“This festival is about radical visibility and imagination,” says Artistic Director Dino Dimitriadis, and that spirit runs through every element of the program. In a moment when trans lives are increasingly politicised and arts infrastructure is under pressure, the Trans Theatre Festival invites audiences to sit together, listen deeply.

When is it?

The festival runs from 7–18 January at Carriageworks in Sydney and 21–31 January at Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne.

Who is running the festival?

Co-presented by Green Door Theatre Company alongside Carriageworks and Malthouse Theatre, and led by Artistic Director Dino Dimitriadis.

What’s on the program?

At the heart of the program is international icon Travis Alabanza, bringing their acclaimed solo work BURGERZ to Australia for the first time. Since premiering in 2018, BURGERZ has sold out theatres across the world and won the Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show is as funny as it is devastating, tracing Alabanza’s response to a real-life act of transphobic violence – someone throwing a burger at them in public – and transforming it into a fiercely imaginative exploration of survival, embodiment and resistance. 2026 also marks ten years since that moment on London’s Waterloo Bridge, giving this Australian debut even greater resonance.

But BURGERZ is just the beginning. The festival also features Daley Rangi’s Takatāpui, alongside staged readings of two exciting new works: Hermaphroditus by Zoe Terakes and Gull by Glace Chase. Together, the program showcases a rich range of voices, forms and perspectives from across the trans theatre landscape.

Beyond the performances, the festival opens up into an expansive wrap-around program designed to build long-term impact. There are masterclasses connecting emerging and established artists, major new play developments in both states, symposium days packed with panels and showcases, late-night gatherings, and a strong commitment to accessible pricing and community ticketing. It’s about creating space  not just on stage, but across the entire ecosystem of Australian theatre.

Where and when can I buy tickets?

Tickets are available now via the Carriageworks website.

The post The Trans Theatre Festival is coming to Sydney and Melbourne – here’s what’s on the program appeared first on RUSSH.

Sophia Serafin

Implementation Manager

Watch … Trailers for films I’m excited about: The Moment by Charli xcx, Wuthering Heights by Emerald Fennell (on my twelfth-or-so rewatch), Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos (I loved Poor Things by him), and Mother Mary by David Lowery. Alongside that, lots of YouTube like Actors on Actors new season and vlogs from my faves Claudia Sulewski and Devon Lee Carlson.

Listen … I discovered electronic punk / bass band SEXTILE in the closing credits of Ep.6 of I Love LA. I’m obsessed specifically with Contortion and Disco. Have also rediscovered Triple J Like a Version playlist on Spotify – always a fail-safe. I am equally excited for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack…

Read … Currently reading Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (even though I have an irrational fear of space).

Jaime Carmody

Digital Marketing Specialist

Watch… Love Actually. Need I say more?

Listen… This month has turned me into an Audrey Hobart superfan. I’ve also been revisiting The Sundays, the perfect soundtrack for slower mornings and reflective evenings.

Read… Lorrie Moore’s Self Help has been one of my standout reads of the year. Wry, sharp and tender, it’s a book I know I’ll definitely come back to.

Stacey Gaskin

Consumer Revenue Manager

Watch … How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone and The Holiday – for obvious reasons. And I am sat and ready for the fifth season of Emily In Paris, out December 18th.

Listen … You Can Call It Yours by Breathless – on repeat – along with The Downtown Lights by The Blue Nile. Also, NF’s new EP, FEAR.

Read … I have The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy and Katabasis by R.F. Kuang on my TBR for this month.

Cassandra Dimitroff

Features and Production Editor

Watch … Obviously, Stranger Things S5. I’m holding out for the next ep drop on Boxing Day.

Listen … Revisiting Real Estate’s In Mind album (a perfect Indie classic). And finally listening to Sombr’s I Barely Know Her (12 to 12 and Come Closer are my picks).

Read … Cameron Crowe’s memoir The Uncool. If you’re a fan of Almost Famous, this acts as a kind of extended cut.

