In between the fair dinkums and the moving forwards neither leader strayed too far from their talking points in the first leaders’ debate of the election.  Gillard and Abbott weren’t allowed to interrupt each other and everybody played very nice. In fact, only the very polite MC David Speers got to interject and he was at pains not to abuse the privilege.

Even the various worms looked a bit bored – but at least those lucky 150 undecided voters in the studio audiences got to interact with the debate. Otherwise, a few lucky tweeters saw their posts flicker across the tickertape on Channel 9 – and everybody else got stuck talking to the television.

Fear not! At #electionWIRE, we’re planning on doing things a little differently. Our reporters have started posting videos on the site and you’re welcome to start debating the issues in the comments.

YouTubers and members of the #electionWIRE community are also getting in on the action. They’re submitting videos already – and you should too.

And the forum for submitting story ideas has exploded with suggestions. Log in to the #electionWIRE YouTube channel and click on Submit A Story to have your say. Not only can you tell the #electionWIRE reporters what sort of stories you want to see, you can comment on other people’s ideas and bump the best ones up the queue.

Here’s a sample of the ideas that our reporters are currently sorting through. Get yourself to the site and tell us what issues matter to you in this election – and we promise not to send you to sleep!

• The Net Filter: What happens if Labor is re-elected, will Stephen Conroy be resurrecting the idea?
• Do young people care about Australia’s involvement in the Iraq War? Or any war for that matter? Do they care enough to remove a government from power?
• Is government funding a benefit or a hindrance for culture and the arts?
• Asylum Seekers: Stories which cut through the spin to show where the parties stand, what their policies are based on — and maybe a history of Refugee policies over the past 15 years.
• How does the election work and how do the houses of parliament operate? It amazes me how little people know about elections, preferences, seats, houses, constitution people know. How can someone vote when they don’t know the system?
• A question about the ALP: Is the NBN really going to cost us about fifty billion dollars.please give a detailed breakdown of how you got to this figure. who are the shareholders in the company and the tax implications for working families. are there any other options?
• I would like to talk about the new driving laws and restrictions for L plate and P plate drivers. I have a personal view and opinion about it that i would like to get out there!!
• Hi electionWIRE – can you find out from politicians what they want Australia to be known for in 10 years time?
• I hear “Big Australia” is off the agenda. Shouldn’t we discuss this a bit further? Australia has a population (22m) just a touch more than the metro New York City area (19m). That’s just one city. How do we support our glorious country in the future?

Tell us what’s important to you this election campaign — and let’s have a good rowdy debate of our own!

For full election coverage head to the electionWIRE YouTube Channel.

“Increases in cultural work signal a rise in cultural production – in economic terms, an increase in the supply of culture. With increasing participation rates, especially in unpaid work, the data also point to a ‘democratisation’ of culture: an expansion in the range of people creating culture, making art and contributing to the cultural landscape. As participation grows, Australian culture is, it seems, becoming less about a view from circles seats and more about a dive into the mosh pit.”

It wouldn’t surprise most Australians to know that young people are more highly engaged with this cultural mosh pit than the rest of the population, as The Australia Council for the Arts research project More than bums on seats: Australian participation in the arts found. What’s interesting (and yet equally unsurprising for some) is that the project also reported that “With a higher concentration of internet users, young people [are] engaging with the arts in new and evolving ways.”

Can I get a “duh” anyone?

At Vibewire we want to capture, celebrate and promote diversity, imagination and innovation of Australia’s youth culture. That’s why each month the Portal team looks for submissions that are engaging, innovative, different, and approach the theme from a fresh perspective. In short — we want you to surprise us!

Yet we know as well as anyone that it’s not always easy stepping outside the box; flashes of innovative brilliance don’t just fall from the sky. Hopefully, our monthly themes are helping in this department, acting as not only a point of reference but a source of inspiration. If not, why not send us your suggestion for a theme that will relay some creative vibes in your direction.

If this doesn’t help, and you find yourself in a dry spell that’s lasting a little longer than a customary bout of writer’s block, there are plenty of fun and productive ways to stimulate your imagination and open your mind to what is possible.

Right this very minute, Token Imagination is hosting a Guerrilla Poetry Competition, inviting poets to be part of a temporary interactive graffiti installation that will occur over two weeks in the lead up to the Australian Poetry Festival. What exactly will this guerrilla/gorilla poetry parade look like? I’m still not quite sure myself. But poet or not, this is one competition that sounds like too much fun too pass up!

