Welcome to first episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you'll hear from Dr Sophie Brock, a sociologist with a focus on Motherhood. With a PhD from The University of Sydney just before becoming a mother herself, one of the main results from her research was a conceptual theory about the way Motherhood is socially constructed and individually experienced. So much of her work is about giving voice to expectations, to constructions, that are created as part of what it means to be a Mother in our world. "To connect to the authenticity of who we are, we first have to deconstruct who it is the world expect(ed) us to be." For more from Dr Sophie Brock, you can head to her website: https://drsophiebrock.com/

Then after Dr Brock's talk, you'll hear from her again in a Q&A along with Jane Hardwick-Collings and Michelle Hall from our previous episodes.

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to eleventh episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

Today we have a special performance from Michelle Hall, Michelle is an independent performance maker, teaching artist, mentor, arts worker, community organiser, yoga practitioner and mother living and working on Noongar Boodja. She has trained in devising, physical theatre, Clown, Butoh and Contemporary Dance with various companies including Teatro de Complicite (UK), Pan Theatre (Fra), Laban London (UK), Giovanni Fusetti (Italy), Café Reason Butoh (UK), Augusto Boal and Cardboard Citizens (UK). 

To watch Michelle's performance follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HmNCe2sYsI

And for more of Michelle's work you can head to her website: https://thedirtymother.com/michelle-hall/

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the tenth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you'll hear from Dr Winnie Orchard again, who spoke with us earlier in the season, Dr Orchard is a cognitive neuroscientist who specialises in understanding how caregiving reshapes our brain and minds and in this episode talks specifically to those going through parenting from a queer perspective.

We invite you also to take care when listening to Claire's song The Beast after Dr. Orchards talk, the music video with the dance choreography from Bonnie can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNBN7AzHeuM

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to first episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025. In this episode, we experience both Maidenhood and Sagescence, as we relish in the wisdom of Jane Hardwick-Collings and the music of Mietta.

Jane Hardwicke-Collings Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post menopausal grandmother. She was an intensive care and operating theatre nurse, and then a homebirth midwife for 30 years. Now her work focuses on teaching the Women’s Mysteries and writing about them. She gives workshops on mother and daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred and shamanic dimensions of pregnancy, birth and menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mystery School.

Mietta is a soulful indie folk singer songwriter and in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops.

For more from Jane, you can head to: https://www.janehardwickecollings.com where you can find her many publications.

For more of Mietta's music, you can find her on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1SHQyvwWBmN2EU2jg9O53u

For more from Claire, you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy, you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to eighth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

Today we welcome you to the second day of the festival and helping us to do that is the incredible Nartarsha Bamblett, a proud First Nations leader creating safe, transformative spaces for healing, learning, and collective growth. She is the founder of Queen Acknowledgements and IndigUcation, two platforms that merge storytelling, cultural education, and holistic wellbeing, Nartarsha is committed to ensuring that the strength, knowledge, and stories of First Nations people are not only heard but celebrated. She guides individuals and organisations through meaningful cultural journeys that foster reflection, healing, and collective responsibility.

For more from Nartarsha, you can head to: https://www.nartarshabamblett.com.au/

For more from Claire, you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy, you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to seventh episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you'll hear from Mandy Hose, a sleep and settling consultant as well as the co host of the Too Peas podcast to help all parents of multiples who live with disabilities and additional needs. Mandy wants no one to feel alone anymore, parenting on the road less travelled and has also co-authored a book called 'The Invisible Lives of Us' discussing the surprises, challenges and sheer delight of parenting twins with additional needs.

As well as hearing from Mandy, you'll get to hear us close out Day One of the festival with gratitudes and words of wisdom and affirmation, as attendees discuss what they have gotten out of the festival so far. And please let us know what you've gotten out of the series so far at @tontspod on instagram.

For more from Mandy you can head to: https://mandyhosesheknows.com/ or https://toopeasinapodcast.com.au/

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the sixth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you'll hear from the amazing Tamica Wilder, Tamica is a somatic sex coach and multi-qualified therapist with a deep passion for teaching humans to re-attune to the wisdom of our bodies, while giving full permission to shamelessly prioritise pleasure and play. She believes that our current cultural narratives around sex, intimacy, pleasure and relationships need to change and that begins with helping to create sex-positive families and help parents build the confidence to have ‘those chats’ with their kids and other family members.

For more from Tamica you can find her book 'Wild Honey' or follow her on instagram @themomsexologist

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the fifth episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode we're joined again by the wonderful Amy Taylor-Kabbaz and Dr Winnie Orchard, who you will have heard earlier in the festival, as they discuss the restructuring of the brain during Matrescence, hormones, neurodivergence in parents and much more.

For more from Amy, you can visit Amy Taylor Kabbaz or pick up a copy of her book 'Mama Rising'.

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to forth episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you will hear the first talk given by Dr Winnie Orchard, a cognitive neuroscientist, who specialises in understanding how pregnancy and caregiving reshape the brain and mind, she is leading efforts to create a standardized measure for recording and reporting reproductive health history across the lifespan.

Winnie earned her PhD in Neuroscience from Monash University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, where she studied maternal brain function and cognition. Her research has been featured in journals such as Trends in Cognitive Science and Nature, and media outlets like TIME Magazine and New Scientist.

Beyond her research, she is a passionate science communicator who believes that scientific discovery should be accessible to all.

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to third episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.

In this episode you'll hear from previous speakers Amy Taylor-Kabbaz and Dr Melanie Jackson in a Q&A style panel and closing with more beautiful poetry from Vicki Chan. For more from our speakers you can visit: https://amytaylorkabbaz.com/ & https://www.melaniethemidwife.com/

For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti

For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber

And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.