Behind the Lines 2025

Behind the Lines 2025: 'Are We Rolling?' celebrates the year's best political cartoons.

Featuring established and emerging cartoonists from across Australia, this exhibition highlights the significant contribution they make to cultural and political debates through witty, insightful and often poignant satirical drawings.

This year our Behind the Lines theme is the cinema, acknowledging that, like some of our favourite movies, 2025 has been full of thrills and spills, romance and heartbreak, with plenty of unexpected plot twists. Australia's cartoonists and illustrators have tackled many of the issues that made news, including the federal election, the cost of living, energy policy, interest rates, housing security, the economy, climate change and stories from overseas.

Visit the exhibition online.

Audio description

Black and white audio description symbol

A selection of cartoons are audio described for visitors who are blind or have low vision. Listen online.

Two kids stand in front of a graphic cartoon backdrop, one holds a movie clapperboard to call 'action'.

Two kids interact with a movie sound board which features shoes on different surfaces and bells.

Travelling exhibition

In 2026, Behind the Lines will travel to venues around Australia, proudly supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.

Dates and venues

Old Treasury Building, VIC: 2 March to 3 May 2026
Burnie Regional Art Gallery, TAS: 15 May to 19 July 2026
The Hawke Centre, SA: 17 September to 13 November 2026

If you're interested in hosting Behind the Lines at your venue, visit: Become a tour venue

Logo featuring the coat of arms of Australia and text reading: 'Australian Government National Collecting Institutions Touring & Outreach Program'

Plan your visit

All areas of the exhibition are accessible by wheelchair.

When the exhibition is busy, there may be a lot of people in the hallways where the cartoons are hung.

The exhibition is located next to the Museum's accessible entry and can be a busy thoroughfare for visitors and staff.

There is a table to explore movie sound effects labelled 'Foley Studio'.

The Foley Studio can be loud when in use.

There are soft cushions on the couch.

Some cartoons in the exhibition are moving GIFs.

Make your own movie complete with props, costumes, and a place to make sound effects.

Large text guides are available.

This exhibition features cartoons that discuss war, racism and death.

Behind the Lines 2025

Our annual exhibition of political cartooning.

Location

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