Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to eleventh episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
Today we have a special performance from Michelle Hall, Michelle is an independent performance maker, teaching artist, mentor, arts worker, community organiser, yoga practitioner and mother living and working on Noongar Boodja. She has trained in devising, physical theatre, Clown, Butoh and Contemporary Dance with various companies including Teatro de Complicite (UK), Pan Theatre (Fra), Laban London (UK), Giovanni Fusetti (Italy), Café Reason Butoh (UK), Augusto Boal and Cardboard Citizens (UK).
To watch Michelle's performance follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HmNCe2sYsI
And for more of Michelle's work you can head to her website: https://thedirtymother.com/michelle-hall/
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the tenth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear from Dr Winnie Orchard again, who spoke with us earlier in the season, Dr Orchard is a cognitive neuroscientist who specialises in understanding how caregiving reshapes our brain and minds and in this episode talks specifically to those going through parenting from a queer perspective.
We invite you also to take care when listening to Claire's song The Beast after Dr. Orchards talk, the music video with the dance choreography from Bonnie can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNBN7AzHeuM
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to first episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025. In this episode, we experience both Maidenhood and Sagescence, as we relish in the wisdom of Jane Hardwick-Collings and the music of Mietta.
Jane Hardwicke-Collings Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post menopausal grandmother. She was an intensive care and operating theatre nurse, and then a homebirth midwife for 30 years. Now her work focuses on teaching the Women’s Mysteries and writing about them. She gives workshops on mother and daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred and shamanic dimensions of pregnancy, birth and menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mystery School.
Mietta is a soulful indie folk singer songwriter and in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops.
For more from Jane, you can head to: https://www.janehardwickecollings.com where you can find her many publications.
For more of Mietta's music, you can find her on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1SHQyvwWBmN2EU2jg9O53u
For more from Claire, you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy, you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to eighth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
Today we welcome you to the second day of the festival and helping us to do that is the incredible Nartarsha Bamblett, a proud First Nations leader creating safe, transformative spaces for healing, learning, and collective growth. She is the founder of Queen Acknowledgements and IndigUcation, two platforms that merge storytelling, cultural education, and holistic wellbeing, Nartarsha is committed to ensuring that the strength, knowledge, and stories of First Nations people are not only heard but celebrated. She guides individuals and organisations through meaningful cultural journeys that foster reflection, healing, and collective responsibility.
For more from Nartarsha, you can head to: https://www.nartarshabamblett.com.au/
For more from Claire, you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy, you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to seventh episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear from Mandy Hose, a sleep and settling consultant as well as the co host of the Too Peas podcast to help all parents of multiples who live with disabilities and additional needs. Mandy wants no one to feel alone anymore, parenting on the road less travelled and has also co-authored a book called 'The Invisible Lives of Us' discussing the surprises, challenges and sheer delight of parenting twins with additional needs.
As well as hearing from Mandy, you'll get to hear us close out Day One of the festival with gratitudes and words of wisdom and affirmation, as attendees discuss what they have gotten out of the festival so far. And please let us know what you've gotten out of the series so far at @tontspod on instagram.
For more from Mandy you can head to: https://mandyhosesheknows.com/ or https://toopeasinapodcast.com.au/
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the sixth episode of TONTS Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear from the amazing Tamica Wilder, Tamica is a somatic sex coach and multi-qualified therapist with a deep passion for teaching humans to re-attune to the wisdom of our bodies, while giving full permission to shamelessly prioritise pleasure and play. She believes that our current cultural narratives around sex, intimacy, pleasure and relationships need to change and that begins with helping to create sex-positive families and help parents build the confidence to have ‘those chats’ with their kids and other family members.
For more from Tamica you can find her book 'Wild Honey' or follow her on instagram @themomsexologist
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the fifth episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode we're joined again by the wonderful Amy Taylor-Kabbaz and Dr Winnie Orchard, who you will have heard earlier in the festival, as they discuss the restructuring of the brain during Matrescence, hormones, neurodivergence in parents and much more.
For more from Amy, you can visit Amy Taylor Kabbaz or pick up a copy of her book 'Mama Rising'.
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to forth episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you will hear the first talk given by Dr Winnie Orchard, a cognitive neuroscientist, who specialises in understanding how pregnancy and caregiving reshape the brain and mind, she is leading efforts to create a standardized measure for recording and reporting reproductive health history across the lifespan.
