© ATOM 2012 A STUDY GUIDE BY MARGUERITE O’HARA http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN: 978-1-74295-187-4 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Program TheMakers John Clarke: Bruce Permezel: Andrea Denholm: Lavinia Riachi: Laura Waters: Writer1 and Director,2 camera Producer3 Producer4 Executive5 producer presenter and editor Andrea Denholm began Lavinia Riachi wasn’t very Laura Waters has been John Clarke has been Bruce Permezel played producing and writing for good at sport. She was producing television for working in television since croquet and was Victorian television thirteen years routinely the second-last the past twenty years, 1973. He has also been Champion – fourth division. ago. She was a producer person to be picked for creating a reputation involved in films, theatre, He decided to change of all three series of any sports team. So, in for producing innovative radio and print. He works careers and has worked SeaChange and co-writer her early twenties, Riachi projects with new talent regularly with Bryan in television for some of several episodes. turned her back on her and new ideas. Waters Dawe on ABC Television years. His output ranges She also produced and dream of becoming an has held senior production and his other projects from natural history co-wrote Tripping Over Olympian and joined the roles in the US, UK and have included The Games (Chris Humfrey’s Wild and was a producer of workforce of another Australia. In Australia she (a 1998 mockumentary Life), adventure travel CrashBurn, After the international mecca: the has worked as a senior series about the lead- (Peking to Paris, Pirate Deluge and Worst Best BBC. producer on many hours up preparations for the Patrol), lifestyle (Bill’s Friends. Since joining This was clearly a of documentary television, 2000 Sydney Olympics), Holiday), comedy (The Princess Pictures, she better calling and with ran the 7.30 Report’s Crackerjack, Death in Games, Hessie’s Shed), has produced the comedy over twenty-five years Melbourne bureau and Brunswick, the Murray current affairs (Attitude), series Outland and this experience in television worked with some of Whelan movies and documentary (The Problem documentary series, film production, Riachi Australia’s best loved everything with the name with Men) to observational Sporting Nation. She has worked with a variety comedians, including Gina Fred Dagg in it. series (Choir of Hard supports two AFL teams, of British, American, Riley and Jane Turner Knocks, Jail Birds). set the Under 12s fifty- Australian and European on series three and the metres breaststroke broadcasters and telemovie of Kath & Kim. record at her secondary production companies, In 2003, Waters founded school and spends a lot on a wide range of Princess Pictures, where of time watching her sons productions: from reality she has produced all three play sport. and observational to of Chris Lilley’s series – We docudramas and archive- Can Be Heroes, Summer based documentaries. Heights High and Angry In 2001, Riachi moved from Boys. Princess Pictures has London to Australia with also produced: The Sounds her family and has been of Aus, an entertaining working as a freelancer in documentary on the both Sydney and Melbourne Australian accent with John ever since on a variety of Clarke; Stuff, a subversive independent documentaries documentary series about for Screen Australia, the our belongings, authored ABC and SBS. In 2011, by Wendy Harmer; Peter Riachi received an AFI Helliar’s romantic comedy award nomination for the feature I Love You Too; documentary A Thousand John Safran’s comedy Encores: the Ballets Russes series about cross-cultural in Australia. love Race Relations; The Ball, a documentary KEY CREW profiling special-needs students preparing for Writer, presenter & co-producer: John Clarke their debutante ball; and Outland, a comedy series 2012 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION Director: Bruce Permezel about a group of gay science fiction fans. Producers: Andrea Denholm and Lavinia Riachi Laura won many awards as Executive producer: Laura Waters a hurdler in high school. Editor: Ian Carmichael Original music: Julian Langdon Sporting Nation is a Princess Pictures production in association with Screen Australia, developed and produced in association with ABC and Film Victoria. There are three one-hour episodes. 