Events
Festival for the Future
People in the Rainbow Community deserve to age well.
Presented in partnership with Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card, the Festival for the Future is a two-day event to support rainbow (LGBTIQA+) communities living in the regions, connecting attendees to new people, new ideas and new services.
People in the rainbow community face unique legal, financial, health and aged care challenges. The Festival for the Future brings service providers to the regions, creating connections to these services for LGBTIQA+ people as they age, and building capacity within this community by building knowledge through facilitated sessions, and space for one-on-one conversation with these services.
If you are a member of the rainbow community and aged over 45, someone caring for a person from the rainbow community and/or you wish to support them in ageing well, or are a service provider to this community, join us in Victor Harbor, South Australia on 30 April - 1 May 2025 at the Festival for the Future.
The full cost of your ticket, excluding platform fees, will be refunded for those who attend the Festival for the Future, engage with all the stallholders, and follow the refund process. Tickets will be refunded to attendees in the week after Festival for the Future.
Tickets: $10 (excl. fees)
PROGRAM*
Tuesday 29 APRIL
WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL
10.00 am OPENING
10.35 am AGEING WELL TOGETHER: OFFICE FOR AGEING WELL’S ROLE IN SUPPORTING SOUTH AUSTRALIANS
Discover how Office for Ageing Well (OFAW) helps South Australians live active, engaged lives.
This session will explain how the Seniors Card Program, the Retirement Villages Unit, the Ageing Policy Unit and the Adult Safeguarding Unit each make a real difference for individuals and communities.
You’ll also learn how to access community grants for projects that strengthen inclusion, reduce isolation and build intergenerational and intercultural connections.
Whether you’re working with older people or just want to learn more about what’s available, this session will provide with practical ideas for how OFAW can better support the full diversity of your networks.
11.10 am SEATED FLOW YOGA
This class is facilitated by V Barratt (they/them) who is trained in accessible and adaptive yoga techniques. V teaches yoga in the LGBTQIA+, community, aged care and disability sectors.
Seated Flow is an adaptive yoga practice, also called Chair Yoga, designed to create an inclusive and welcoming practice for all abilities. The class is open to all bodies, regardless of age, size, gender or ability.
Experience a range of seated sequences with a strong focus on stretching, breathwork, and visualisation. This class is tailored for any participants experiencing limited mobility or varied access needs. Leave feeling grounded, supported, and connected.
Who: All bodies, ambulant and non-ambulant wheelchair users or anyone wishing to use a chair for any reason.
12.15 pm PANEL: LOCAL LGBTIQA+ SOCIAL GROUPS - GETTING INVOLVED IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
1 pm LUNCH
Lunch will be provided, with thanks to Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card
2 pm DEMENTIA: STORYTELLING AND ADVOCACY
2.35 pm MEET YOUR SERVICE PROVIDERS
Rapid-fire round: Hear the elevator pitch from 14 service providers and community groups, so you can easily determine which stalls you want to spend some time at.
3.15 pm SHINE SA: SEXUAL HEALTH AND AGEING
3.45 pm CLOSING ADDRESS
Get all the information about the evening activity and Day 2
4.00 - 6.00 pm FLEURIEU PRIDE SOCIAL ACTIVITY, ALL WELCOME!
THURSDAY 1 MAY
10.00 am OPENING
10.10 am BEST OF BETTER TOGETHER: HONOURING OUR LESBIAN HERITAGE WITH ROBYN LIERTON
We come from a long line of extraordinary women, who challenged society's laws and norms about ‘ladylike behaviour’. Part pop quiz, part history lesson, part storytelling, this session will leave you feeling pride in our lesbian ancestry and our own place in this heritage.
Better Together is Australia’s LGBTIQA+ Community Conference. This session first appeared in the 2024 conference, and is back for the Festival for the Future by popular demand.
10.45 am TAKING ACTION AGAINST AGEISM WORKSHOP
This workshop is designed to help you move from being a passive observer to an active participant in challenging ageism.
Discover how ageism intersects with homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism and other forms of discrimination.
