Polarity | Stories of Agency and Dreams across two worlds

Polarity: Stories of Agency and Dreams Across Two Worlds is a one-night-only fundraiser that dares to hold two truths at the same time — the weight of lived experience and the power of hope.

Through a short film and live on-stage storytelling, we explore motherhood, dignity and choice through the voices of women whose lives sit on opposite sides of the world, yet are bound by a single, universal force: love for their children.

The evening brings together:

✨ Frankie — a Melbourne-based sex worker, mother and activist who speaks openly and unapologetically about empowerment and agency
✨ Sex worker mother in Kolkata, India — women raising children within systems of poverty, stigma and limited pathways to choice

Their stories, shared across continents, illuminate:

• the polarity between empowerment and disempowerment

• the social forces that restrict or enable a woman’s choices

• the quiet endurance and courage mothers carry for their children

• the humanity that transcends circumstance, geography and class

This is about seeing the woman behind the work, and the mother behind the woman.

Why it matters

Every ticket sold supports leadership, employability and education programs for vulnerable children in Kolkata, giving them the chance to build futures shaped by choice, confidence and opportunity — not circumstance or birth.

What to expect on the night

• A powerful short film recorded in the red-light districts of Kolkata

• A live keynote from Frankie

• Entertainment from Melbourne based artists and musicians

• Safe space to ask curious questions, reflection and shared humanity

• 3 course delicious (vegetarian) meal served with love by Moroccan Soup Bar, and connection with a community of people who believe in dignity and possibility

Please note that due to mature nature of this event, we are restricting entry to all people above the age of 18.

Join us

Be part of an evening that expands empathy, honours women and transforms futures.

📅 Saturday 21 February 2026
📍 Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, Melbourne

When women tell their stories, systems shift.
When mothers are heard, generations change.