Diversity Fest 2021

Festival | Monday 25 October, 8:00am - 8:00pm

An entire day of wholesome livestreams starring Clubs and Societies to showcase the huge range of cultural backgrounds present at UNSW. Learn about tasty dishes that you should try, practice some fiery dance moves and chat over a cup of chai (with some chocolates) to get a deeper understanding of cultures from all over the world!

Organised by Arc@UNSW Cultural Clubs.

Networking | Monday 25 October, 11:00am - 1:00pm

Hear the thoughts, experiences and greatest lessons from industry professionals who identify as LGBTQIA+ as we discuss embracing sexuality and gender identity in a work environment. Partnering with InterEngineers, a community of LGBTQIA+ engineering professionals and allies that are supported by Engineers Australia, this event provides the opportunity to establish long-lasting connections with industry representatives.

A collective initiative of UNSW student societies CEVSOC, CSESOC, MTRNSOC and ELSOC.

Panel Discussion | Monday 25 October, 12:00 - 1:00pm

The opening event of the week-long Tiddas in Business program. We will explore how the role of business, education and community intersects, its value, and the opportunities this can bring Indigenous people, families and communities and non-Indigenous people.

Presented as part of Indigenous Business Month @ UNSW.

Keynote Presentation | Monday 25 October, 2:00 - 3:00pm

Differences in culture and background are simply that – differences. Not better or worse, simply different.

Khadija Gbla is a cultural consultant and peer educator with unmatched ability to bridge the difference. Khadija provides advocacy, training, speaking on domestic and family violence, sexual health, racism, human rights, mental health, migrants and refugees and cultural diversity. Through her work, Khadija encourages people to challenge their understandings of the world around them, and to question the uncritical acceptance of stereotypes and assumptions that are made about unfamiliar cultures.

This is the first edition of Speak Out, a new content series produced as part of the Be A Better Human initiative, a partnership between UNSW and Arc@UNSW. 

Workshop | Monday 25 October, 6:00 - 7:00pm

Join UNSW Alumna Aashna Mittal to learn about the world’s second most popular form of classical music. Open to all kinds music lovers, you will be introduced the fundamentals, terminology and forms, and sing a piece of classical Indian music with the winner of Indian Link Radio's Super Singer competition!

Organised by the UNSW Music Performance Unit.

Panel Discussion | Monday 25 October, 7:30 - 8:30pm

Sport-related incidents have ignited debates on homophobia, religious freedom, casual racism in Australian culture, disability inclusion, gender pay gap and more. Join four-time Paralympian Ellie Cole, Tokyo Olympian Dylan Pietsch, and UNSW student Jordan White as they boldly address issues concerning gender, sexuality, disability and racism in the world of sports and what you can do to help.

Organised by UNSW Health Promotions Unit.

Intersex Awareness Day is internationally observed on 26 October, designed to highlight human rights issues faced by Intersex people.

Intersex people form a diverse population with many different kinds of bodies, sex characteristics, sex assignments, genders, identities, life experiences, and terminology and word preferences. They risk violence, stigmatisation and harmful practices because their bodies are seen as different.

Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) has produced a range of resources to educate the broader community, including an inclusive practice guide to respecting people with intersex variations.

IHRA will also be hosting an Intersex Awareness Day webinar on inclusive practice.

Showcase | Tuesday 26 October, 12:00 - 1:00pm

As part of our online marketplace, we will be livestreaming directly to a number of Tiddas in Business on their Country to learn more about their stories, products and services. 

Presented as part of Indigenous Business Month @ UNSW.

Performance | Tuesday 26 October, 2:00 - 3:30pm

Come and listen to an online concert with UNSW students performing amazing works of music from diverse composers. Morwenna Collett, a prominent leader in music accessibility will provide insights throughout the concert, igniting new ideas about fostering a more inclusive musical society.

Organised by the UNSW Society of Orchestras and Pipers.

Training | Tuesday 26 October, 3:00 - 4:30pm

This training session provides you with the knowledge, skills and tools to be able to confidently communicate with employees, students and other stakeholders with disability. The interactive delivery style provides skills and knowledge to confidently communicate with people with disability, while providing an understanding of accessibility and inclusion in the workplace and learning environment.

Training is provided by the Australian Network on Disability, of which UNSW is a member.