Learn practical strategies to recognise, call out and respond to ageist behaviour.
Whether you're new to the topic or looking to strengthen your skills, this workshop will provide you with the tools and confidence to take meaningful action against ageism in a safe and effective way.
11.35 am RAINBOW HUB SA - A COMMUNITY VOICE FOR OLDER LGBTIQA+ PEOPLE IN SA - A FOCUS ON ADVOCACY
This session shares the story of the newly developed community led incorporated organisation, it's 2025-27 strategic direction and examples of its advocacy work to date.
Included will be the findings of the year long Rainbow Dog project, which through personal interviews, explored the relationship between ill health and the emotional/mental health well-being of older LGBTI+ people in SA.
12.05 pm LUNCH
Lunch will be provided, with thanks to Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card
1.00 pm INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION SESSION WITH THE QUEER SOCIETY
Join youth members of The Queer Society in this intergenerational connection session.
2.00 pm RAINBOW ELDERS MATTER WITH THORNE HARBOUR HEALTH
This presentation provides an outline of the ageing well programs that Thorne Harbour Health offers in South Australia, namely Silver Rainbow Training and Rainbow Connection. Silver Rainbow Training is funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, through the National LGBTI Health Alliance (LHA), and aims to train aged care professionals to provide inclusive, person-centered, trauma-informed services that support the needs of all LGBTIQ+ clients and clients living with HIV. Rainbow Connection, also funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS,) pairs older LGBTIQ+ individuals with volunteers for social and community support, and aims to foster genuine and enduring relationships. Both initiatives are informed by research that shows that many older LGBTIQA+ people experience social isolation as well a lack of representation and understanding in the aged care sector: they (and their needs) are elided by what is sometimes referred to as a "cycle of invisibility" and this has very real consequences for health and wellbeing. Silver Rainbow Training and Rainbow Connection aim to counter some of the health inequities experienced by older LGBTIQ+ people and contribute to increased health and wellbeing.
2.35 pm MEET AN ORGANISATION: CONNECTCARE
Summit Health CONNECTcare is a not-for-profit mental health and community wellbeing service, caring for individuals, couples, and families across the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.
CONNECTcare provides Psychotherapy, Counselling, Psychosocial support, Peer support and a range of Mental Health supports. CONNECTcare also offers the care finder program to provide face to face support for vulnerable older people to navigate the aged care system.
3.05 - 3.15 pm CLOSING ADDRESS
*NOTE: Program is subject to change
The Festival for the Future is presented by The Equality Project® in partnership with Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card and supported by the City of Victor Harbor.
Working with the Rainbow Community Workshop - Mt Gambier evening session
Curious about how to better engage with and support rainbow communities? The Equality Project is coming to Mt Gambier in May.
Working with the Rainbow Community Workshop - Victor Harbor daytime session
Curious about how to better engage with and support rainbow communities? The Equality Project is coming to Victor Harbor in May.
Working with the Rainbow Community Workshop - Port Augusta daytime session
Curious about how to better engage with and support rainbow communities? The Equality Project is coming to Port Augusta in May.
Working with the Rainbow Community is a foundational workshop designed to help you kickstart or strengthen your relationship to LGBTIQA+ people.
This workshop is for primary health care providers in regional areas. This includes GPs, nurses, allied health and community services providers (including the lived experience workforce) who deliver primary care services.
Presented in a welcoming manner, we encourage you to ask questions in the language you have now and become a learner, in service of improving the care you offer your community.
This training has been significantly updated in 2025 to offer a more accessible and impactful learning experience, using interactive exercises and stories to foster empathy and understanding.
We will cover some language basics, as well as provide a deeper understanding of minority stress and cultural safety.
Think of this as a starter kit—equipping you with the essential knowledge and skills to cultivate a positive, inclusive workplace culture, even in challenging environments.
The Equality Project will be delivering Working with The Rainbow Community workshops across regional South Australia, in Mt Gambier, Victor Harbor and Port Augusta. Please look at our other workshops if one of these places is closer to you.