Alys Hale

Music Editor and Creative Producer

Watch … The minutes go by until we’re all on holiday…? I jest, perhaps. I watched The Death of Bunny Munroe, the series based on Nick Cave’s 2009 novel and adored it. Parts of it were incredibly silly but the performances were so genuine and Cave’s cameo with that moustache: perfect. The new documentary on The New York Times is on my list, and I learnt a lot of new theories on the scene from the Sean Combs documentary, along with some truly harrowing behaviours. However, I will be needing some festive joy and I’m trying to convince the 7-year-old in my life to watch The Muppet’s Christmas Carol with me.

Listen … Anything but Mariah Carey, under any circumstances. I do not get behind much Christmas music so it will be business as usual over here. Tom Waits’ Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis is the only exception to my rule.

Read … I’m still on my Jonathan Frazen moment so have been reading Crossroads, a family saga set in the 70s with affairs, christian youth groups and women with secret pasts.

Kirsty Thatcher

Digital Editor

Watch… A24’s Eternity. I had such high expectations, and it really feels like a classic rom-com. I’m also rewatching Veep for the millionth time. It never fails to make me laugh, which feels very needed at the moment.

Listen… Emma Chamberlain’s guest appearance on In Your Dreams with Owen Theile. IYKYK.

Read… Heart The Lover, by Lily King. I zipped through this in a few days, it’s a great one to kick you off if you’ve been in a reading slump (like me). Next on my list is Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams.

Samantha Corry

Social Media Coordinator & Assistant to Editor in Chief

Watch … Oh What Fun. It’s a new Christmas movie with the best cast: Dominic Sessa, Michelle Pfieffer, Havana Rose Liu, and plenty more. Also, Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, with Josh O’Connor – do I need to say anything else? You already know it’s a 10/10 film. Also giving his character, a priest, a neck tattoo is so cunty.

Listen … A little bit of Mac DeMarco, Robyn and Jensen McCrae.

Read … Nothing – I have been so busy I haven’t touched a book!

Mia Steiber

Digital Strategy Director & Associate Publisher

Watch … I’ve been rewatching some of my favourite travel-themed movies. Call Me By Your Name, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Only You. They’re the perfect movies to have on in the background for the scenery. Over the Christmas break I am planning to do a watch of the Oscars shortlist

Listen … I discovered Stand Atlantic after attending Good Things earlier in December. I technically did know them but only one or two songs. Now I’ve been listening to their whole back catalogue, they’re great.

Read … I’ve been stocking up for the December break. A Wuthering Heights reread is on my list. I’m hoping to finish the Throne of Glass series. And also, I want to make my way through the Crescent City books in preparation for the next ACOTAR book which should be coming out at the beginning of 2026.

The post What the ‘RUSSH’ editors were watching, reading and listening to in December appeared first on RUSSH.

Guests were treated to roaming glasses of red, white and sparkling from Handpicked Wines, Callington Mill whisky, and skewered Gildas, all while taking turns in a retro-style photo booth, courtesy of Camera House, and exploring an electrifying installation that featured the all-new Omoda 9, its boot filled with myriad photography paraphernalia – from BEARE PARK and Loewe styling garments, to Camera House equipment, some sleek RIMOWA luggage, and even a couple of RUSSH Magazine issues to inspire some on-set creation.

At the heart of the night, however, were the three exceptional image-makers: the winners of our 2025 Creative Showcase. Each of these creative minds, whose work challenged conventional ideas and ventured into new territories of storytelling, took home a trophy – sculptural, avant-garde and carved from the bonnet of an Omoda 9 – a symbol of their excellence and vision.

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Who were the 2025 winners?

The evening kicked off with the announcement of the Judge’s Choice award, James Watts, whose work, ‘High Fashion, It’s a Flight Risk,’ captivated the judges with its dynamic subversion of fashion archetypes associated with utilitarian dress. Watts earned a $5,000 grant, courtesy of Omoda, to further pursue his creative aspirations.

Our evening’s Reader’s Choice award went to photographer Stephanie Pederson for her evocative exploration piece: ‘The Female Gaze.’ Through her lens, Pederson was inspired by Laura Mulvey’s cinematic women – highlighting the strength and nuance of the female gaze. Pederson’s recognition came with a Fujifilm Camera Kit, provided by Camera House.

