Hot and Bothered: Youth Symposium

I led the creative and operational delivery of the 2022 symposium, which focused on climate justice, climate emotions, and collective agency, combining commissioned content from an open call with contributions from each Science Gallery node internationally. It unfolded over four days, blending workshops, keynotes, interactive sessions, and community exchanges. The program included:

• Opening keynote and closing sessions: developed and delivered by me to frame the event’s themes, integrate contributions from nodes worldwide, and provide shared reflection spaces for participants. This included an opening keynote from Koreng Wudjari Noongar woman, Dr Cass Lynch.

  
  

• Workshops and co-creative sessions: facilitated globally, including topics ranging from speculative futures to interactive climate narratives and creative data engagements.

• Interactive experiences: immersive activities inviting participants to engage physically, emotionally, and cognitively with climate and social questions.

• Discussion forums and community exchange: spaces for reflection, dialogue, and network-building across cultures, disciplines, and geographies.

I carefully designed the program to be inclusive across all time zones, enabling equitable participation and meaningful engagement for young people globally. Contributions from an open call and each Science Gallery node ensured diversity of perspectives and co-ownership of content. As a result, the symposium brought together youth participants from multiple countries, fostering cross-cultural exchange, collaborative learning, and empowerment. By commissioning content, integrating node contributions, and centering diverse and Indigenous perspectives, the event modelled participatory, culturally grounded, and action-oriented global youth engagement.

Delivered in a hybrid format, I mentored and supported global Science Gallery locations, coordinating their contributions and guiding workshops and co-creative sessions. I also oversaw registration, marketing, monitoring, evaluation, and technical delivery, managing an international team to deliver diverse online formats seamlessly across multiple time zones. This dual orientation — strategic and operational — allowed the symposium to combine rigorous creative content with seamless delivery, while centering inclusive practices. As a result, I creative produced a highly successful, inclusive symposium that engaged young people from across the network in meaningful, globally connected learning experiences.