Building Bridges Forum 2026
Description
Building Bridges is an annual forum designed to strengthen collaboration across the family violence service system in Melbourne’s Northern Metropolitan Region.
Hosted by the Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS), the forum brings together services and practitioners to learn from one another, share practice insights, and enhance cross-sector collaboration in line with the MARAM Framework.
Strong and effective family violence responses are built through listening to diverse experiences, challenging assumptions, and creating systems that work for everyone.
Now in its third year, Building Bridges 2026 explores the theme, Shaping inclusive systems, calling on community and sector professionals to focus on what it means to intentionally centre the experiences, expertise and perspectives of marginalised and invisibilised communities in family violence work.
What to expect
Presentations and panel discussions: Hear from sector experts and practitioners who are developing innovative practice responses and contributing to more inclusive, accessible and responsive systems for marginalised communities.
Service stalls: Explore a selection of stalls from organisations and programs that are working directly with underserved communities.
Networking: Connect with colleagues, strengthen professional partnerships and be part of shaping more inclusive systems.
Lunch and refreshments: This is a catered event. Please note your dietary requirements during the registration process.
Who should attend?
Building Bridges is open to anyone working in an area with a role in addressing family violence. This includes those working in direct practice, leaders, advocates and policy makers.
Forum theme
- Shaping inclusive systems
Strong and effective family violence responses are built through listening to diverse experiences, challenging assumptions, and creating systems that work for everyone. Shaping inclusive systems creates space to explore how centring the experiences, expertise and leadership of marginalised and invisibilised communities can strengthen responses across the sector.
But family violence systems and responses are often shaped by mainstream assumptions and experiences, particularly for cisgender, heterosexual and culturally dominant narratives. As a result, the experiences and needs of many communities can be overlooked or insufficiently recognised within policy and practice.
Join us at Building Bridges 2026 to focus on what it means to intentionally centre the experiences, expertise and perspectives of marginalised and invisibilised communities in family violence work. This includes LGBTIQA+ communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, migrant and refugee communities, people with disability and others who may face additional barriers to safety and support.
This year's forum will highlight promising practice, innovative approaches and collaborative work that are contributing to more inclusive, accessible and responsive systems. By designing responses with marginalised communities at the centre, outcomes are improved not only for those communities, but across the broader service system.
Program
Start time | Session |
|---|---|
9:30 am | Registrations open |
10:00 am | Welcome to Country |
10:10 am | Opening and setting the scene |
10:25 am | Opening Address |
10:35am | Flat Out |
11:35 am | Morning break |
11:50 am | Allyship in Action: Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion in Violence Prevention and Response |
12:50 pm | Lunch and stall networking activity |
2:00 pm | Project Respect |
3:00 pm | Afternoon break |
3:10 pm | Commitment to Action: Towards a culturally responsive and accountable family violence sector |
3:45 pm | Closing remarks |
4:00 pm | Forum closes |
FAQs
- What is the Building Bridges Forum?
The NIFVS Building Bridges Forum is an annual gathering for specialist and non-specialist family violence practitioners.
Since 2024, the forum has been a space to share diverse perspectives, engage in critical discussions, and strengthen cross-sector collaboration in line with the MARAM Framework. - Accessibility
For venue accessibility requirements, please view and download the Venue Acces Key [PDF].
Staff members will welcome you from outside the venue and will support individual needs throughout the day.
Designated staff are available to provide additional support if you need to debrief and/or require further assistance during the event.
A sensory box with fidget toys and textured objects will be available at the entrance.
AUSLAN interpreters are available during the morning session upon request (during online registration).
We have planned frequent breaks throughout the day. - Is this a free event?
General admission tickets are $75 each. Tickets for First Nations attendees or ACCO staff are $40 each.
Due to limited capacity, early registration is strongly recommended to secure your attendance.We are committed to making this an inclusive event. NIFVS is offering a number of supported tickets for individuals who would like to attend but need assistance with the registration cost.
To apply for a supported ticket, email nifvs@whin.org.au with a brief overview of your role, area of work and interest in attending the forum.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Northern Integrated Family Violence Services acknowledges Victorian Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we provide our services – the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin nation – and pay our respect to their Elders past and present. NIFVS acknowledges that Aboriginal sovereignty was never given up and that we stand on stolen land. We are committed to Aboriginal self-determination and to supporting Treaty and Truth-telling processes.
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