This series of workshops has been made possible by funding from Country SA PHN.
Registration is free. Workshops are limited to 25 people. If you register and are no longer able to attend, please consider cancelling your ticket to open up a space for someone else in the workshop.
Working with the Rainbow Community Workshop - Port Augusta evening session
Curious about how to better engage with and support rainbow communities? The Equality Project is coming to Port Augusta in May.
Better Together® 2025
Better Together 2024 highlight reel.
The next Rainbow Gathering for Change, Better Together® 2025, will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Kaurna Land, South Australia, from 31st October to 1st November 2025.
Visit the conference page for more info.
Propose a session
Need help with you conference ticket? Apply for a scholarship.
Pride Film Evening
Settle in for a night of compelling short films that celebrate queer lives, experiences, and connections across generations. Pride Film Evening showcases Geelong Pride Film Festival's collection of opening night Rainbow Shorts presented as part of Festival for the Future.
If you’re not attending Festival for the Future, you can purchase tickets to this screening separately. But if you already have a Festival for the Future ticket, your entry is free!
Adaptive Leadership Program: Part 1
Do you lead a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative in your organisation? Are you an active member of your Employee Resource Group (ERG) and seeking to enhance your leadership?
Join our Adaptive Leadership Program for Employee Resource Groups and transform your thinking and develop your adaptive leadership capacity to drive meaningful change in your organisation.
Unconscious Bias Training
Ever wonder how your decisions are shaped by what you don’t know you’re thinking?
Did you know that unconscious bias can silently influence everything from hiring decisions to team dynamics, often without you realising it?Our brand-new Unconscious Bias training program, BIAS UNVEILED, is designed using the latest scientific methods to tackle bias head-on, peeling back the layers of your mind to reveal the subtle influences that shape your actions and impact the world around you.
In this engaging workshop, you’ll dive into the fascinating world of unconscious bias, uncovering how it sneaks into your daily decisions and behaviours. Through interactive activities and meaningful discussions, you’ll not only explore your own biases but also learn practical strategies to spot and counteract them.
Walk away with powerful tools to reduce bias, create a more inclusive workplace, and promote a culture of connection, community and belonging. This workshop isn’t just about learning—it’s about transforming how you see the world and your role in it.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This workshop is ideal for organisations, teams, and leaders committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Designed for diverse environments, including those where individuals might approach this content with uncertainty, this training provides a supportive platform for fostering understanding, no matter your initial perspectives. It’s crafted to engage all levels of an organisation, embracing varied roles and viewpoints, making it a supportive space to navigate and challenge biases effectively.
WHEN: Thu 5th December 2024
TIME: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
WHERE: 25/525 Collins Street, Docklands (Melbourne)
INVESTMENT:
$290 ex GST - for profit, corporate, government
$190 ex GST - non profit, NGOs, charities
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Understand the concept of unconscious bias and its impact on decision-making, behaviour, and workplace culture.
Identify your own biases and how they influence everyday interactions, both personally and professionally.
Develop strategies to recognise, address, and reduce unconscious bias in decision-making processes.
Gain practical tools for fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace environment.
Build awareness of the role unconscious bias plays in organisational dynamics and how to counteract its effects.
Leave with a stronger commitment to creating positive cultural change within your team and organisation.
Excited to build a more positive and inclusive culture in your workplace? Sign up to our 1-day workshop in Melbourne today!
Limited to 25 participants. In-person session only.
GST and transaction fees apply.
Changemaker Masterclass - Melbourne
Changemaker Masterclass Melbourne is back by popular demand. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it! End the year with new skills and kickstart 2025 with fresh perspectives on creating change!
Changemaker Masterclass - Sydney
We're thrilled to unveil our newest project: the Changemaker Masterclass, building upon the success of our well-loved 2-day Advocacy Masterclass and series of leadership programs, a staple in our offerings for the past 6 years. With its emphasis on advocacy skills, our original Advocacy Masterclass program serves as the foundation for this exciting new venture.