^{Image courtesy of Disabled and Here, a disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive stock images from their own perspective, with photos and illustrations celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC).}

Panel Discussion | Tuesday 26 October, 5:00 - 6:30pm

Learn about the various barriers and disadvantages people of diverse backgrounds face both on and off the field in community sports. Through discussing and generating awareness of the different challenges, community sport members, leaders and spectators can be provide with the practical knowledge and skills to remove disadvantage and promote inclusivity within local teams and clubs.

Organised by Arc Sport.

Performance | Tuesday 26 October, 5:00 - 6:30pm

As part of the virtual launch of the exhibition Peoples and Landscapes in Motion: from the Silk Roads to Australia, meet the participating artists and enjoy the performances of two prominent musicians (pictured above) – Iranian Australian singer and Kamancheh player Gelareh Pour, and Uyghur Australian Muqam performer and multi-instrumentalist Shohrat Tursun.

Organised by SilkRoads@UNSW, in collaboration with the UNSW Women’s Wellbeing Academy, UNSW Library, and School of Humanities and Languages

Discussion | Tuesday 26 October, 6:30 - 7:30pm

Accompanying the screening of the extraordinary documentary Mother Tongue, director Gabina Funegra will give insight into her filmmaking practice, its connection to her academic research, and the impacts and outcomes of her work.

The discussion will be moderated by Rebecca Harcourt (Program Manager, Indigenous Business Education, UNSW Business School). 

Training | Wednesday 27 October, 9:00 - 11:00am

This training session equips participants with an understanding of accessibility and inclusion in the workplace and learning environment. Building capacity to support and promote the inclusion of people with disability within the University environment will ensure that you can attract and retain from the entire student pool and create a learning environment that is representative of the broader community.

This session is targeted at professional and academic staff who have student-facing support roles.

Training is provided by the Australian Network on Disability, of which UNSW is a member.

^{Image courtesy of Disabled and Here, a disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive stock images from their own perspective, with photos and illustrations celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC)}

Panel Discussion | Wednesday 27 October, 10:30 - 11:30am

Diverse Inspiring Seminar on Careers & Opportunities for Professional Staff!

Showcasing a variety of rewarding careers open to professional staff through a panel of UNSW staff at various points in their careers. The first 100 people to register will be mailed a morning tea pack to enjoy during the presentation.

Organised by UNSW Medicine & Health Cultural Diversity Working Group.

Exhibition | Wednesday 27 October, 12:00 - 5:00pm

In his largest exhibition to date, Hazara artist Khadim Ali explores the normalisation of war and the experience of refugees through a series of poetic installations and paintings. ‘Invisible Border’ comprises sound installation, miniature painting and a monumental tapestries, handwoven by a community of Hazara men and women in Afghanistan.

Khadim Ali is the recipient of the 2021 UNSW Alumni Award for Art, Design and Culture.

Organised by UNSW Galleries. Exhibition continues to 28 November, Wednesday - Sunday 12:00 – 5:00pm.

^{Image: Khadim Ali, ‘Sermon on the Mount’ 2020. Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 2021. Photo: Carl Warner}

Panel Discussion | Wednesday 27 October, 1:00 - 2:00pm

Insights into the realities of living with chronic health disease(s) and the importance of community led public health solutions. Unpacking and demystifying both the causes and the day-to-day realities of living with Diabetes, the discussion will also explore the crucial importance of personal and community empowerment, advocacy, Indigenous led health programs and research.

Organised by Rebecca Harcourt, Diabetes NSW & ACT Ambassador.

Workshop | Wednesday 27 October, 2:30 - 4:00pm

Diwali is the festival of lights and falls in the week following Diversity Fest. Because of this, Culture Café are holding a Diya candle making workshop! Participants will be sent craft supplies and will complete their craft together over Zoom.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the time constraints of sending out materials, we ask that you register for this event by Thursday, October 14 (11:59PM). Shipping is only available within Australia and we will endeavour to get materials to you as soon as possible. If you register after this time, you are still very welcome to join us, however, you may need to source the materials on your own.

Organised by the Arc@UNSW Culture Café program.

Panel Discussion | Wednesday 27 October, 3:00 - 4:00pm

What's it like to have a disability as a uni student? Hear from current UNSW students about their unique experiences of disability, what they wish people knew about themselves, as well as their strengths!

Organised by Peer Connections @ UNSW

^{Image courtesy of Disabled and Here, a disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive stock images from their own perspective, with photos and illustrations celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC).}

Panel Discussion | Wednesday 27 October, 5:00 - 6:00pm

What is a microaggression and can any form of racism be considered micro? In this informative and interesting panel of UNSW students and staff of colour, we unpack these questions and more.