Bianca Murphy took home the evening’s Editor’s Commendation award for her striking series ‘Maasai,’ influenced by her stylist Tyra’s family’s tribal background and familial roots. Her work was hand-selected by RUSSH Editor-in-Chief Jess Blanch for its dynamism, creativity and striking originality, and Murphy received a four-night stay at a Collection by TFE Hotel, with daily breakfast included, courtesy of TFE Hotels.

All three winners were also awarded with a spread in the upcoming March 2026 issue of RUSSH Magazine, affirming their remarkable talent and the bright futures ahead of them.

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Our image-makers panel talk

But the evening was not just about trophies and accolades, however. It was about sparking conversation.

RUSSH’s Executive Fashion Director, Hannah Cooper, opened the evening with a passionate address about the importance of supporting emerging creatives. “The Australian Arts community contributes $122.3 billion to our economy, with the fashion sector alone contributing $27.2 billion. We do important work, and more importantly, we are the joy-makers,” she proclaimed, setting the tone for an evening of celebration.

“We do important work, and more importantly, we are the joy-makers.”

Cooper led a panel discussion, joined by a trio of industry stalwartts: RUSSH contributing editor and photographer Kitty Callaghan, photographer Mia Rankin, and the multi-hyphenate artist Mikka Byarugaba (also known as @mikkapedia). Together, they delved into the complexities of modern image-making, exploring the role of authenticity in a world saturated with digital content, and the influence of AI on the future of photography.

Amid the discussions and celebrations, the evening was punctuated by moments of connection – including a the snapping of memories with one of Fujifilm’s Quicksnap disposable cameras, handed out to guests on arrival. Those in attendance – ranging from sculptural artist Midori Goto to actor Annabel Wolfe, baker Valentine Fodor and photographer Rob Tennent – mingled in a vibrant atmosphere, exchanging ideas and stories; a moment to refuel the next wave of creativity.

The evening was a testament to the unyielding spirit of creativity. It was a night that celebrated the bold visions and boundless imagination of creative minds who are reshaping the landscape of image-making. And for James Watts, Stephanie Pederson, and Bianca Murphy, this was just the beginning of a new chapter in their already remarkable journeys.

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The post Inside our 2025 Creative Showcase night in Sydney appeared first on RUSSH.

The six-minute animation brings together two Indigenous artists from opposite sides of the world: Gooniyandi elder Mervyn Street from the Kimberley in Western Australia, and Kinngaimmiut Inuk artist Ningiukulu Teevee from Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic. Curated by Bruce Johnson McLean, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain’s First Nations Curatorial Fellow, the work reflects Cartier’s long-standing commitment to supporting Indigenous voices and fostering cross-cultural artistic exchange.

Street’s paintings open the projection, grounding the work in Gooniyandi Country. Dust, fire and wind move across the sails, carrying stories shaped by a lifetime spent working as a stockman and advocating for cultural preservation through language and life on Country. Street describes the project as an act of sharing rather than self-expression. “I’m doing it for the people,” he says. “I’m passing on my knowledge.”

As the narrative shifts hemispheres, the projection moves into the stillness of the Arctic. Teevee’s bold drawings animate Inuit myths and legends, centring on the story of Raven and Owl – figures that have remained with her since childhood. Ice and snow frame scenes of transformation, curiosity and balance, drawing on stories first told to her by an Elder at school. Through animation, Teevee reinterprets these teachings, connecting Inuit oral tradition with contemporary visual language.

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For Teevee, the project offers an opportunity to honour the voices and memories that continue to shape her practice. By placing Inuit storytelling on the sails of the Opera House, Story Keepers extends these narratives into a global public space, reinforcing their relevance across cultures and generations.

The collaboration reflects the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain’s broader vision of making contemporary creation accessible while building meaningful dialogue between artists, institutions and audiences worldwide. Through its ongoing partnership with the Sydney Opera House and the Biennale of Sydney, Cartier plays a central role in ensuring projects like Badu Gili remain free, visible and embedded in everyday cultural life.

