Dubbo Women's Festival
FREE EVENT
International Women’s Day
Friday 8 March 2024
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Western Plains Cultural Centre:
76 Wingewarra St, Dubbo
You are invited to come as you are and enjoy The Dubbo Women’s Festival, designed around the 'seasons of a woman's life'.
This is a day of relaxation, care, information, and connection for women of all ages and stages.
Come for the day or spend an hour nourishing the body, mind and spirit.
Listen to experts in women's physical and mental health answer the curly questions on what the heck is happening with bodies and hormones, let the kids run around while you lunch on the lawn, or take a moment to prioritise self-care with meditation and mindfulness in our Mindful Moment Lounge.
The event team acknowledge the Wiradjuri people as the traditional custodians of where we work. We value their connection to country, community and culture.
With thanks and deep gratitude to our speakers, venue, supporters and sponsors, the 2024 Dubbo Women's Festival is an entirely free event.
Becoming a leader
This is an invitation-only breakfast for female teachers and staff and high-school student leaders.
07:45 AM - 08:45 AM
Leadership journeys and finding purpose. Why International Women's Day is a big deal. 'True or false? Seasons of a woman's life.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Rose Prout
Centric Movement
Charnie Tuckey
Holistic Counselor
Dr Pethidia Mango
Dubbo Health Hub
The breakfast will conclude with a self-care session focusing on mindfulness and gentle stretches in The Moment Lounge.
Transitions & motherhood
What is actually ‘normal’ for women's bodies in their 20s and 30s, and what about transitioning to motherhood?
10.30 AM - 11:30 AM
For women planning on kids or not.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Madeline Hubbard
Midwife and Antenatal Care
Melissa Matheson
Dietitian (WNSWLHD)
Ange Conn
Psychologist, Dubbo Therapy
Lucinda Ferguson
Women's and Paediatric Physiotherapist
Marsha McBroom
Nurse Unit Manager of Tresillian
During this session, childminding is available with a qualified minder.
Transitions & menopause
Light-hearted Q&A panel discussing physical and mental health during perimenopause and menopause.
1.00 PM - 2.00 PM
For women on the other side of childbearing age who may be experiencing core body temperatures of a million degrees.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Dr Pethidia Mango
Dubbo Health Hub
Melissa Matheson
Dietitian (WNSWLHD)
Lucinda Ferguson
Women's Health Physiotherapist
Joanne Phillips
Clinical Nurse Consultant Women's Health Nurse
The session will conclude with a session in The Moment Lounge.
11.30 AM - 12.45 PM
Lunch under the trees
Thanks to our sponsors, we can provide our festival goers with a simple but nourishing lunch and refreshments.
We are so grateful for the support this first Dubbo Women's Festival has received.
Towards the end of lunch, creative vocal coach Camilla Ward will bring out our creative voices with an all-ages sing-a-long.
Camilla is passionate about bringing out people's creative voices and is excellent at it. She works with the dementia-friendly Sing Out Choir, lead the successful Pub Rock Choir, and is a member of the community women’s choir, Cantando Sorelle.
Thanks to our Festival Zone Partners, we're creating the ideal conditions for women to do what we do so well, given the right environment: connect and engage in meaningful conversations.
The Hub
Welcome to The Hub, a relaxed space in the Art Room of the WPCC where you can lounge for a while, pour a cup of tea, chai or juice and access all kinds of information.
Health, nutrition, financial guidance, family planning, counselling, legal resources, mental health support, employment and training, grief counselling, neurodivergent resources, parenting and caregiver resources, and more.
Women from local services will be available for a chat, Breastscreen and a women's nurse, should you need to arrange an appointment.
Moment Lounge
Experience the benefits of mindfulness, positive messaging, breath work, meditation, and other methods for self-care, emotional regulation and well-being.
Thanks to Rose Prout of Centric Movement and Holistic Counsellor Charnie Tuckey, The Blackbox Theatre will be transformed into a day spa mini-retreat.
Here is where you can take a moment to prioritise your well-being and discover how easy it can be to enjoy a mindful moment like this every day.
Social Quarter
A welcoming communal space for the whole day. This outdoor, grassy Festival Zone set with chairs, tables and mats on the ground will host the insightful Transitions & Motherhood panel and Lunch under the Trees.
Here, you can explore
The "Women in Your Neighbourhood" installation, showcasing the diverse stories of women in Dubbo.
Comprehensive listings for socialising and connection such as special interest groups, fitness clubs or culturally specific gatherings.
Mums Corner
Need to bring the little ones to the festival? No problem. You can still enjoy everything the day offers with a special space with a toy library for the children and comfortable chairs for the mums.
During the Transitions & Motherhood panel discussion outside, women can also leave their child to play inside, under the watchful eye of a fully qualified minder.
There will also be a quiet space for mothers wanting to feed away from festivalgoers.
Meet the experts, women in your neighbourhood
The Dubbo Women's Festival is a Social Gain project.
Social Gain projects are collaborations that bring good humans together to do great things.
They are fun, community-minded, and backed by strong, interconnected networks.
This collaboration is the work of three women passionate about community well-being and many other extraordinary people and organisations.
Event Team
Lorna Brennan
heads the school's community centre at Buninyong Public School.
Joanne Phillips
is a clinical nurse and consultant specialising in women’s health.
Sharon Quill
Founder of Social Gain.
Community Hub Listings
We're creating a one-stop online list of community services and social groups in Dubbo's region.
If your group or organisation would like to be included, complete this Community Hub Form below.