Presenter: Catherine Deveny MC with Simon Fenech, Ian Roberts, Lana Masterson
When: Wednesday 1 September @ 1 pm AEST
Duration: 2 hrs
Cost: Free for everyone
Be inspired by people who have changed
their life stories through learning.
Our MC
Catherine Deveny – our MC, is a writer, comedian, author and speaker well known for her work as a columnist with The Age newspaper, as a Melbourne International Comedy Festival favourite and as an ABC regular. She has appeared on ABC’s Q&A and participated in the Emmy award winning Go Back To Where You Came From on SBS television.
Catherine has been named in the top 100 Most Influential Melburnians and has authored thousands of newspaper columns.
Guest speakers
Simon Fenech – A workplace accident changed Simon’s life forever. He went from a happy home and family life into drug addiction, and eventually jail. Inside prison he began a slow process of recovery through education but the reality of post-prison life hit hard. Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, a chance opportunity turned his life around. Today Simon is an operations manager at social enterprise Fruit2Work where he inspires and mentors others, helping them get their lives back on track.
Lana Masterson – Lana runs the social enterprise Down The Track, which is a life-changing program targeting marginalised young people in the small town of Lake Cargelligo. Down the Track is changing the lives of disengaged youth through mentorship, practical education, training, employment and wellbeing support.
Ian Roberts – Former rugby league champion turned actor Ian Roberts has led an extraordinary life. He was the first and only openly gay man to have played in the league. But Ian had a bigger secret. He had difficulty reading and writing. And it wasn’t until he reached the age of 37 that he got help in the form of a mentor who gave him faith in his ability to learn. And he’s never looked back.
Performances
- Joe Geia – renowned First Nations singer–songwriter
- Paco Lara – acclaimed Spanish flamenco guitarist
Details
When: Wednesday 1 September 2021, 1:00 – 3:00 pm AEST
Virtual and FREE event (places limited)
Download full ALW launch program.