Animated by Sydney-based creative agency Vandal, Badu Gili: Story Keepers unfolds nightly as a meeting point between lands of heat and smoke, and landscapes of ice and snow. More than a spectacle, it is a reminder of the power of stories held by Elders, carried by artists, and shared – night after night – on one of the world’s most recognisable stages.

The post The Opera House sails have transformed with Badu Gili: Story Keepers appeared first on RUSSH.

The work was shaped by a journey north, where Shal was invited to collaborate with celebrated artists Aunties Nanuk and Regina Wilson at The Durrmu Art Centre in Peppimentarti, southwest of Darwin. The experience became a catalyst for the installation’s visual language – layered textiles, rich earthen tones, and the suggestion of rockscapes laced with water-filled pockets that hold Hermès objects like quiet treasures.

True to Shal’s practice, the installation feels alive, almost breathing. It spills across the windows and into the store, forming a subtle dialogue between the contemporary artwork and the heritage bones of the building. “Once I knew I was getting the window and could spread out, the idea came pretty quickly,” he says. “The landscapes of Sydney, the colours, the rock formations… most of Country has been a source of inspiration.” The result is a nod to the city’s own geology – the sandstone, the shoreline, the feeling of being close to water carving its way through rock.

There’s vulnerability in the scale of the project, something Shal doesn’t shy away from. “It’s been a major project, a bit terrifying to be honest,” he admits. But that fear sits alongside pride, particularly in what the work might mean for those who encounter it. “I hope that when people walk past, they will be intrigued and want to come in. For any mob to walk past and see something they can identify with in a space like Hermès makes me really proud.”

The installation is, at its core, a meeting point – between artist and audience, craft and Country, tradition and reinvention. And it offers a quiet reminder that even in the most polished spaces, there’s room for something deeply human to take root.

The post Bundjalung artist Shaun Daniel Allen reimagines Hermès’ Sydney boutique appeared first on RUSSH.

In 2025, absolutely no media is off limits from our desire to be retrospective. The latest to join the fun? PlayStation has launched its annual Wrap-Up, giving PS5 and PS4 players the chance to explore their personalised gaming highlights. Let’s take a closer look at what this year’s recap offers, from the most played games to unique rewards.

Everything you need to know about how and where to access it, and what stats and rewards are available, below.

How do I access mine?

Head over to wrapup.playstation.com and sign in to check out your 2025 stats.

The Wrap-Up is available to all PS5 and PS4 players who’ve spent at least 10 hours gaming between 1 January and 31 December 2025.

Just remember: Players who haven’t consented to data collection in their system’s privacy settings won’t be able to participate.

When is it available?

You can check out your 2025 Playstation Wrap-Up any time before Thursday 8 January 2026.

What stats does it show?

The PlayStation 2025 Wrap-Up offers a deep dive into your year of gaming. Players can access:

Along with the personalised summary of your 2025 journey, the Wrap-Up offers a custom PlayStation Plus playlist. This playlist, which highlights:

You can also earn rewards

For those who complete their PlayStation 2025 Wrap-Up, a special reward awaits: a unique glass-themed avatar. This exclusive avatar is a token of your participation in the year’s most exciting gaming experiences. Once completed, players can proudly show off their customised summary card to the PlayStation community.

The post What’s this new ‘PlayStation Wrap-Up’ all about? appeared first on RUSSH.

For all the exhibitions happening across the country in December, read on.

NSW

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Dangerously Modern – until 15 February 2026

The first major exhibition to focus on the vital role of Australian Women Artists in Europe, from 1890–1940. With more than 200 works, it focuses on the vital role of these Australian women in the emergence of international modernism.

Sullivan+Strumpf

A Fine Line – from 13 November 2025 until 13 December 2025

Julia Gutman deepens her investigation into the fragile, fragmented nature of selfhood. Through repeated, fractured self-portraits, the artist presents as a multiplied, unstable image – a proxy for all of us – caught in the gap between how we understand ourselves and how we are understood by others.