Organised by Arc@UNSW, as part of the Be A Better Human initiative.

Panel Discussion | Wednesday 27 October, 6:00 - 7:00pm

Discuss ways we can empower women in traditionally male dominated spaces such as STEM and entrepreneurship. This event aims to address common societal norms surrounding women in the workplace and highlight practices we can implement to encourage greater gender diversity.

Organised by the UNSW Postgraduate Council.

Co-production Workshop | Thursday 28 October, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Do you identify as neurodiverse or living with a disability? Are you a student or course convenor interested in inclusive teaching and learning? Diversified is a student led project with the aim to elevate student voice in course design. In a safe, inclusive, accessible world Student-Instructor co-production replaces the typical hierarchical teacher-student relationship with a peer-to-peer relationship, creating a culture of cooperation and inclusivity.

This is the second of three co-production workshops scheduled:

• Workshop 1: Mapping the issues and opportunities | 1 October, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
• Workshop 2: Getting focused and responding together | 28 October, 10:00am - 12:00pm
• Workshop 3: Co-producing ideas, prototypes, and strategies | 17 December, 10:00am - 12:00pm

This project was funded through an EDI Grant awarded to Professor Terry Cumming (UNSW Disability Innovation Institute). 

Mentoring Session | Thursday 28 October, 11:00am - 12:30pm

An opportunity to learn from UNSW Ageing Futures Institute in collaboration with of the Modern Elder Academy (MEAx Australia), the world’s first Wisdom school for navigating midlife and beyond. Age-diverse mentors will share knowledge, skills and wisdom about career progression in contemporary age-diverse workplaces.

Organised by the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute.

Panel Discussion | Thursday 28 October, 12:00 - 1:00pm

The Science History Trail showcase will feature current UNSW Science Students as they tell the stories of their science role models and reflect on the importance of inclusive representation in science history.

Organised by UNSW Science.

Showcase | Thursday 28 October, 1:00 - 2:00pm

As part of our online marketplace, we will be livestreaming directly to a number of Tiddas in Business on their Country to learn more about their stories, products and services. 

Presented as part of Indigenous Business Month @ UNSW.

Keynote Presentation | Thursday 28 October, 2:00 - 3:00pm

Professor Jackie Leach Scully is the Director of the Disability Innovation Institute at UNSW and a leading researcher in the field of Bioethics (the ethical and social aspects of biomedical advances). In this seminar, Professor Leach Scully explores the relationship between disability and bioethics; and the implications of disability bioethics, focusing on the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organised by the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute.

Discussion | Thursday 28 October, 2:00 - 3:30pm

Anxious about not watching Shang-chi? Lockdown got you feelin’ down? Well, come along with your friend to learn about your mental health!

Organised by UNSW Science Society.

Workshop | Thursday 28 October, 5:30 - 7:00pm

Learn to sing traditional Javanese music with renowned Gamelan and shadow puppet master Dr Joko Susilo. Participants will be introduced to the cultural context of the music, the tradition of shadow puppets and puppeteers, masks and costumes; as well as learning to sing traditional pieces.

Organised by the UNSW Music Performance Unit.

Film Screening and Q&A | Thursday 28 October, 7:00 - 8:00pm

Happy Sad Man is a sweet and charming documentary confronting the unique mental health struggles experienced by Australian men. Guests will emailed a unique link with 48 hour online access to watch film before the Live Q&A with filmmaker Genevieve Bailey. 

Organised by Arc Wellness Warriors.

Performance | Thursday 28 October, 7:00 - 9:00pm

A talented roster of Sydney Drag Queens will help revive a sense of community amongst UNSW's LGBTQIA+ students, as well as connecting and reconnecting them with the Sydney Drag community. Enjoy a night of Queer artistic freedom and creative expression from the safety and comfort of your own homes, and learn more about the diverse artists who choose to express themselves and their art through the art form of Drag!

Organised by the UNSW Queer Collective.

Training | Friday 29 October, 10:00 - 11:30am

This training session provides you with the knowledge, skills and tools to be able to confidently communicate with employees, students and other stakeholders with disability. The interactive delivery style provides skills and knowledge to confidently communicate with people with disability, while providing an understanding of accessibility and inclusion in the workplace and learning environment.

Training is provided by the Australian Network on Disability, of which UNSW is a member.

