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.

Welcome to second 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 our speaker Dr Melanie Jackson, a private midwife providing homebirth services since 2009. In 2015 she completed her PhD, called "Birth Outside the System." This work sprouted academic publications and has also allowed her to work as a researcher and midwifery lecturer at Western Sydney university, as a peer reviewer for academic journals and as a project officer at the Australian College of Midwives and motivates the work she now does on her social media and youtube channels. Melanie also hosts The Great Birth Rebellion which aims to dismantle western beliefs and management of birth and presents an evidence-based alternative to modern birth practices. Melanie believes that calculated rebellion against medicalised maternity care is the evidence-based and preferred path to having a great birth. Find more from Dr Jackson on their website: 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.clairetonti.com/matrescence-festival

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 you'll hear all about what it was like at the festival, how it was laid out and from two wonderful speakers from the morning of day one.

Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author of 'Mama Rising', Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. Along with hosting 'The Happy Mama Movement' podcast, in 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 200 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally. 

For more from Amy, you can visit https://amytaylorkabbaz.com/

Vicki Chan is the mother of four grown children and a besotted grandmother. She is into her 5th decade of seeing babies into the world as a fierce and passionate midwife; devoted to better birth and fully supported matrescence. She is a storyteller, a poet, artist of sorts, lover of little birds and all things Italian. 

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.lizzyhumber.com/matrescencefestival

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: Maisie JG

Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan

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

This episode discusses themes of birth trauma, post natal depression and anxiety.

Bron Lewis is one of Australia’s most promising new comedians. She was the co-winner of the National Raw Comedy competition in 2022, a four-time champion of the Moth storytelling competition, and both the best and the worst mum living at her house. Bron is a writer at The Project and has a prominent presence on stages all around the country.

Bron’s critically acclaimed show ‘Probably’ sold out in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, and it scored her a nomination for Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s ‘Best Newcomer’ for 2023.

Bron is performing her live show 'OBVIOUSLY' on July 26th at Comedy Republic in Melbourne - tickets available here

You can also follow here on instagram right here at @bronlewiscomedy

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Part Two of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is 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. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.

To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head here

https://www.clairetonti.com/events

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Part One of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is 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. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.

To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head here

https://www.clairetonti.com/events

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Welcome to another episode of TONTS. on the road. Audio grabs from Claire's tour of the UK last year. This one is from her show in the Caves in Edinburgh Scotland with the wonderful doula and mamma medicine women's circle facilitator Roberta Giovedi. Roberta had a baby during Covid and noticed that many mothers in her community (including herself) were feeling isolated and alone. With the help of an organisation called the Planetary Healing Centre Roberta began running women's circles for mothers in the woods near her home building space for mothers to share their stories, stitch, sit with their feet in the stream and shine a light on the darkness as well as the love they were experiencing. This speech is so powerful and felt like a rally cry to recenter mothers and children in our communities.

For more from Roberta you can read her full speech and her story here and to find out more about her circles you can head to her instagram account https://www.instagram.com/mamma_medicine/

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Matrescence Album

Two times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women’s rights, LGBTQI+ visibility, and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.

Founder and CEO of Melbourne’s acclaimed Women’s Spoken Word organisation and monthly event, Mother Tongue, she has guided the voices of thousands of women into the world. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who’s words, workshops and courses leave a profound impression.

A British artist now based in Melbourne, Australia; she studied at the famous London stage institution, The BRIT School, which birthed many strong talents such as Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kae Tempest and more.

A self-identified queer, erotic, spiritual, mother she has a theatrical and yet deeply authentic performance and writing style, renowned for captivating her audiences with depth, honesty, and humour. She now writes and presents regularly to her online community of over 20k followers with poetry, talks, and opinion pieces.

In 2017 she published her book, Sex and God, performed internationally, was a grand slam finalist and became the first women to represent Australia at the National Poetry Slam, USA. In 2018 her poem, Witches, went viral on International

Women’s Day with over one million views in 3 days, and over 3 million views to date. Towards the end of the year she completed a US tour, and launched her album of spoken word, Unhear This. In 2020 she successfully crowdfunded her latest book Virago: A Poetic Manifesto, reaching over 200% of her original goal on Kickstarter and pre-selling over 300 copies across 4 continents.

Website - https://fleassymalay.com

Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/FleassyMalay

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Matrescence Album

Matrescence Festival

Dr Melanie Jackson is a private midwife providing homebirth services since 2009. In 2015 she completed her PhD, called "birth outside the system: wanting the best and safest" This work sprouted academic publications and has also allowed her to work as a researcher and midwifery lecturer at Western Sydney university, as a peer reviewer for academic journals and as a project officer at the Australian College of Midwives and motivates the work she now does on her social media and youtube channels.

Melanie also hosts The Great Birth Rebellion which aims to dismantle western beliefs and management of birth and presents an evidence-based alternative to modern birth practices. They believe that calculated rebellion against medicalised maternity care is the evidence-based and preferred path to having a great birth.

Melanie is a mother of two and lives on a permaculture farm in the Blue Mountains of NSW.

Website - www.melaniethemidwife.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melaniethemidwife/

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

Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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

Matrescence Album

Matrescence Festival

Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. After more than a decade covering breaking news and current affairs for the ABC around the country, her 'traditional' career took an unexpected turn when she found herself lost, overwhelmed and diagnosed with a thyroid disease after the birth of her first daughter. 14 years - and two more babies - later, she is now the best-selling Hay House author of Mama Rising, the host of the ‘The Happy Mama Movement’ podcast (with more than 400,000 downloads), an internationally awarded Life Coach, runs numerous online programs for mothers all over the world, expert contributor to media outlets around the globe, and the creator of the #1 itunes meditations for children with more than 23 million downloads ‘Bedtime Explorers’. In 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 200 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally. 

Website - www.amytaylorkabbaz.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amytaylorkabbaz/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/amytaylorkabbaz/

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

Editing: RAW Collings

Social Media: Maisie JG

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