2 Episode One In Australia, in order to be a properly accredited member of society, with human rights and so on, you’ve got to either play sport or watch sport. John Clarke Australia is a sporting nation. Sport is officially everywhere. It even helps us describe matters other than sport. We speak of being on the home straight, dropping the baton, getting down the wicket to the bowling, raising the bar, CONTRIBUTORS TO EPISODE 1 having a game plan and taking it one week at a time. Athletes In this three-part series, John Clarke – arguably - DAWN FRASER, Olympic swimmer, AO MBE Australia’s greatest natural athlete – looks at how Australia came to take its sport so - HERB ELLIOTT, Olympic athlete, AC MBE seriously and what it means to be a sporting - MARGARET COURT, nation. The series celebrates our sporting Tennis champion, AO MBE achievements (and asks what the word ‘our’ - MARJORIE JACKSON, Olympic athlete, AC means, since most of us didn’t do it). It also CVO MBE examines the sporting passion of spectators - MURRAY ROSE, Olympic swimmer, AM and looks at how sport has shaped us as a - NICOLE LIVINGSTONE, Olympic swimmer, nation. OAM - RAELENE BOYLE, Olympic athlete, AM MBE John speaks to athletes, coaches, - RALPH DOUBELL, Olympic athlete commentators and Prime Ministers about sport - SHANE GOULD, Olympic swimmer, MBE and they confirm what we suspected: that if so many people are interested in sport, it’s Politicians, journalists and academics certainly not just about sport. He also meets 2012 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION legendary sporting heroes and he asks them how and why they achieved such prodigious - BOB HAWKE, Prime Minister 1983–1991 deeds. And listen carefully, for the answers are - MALCOLM FRASER, not what you’d think. Prime Minister 1975–1983 - GIDEON HAIGH, Journalist Whatever you think of sport, this series should - HUGH MACKAY, Social Researcher interest you. And if you love sport, you won’t - JOY DAMOUSI, Professor of History be able to wipe the smile off your face. 3 ‘2012 – a very good year for sport’ The ‘draft-shaping document’ on Health and Physical Education for the new National Curriculum was published in March, 2012.1 The introduction to this document states: Health & Physical Education addresses how fac- tors such as gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, socio-economic status, environments and geo- graphical locations influence the health, well-being and physical activity patterns of individuals, groups and communities. In turn, it provides opportunities for students to develop the skills, self-efficacy and dispositions to advocate for their own and others wellbeing, thereby making a positive contribution to the future for all. The proposed curriculum emphasises the need for intercultural understandings between the many di- verse groups and cultural backgrounds that make up the broad spectrum of Australian society. Curriculum Relevance This series raises many questions about how our The history of sport is a fascinating area to look at perceptions of being a ‘Sporting Nation’ have de- as an aspect of Australian history and identity. This veloped, and perhaps most importantly, explores three-part series would be enjoyed by second- that idea within an historical and cultural context, ary and tertiary students of History, SOSE/HSIE, demonstrating that sporting prowess is dependent Cultural Studies, Health and Physical Education, on numerous social and cultural factors, on chang- English and Media Studies. Written and presented ing times and attitudes, as well as on technology, by John Clarke – well-known for his somewhat economics and science. From the years following irreverent take on all things sporting and politi- the end of World War Two, Australians demon- cal – the programs take us on a tour through time, strated excellence in many sports at an interna- exploring the Who, When, Where, What and How tional level, especially in relation to our relatively of all things sporting in Australia. small population and geographic isolation. In the twenty-first century, pre-eminence in many sports The proposed National Curriculum offers this is no longer taken for granted or guaranteed. Many rationale for the study of History: nations see their identity and pride measured in their sporting success. The study of history is based on evidence derived from remains of the past. It is interpretative by This series will appeal to many students, both nature, promotes debate and encourages thinking those who play and those who watch sport. It’s about human values, including present and future not just a story of stars or of success in sports challenges. The process of historical inquiry de- as something to which many young Australians velops transferable skills, such as the ability to ask aspire, but rather a way of looking at ourselves, our relevant questions; critically analyse and interpret values and identity through the prism of sport. The 2012 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION sources; consider context; respect and explain interviews with past and present sporting figures different perspectives; develop and substantiate are especially revealing and their responses are interpretations, and communicate effectively. often quite surprising. 4 Our Ancient Greece This is the pure amateur talent episode, in which we run around in the backyard through the sprin- klers, hit a ball with our cousins and end up win- ning at Wimbledon and the Olympics. Post-war prosperity in Australia was accompanied 1500-metre race he ever competed in, finishing by a golden age of international sporting achieve- with a world-record victory in the 1500 metres at ment. Journalist Gideon Haigh and former Prime the 1960 Rome Olympics.