Bundanon

The Hidden Line: Art of the Boyd Women – until 15 February 2026

This exhibition celebrates the women of one of Australia’s most prominent artistic dynasties with more than 300 works from five generations, including never-before-exhibited works. The exhibition will present works by Emma Minnie a’Beckett Boyd (one of the rare female artists of her era able to have a full-time artistic practice) and Yvonne Boyd, who with her husband Arthur Boyd, gifted Bundanon to the Australian people, representing one of the most significant acts of philanthropy in the history of the arts in Australia.

VIC

Buxton Contemporary

Stone Soup – from 21 November 2025 until 11 April 2026

A major solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed sculptor Hany Armanious. He is celebrated for his inventive and often playful approach to sculpture, inviting audiences to experience ordinary objects anew. Drawing from the everyday, he recasts found objects in resin at a 1:1 scale, with meticulous attention to colour, texture and form, while allowing subtle imperfections to remain visible.

NGV

Women Photographers 1900–1975: A Legacy of Light – from 28 November 2025 until May 2026

Featuring some of the most iconic images from the twentieth century by the likes of Diane Arbus, Dora Maar, Lee Miller, Dorothea Lange, Olive Cotton and many more, this exhibition celebrates the images, lives and stories of more than 80 influential artists working between 1900 to 1975. More than 300 rare and innovative photographs, prints, postcards, photo books and magazines will be displayed from the NGV Collection.

Heide Museum

Song of the Earth – from 26 November 2025 until 9 March 2026

A major exhibition of works by John Nixon (1949–2020), one of Australia’s most influential and experimental abstract artists. This extensive survey is the first to span Nixon’s fifty-year career. Presented five years after his death, it offers a timely celebration of his life’s work.

Sullivan+Strumpf

Puffs – from 27 November 2025 until 20 December 2025

An expansion of Polly Borland’s sculptural practice, launched in 2023, this new series sees her human subjects’ balloon into anamorphic, even alien-like forms. However, the shift in this series is restraint: for the first time, we see silhouettes without the signature padding, revealing the body within.

QLD

Edwina Corlette

Sculpture and Small Works – until 9 December 2025

A group exhibition feature small and sculptural works from Ari Athans, Sally Anderson, John Bokor, Rhys Lee, Tim McMonagle, Sally Nangala Mulda, Bundit Puangthong, Miranda Skoczek, Vipoo Srivilasa and Jake Walker.

ARTCLUB

ARTCLUB – Opening 25 October 2025

Internationally acclaimed designer and artist Heidi Middleton unveiled her revolutionary new retail concept: ARTCLUB, a hybrid gallery, atelier, and retail experience in Brisbane’s James Street precinct. At its heart sits a six-metre gallery wall showcasing Middleton’s original artworks, while five-metre abstract sculptures anchor the interior, forming a surreal, gallery-like landscape.

SA

AGSA

Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi – until 18 January 2026

This exhibition assembles more than 200 landmark works of art that have been acquired into AGSA’s collection over the last ten years of Tarnanthi. Curated by Artistic Director Nici Cumpston OAM, Too Deadly not only reflects on Tarnanthi’s first decade but also recontextualises and re-energises important works, allowing new dialogues to emerge between works of art, showcasing the artistic excellence of First Nations artists from across the country.

WA

AGWA

Infinite Terrain – until 6 April 2026

A landmark retrospective honouring the extraordinary career of internationally renowned ceramicist Pippin Drysdale.

NT

MAGNT Darwin

Cyclone Tracy – ongoing

Explore a classic 1970 elevated home, monitor the cyclone at the desk of the Darwin Bureau of Meteorology office much as it looked in 1974, experience the real sound of Tracy brought to life through new technology and remastered sound in a new sound booth and explore 50 years of stories.

ACT

NGA

The Christmas Tree Bucket – until 6 September 2026

Trent Parke’s photographic series is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas. The series showcases Parke’s distinctive and acclaimed visual style and his skilful use of light and colour, to transcendent effect.

TAS

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

The World of Butterflies Exhibition – until 26 January 2026

A special exhibition celebrating the diversity and beauty of butterflies on our planet. Featuring stunning displays of rare and exotic specimens, this exhibition is a must-see for nature lovers and curious minds alike.