We extend an invitation to both our alumni and new changemakers, and emerging leaders eager to enhance their impact as advocates for rainbow communities to drive meaningful change.
We're rolling out an innovative approach that centres you, the learner, offering experiential learning opportunities that cultivate self-awareness, self-leadership, and collaboration, while also preparing you to adapt to change effectively.
Scholarships available. Apply here.
$749 Full fee - Corporate/Government
$399 Full fee - Nonprofit/Community
$449 Early Bird - Corporate/Government (ends 6 weeks before event)
$229 Early Bird - Nonprofit/Community (ends 6 weeks before event)
$149 Scholarship - Apply here.
GST and transaction fees apply.
ABBA Day Downunder 2024 Fundraiser
Celebrate ABBA Day Downunder at a special one-day event starring The Choir by ABBA The Museum all the way from Stockholm, Sweden. Includes a film screening of ABBA the Movie, special guest speakers, a 12-member choir live performance, ABBA super fans and a dance party! Walk in Dance Out!
BUY TICKETS
The Choir by ABBA the Museum Tour Downunder
Mamma Mia! THE CHOIR by ABBA The Museum is coming downunder!
Get ready to immerse yourself in the magic of THE CHOIR by ABBA The Museum as they make their way to Melbourne. The renowned pop choir, hailing all the way from Sweden, is set to return to our shores! This time, they'll be gracing the stage at the prestigious Athenaeum Theatre 2 in Melbourne, thanks to ABBA the Museum's partnership with The Equality Project®.
BUY TICKETS
An ABBA Celebration for Over 50s in the Rainbow Community & their Friends
Exciting news for ABBA enthusiasts in Geelong!
THE CHOIR by ABBA The Museum is coming to town!
BUY TICKETS
Better Together® 2024
Better Together® 2024 will be held in Djilang, Wadawurrung Country (Geelong, Victoria) at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park on 14-15 June 2024. Join us for The Rainbow 🌈 Gathering for Change.
BUY TICKETS
LGBTIQA+ Leaders Summit 2024
The LGBTIQA+ Leaders’ Summit brings together the decision-makers and forward-thinkers of Australia's LGBTIQA+ communities. Together, we’ll engage in meaningful conversations about our aspirations as leaders, the world we desire to create, and how we can collectively achieve that vision.
How do we define leadership in the LGBTIQA+ community today? How might we foster collaboration to amplify our collective impact as a united community of leaders and changemakers?
Advocacy Masterclass - Mt Gambier
Join us for a dynamic 2-day Advocacy Masterclass designed for LGBTIQA+ advocates, changemakers, and allies who are passionate about driving positive change in their communities.
BOOK YOUR SPOT 🔖
The Long Walk 20th Anniversary
We call on the Rainbow Community to join us on the Long Walk on 28 August. Let's all step up and have the conversations that will see the nation voting YES once again to support a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
Advocacy Masterclass - Sydney
Join us for a dynamic 2-day Advocacy Masterclass designed for LGBTIQA+ advocates, changemakers, and allies who are passionate about driving positive change in their communities.
BOOK YOUR SPOT 🔖
The Long Walk 20th Anniversary
We call on the Rainbow Community to join us on the Long Walk on 28 August. Let's all step up and have the conversations that will see the nation voting YES once again to support a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
Advocacy Masterclass - Melbourne
Join us for a dynamic 2-day Advocacy Masterclass designed for LGBTIQA+ advocates, changemakers, and allies who are passionate about driving positive change in their communities.
BOOK YOUR SPOT 🔖
Advocacy Masterclass - Adelaide
Join us for a dynamic 2-day Advocacy Masterclass designed for LGBTIQA+ advocates, changemakers, and allies who are passionate about driving positive change in their communities.
BOOK YOUR SPOT 🔖
Pride with Purpose - Part 2
Build allyship and create an inclusive and positive workplace culture for the LGBTIQA+ community by attending this Working with the Rainbow Community - A Starter Kit.
