KEYNOTES
Glendra Stubbs
Aunty Glendra Stubbs is a Wiradjuri Woman.
A founding member of Link-Up – an organisation established to reunite families separated through past welfare policies, and the CEO for many years, Aunty Glendra has spent more than 40 years providing advice and practical assistance to survivors of trauma.
Aunty Glendra is a former NAIDOC Person of The Year and her community efforts and strong voice have seen her awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to the Indigenous community.
Joel Hollier
Jon Owen
While Rev Jon Owen has been Pastor and CEO of Wayside Chapel since 2018, he has spent his life creating a community with no ‘us and them’. A qualified social worker, who has lived and worked in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Sydney and Melbourne, Jon is dedicated to supporting those experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues. Prior to Wayside, Jon was Australian and Pacific Director of Urban Neighbourhoods of Hope, an international not-for-profit organisation specialising in community development and care coordination for families living in poverty. Jon is a regular public speaker and passionate storyteller.
Associate Professor Robyn Wrigley-Carr
Robyn Wrigley-Carr is Associate Professor in Spirituality and Spiritual Care at Whitley College, University of Divinity, Australia. She is also on the Executive Committee for the International Network for the Study of Spirituality and on the Editorial Board and Book Reviews Editor for the ‘Journal for the Study of Spirituality.’ As well as being an academic, Robyn is a spiritual director and leads spiritual retreats.
Robyn researches in the area of spiritual care for people with dementia and spiritual care for aged care chaplains. Alongside an extensive list of journal publications in highly ranked journals such as the ‘Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging’, Robyn has been a guest on ABC radio’s ‘God Forbid’, plus international podcasts:- ‘Renovaré’; ‘Radix’ (both USA) and ‘Church House’ (UK).
Kirsty Beilharz
Kirsty is Professor and the National Head of School — Arts and Sciences, at the University of Notre Dame Australia.
Kirsty has a passion for academic leadership including research, higher education strategy and ethics. Her recent writing has focused on student formation in the context of diversity and plurality; living well at the end of life; ethical issues including palliative care, wellbeing interventions for people living with dementia and in aged care; theological and philosophical perspectives on music, equity and community, governance and organisational leadership. She wrote the book, Music Remembers Me: Connection and Wellbeing in Dementia (HammondCare Media, 2017) and has co-authored Redeeming Truth and Community in the Age of Individualism: Meaning and Morality in the Contemporary World (Avondale Academic Press, 2023) and Embracing Diversity: Formative Christian Higher Education and the Challenge of Pluralisms (Information Age Publishing, 2023).
Previously, Kirsty was the Director of Mission, and Director of Research (Graduate Programs) at Excelsia College. Kirsty has conducted research at the University of Notre Dame Australia's Institute for Ethics & Society (Bioethics & Healthcare Ethics) in collaboration with St. Vincent's Health Network (2019); she was Senior Creative Fellow at Anglican Deaconess Ministries (2018); music engagement director and researcher at HammondCare (2014-2018); professional researcher of the Kolling Institute of Research; adjunct academic of the University of NSW School of Medicine; and Visiting Fellow at the University of Edinburgh U.K. (dementia-friendly cities, music engagement in care). Kirsty was also Professor of Music and Interaction Design at the University of Technology, Sydney and Digital Media program director at the University of Sydney. Kirsty studied music performance and composition at the University of Sydney (BMus Hons 1st class & Ph.D (1996) with Peter Sculthorpe). Kirsty also completed a Ph.D in theology looking at the music of C20th French composer, Olivier Messiaen, through the phenomenological lens of French contemporary hermeneutist Jean-Luc Marion, at Sydney College of Divinity (2021).
Kirsty's music compositions and interactive installations have been performed and exhibited worldwide. Kirsty maintains an active interest in the role of art and music in different cultural, and spiritual traditions — embodied and experiential, ranging from therapeutic, meditational, reflective, expressive, and ritual to communicative in the absence of words or common language.
A/Prof. Maeve Louise Heaney
Panel Member
Associate Professor Maeve Louise Heaney VDMF is a consecrated member of the Verbum Dei Community. As a theologian, she is the Xavier Chair and Director of the Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at Australian Catholic University. A theologian, musician, and composer, she specializes and researches into the areas of theological aesthetics, music, spirituality, ministry and leadership. She is currently President of the Australian Catholic Theological Association (ACTA). Her most recent publication is entitled Suspended God: Music and a Theology of Doubt, and in 2020 she released her 5th album of original music: Strange Life: The Music of Doubtful Faith. The Verbum Dei Community’s charism is that of a dedication to prayer and ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4), so opening spaces to explore how to pray is one of her passions.
Rabbi Gabbi Sar-Shalom
Panel Member
Rabbi Gabbi Sar-Shalom is the Manager of Mission, Pastoral and Spiritual Services for Calvary Aged Care in Victoria. She is the Director of the Bnei Mitzvah program for Kehilat Nitzan. Gabbi is a Jewish Universalist Rabbi and enjoys zip lining, new adventures and drumming.
Sai Paravastu
Panel Member
Sai is the National President and Director for Community Services at Hindu Council of Australia (HCA). He is also currently Multicultural Ambassador for Mental Health Foundation of Australia. He manages the Karma Kitchen since 2015 (formerly), which provides freshly cooked meals to homeless people and people in need around Western Sydney Parramatta, Blacktown, Toongabbie. They support old age homes with meals, snacks and during special events via SriOm Care. Sai also heads Chaplaincy education programs at HCA and appointment / placement of Councillors where needed.
A/Prof. Mehmet Ozalp
Panel Member
Associate Professor Mehmet Ozalp is one of the most prominent Muslim community leaders in Australia. He is a scholar, public intellectual, community leader and author serving the community since 1992. Mehmet is an Associate Professor of Islamic studies and the Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation (CISAC) which he founded at Charles Sturt University. He is the founder and Executive Director of ISRA (Islamic Sciences and Research Academy of Australia). Under his leadership, CISAC and ISRA pioneered Islamic Studies courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level since 2011.Mehmet is the editor-in-chief of the Australian Journal of Islamic Studies. He serves on the executive committee of the strategic research centre Public and Contextual Theology (PaCT) linked to CSU. He serves on the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney. Mehmet was awarded Australian Bluestar Award in Education (2011) and Charles Sturt University Professional Excellence Award (2012), Australian Muslim Role Model of the Year award (2012) and Australian Muslim Lifetime Achievement Award (2018).Mehmet is the author of thirty-one publications including the books: 101 Questions You Asked About Islam, Islam in the Modern World and Islam between Tradition and Modernity: An Australian Perspective.
Phoebe Bakker - Artist In Residence
Phoebe Bakker is a self taught botanical Artist and Illustrator residing in beautiful Lake Macquarie. Phoebe loves colour and nature and has a strong affiliation with wildflowers. She works mainly with acrylics and uses negative space to highlight form. Phoebe explores themes of growth and renewal, the life of the spirit, the importance of beauty and creativity for healing, and loves to create art that ignites a sense of hope.
“I am honoured to be included at this years conference as the Artist in Residence. I’m hoping to bring a fun and creative safe space for the delegates to watch the artistic process unfold, and to explore the themes of healing and wellbeing and recovery from past trauma using creativity.”