Dada Muse

Dante’s Divine Comedy – ongoing

A complete suite of 100 authentic water-colour works on paper by Salvador Dali, based on Dante Alighieri’s literary classic of the same name. Over 3500 woodblock carvings are said to have been used in the printing process.

The post Art in December: Your guide to the Australian exhibitions taking place this month appeared first on RUSSH.

A post shared by Discord (@discord)

How do I access mine?

Discord began rolling out Checkpoint on yesterday on 4 December 2025, and while it may take a few days to appear for everyone, checking yours is easy.

On desktop, look for the small flag icon at the top right of the app.

On mobile, tap your profile icon and then select the Checkpoint banner.

And don’t forget – your app needs to be fully updated. If you still don’t see it, your activity might be too low or you may have disabled “Use data to personalise my Discord experience.”

What stats does it show?

Like Spotify Wrapped but for your digital social life, Checkpoint highlights:

And yes… the person you DM’d the most. Discord even lets you ping your “most messaged” friend – use that power carefully.

You can earn rewards

Yep! After reviewing your recap, Discord assigns you one of ten unique Checkpoint cards, each paired with a temporary avatar decoration you can wear until 15 January 2026. You can also share a quick summary card directly in chat — or keep it private if your stats are… a little too honest.

Are there overall Discord statistics?

Yes. Discord also shared some global highlights:

The post Discord Checkpoint: What’s this new ‘Discord Wrapped’ all about? appeared first on RUSSH.

While YouTube Music has offered its own music-focused Recap for the past three years, 2025 is the debut of the new version. A year of a full YouTube Recap — covering your entire watch history, not just what you listened to.

Here’s what you need to know.

When does YouTube Recap drop?

After a soft launch in New Zealand last month, the feature officially rolled out in North America on December 2, with the rest of the world following over the course of the week. Yes, that’s right, it’s already available in your app or on your web browser. You just need to be logged in.

How to find your YouTube Recap

Once the feature is live in your region, YouTube Recap appears in two places:

There, you’ll find your full Recap experience, including your highlight reel, and deeper dives into your viewing patterns.

What does YouTube Recap actually include?

YouTube Recap is designed as a highlight reel of your year on the platform. Each user is given up to 12 custom ‘cards’, featuring:

If you spent a lot of time on YouTube Music, you’ll also see your top artists, songs, genres and podcasts, with the option to explore these further in the YouTube Music app. Like Spotify Wrapped or Apple Replay, only for YouTube.

Feature image via Pinterest.

The post What is YouTube Recap, and how can you access yours? appeared first on RUSSH.

Her work resists neat categories: part folklore, part research, part nomadic lifestyle. What binds it is a devotion to the overlooked — the odd detail, the eccentric ritual. She pursues these with the fervour of someone who has glimpsed a world governed not by logic, but by wonder.

In conversation with Constance from Armenia, we spoke about the mythology of hair, finding communities in far-flung places, her love for Leonard Cohen and her obsession with animalistic footwear.

Your Instagram bio lists you as a ‘Photographer, Researcher, Writer, Long Hair Enthusiast and Angel’s Advocate’. Do you think it’s difficult to distill exactly what you do?

I follow my passions like the law. My research has a lot to do with how I find a place, and how I get to a place, and why that interests me, so I’m always trying to write a master list of everything that I’m really interested in – like shell grottos, seaweed, cyanotypes, blue. The terminology that I like to use is ‘self-contained worlds’. For example, I’m currently here in Armenia, and I went to this place where a man dug a 21-metre labyrinth under his house. Just because his wife asked him to make a little basement for string potatoes, and he went crazy with that.

Have you always been creatively inclined?

My parents would say that they are not creative. My Mum is a doctor – she delivered babies – and my Dad is a geologist and an accountant. But the way that they see the world and live their lives is very focused on their interests. My Dad would always take us on road trips around New Zealand to go and see different rocks. That’s where I got my love of shells and research and taking the long way around everywhere.

Did growing up in New Zealand have any effect on your work?

Absolutely. Obviously, the nature there is incredible. I spent a lot of time at lakes and on road trips growing up, so it doesn’t worry me now when it’s going to take me hours and hours to get to a certain place. I’ll do anything to get to it.

