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.