FODI Digital

Overview

Established in 2009 to discuss difficult issues, push boundaries and inspire debate, Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas has spent a decade exploring provocative topics — and it's celebrating its tenth anniversary in the same fashion. This year's event will tackle the theme 'dangerous realities', focusing specifically on racism, surveillance and climate change.

After postponing its weekend-long Town Hall event in April due to the government's ban on non-essential gatherings over 500 people, FODI has decided to return next month with a succinct digital program for 2020. It's called FODI Digital, aptly — and fans will be happy to hear that headliner Edward Snowden is still on the docket.

The whistleblower will — of course — examine the reality of mass governmental surveillance system. As expected, he was always planned to appear via livestream rather than in person, so not much has changed. The one-hour conversation will take place on Thursday, September 24 from 7pm.

Alongside Snowden, the program features Professor Marcia Langton AM on Thursday, September 10 and Journalist David Wallace-Wells on Saturday, October 11. Langton will discuss the truth about racism in relation to Australia's Indigenous people, as well as our society's resistance to accepting our racist past. Meanwhile, Wallace-Wells will dissect the climate crisis in a conversation titled The Uninhabitable Earth.

As all events will be live-streamed, tickets will cost just $10 for Langton and Wallace-Wells and just $15 for Snowden — or nab tickets to all three for $30.

FODI is presented by The Ethics Centre, who co-founded the fest with the Sydney Opera House, then partnered with UNSW for the 2018 version of the event on Cockatoo Island. While this year's digital season is decidedly different from past iterations, it still boasts the fest's usual high-calibre range of speakers — so another eyeopening FODI season awaits.

FODI Digital will take place across three separate online conversations on Thursday, September 10; Thursday, September, 24; and Saturday, October 11. For tickets, visit the festival's website.

Top image: Jodie Barker