In what reads less like an instillation and more like a poetry flash mob, 10 word artists will have 100 speech bubbles featuring their poetry produced and distributed by the guerrilla team in a poetry parade of brightly coloured gorillas. “Both the gorillas and the speech bubbles will be magnetized and placed around Town Hall, Circular Quay and Martin Place. The total of 1000 speech bubbles and 400 gorillas will then become public property and will migrate throughout the city.”

Entries close on August 1 and winners will be announced on August 3. There are no hard and fast rules or limitations, but you should definitely check out the Facebook event page for the finer competition details and guidelines.

Along with the Australian Poetry Festival there are a bunch of other writer’s festivals scheduled to run in the next few months. Hubs for innovation, festivals are breeding grounds for new ideas, places where people are encouraged to explore new techniques, learn, and build on their skills. Byron Bay Writer’s Festival will run from August 6 – 8 with workshops beginning on the 2^nd. Melbourne Writer’s Festival will run from August 27 to September 5, Brisbane Writer’s Festival will run from September 1 – 5 and the National Young Writers Festival will begin on September 30 in Newcastle, all three of which are also currently calling for volunteers.

The bonus when volunteering at writer’s festivals is that you not only get to engage with the festival’s culture and atmosphere, but you also gain professional experience in an exciting and eclectic positions — “available to suit all areas of interest”.

Professional experience can not be overrated, as the increase that Madden speaks of is not all good news for Australian creatives. Madden notes that an increase in cultural production has created an ‘oversupply’ in the Australian arts sector, meaning that the “expansion of creative work has made it harder for professional artists to earn a living.”

Again, this is unsurprising. With many creatives working irregularly or engaging in ‘supplementary careers’ outside the arts, Madden’s message for aspiring creatives is clear: “don’t give up your day job just yet.”

In a perfect world, it would be great if we could all get paid for our creative ventures. So I completely agree with Madden that “the new cultural landscape demands a reinterpretation of Australians’ creativity and a new vision for cultural policies.” That said, I honestly believe that the greater imperative is that this expansion and democratisation of culture continues. I may be young and idealistic, but I like the image of a cultural mosh pit, because in reality most of the people I know don’t give a damn about the circle seats, or how much money their position in the mosh pit is worth. It’s about participation, creation and community.

Speaking of tweets or twits, or whatever they are called – the internet and social media are going to play an increasing role in the Australian Federal Election.

In 2010, Vibewire is covering the election race by getting young people to tell it how they see it. Teams of talented young video reporters have been assembled from all across Australia to tell the political story their way. ElectionWIRE, will be a space where you can watch their reports unfold.

See what our team make of the new contenders and their attitudes to the environment, global affairs, education and the future.

Kevin Rudd captured the imagination of young Australians, booting Howard out of Bennelong and achieving victory in 2007. Is this election going to have the same buzz for young Australians?

Right now I’m heading up to Brisbane to train four third-year journalism students about how to shoot videos for the project. See these bright minds on electionWIRE before they make it big as news presenters, which I’m sure they will some day. Then I’m back to my hometown in Melbourne to see our team there who have been busy bees making a video with a very local flavour. I can’t say any more . . . but I hope you’ll log in and see this innovative project unfold. I know as one of the managing editors, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

Main page image “grandmaster FLAX ~ II” courtesy striatic @ Flickr.com

The electoral roll closes shortly after an election has been called, but did you know that it can close as early as 8pm the same day?

The Australian National Audit Office claims that around 1.1 million eligible voters were missing from the roll at the 2007 federal election. The AEC also reports that 70 per cent of voters currently missing from the roll are aged 18-39.

For a democracy to operate effectively, people must have the power and opportunity to elect their representatives. In a country as diverse and multicultural as Australia, it is essential that those in power are aware of the population’s vision for the future – that every voice is heard. Democracy gives you a voice, but if you’re not on the roll, you won’t get the chance to use it!

Australia’s current political climate is chaotic. We recently watched as a new Prime Minister came into power overnight, and have been faced with the roll out of mass sledging campaigns, obscuring the debate around issues like immigration, health, and tax. With all this, it’s little wonder the media are predicting the election will be called sooner rather than later.

A federal election will give us the opportunity to have our voices heard, to vote for policies addressing issues that matter, to participate in the operation of democracy, and to incite positive change. If you’re not enrolled to vote when the election is called, you may miss your chance.