🎟 TICKETS
Pride with Purpose - Part 1
LGBTIQA+ advocates, don't miss out on two dynamic workshops exploring Story of Self & Sustainable Leadership at Williamstown Town Hall on Wednesday 14 June 2023.
🎟 TICKETS
ABBA the Museum the Choir
For the first time in Australia, the official ABBA The Museum the Choir will be performing live direct from Sweden. As part of their sponsorship of the Better Together 2023 National LGBTIQA+ Conference, they are playing at Adelaide Fringe Festival at the Royalty Theatre Adelaide.
Better Together 2023
Join us in Adelaide, South Australia for Better Together™ 2023, Australia’s 5th National LGBTIQ+ Conference, from 17-18 February 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The national conference will coincide with the start of Sydney World Pride and will explore the important issues facing LGBTIQA+ communities in Australia and facilitate an intersectional discussion about achieving social and cultural change.
Better Together® 2023 Launch - The Party
BETTER TOGETHER 2023 LAUNCH - THE PARTY
Tunes // Food Trucks // Friends
Join us to celebrate the official launch of Better Together 2023, Australia's LGBTIQA+ community conference!
Meet new people from the LGBTIQA+ communities from across Australia, and re-connect with old friends.
Featuring performances by the ABBA Museum Choir and the beloved Frock Hudson.
Enjoy fab food trucks and drinks at bar prices. The menu is supported by the pillars of sustainability: local produce and social responsibility.
General admission $20.
This event is an initiative of The Equality Project®.
LGBTIQA+ Leaders Summit 2023
The LGBTIQA+ Leaders Summit 2023 is a pre-conference event of Better Together 2023 on 16 February 2023. Find out more.
Creating a Rainbow-Positive Organisation
Learn how to embed sustainable inclusive practice in your workplace. Demystify the Rainbow Tick and explore ways to create a more inclusive workplace culture.
Advocacy Masterclass Wangaratta, Victoria
How do you initiate, activate, and lead the narrative to effect positive social change? Advocacy Masterclass is a 2-day training program that builds on the core skills, knowledge, and techniques of today's LGBTIQ+ advocates to effect positive social and cultural change.
Creating a Rainbow-Positive Organisation
Learn how to embed sustainable inclusive practice in your workplace. Demystify the Rainbow Tick and explore ways to create a more inclusive workplace culture.
Advocacy Masterclass Melbourne
How do you initiate, activate, and lead the narrative to effect positive social change? Advocacy Masterclass is a 2-day training program that builds on the core skills, knowledge, and techniques of today's LGBTIQ+ advocates to effect positive social and cultural change.
LGBTIQ+ Leadership Program (Adelaide, SA)
The LGBTIQ+ Leadership Program SA is a 5-day transformational leadership training program delivered in two parts.
Designed as a unique program for emerging LGBTIQ+ leaders and change-makers to address the need for more dynamic and agile leaders, the core of the training is to help you re-think how you go about leading people, your organisation, and your community.
Part 1: 22-24 August 2022
Part 2: 25-26 October 2022
Advocacy Masterclass Sydney
How do you initiate, activate, and lead the narrative to effect positive social change? Advocacy Masterclass is a 2-day training program that builds on the core skills, knowledge, and techniques of today's LGBTIQ+ advocates to effect positive social and cultural change.
LGBTIQA+ Health & Wellbeing Day (Adelaide, SA)
Participate in a day of connection, nourishment, learning and practice for LGBTIQA+ communities in Adelaide.
Experience and explore ways to enhance your health and wellbeing by participating in workshops, panel discussions and mindful practices with key health and wellbeing service providers and local practitioners.
Victorian LGBTIQ+ Leadership Program
We’re thrilled to announce that The Equality Project, in partnership with the Victorian State Government, will be delivering the next Victorian LGBTIQ+ Leadership Program.
This exciting initiative is a leadership development program that builds and develops the leadership skills of LGBTIQ+ participants in a safe, supported, and inclusive environment.
Designed for emerging LGBTIQ+ leaders in Victoria, this leadership development program aims to grow and strengthen participants' leadership skills in a safe, inclusive, and supported environment.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED