This year the theme for International Women's Day is "Embrace Equity." In conjunction, we will be presenting a free online In Conversation event, Army of One, which focuses on the importance of developing and maintaining your support networks

The theme ''Embrace Equity" aims to get the world talking about why equal opportunities are no longer enough. No man is an island, and yet time and time again the goal for women seems to be to strive for independent success. This unsustainable expectation that successful women have to be an 'Army of One' is not the reality, and in fact often the most successful thing you can have is a valuable support network. 

Join us at this insightful online event to hear from three professional women working in the arts: Gaelle Mellis, Natalia Stawyskyj and Judith Bowtell. 

Where & When

Thursday 9 March 2023
2pm – 3pm (AEDT)
45 minute ‘In Conversation’ panel followed by 15 minute Q&A

FREE event - registrations essential.

This workshop will be facilitated via Zoom. Upon registration, you will be emailed a link to access this workshop online.

Access

This event will be Auslan interpreted and captioned.

If you have access requirements, please advise us when registering. We may need 72 hours notice to accommodate your requirements. Please take this into account when registering.

For more information or to discuss any access requirements, please email info@aarts.net.au or call (02) 9251 6499.

About the speakers

Natalia Stawyskyj
Natalia is an awarded Writer, Director and Producer and founder of Two Shoes Films. She is best known for the Screen NSW funded film ‘All Silent Dogs’. Previous credits include ‘The Inaccurate Perception of Lara Grace’, and ‘For Better, for Worse’. Her filmmaking work centres on exploring her experience as a woman with disability through the lens of genre. Natalia was selected for the AICD’s 2022 Disability Leadership Program, through which she completed Foundations of Directorship Certificate. She also holds a Certificate in Governance Practice. As an advocate for filmmakers with disability, she continuously seeks structural change to better serve this constituent.

Judith Bowtell
Judith is a career and leadership coach who specialises in supporting people in the arts, creative and community sectors. She has been coaching executives and emerging leaders to develop their self-awareness, confidence and strategic skills since 2012, through her coaching practice Albany Lane Consulting. Judith has had 25 years’ experience in arts strategy and policy, in funding and cultural agencies, and leading arts companies as CEO, chair and board member.  Her coaching practice is a holistic, sensitive and dynamic approach which is particularly suited for  navigating major life transitions, transforming blocks, resolving inner conflict, generating cultural change and developing authentic power, self-mastery and leadership skills. Throughout her working life, Judith has been committed to seeing and developing the diversity of arts and cultural workers, especially women.  In 2019, she designed and delivered the pilot Front & Centre program, in partnership with Accessible Arts, and with the support of the NSW Government (Women NSW).

Gayle Kennedy
Gayle Kennedy is a proud member of the Wongaibon Clan of the Ngiayampaa speaking nation of South West NSW. She is an award-winning writer and has published work in newspapers, magazines, literature journals, and for radio. She was the Indigenous issues writer and researcher for Streetwize comics from 1995-1998. Her poetry collection Koori Girl Goes Shoppin was shortlisted for the David Unaipon Award, an award Gayle won in 2006 with Me, Antman & Fleabag. It was shortlisted for a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, Deadly Award and commended for the Kate Challis RAKA Award. Gayle’s published 11 novels between 2011 and 2014. Gayle’s presented at writers festivals, NAIDOC events, and nationally and internationally on her experience with polio and disability in general. Gayle’s work has been published in Puffin, Currency, Ora Nui, Edinburgh Review anthologies, Southerly Magazine and Verity La, amongst others.

Image Description: Headshots of the speakers from left to right: Natalia Stawyskyj and Judith Bowtell and Gayle Kennedy.