On any given night there are 116,000 homeless people across Australia. Almost half are under the age of 24.
Join Ilana Rose, photographer of the ground breaking series Home truths, Keith Waters, CEO of Youth Development Australia and the National Youth Commission, Trish Connolly, CEO Yfoundations, and Elvis Martin, Youth advocate to learn more about the youth homelessness crisis in Australia, what is being done to fix it, and how visual representation brings awareness to social issues.
Register for the livestream event here.
Ilana Rose is a professional photographer and photojournalist. Her work has appeared in the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire and others, and was exhibited at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Her book This Chicken Life was released in 2019.
Keith Waters has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 30 years. He has held Executive positions with Anglicare in NSW and the ACT as well as the Salvation Army in Melbourne, Victoria. He has experience across a wide range of areas including youth, drug and alcohol, housing and homelessness, crisis services, OoHC and child protection, domestic violence, prisons and courts, disability services, child care, aged care, primary health care and juvenile justice. In addition to being a leading NGO Executive, he has pioneered numerous innovative programs for disadvantaged and homeless young people over the past 25 years and has been the author and co-author of a number of landmark reports which have impacted youth homelessness policy. He is currently the Executive Officer of both Youth Development Australia and the National Youth Commission into Youth Employment and Transitions.
Trish Connolly is the Chief Executive Office of Yfoundations, the NSW Peak body for Youth Homelessness Services. Connolly has an extensive background in homelessness and domestic abuse policy, research service design, and service system reform in both the Australian and UK contexts. She has worked across a broad range of sectors, including the NSW State Government, UK Government, peak bodies, non-government/frontline service providers and charities. Connolly was also a member of the Yfoundations Board in 2014–15 to provide expertise on impacts and best practice approaches for young people experiencing domestic and family violence. She is passionate about working in the youth homelessness sector, strongly committed to ending homelessness, and focused on developing a systemic approach to address the fundamental issues that contribute to youth homelessness.
Elvis Martin is a social justice advocate who has managed to overcome very difficult circumstances and inspire many with his advocacy for social justice. The recipient of awards such as The National Young Community Achiever of the year 2021. Elvis has worked, volunteered and spoken publicly in many roles, addressing mental health, youth homelessness, family violence and LGBTIQA+ community issues. Currently, Elvis is the Principal Ambassador of Youth Development Australia. He is also a member of the Victorian government’s Anti-racism taskforce and its LGBTIQ taskforce as well as being on the Board of VMIAC. He uses his platform, including a large social media following, to promote inclusion, diversity and equality for all.
Kickstart our month-long festival of the arts with music, photography, and community on the shores of the dazzling Bondi Beach. Be the first to know who won the 2024 Head On Photo Awards and get a taste of the photographs redefining visual storytelling.
Enthralling. Enchanting. Extraordinary. Discover exceptional photography for free around Sydney during the festival 8 Nov–1 Dec 2024