Marg Horwell is one of Australia’s most acclaimed costume designers, whose work spans opera, theatre and large-scale international productions.

Her work on The Picture of Dorian Gray – which toured the West End and Broadway – earned both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award, marking a rare double recognition across the UK and US stages. Marg’s designs currently feature across two Academy Travel programs: New York Theatre April 2026 with Giant starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, and Sydney Theatre April 2026 with My Brilliant Career, where costume plays a defining role in shaping this new stage adaptation.

In this special conversation, brought to us by STAGES – the podcast of our Tour Leader Peter Eyers – Marg reflects on designing for actors, narrative and historical context, the transition of productions between continents, and the craft of costume as a vital storytelling language.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Patagonia is one of the world’s great frontier landscapes – a region shaped by ice, wind and the long histories of those who have lived and travelled there.

In this episode of The Thinking Traveller, we are joined by Dr Chris Carter who traces how Patagonia’s dramatic environment has shaped its people, cultures and national parks.

Chris is an archaeologist with over 25 years’ experience leading tours, including over 30 tours to South American countries. His PhD research was based on excavations he carried out at coastal sites in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Linking the Far East with the Mediterranean world, the Silk Road became history’s most influential crossroads, shaping civilisations through trade, diplomacy and cultural encounter.

From the imperial courts of China to the bustling markets of Rome, artistic, religious and cultural currents travelled these pathways – silk and spices, of course, but also ideas, technologies and beliefs.

In this episode, we are joined by accomplished author, lecturer and cultural specialist Chris Aslan. Drawing on his decades of lived experience and research in Central Asia, he offers vivid on-the-ground insight into the peoples who inhabited this crossroads of empires, revealing how the Silk Road was never a single road at all, but a vast network of vibrant and interconnected routes.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/