WOMADelaide - The Planet Talks

How can Australia navigate its way to a low-carbon future in a way that builds a more inclusive economy and just society? The challenge is ensuring fairness so that workers, communities and everyday lives are supported through change, not sacrificed to it. Sharan Burrow, Karrina Nolan and Rebecca Huntley join Tory Shepherd to explore what a just transition really means and how we can seize the chance to make it fair for all.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

Pacific communities have long led the global climate fight with courage, wisdom and moral clarity through advocacy, innovation and deep cultural knowledge. Although Australia’s hopes in hosting COP31 have been dashed, what opportunities remain to stand alongside the Pacific in genuine partnership? In what is bound to be a powerful and energetic conversation Moemoana Schwenke, Salā Dr. George Carter and ’Alopi Latukefu, guided by facilitator Tukini Tavui, share the myriad ways Pacific peoples have shaped and continue to shape the global response to climate change and what Australia must do to move beyond words to meaningful action.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

In a world tilting toward ecological collapse and digital saturation, how do we hold fast to hope, justice, and our connection to the living world? Brave New Futures brings together Grace Vegesana, Richard King, and Claire Marshall for a dynamic conversation led by Lee Constable on envisioning positive futures and imagining them into being. From radical storytelling to ecological activism and speculative design, this session explores how we reconnect with the natural world while navigating the digital one and build a better tomorrow.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

At a time when global crises demand collective action, public trust in traditional media and public institutions is eroding. In this timely panel, journalist Marian Wilkinson, author Don Watson and political scientist Christian Downie explore how disinformation, corporate influence, and identity politics are deepening polarisation. What does it take to rebuild trust, reclaim facts, and foster unity in an age of division? Join three of the sharpest minds working at the intersection of media, politics and language for a conversation about truth, power, and the fight for a livable future.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

The Southern Ocean is calling, and its voice carries stories of change, resilience, and reckoning. In this evocative session, we explore the cultural memory, ecological shifts, and climate urgency shaping one of Earth’s most powerful oceans. From historical narratives to devastating modern algal blooms, and from polar expeditions to the futures of our coasts, this conversation invites us to reckon with and act to protect our deep blue seas.

Proudly supported by the Environment Institute, Adelaide University and the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

Water is alive; with memory, voice, and rights. In this powerful session, Dan Hikuroa, Leah Barclay, and Grant Rigney explore how we can and must transform our relationship with rivers. From Indigenous law to ecological soundscapes to frontline water justice, they share stories, sounds and strategies for protecting waterways through more-than-human perspectives and First Nations leadership. Moderator Jo Shulman – CEO of the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO).

 

Proudly supported by the Environmental Defenders Office and the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.

 

WOMADelaide 2026
The Planet Talks

Generously supported by Claire Pfister.
Supported by: Environmental Defenders Office, Adelaide University and The Guardian

 

Speakers: Andry Sculthorpe, Cissy Gore-Birch, Katherine Moseby
Facilitator: Andrew Lowe

The earth is experiencing its sixth mass extinction event, with approximately one million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction globally. How can we stop this, and find a path towards a wilder world where nature returns? This session will explore rewilding, and what it could mean in Australia. Learn about exciting efforts across the country to bring species back from the brink, and bring life back to Australian landscapes.

Presented with the Environment Institute

Saturday 8 March
Speakers: Belinda Noble, Simon Holmes à Court, Ebony Bennett
Facilitator: David Morris

Greenwashing is on the rise, undermining our efforts to tackle big issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. How do we know that the positive stories we are told by companies and governments are genuine and not just a smokescreen for inaction, or worse? This session will explore what greenwashing is, how to spot it and how to fight it.

Supported by the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.

Saturday 8 March
Speakers: Rachel Perkins, Tim Winton
Facilitator: Natasha Mitchell

What is the role of stories and storytellers in tackling the big issues?  Two of Australia’s best storytellers will explore how stories can be told in new ways to help Australia reckon with its past actions and attitudes towards the environment and First Nations people. How can storytellers help us imagine possible futures that will help orientate us going forward?

Supported by the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.

Monday 10 March

Speakers: Helena Norberg-Hodge, Peter Martin, Warwick Smith
Facilitator: Tory Shepherd

Has globalisation made us healthier and happier? Has the global era of capitalism finally reached its end point and, if so, what comes next? This session will explore localisation movements around the world and how economic systems can be reshaped to be better for people and planet. This session will feature a keynote speech from award-winning linguist, author and film maker Helena Norberg-Hodge, a global pioneer in the localisation movement.