WOMADelaide expands social conscience in 2019 program
Tourism
International arts festival WOMADelaide will feature an International Women’s Day keynote address in its 2019 program.
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The four-day festival of music, arts and dance will celebrate cultural and creative diversity, attracting global talent to Adelaide’s Botanic Park from the 8-11 March 2019.
The first day of WOMADelaide coincides with International Women’s day, leading festival organisers to invite Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja AM to deliver an International Women’s Day address.
Stott Despoja is the youngest woman to enter the Australian federal parliament and since leaving politics has founded the organisation Our Watch dedicated to preventing violence against women and children. Australian journalist Annabel Crabb will host a conversation with Stott Despoja on the first night of WOMADelaide.
Festival director Ian Scobie said WOMADelaide has also expanded its Planet Talk series to accommodate for its environment conscious audience.
“The growing appeal and appetite of festival audiences for the discussion forum provided by the Planet Talks, has led us to move the program from Speakers’ Corner into a new purpose built venue – the Frome Park Pavilion – which will comfortably seat up to 500 patrons for each of these fascinating discussions and conversations” said Scobie.
The WOMADelaide Planet Talks is a series of live conversations about the environment and society’s sustainable relationship with the planet.
Featuring Greenpeace CEO David Ritter, The Wilderness Society’s Peter Owen and national radio identities Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas, the Planet Talks program aims to engage activists, scientists and leaders in conversations on environmental issues.
The debate will centre around a 100 per cent renewable energy future, climate change and meat consumption and the proposed oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
The festivals music line-up has a diverse collection of artists from more than 25 countries, including three-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo, Malinese activist and singer Fatoumata Diawara and the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir.
“Alongside a powerful new generation of musicians, WOMADelaide 2019 is certain to be a unique and memorable sonic journey around the world,” said Scobie.
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