Welcome to Behind the Lines 2025, the Museum of Australian Democracy’s annual exhibition of political cartoons.
This is the audio description program for this year’s exhibition. My name is Alana, and I work in the Engagement team here at MoAD. I’ll be reading a description and the label text for a selection of cartoons throughout the exhibition.
The introduction panel reads:
You’ve seen the trailers, the lights dim as you reach for a handful of popcorn, and the opening credits to Behind the Lines 2025: Are We Rolling? begin to appear. This year’s exhibition is a tragedy, a drama and a comedy all in one: a tragi-dramedy? The cinema, and Hollywood in particular, has often been called a ‘Dream Factory’, offering escapism from the humdrum of our daily lives, through aspirational or larger-than-life characters and fantastical plotlines. 2025 has flipped the script. A dream for some, and a nightmare for others – the year’s political events in Australia and abroad were chockfull of villains and heroes, disasters and soaring triumphs. Who needs Hollywood?
Spoiler alert! This year’s federal election saw the Labor government emphatically returned for another term. But we expect you knew that already, given it was one of the biggest stories of the year. Like a monster in a horror franchise that refuses to be defeated, some pressing issues continued to haunt us, such as the cost of living, energy policy, interest rates, housing security, the economy and climate change. It was also a big year for international news: Donald Trump began his second term as US president, there is still war in the Ukraine and Gaza, and our relationship with China continues to make headlines. Standing up to the villains, and giving us heroes and humour, are the political cartoonists. 2025’s Political Cartoonist of the Year is Matt Golding, who together with the rest of his talented colleagues has continued to deliver great work, some of the best of which appears here. Whatever your favourite genre, Australia’s cartoonists have got you covered. Now, switch your phones to silent, and enjoy the show.
