Sky Kirkham
@skykirkham.bsky.social
The Music Show & Radio National's Arts Hour at Radio National. Photos by me. All opinions my own.
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Pulp have shared a statement on Adelaide Festival. They told organisers they would be withdrawing, were asked to delay their announcement, and are now satisfied that they will participate in this year's Festival.
January 15, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Pulp have shared a statement on Adelaide Festival. They told organisers they would be withdrawing, were asked to delay their announcement, and are now satisfied that they will participate in this year's Festival.
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
British indie band Pulp agree to play Adelaide festival after boycott u-turn
British indie band Pulp agree to play Adelaide festival after boycott u-turn
The band pulled out over treatment of Randa Abdel-Fattah but delayed revealing their decision before confirming 27 February gig
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The British indie band Pulp will play at the Adelaide festival in February after initially pulling out of the event in protest at the cancellation of Palestinian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah.
The band issued a statement on social media on Thursday night announcing that they would “honour our invitation to perform in Adelaide on 27 February” after the festival organisers performed a u-turn, apologised to Abdel-Fattah for her treatment, and invited her to speak at next year’s event. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:41 PM
British indie band Pulp agree to play Adelaide festival after boycott u-turn
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The new board has also apologised to Louise Adler & pointedly ended their statement "We also appreciate the Premier’s consistent position that the curatorial choices of Adelaide Festival, including Adelaide Writers’ Week, are at the discretion of the organisation"
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
January 15, 2026 at 1:01 AM
The new board has also apologised to Louise Adler & pointedly ended their statement "We also appreciate the Premier’s consistent position that the curatorial choices of Adelaide Festival, including Adelaide Writers’ Week, are at the discretion of the organisation"
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Bandcamp bans AI music
Bandcamp Bans AI Music
AI music has become a big problem on streaming services. Remember the Velvet Sundown, the AI-generated psych-rock band from last year with hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams? Remember bands gett...
stereogum.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Bandcamp bans AI music
The Venice Biennale back in the headlines again, unfortunately
Venice Biennale Uproar as South Africa Cancels Artist Over Artwork Referencing Gaza
South Africa has cancelled its "highly divisive" submission for this year's Venice Biennale by artist Gabrielle Goliath.
news.artnet.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:32 AM
The Venice Biennale back in the headlines again, unfortunately
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A whole bunch of artists and cultural workers have lost work because of the implosion of Adelaide Writers week — writers, producers, stage crew, front of house. None of this was their fault. Something for the Labor premier to think about
January 13, 2026 at 5:48 AM
A whole bunch of artists and cultural workers have lost work because of the implosion of Adelaide Writers week — writers, producers, stage crew, front of house. None of this was their fault. Something for the Labor premier to think about
AWW looks like its cancelled and the whole AF board has now stepped down. Unprecendented. Will be interesting to see the composition of the new board - given the main festival is still happening and is coming up soon, you'd think they'd need to sort this out asap.
Adelaide Festival is done - and the rest of the board has stepped down
January 13, 2026 at 4:02 AM
AWW looks like its cancelled and the whole AF board has now stepped down. Unprecendented. Will be interesting to see the composition of the new board - given the main festival is still happening and is coming up soon, you'd think they'd need to sort this out asap.
More daily birds (give or take) that I've enjoyed seeing. Starting with a Saffron Finch
January 13, 2026 at 1:17 AM
More daily birds (give or take) that I've enjoyed seeing. Starting with a Saffron Finch
Powerful statement from Louise Adler and a huge loss to see her go from AWW.
I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week | Louise Adler
Cancelling the Australian Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Powerful statement from Louise Adler and a huge loss to see her go from AWW.
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
They did, and they did it anyway
January 11, 2026 at 4:29 AM
They did, and they did it anyway
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
📢 SBS News can confirm three board members have now resigned from the Adelaide Festival, amid growing controversy over a decision to drop a Palestinian Australian author and academic.
Board members quit from Adelaide festival as fallout from dropped author grows
www.sbs.com.au
January 11, 2026 at 6:04 AM
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
I have been sent a copy of Adelaide Festival's response to the letter raising concerns about Thomas Friedman's participating in Adelaide Writers Week.
The response says that Friedman could not participate due to "last minute scheduling issues".
The response says that Friedman could not participate due to "last minute scheduling issues".
January 10, 2026 at 10:27 AM
I have been sent a copy of Adelaide Festival's response to the letter raising concerns about Thomas Friedman's participating in Adelaide Writers Week.