^{Image courtesy of Disabled and Here, a disability-led effort to provide free and inclusive stock images from their own perspective, with photos and illustrations celebrating disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC).}

Workshop | Friday 29 October, 11:30am - 12:30pm

AUSLAN is the official sign language for Australia. This workshop will teach you some basic AUSLAN phrases so that you can help someone in need or start a conversation with someone who uses this accessible language.

Organised by Arc@UNSW.

Panel Discussion | Friday 29 October, 2:00 - 3:00pm

In the closing event of the Tiddas In Business program, Carol Vale, Sarah Hyland, Yanti Ropeyarn and Leesa Watego discuss envisioning a future where we can all thrive and belong.

Presented as part of Indigenous Business Month @ UNSW.

Workshop | Friday 29 October, 3:00 - 4:00pm

An animation workshop aimed at promoting well-being for UNSW students and staff in the pandemic. Join us for fun collaboration online and enjoy the delight of working on a short animation together. No prior animation experience required.

Organised by animation research network lab (AnimRNL) in the UNSW Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture.

Brainstorm | Friday 29 October, 4:00 - 5:00pm

Calling on UNSW students and staff who might be interested in contributing to our parade application!

UNSW will be applying to participate in the 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. As with all previous entries, this will be a community-led project. Even though creating a float won't be part of the 2022 Mardi Gras experience, there are still opportunities for creative input in designing props, costumes and make up, and choreographing the dance routine.

Organised by the ally@UNSW Network.

Panel Discussion | Friday 29 October, 6:00 - 7:00pm

Being an ally is a complicated role and means more than just showing up to Mardi Gras for a boogie. This panel will discuss what allyship actually entails, how we should act as allies, and how we can avoid performativity.

Organised by Arc@UNSW, as part of the Be A Better Human initiative.

Panel Discussion | Friday 29 October, 6:00 - 7.15 pm

Studies have shown that most people would rather get the flu than perform. Join the expert panel of Greta Bradman (Soprano, Psychologist and Radio Broadcaster), David Griffiths (Associate Professor of Music and Australia Ensemble UNSW Clarinettist) and Georgia Winkcup (Australian Olympian and UNSW Alumna) to learn about performance anxiety, and what we can do to perform our best.

Organised by the UNSW Music Performance Unit.

The Darlington Statement is a joint consensus statement published by Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex organisations and independent advocates.

It sets out the priorities of the Intersex human rights movement in both countries, under six headings: a preamble, human rights and legal reform; health and wellbeing; peer support; allies; and education, awareness and employment.

The ally@UNSW Network encourages all allies to affirm the statement. 

Human Library

The Master of Design Coursework postgraduate program is made up of students from many diverse cultures. This human library project introduces students from this cohort through a series of short collaged videos. Learn about their stories, creativity and life with UNSW.

This project was funded through an EDI Grant awarded to Bic Tieu (Student International Experience and Recruitment Champion, School of Art and Design). 

Have you ever wandered around campus and noticed that most of the buildings are named after men?

UNSW Council would like to work with our community to recognise and celebrate the contributions of women at UNSW. A committee made up of current students, staff and Council members is exploring ways to achieve this on our campuses.

Throughout our history, there have been many significant contributions by women at UNSW, and by UNSW alumna in the broader community. We are calling on our community to suggest women from UNSW's past and present who should be celebrated on our campus.

^{Image credit: Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye/Ammatyerre), Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay), Kirra Weingarth (Biri/Juru) In her hands 2019}

Film Screening | Accessible online from 25 - 29 October

The untold story of how a band of renegade surfer girls in the 1980s fought to create their own professional sport, changing surf culture forever.

It’s the 1980s and the world of professional surfing is a circus of fluoro colours, peroxide hair and radical male egos. Girls Can’t Surf follows the journey of a band of renegade surfers who took on the male-dominated professional surfing world to achieve equality and change the sport forever. Featuring surfing greats Jodie Cooper, Frieda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, Pam Burridge, Wendy Botha, Layne Beachley and more, the documentary is a wild ride of clashing personalities, sexism, adventure and heartbreak, with each woman fighting against the odds to make their dreams of competing a reality.

This screening supports the UNSW Active Women Strategy.

Podcast | Accessible online now

On International Women's Day 2021, British science journalist and author, Angela Saini, joined leading cancer researcher and founder of the STEMMinist Book club, UNSW’s Caroline Ford for a conversation about bias in science, medicine and the public understanding of gender, and how to build a more accurate picture of human difference.

Produced by the UNSW Centre for Ideas.