“I’m always trying to write a master list of everything that I’m really interested in – like shell grottos, seaweed, cyanotypes, blue.” 

What were some of the earliest things that you were drawn to photographing?

My first paid gig was when I was babysitting, and the mother of the children asked me to take photographs of her two girls. I got to pick out the dresses and the location. I loved that.

Were there any books or artists or films that sort of helped to form your creative tastes?

Heavenly Creatures, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Julia Margaret Cameron, the Victorian-era photographer. She would always photograph these women in different mythological settings. And she was really messy about the way that she took photographs – she would get her hair and her fingerprints on the glass plates.

You sought out a long hair competition in Lithuania to photograph a few years back. How did you end up there?

I’ve had long hair for maybe 10 years now, and I wanted to seek out a community. I searched online and found all of these people in their little threaded forum posts, but I really wanted to see something that was in real life. I would do all this research on events. I wanted to go to something, but it would always be a dead end – the event would always have stopped in 2001 or 2003. I was so close. I would email old contestants asking “Is it still running? Do you still compete?” And they’d email back like, “Oh, no girl! That competition hasn’t run for 20 years!” And so, I just kept on.

Eventually I found this hair care convention – like an expo – in Lithuania. One of the little events listed there was a long hair contest. I didn’t really understand what it was, so I emailed the expo they were like, “Yep, cool. See you there if you want to come!”. So, I booked my tickets with a friend. We were on the plane together, and I was just like, “I don’t know if this long hair competition is real!”

I arrived in Lithuania and the next day was the competition. I just followed along on Google maps to this convention hall and, arriving at the door, we walked through all of these stalls of shampoo advertisements. I just kept thinking “Seriously, is it here? Is it real?” Finally, we came into this room and there were all these long-haired women. I was like, “Oh, it’s true! It’s actually true. I can’t believe it!”

What was that like, finding that sort of connection and community with people so far from home?

It was so funny, because the first thing I noticed was that everyone was in denim, and I was wearing a pink princess dress. It turns out that there was a theme and it was ‘denim’.

Were you able to communicate much with everyone given the language barrier?

With some people, yes. The Father of some twins was really good at speaking English, and he was like, “What are you doing here? What’s going on?” Mostly it was just gestural and using keywords to communicate.

“I guess, having my hair long like this, it kind of feels like I’m wearing a fur coat all the time.” 

What surprised you most when documenting that experience?

I didn’t expect it to be like a pageant. I think I expected it to be a bit more sterile – like a vegetable competition. They introduced you and where you were from, and then you go out and do a spin, then two people come and measure.

I noticed that they were so much more disciplined about their hair – they never have it out. It’s always up to protect it, so that it grows longer. My hair is down to my bum, and it probably won’t grow any longer, because I have it all out and I’ll be sitting on it and stuff like that, so it just naturally breaks. It was really interesting to see people being really, amazingly careful with their hair.

In the long hair community, there’s a fight about whether you have straight, blunt ends, or whether you let it naturally taper off. I’m a natural taper off-er. But some people really don’t like that, and some people really don’t like the straight cut. But, the taper off is called ‘fairy tale ends’.

Were there any challenges that you had in trying to photograph that while you were also competing?

The first time I went, my friend was in the audience, and she would video me on the handi-cam. I would pop to her and get my camera and photograph when I could. But I was much more motivated to be part of the community than to document it that time. Which is why, the second time, I still competed, but I was able to capture more because I knew what was going on.

I was able to talk to this guy again for the second time – the Dad of the twins – and asked if we could put his girls into these Lithuanian and New Zealand designers’. We had about 10 minutes to shoot it and that was such a highlight for me. I had met them four years before, when they were really little, and now they were teenagers. Now they have short hair.

You get a real sense of that intimacy in your work. How important is it for you to get to know your subjects’ stories close-up?