Winnie earned her PhD in Neuroscience from Monash University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, where she studied maternal brain function and cognition. Her research has been featured in journals such as Trends in Cognitive Science and Nature, and media outlets like TIME Magazine and New Scientist.
Beyond her research, she is a passionate science communicator who believes that scientific discovery should be accessible to all.
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to third episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear from previous speakers Amy Taylor-Kabbaz and Dr Melanie Jackson in a Q&A style panel and closing with more beautiful poetry from Vicki Chan. For more from our speakers you can visit: https://amytaylorkabbaz.com/ & https://www.melaniethemidwife.com/
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.matrescencefestival.co.uk
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to second episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear from our speaker Dr Melanie Jackson, a private midwife providing homebirth services since 2009. In 2015 she completed her PhD, called "Birth Outside the System." This work sprouted academic publications and has also allowed her to work as a researcher and midwifery lecturer at Western Sydney university, as a peer reviewer for academic journals and as a project officer at the Australian College of Midwives and motivates the work she now does on her social media and youtube channels. Melanie also hosts The Great Birth Rebellion which aims to dismantle western beliefs and management of birth and presents an evidence-based alternative to modern birth practices. Melanie believes that calculated rebellion against medicalised maternity care is the evidence-based and preferred path to having a great birth. Find more from Dr Jackson on their website: https://www.melaniethemidwife.com/
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.clairetonti.com/matrescence-festival
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to first episode of TONTS. Season 5 Matrescence Festival edition, join us as we look back through our Melbourne festival from March 2025.
In this episode you'll hear all about what it was like at the festival, how it was laid out and from two wonderful speakers from the morning of day one.
Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author of 'Mama Rising', Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. Along with hosting 'The Happy Mama Movement' podcast, in 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 200 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally.
For more from Amy, you can visit https://amytaylorkabbaz.com/
Vicki Chan is the mother of four grown children and a besotted grandmother. She is into her 5th decade of seeing babies into the world as a fierce and passionate midwife; devoted to better birth and fully supported matrescence. She is a storyteller, a poet, artist of sorts, lover of little birds and all things Italian.
For more from Claire you can head to: https://www.clairetonti.com/ or her instagram @clairetonti
For more from Lizzy you can head to: https://www.lizzyhumber.com/ or her instagram @lizzyhumber
And to keep up to date with past and upcoming Matrescence festivals you can follow @matrescencefestival on instagram or go to https://www.lizzyhumber.com/matrescencefestival
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: Maisie JG
Social Media: Surabhi Pradhan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode discusses themes of birth trauma, post natal depression and anxiety.
Bron Lewis is one of Australia’s most promising new comedians. She was the co-winner of the National Raw Comedy competition in 2022, a four-time champion of the Moth storytelling competition, and both the best and the worst mum living at her house. Bron is a writer at The Project and has a prominent presence on stages all around the country.
Bron’s critically acclaimed show ‘Probably’ sold out in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, and it scored her a nomination for Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s ‘Best Newcomer’ for 2023.
Bron is performing her live show 'OBVIOUSLY' on July 26th at Comedy Republic in Melbourne - tickets available here
You can also follow here on instagram right here at @bronlewiscomedy
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Part Two of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.
To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head here
https://www.clairetonti.com/events
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Part One of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.
To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head here
https://www.clairetonti.com/events
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to another episode of TONTS. on the road. Audio grabs from Claire's tour of the UK last year. This one is from her show in the Caves in Edinburgh Scotland with the wonderful doula and mamma medicine women's circle facilitator Roberta Giovedi. Roberta had a baby during Covid and noticed that many mothers in her community (including herself) were feeling isolated and alone. With the help of an organisation called the Planetary Healing Centre Roberta began running women's circles for mothers in the woods near her home building space for mothers to share their stories, stitch, sit with their feet in the stream and shine a light on the darkness as well as the love they were experiencing. This speech is so powerful and felt like a rally cry to recenter mothers and children in our communities.
For more from Roberta you can read her full speech and her story here and to find out more about her circles you can head to her instagram account https://www.instagram.com/mamma_medicine/
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Two times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women’s rights, LGBTQI+ visibility, and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.
Founder and CEO of Melbourne’s acclaimed Women’s Spoken Word organisation and monthly event, Mother Tongue, she has guided the voices of thousands of women into the world. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who’s words, workshops and courses leave a profound impression.
