Big Ideas

Big Ideas

ABC Australia 2825 - John Brack once painted his children. Now his adult daughter tells her story of life with the famous artist

Big Ideas is a long-running public affairs and intellectual program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Broadcast primarily on Radio National, the show serves as a curated platform for significant lectures, panel discussions, and forums held at festivals and academic institutions across Australia and the world. Unlike standard studio-based talk shows, this program focuses on capturing live recordings of public discourse, bringing high-level debates and specialist knowledge to a broad radio and podcast audience.

The content of the program is interdisciplinary, spanning a wide array of topics including history, philosophy, science, technology, economics, and the arts. By recording events at venues such as the Sydney Writers' Festival, the Lowy Institute, and various national universities, Big Ideas provides access to keynote speeches and expert panels that would otherwise be restricted to live attendees. The program often features a mix of prominent international speakers and leading Australian thinkers, offering deep-seated analysis of contemporary social and political challenges.

Currently hosted by journalist Melissa Fyfe, the show maintains a rigorous editorial standard, selecting recordings that offer substantial intellectual depth. The episodes are structured to provide listeners with a comprehensive look at a specific subject, often presenting full-length lectures or edited highlights from multi-person debates. This format allows for a more nuanced exploration of complex ideas than is typically available in shorter news segments or soundbite-driven media.

As a staple of the ABC Radio National schedule, Big Ideas airs four nights a week from Monday to Thursday, with repeat broadcasts during the day. It functions as an essential audio archive of the intellectual life of the country, ensuring that the ideas presented at public forums remain accessible for long-term study and reflection. The program remains a key resource for listeners seeking educational content that prioritizes expertise and evidence-based discussion.

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Episodes

2825-

John Brack once painted his children. Now his adult daughter tells her story of life with the famous artist

03 Sep 2026
2824-

Bob Spitz on the Rolling Stones and why all great music is a threat

01 Sep 2026
2823-

Roman Krznaric on why the history of human solidarity offers us radical hope, even now

02 Sep 2026
2822-

Stephanie Alexander with Adam Liaw on 30 years of The Cook's Companion

31 Aug 2026
2821-

Mick Herron, Suzie Miller and Benjamin Law on great adaptations — from the page to the stage to the screen, and back again

27 Aug 2026