Head to the AEC website now to check your enrolment status and listed address. If you’re not signed up, GetUp! are making it easy by giving you the chance to enrol online, head to www.ozenrol.com from July 16. It only takes three minutes and all you need is your driver’s license.

Once you’re enrolled, stay informed. The more you know about local issues, the greater your ability to incite positive change will be. Follow ElectionWIRE, or the Express Media Electioneering blogs, and stay up to date on issues that matter to the youth of Australia.

It’s compulsory by law, but enrolling to vote will also give you the chance to let politicians know what your priorities are and what theirs should be. Don’t miss your chance — enrol now!

Set in a lower-class housing estate, Dirty Butterfly documents the interactions of three downtrodden inhabitants. Hard-bitten Jo is subjected to daily bouts of violence at the hands of her husband. Her neighbour Amelia (Sara Zwangobani) bitterly resents that she is forced to witness second-hand the noise, the music and brutality of others’ lives. She wishes Jo, with her problems and her taunts, would be as far away as possible. On the other side, strung somewhere between sympathy and perversity, quasi-innocent Jason (Dorian Nkono) can’t tear himself away as he obsessively eavesdrops on the violence unfolding next door. The routine and regularity of Jo’s mistreatment has bled beyond the thin walls of her flat and has made victims of her neighbours as well.

First performed in 2003, London-based Debbie Tucker Green’s debut play Dirty Butterfly is a no-holds-barred snapshot of bloodshed and futility. The dialogue is cutting, disjointed and often repetitious. Like Shakespeare’s language, it takes a few minutes for your ears to adjust to the rhythms of Tucker Green’s slang-like patter. Once it does, the words flow like poetry and meaning is revealed in unexpected ways. On the whole, it manifests more like a new language, a rough and repetitive short-hand from thirty years in the future.

Wayne Blair’s direction of this challenging text is controlled and understated and the cast of Zoe Houghton, Sara Zwangobani and Dorian Nkono all deliver commanding performances. The simplicity of Teresa Negroponte’s set provides a suitably sparse frame for the anger and despair showcased on stage.

This is a story that deserves to be told and Tucker Green’s treatment spares the audience both the sentimentality and over-statement often attributed to dramatisations of domestic violence. The violence, implied rather than witnessed, is all the more powerful as a result.

Brace yourself for the onslaught of Dirty Butterfly.

Dirty Butterfly plays until 1 August 2010 at Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre.

This kid on the train is bobbing to music blasting from his earphones. The music has a rhythm, a beat and a story. I recognize it as the Thundamentals. He is flicking through mX in a bored manner, turning up his music so that I can almost distinguish the rapped words. Eventually his train stop arrives, tossing mX on the seat and shoving his iPod in his pockets. In a 10 minute interval, this kid was exposed to a written relay of world news and a hip hop social commentary. Did he even notice?

3things is an initiative of Oxfam Australia. It aims to reach out to the young Australian population and get them interested in social justice. 3things is hosting an event called The Hip Hop Approach which will invite some of the best Australian hip hop musicians, DJs and visual artists to talk about the issues that concern them. 3things and hip hop have united to create a fresh way of talking about the same stuff. Get past the gruff voices and the jerky hand movements, hip hop has the power to convey important themes. The artists are aware of the problems in contemporary society and rapping is just their way of voicing their opinion.

The Hip Hop Approach is intended to appeal to the younger generation; people that can attend a hip hop gig and not walk out complaining about the volume. 3things isn’t trying to force an opinion or complete-lack-of-community-involvement guilt on people, merely get them interested and aware while simultaneously break dancing. On Wednesday night at the Oxford Art Factory, over 18 year olds will be able to enjoy a fun hip hop experience and tick off ‘Do something for humankind’ on that tiresome checklist. The Hip Hop Approach is about the issues that matter, sharing perspectives and becoming a part of social justice. The hip hop message that begins at the Oxford Art Factory may help mend the world someday. One step at a time.

The Hip Hop Approach will take place on Wednesday, 14 July at the Oxford Art Factory. Doors open at 7:15pm and it’s free! Presenting (drum-roll please) The Tongue, Thundamentals, True Vibenation, Sketch the Rhyme, DJ Triptrix (West Labz) and a special set by DJ Mailer Daemon. Bonus feature; live painting by Oh Really Gallery artists Max Berry and Ears.

Don’t miss it.