A British artist now based in Melbourne, Australia; she studied at the famous London stage institution, The BRIT School, which birthed many strong talents such as Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kae Tempest and more.
A self-identified queer, erotic, spiritual, mother she has a theatrical and yet deeply authentic performance and writing style, renowned for captivating her audiences with depth, honesty, and humour. She now writes and presents regularly to her online community of over 20k followers with poetry, talks, and opinion pieces.
In 2017 she published her book, Sex and God, performed internationally, was a grand slam finalist and became the first women to represent Australia at the National Poetry Slam, USA. In 2018 her poem, Witches, went viral on International
Women’s Day with over one million views in 3 days, and over 3 million views to date. Towards the end of the year she completed a US tour, and launched her album of spoken word, Unhear This. In 2020 she successfully crowdfunded her latest book Virago: A Poetic Manifesto, reaching over 200% of her original goal on Kickstarter and pre-selling over 300 copies across 4 continents.
Website - https://fleassymalay.com
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/FleassyMalay
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr Melanie Jackson is a private midwife providing homebirth services since 2009. In 2015 she completed her PhD, called "birth outside the system: wanting the best and safest" This work sprouted academic publications and has also allowed her to work as a researcher and midwifery lecturer at Western Sydney university, as a peer reviewer for academic journals and as a project officer at the Australian College of Midwives and motivates the work she now does on her social media and youtube channels.
Melanie also hosts The Great Birth Rebellion which aims to dismantle western beliefs and management of birth and presents an evidence-based alternative to modern birth practices. They believe that calculated rebellion against medicalised maternity care is the evidence-based and preferred path to having a great birth.
Melanie is a mother of two and lives on a permaculture farm in the Blue Mountains of NSW.
Website - www.melaniethemidwife.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melaniethemidwife/
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Original theme music: Free by Claire Tonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. After more than a decade covering breaking news and current affairs for the ABC around the country, her 'traditional' career took an unexpected turn when she found herself lost, overwhelmed and diagnosed with a thyroid disease after the birth of her first daughter. 14 years - and two more babies - later, she is now the best-selling Hay House author of Mama Rising, the host of the ‘The Happy Mama Movement’ podcast (with more than 400,000 downloads), an internationally awarded Life Coach, runs numerous online programs for mothers all over the world, expert contributor to media outlets around the globe, and the creator of the #1 itunes meditations for children with more than 23 million downloads ‘Bedtime Explorers’. In 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 200 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally.
Website - www.amytaylorkabbaz.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amytaylorkabbaz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/amytaylorkabbaz/
For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetonti
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JG
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to another episode of TONTS. on the road. Audio grabs from Claire's tour of the UK last year. This one is from her London show with the spoken word poet Hollie Mcnish. Hollie is an award-winning poet, writer and performer. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Slug (and other things I’ve been told to hate) and won the Ted Hughes award for new work in poetry with her poetry and parenting memoir Nobody Told Me. She has two further poetry collections, Plum and Cherry Pie, one modern adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone and alongside fellow poet Sabrina Mahfouz, co-wrote Offside, a play relating the history of UK women’s football. She loves writing and her live readings are not to be missed. Hollie is currently touring the UK at the moment and her new book Lobster is on sale now.
For more from Hollie you can find her here and watch here YouTube video performing Megatron in a Boxing ring here You should definitely watch it!
For more from Claire Tonti head here
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JP
Original music: Free by Claire Tonti
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jasper Peach is a trans, non-binary and disabled writer, speaker and parent. They are passionate about equitable access and inclusion, focused around the dismantling of misplaced shame via storytelling. Their written work has been published in The Age, HireUp, The Big Issue, Archer, The Guardian, Verandah, Australian Poetry Journal, Meanjin, ABC and SBS online.
With a background in Auslan interpreting, broadcasting and civil celebrancy, writing has continued their personal trend of being all about communication and community. Their first book, You’ll be a Wonderful Parent, was published March 2023 by Hardie Grant and is a celebration of rainbow families of all kinds.
For more from Jasper you can find them on instagram @jasperpeachsays or find Jasper's book here
For more from me you can find me @clairetonti on instagram or at my website www.clairetonti.com
Editing: RAW Collings
Social Media: Maisie JP
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.