It’s so important to me and that’s the reason that I was there. Being in amongst this community, physically, was such an honour. I was completely blown away by it. I care about this competition so much, and I care about this community so much. I had a really amazing call with this guy, Anthony Thompson, the other day, who’s a veteran in the long hair community. He was telling me about when, in the 90s, these communities first went online. And about how he collects all these long hair images – like Victorian images from eBay. I think hair is so symbolic, in a way.

I know people say that it holds memory – or that it’s connected to our spirituality. Do you think there’s any truth to that?

Yeah, I definitely get that people feel that. I think, for me, it feels like another limb. It’s also a massive part of my visual identity, and way of seeing myself. I think that while my sister, who’s also a redhead, would always dye her hair all the time, I wanted to lean into it and have it long. It was a way to be undeniably a redhead which, during my time of growing up, wasn’t an overly positive thing to be.

I was reading a bit of your Substack, and one of your posts is enticingly called “I made $300 brushing my hair on Skype for 30 minutes”. What’s the story behind that?

In the undercurrent of the long hair community there are the Fetish lurkers. And I guess I just wanted to lean into it one day. So, I just went to, like, ‘longhairfetish.com’ and I made an anonymous profile. A guy was requesting someone to brush their hair, so I created a lot of parameters around when I was messaging him – like I was not going to have my face in it, and no audio, and he had to transfer me half at the beginning and half at the end. I thought that I could do it multiple times, but I think he would probably go bankrupt.

You also talk about your affinity for animalistic footwear. Are there any dream pairs that you’re still dying to get your hands on?

Oh my gosh. Okay, so I would just love another pair of these [she shows me her shoes – white, furry yeti-style boots]. What would be awesome is if they were my hair colour.

You mentioned some Alexander McQueen 2024 hoof shoes as well, which were great.

Yes, yes. And there were these ‘Big Foot’ boots from the 1970s. I guess having my hair long like this, it kind of feels like I’m wearing a fur coat all the time.

Do you think that there’s like a connecting thread between all of your different creative endeavours?

Well, I think something that’s always really interested me are people who are eccentric. I just love eccentricity. I love people living their life in a way that feels like they march to the beat of their own drum. It’s the most attractive thing that will just make me travel for miles. It feeds my soul.

Who is your North Star of eccentricity?

Leonard Cohen is my absolute favourite person in the world, and he’s definitely an eccentric. I have discovered different things about him that inspire me a lot. Like, for example, he would always include photographs of himself inside of his letters, and then write notes on the back. And I love letter writing. I guess I just love it when people take a lot of time doing something that other people might rush. There are no shortcuts – like making a 21-metre tunnel under a house. I am inspired by the dedication and time spent doing things.

My long hair queen is Empress Sissi – she had super-duper long hair and was from Austria. She would have these little stars that were made of diamonds and pearls and wear them in her hair as hair clips. When she was talking to someone at a party, and she was getting along with them, she would take a hair clip out and give it to them as a token of her friendship. I got to go to Austria and do a little bit of a pilgrimage around where she lived and see her hairbrush.

“I just love eccentricity. I love people living their life in a way that feels like they march to the beat of their own drum. It’s the most attractive thing that will just make me travel for miles. It feeds my soul.” 

Is there anything that you’re still reaching toward with your work?

Well, I’m going back to the long hair competition in November, and I will compete again. I’m just really excited to go there for a third time. I want to create something from the three times and put it together, but also to bring in other people, because I love collaborating, and I love other peoples’ unique skills and way that they see the world. I’m very nomadic. I spend maybe six or seven or eight months abroad, and then I come back home to New Zealand for like, two months before I go out again.

What are some of the most special places that you’ve been to in all those travels?

One of my favourite places that just changed my life was in England. There’s this house in Margate called the Shell Grotto. I’m really into shell mosaics – not making them myself, just admiring other peoples’, because I move around too much. When I was in Melbourne, I went to Ballarat, and there’s this woman called Brigitte and she’s the caretaker of this old shell mosaic house there. I sent her a letter, and you know, she didn’t reply to me, but I just went there anyway, and then she welcomed me in. It was really amazing. She was telling me about the shell grottoes of the world and how Margate was the tip top, of course. They don’t know who made the shell grotto or when and why. There are all these kinds of lovely little mysteries around it.

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