Everyone’s Climate Series: When She Leads

in partnership with Solutions for Climate WA

“A Triumph!”

“That was EXTRAORDINARY.  Well done.”

“Powerful energy in the audience.”

“Today was incredible.”

A few of the messages we received during and post the first event in Everyone’s Climate Series:  When She Leads on Sunday afternoon at Subiaco Arts Centre. There was no blueprint for this event – we just want to find ways for more people to feel they can be in the climate conversation in WA – so as a consequence the schedule unfolded with its own agenda.

The shape of When She Leads came to me as a full download when I was making a salad one January evening at the kitchen bench, despairing that I was too late to make the event happen for the second weekend in March.

In the following days, one after another, people said yes and the plan became real very quickly.  Yet it was only here with about twenty people in the green room in the minutes before we started, that I realised the life and energy of the gathering was beyond its individual parts.

As the music went down and the huge audience vibes audience were temporarily supressed, we heard the voice of Christiana Figueres speaking about her definition of optimism and her choice to remain active and optimistic for the sake of future generations.

 Then our new generation took to the stage as Corroboree for Life, guided by Ash Penfold raised the energy right to the roof as the ancestors welcomed us into the space.

 Our beloved Gina Williams Ghouse AM shared how she wondered at the invitation to be part of a climate event at first and then found the answer within, recognising the link between preservation of country and culture.

 Each speaker lifted, sobered, enlightened and motivated. Professor Fiona Stanley AC roused us with her straight shooting reality check and shared this story on petromasculinity, climate and anti-racism activist Stephanie McGuire centred us with her depth and her beautiful poetry, Sisonke Msimang brought suchnuance and delicacy to the importance of story, Sabrina Hahn spoke of her learning from indigenous women in the Kimberley and the key role gardeners already play in recognising climate impacts, and Solutions for Climate WA director Jess Panegyres brought it home with the optimism of knowing we have solutions and that WA is in a good position to save the places we love and sustain a good life for future generations.

 We were unprepared for the heavenliness of Felicity Groom and her amazing band Bridget Turner, Jess Carlton and Bree Reynolds and after a quick wrap with the speakers we ate great food from Gather Foods and heard women in music for International Women’s Day from the iconic duo of original presenters of RTRFM’s Drastic on Plastic Jane Armstrong and Lorraine Clifford.

 We went home when they kicked us out, hearts full and with renewed intent.

Pics here by the remarkable Marnie Richardson – if you’re sharing please credit her.

Thanks again to our amazing partners Solutions for Climate WA - we couldn’t do events like this without you, and to the Subiaco Arts Centre team

Thanks to Jack McAuliffe for the inspired branding.

And my biggest thanks to the WA Climate Leaders board Aimee Smith Lily Jovic Amy Steel and Amilia Bakhtiar