The Thursday Night Live! panel this month brings the perspective of this regions young people to ask "Striking for change - can youth activism shape the future?"

Facilitated by Maddy Braddon, an energetic young Alumnus of Southern Cross University, who is dedicated to climate justice and building community connectedness. Maddy’s approach to change making stems from a growing understanding that we all share common experiences and skills that unite us in the face of adversity. Maddy is part of a dynamic network of people that established Lismore Helping Hands, a grassroots community-led recovery effort after the devastating 2017 floods there. Maddy works with the Lock The Gate Alliance, and as a research assistant with the University Centre for Rural Health in Lismore, on a project that explores the mental health and wellbeing impacts of those floods.

Maddy will be joined by a powerful group of young panellists who were the organising force behind the Lismore Climate Strike:

• Elsa Bertram, 10, from Albert Park Public School was born loving animals. She decided independently from an early age that animals had too many feelings to eat and has worked to save the wood ducks outside her house from getting run over -- and it worked. From that moment she hasn't been able to stop being an activist.

• Grace O'Shannessy is 17 years old and is in year 12 at Alstonville High School. She has always been involved in environmental action and was inspired to go to the school strike because of this.

• Frewoini Baume is in Year 12 from Trinity Catholic College in Lismore.

Presented by the Lismore Regional Gallery and Southern Cross University, Thursday Night Live! is a monthly talks program putting critical, thought-provoking topics in the spotlight.

Held on the second Thursday of each month. Cafe opens at 5.30pm and the panel discussion begins at 6pm.

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