The response says that Friedman could not participate due to "last minute scheduling issues".
The response says that Friedman could not participate due to "last minute scheduling issues".
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
This wheel is to the boy squirrel the way that the football is to Charlie Brown and it still makes me laugh every time he tries to use it only to be immediately spun.
January 6, 2026 at 2:53 AM
This wheel is to the boy squirrel the way that the football is to Charlie Brown and it still makes me laugh every time he tries to use it only to be immediately spun.
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
Former leaders of the Adelaide Festival have written to the board. They call it a grave mistake which brings the Festival and Writers Week into disrepute and which may have far-reaching consequences for
both the Festival and Writers Week well into the future."
both the Festival and Writers Week well into the future."
January 10, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Former leaders of the Adelaide Festival have written to the board. They call it a grave mistake which brings the Festival and Writers Week into disrepute and which may have far-reaching consequences for
both the Festival and Writers Week well into the future."
both the Festival and Writers Week well into the future."
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
First withdrawal from the Adelaide Festival proper, DJ Haram www.indailysa.com.au/citymag/cult...
Writers’ Week controversy contagion spreads as music program headliner drops out - CityMag | InDaily, Inside South Australia
A major headliner of Adelaide Festival’s music program has withdrawn in the wake of the festival board’s decision to axe a Palestinian author from Writers’ Week.
www.indailysa.com.au
January 9, 2026 at 2:19 AM
First withdrawal from the Adelaide Festival proper, DJ Haram www.indailysa.com.au/citymag/cult...
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Hello Tim Cook I worked at Tumblr when you gave us 48 hours to get rid of all the consenting, adult boobs. Up all night at your whim, out of the blue. But you're still cool with Twitter and its CSAM and revenge porn and whatever the fuck this is? Why do you even HAVE guidelines?
Previously, several of these companies, like Apple, IBM, and Disney, have paused advertising on X in response to antisemitic content. But antisemitism on X never slowed, sexual abuse imagery increased, and all of these companies quietly resumed advertising anyways.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
Why isn't there a bigger Grok boycott?
Advertisers, politicians, and investors are still all-in on X, despite a sexual abuse crisis.
spitfirenews.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Hello Tim Cook I worked at Tumblr when you gave us 48 hours to get rid of all the consenting, adult boobs. Up all night at your whim, out of the blue. But you're still cool with Twitter and its CSAM and revenge porn and whatever the fuck this is? Why do you even HAVE guidelines?
Reposted by Sky Kirkham
InDaily reports Zadie Smith, M. Gessen, Peter Greste and Yanis Varoufakis have all pulled out of Adelaide Writers Week www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...
'Dark days': Writers' Week staff reject axing as authors leave in droves - News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
Writers' Week staff reject the board's decision to axe a prominent Palestinian author, in an email to authors seen exclusively by InDaily.
www.indailysa.com.au
January 9, 2026 at 12:03 AM
InDaily reports Zadie Smith, M. Gessen, Peter Greste and Yanis Varoufakis have all pulled out of Adelaide Writers Week www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...
Good summary on the current state of play from Hannah Story. Looks like Adelaide is set to be a repeat of Bendigo at this rate.
Authors withdraw from festival after Palestinian Australian author dropped
After Randa Abdel-Fattah was dropped from Adelaide Writers' Week by the Adelaide Festival Board, a slew of authors, including Michelle de Kretser, have withdrawn from the event.
www.abc.net.au
January 8, 2026 at 6:21 AM
Good summary on the current state of play from Hannah Story. Looks like Adelaide is set to be a repeat of Bendigo at this rate.
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Statement from @australiainstitute.org.au on Adelaide Festival.
January 8, 2026 at 5:07 AM
Statement from @australiainstitute.org.au on Adelaide Festival.
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I am stunned and saddened by this announcement. Adelaide Writers Week has been an important platform for Arab and Palestinian voices these past few years. I greatly admire director Louise Adler and her fearless advocacy for freedom of speech. There will be more to come on this story, I’m sure.
Announcement by Adelaide Writers Festival cancelling invitation to Randa Abdel-
Fattah
Fattah
Adelaide Festival Board Statement
www.adelaidefestival.com.au
January 8, 2026 at 1:55 AM
I am stunned and saddened by this announcement. Adelaide Writers Week has been an important platform for Arab and Palestinian voices these past few years. I greatly admire director Louise Adler and her fearless advocacy for freedom of speech. There will be more to come on this story, I’m sure.