reconciliation Australia, Karen Mundine. Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director, First Nations, for SBS, said: 'This year, National Reconciliation Week is an important opportunity to engage all Australians in the way forward for national reconciliation, and this year's theme – Bridging Now to Next –provides a platform to explore the moments and voices instrumental to Australia's reconciliation journey, and share stories of those forging a path for the future. 'Twenty-five years ago, SBS was the network on the ground covering Corroboree 2000 and the iconic walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge which brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together in a powerful call for action. Twenty-five years later, we were continuing to ensure all Australians could see and hear First Nations perspectives in the national debate during a Federal Election campaign. We're proud to continue our commitment as a network to elevating First Nations stories to inform, inspire and bring Australia's diverse communities together. 'Join us this National Reconciliation Week for a line-up of programming and coverage giving every Australian the opportunity to reflect, connect with and celebrate the 65,000 years of history and culture we share in this country.' Nolan Hunter and Debra Zanella, Reconciliation WA Co-Chairs, said: 'Reconciliation is not a straight line. It's a journey shaped by both progress and setbacks. Bridging Now to Next calls on us to walk this path together, learning from history and building on it to create a more united and fair Australia. It's about committing to real action and bringing people along on this journey of truth, justice, and respect.' Highlights of the multiplatform offering across the SBS network include: Namatjira Project Sunday 25 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand In one of Australia's most potent stories, Namatjira Project traces the life and works of Albert Namatjira, a renowned Arrernte painter from the MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia. He gave many Australians their first glimpses into the outback heart of the country and was widely celebrated, exhibited globally, and introduced to Queen Elizabeth. However, in 1957 he was imprisoned for something he didn't do, and in 1959 he died. By 1983 the Government sold the copyright to his artworks to an art dealer, and today, Namatjira's family fight for survival, justice and to regain their grandfather's copyright. Namatjira Project illuminates the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people today, in Australia and globally. Living Black Monday 26 May at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand 25 years on from the remarkable Corroboree 2000 Bridge Walk, Western Arrernte woman, Walkley Award-winning journalist, Executive Producer and host of Living Black , Karla Grant, interviews attendees from the momentous event to hear how they felt at the time and if they believe reconciliation still stands a chance in Australia. National Reconciliation Week featuring Patrick Dodson Tuesday 27 May at 11am (AEST) on NITV and SBS On Demand Live from Fremantle Passenger Terminal, WA, Yawuru elder, Patrick Dodson, also known as the Father of Reconciliation', along with next-generation leader Tremane Baxter-Edwards, deliver a Reconciliation keynote. At a time when Australia faces uncertainty in its reconciliation journey, this keynote calls on all Australians to step forward together to build a more united and respectful nation. Together, Dodson and Baxter-Edwards embody cross-generational First Nations leadership, with their voices reflecting the strength, wisdom and hope to carry the reconciliation movement forward, following the theme 'Bridging Now to Next'. Our Medicine Thursday 29 May at 7.30pm on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand Taking viewers behind the frontline of Australia's strained medical services, Our Medicine shines an important light on First Nations professionals working to achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and communities. Narrated by popular actress Leah Purcell AM, Our Medicine follows First Nations doctors, nurses, paramedics, traditional healers and other medical professionals in their day-to-day challenges as they support patients on their journey through the system. Watch the trailer here. As part of National Reconciliation Week, SBS will deliver multilingual and multiplatform coverage in 60 languages through SBS Audio, sharing First Nations perspectives and celebrating the cultures, knowledges and history of Australia's Indigenous peoples. This initiative highlights SBS's unique role in connecting new Australians with the world's oldest continuing will include a special Australia Explained podcast and an article titled The Stolen Generations: Understanding their history and impact, which will be published ahead of National Sorry Day (26 May) across all the language services of the network. SBS Food will air episodes of Kriol Kitchen , blending food, culture and family stories, daily at 4.30pm, from 2 May to 20 June. SBS World Movies will host a curated collection of acclaimed Australian cinema telling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' stories from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 May at 7.30pm. This includes The Furnace and We Are Still Here, Australian Rules, Ten Canoes and The Tracker. SBS On Demand will feature a hub dedicated to Reconciliation Week, showcasing all of the network's content, including documentaries, movies, news and current affairs and more. Students around Australia can discover more through SBS Learn's free Australian Curriculum aligned digital learning resources for teachers and educators. Printable and downloadable lesson plans are available for primary and secondary students, specialising in multicultural and First Nations educational content. SBS's Reconciliation Week project proudly continues the work set out in SBS's Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2026. This Plan outlines SBS's commitment to reflecting, exploring and embedding First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and languages across the network, and to connecting the oldest continuous culture on Earth with the newest Australians. For screeners and images, please visit the SBS Screening Room. For a PDF of this media release, click here .