Festival | 1 - 31 October

Real People, Real Lives. Co-produced with students, the program features a wide array of events to talk about the tough stuff, reduce the stigma, and learn how to help ourselves and our mates.   

Organised by UNSW Health Promotions, in partnership with UNSW Wellbeing and Arc@UNSW. 

Exhibition | Accessible online now

Do you know how people in your world are really going? An exhibition of artworks by UNSW students that showcase their unique mental health journeys. This online exhibition aims to help destigmatise mental illness in our UNSW community and start conversations that could change a life.

A UNSW Library Exhibition, in partnership with UNSW Health Promotions Unit

^{Image credit: Harry Copas, Cemented Thoughts (1)}

Film Screening | Accessible online from 25 - 29 October

Mother Tongue chronicles filmmaker Gabina Funegra’s search for her Indigenous roots through the story of Quechua - the Inca language. The masterwork comprises four explorations of Quechua across the globe, where the oppression of minority languages is a recurring theme. Gabina uses participatory visual ethnography to explore the state of Quechua worldwide, as well as strategies for its revival and maintenance.

Exhibition | Accessible online now

Curated by Ayshe Eli and Louise Edwards, this exhibition showcases the diversity of humanity and geography along the ancient Silk Roads from Iran, Afghanistan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. Through the lenses of four eminent Australian artists Barat Ali Batoor, Hoda Afshar, John Gollings, and Muzafar Ali, this exhibition is an intimate depiction of memories of home and land, struggle and resilience, longing and belonging. The photographs are captivating portrayal of men, women, and children living amidst uncertainty and turmoil, and unforgettable documentation of the cultural and spiritual landscapes that have helped shape the enduring history of these communities.  

Organised by SilkRoads@UNSW, in collaboration with the UNSW Women’s Wellbeing Academy and UNSW Library.

^{Image credit: Hoda Afshar, from the series In the exodus, I love you more (2014 - Ongoing). Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane.}

Podcast | Accessible online now

Sabina Faiz Rashid, a distinguished scholar in global health, works at the coalface of public health in Bangladesh. Hear her in conversation with UNSW Sydney’s Rebecca Ivers as they discuss poverty, equity and the drivers of health, Sabina’s research in Bangladesh, and they unpack what it will take to achieve true change.

Produced by the UNSW Centre for Ideas.

Exhibition | Accessible online now

Acknowledging and celebrating the beautiful, creative work of a scientifically and culturally diverse group of female-identifying microscopists from UNSW, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

Organised by Dr Krystyna Gieniec, a female-identifying ECR microscopist, with the help of the Davis and Poole laboratories. 

Online Marketplace | 25 - 29 October

Tiddas in Business is a culturally safe online platform for entrepreneurs and businesswomen to exchange strategies and initiatives in support of women’s economic empowerment; with a focus on inspiration and sharing knowledge. It is open to both Indigenous women and non-Indigenous women, as our focus is on 'doing deadly business together'.

Presented as part of Indigenous Business Month @ UNSW.

It’s time for a First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Constitution.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, issued to the Australian public in 2017, calls for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice to Parliament, and for Makarrata – a coming together after a struggle – through a process of treaty-making and truth-telling.

The Uluru Statement is the culmination of 13 regional dialogues held across Australia on the question of constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also represents over a decade of work on the constitutional recognition and First Nations people. 

The result of the dialogues and the Uluru National Constitutional Convention – where the Uluru Statement was issued – was a clear rejection of symbolic constitutional recognition. Instead, a call for substantive change was made with a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. Alongside a Voice, there were two other sequenced reforms: Treaty and Truth.

Exhibition | Accessible online now

You may have eaten at JG’s Café in the Dalton Building, but did you know it was named after the University’s first female graduate? Did you know that UNSW was the first university in Australia to appoint a female professor to be the head of a university school? And did you know that UNSW had the first Indigenous graduate in Law? The exhibition profiles some of the great women who have achieved key firsts at UNSW throughout its history.

Produced by UNSW Archives.

Participant call out and photographer call out closes on 29 October

We are excited to be collaborating with Melbourne based curator Sabina McKenna, to produce an iteration of her original ongoing project Where are you from? at UNSW. We want this project to represent the cultural and linguistic diversity that exists within the UNSW community. Current students (domestic, international, undergraduate and postgraduate) and staff who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) are invited to get involved in the project.

^{Image credit: Where are you from? ®, founded and curated by Sabina McKenna.}