Love may be a sweet old-fashioned notion to some, but for many its meaning has changed over time and within relationships.
This Valentine’s Day, Southern Cross University in partnership with the Lismore Regional Gallery will launch the 2019 season of the Thursday Night Live! series with the aptly-themed provocation ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’
The Thursday Night Live! panel will discuss how Valentine’s Day can be a celebration of love, but also how love can be appropriated in the interests of retail, and how unions and relationships are managed by the state. Some might say that cynicism about the day is as typical as the increased sales in roses – a day of broken hearts or broken wallets. When it comes to sex, however, love is a different matter altogether.
The Thursday Night Live! panel will be hosted by Southern Cross University Indigenous studies alumnus Edda Lampis who will navigate the conversation around love and sex, and debunking assumptions of monogamy, gender identity and sexuality, followed by audience discussion.
Joining Edda to discuss the provocation will be four panellists:
- Nollie Nahrung is a Southern Cross University PhD candidate in the School of Arts and Social Sciences. Her research explores non-monogamous relationship practices using an interdisciplinary approach. Nollie is interested in how interpersonal relationships can mirror and/or challenge broader societal structures. Her research employs cultural studies perspectives in tandem with experimental writing and digital collage techniques. Nollie’s research engages with writings about gender and sexuality from the spheres of feminism, anarchism and queer theory. Her Honours thesis was an autoethnography that examined polyamory as queer heterosexuality.
- Rose Hogan is a community service provider and educator in the Northern Rivers and a staunch advocate for collaborative practice, acknowledging it takes many to support a healthy, vibrant and diverse community. She currently manages StandBy NSW, a postvention response to the health and wellbeing of people bereaved through suicide, a privileged position of trust, while holding space for people at times of change, challenge and uncertainty. As a joyous balance to this work, Rose is also an Authorised Marriage Celebrant where love and commitment is formally celebrated. She appreciates the significance of honouring the days and nights of our lives and the many special and ordinary bits in between.
- Beth Cronin has been a social worker for more than 20 years and has been intrigued by human relationships for as long as she can remember. Whether she’s living, loving, working or playing, her mantra is “it’s all about relationships”. Beth is a wife, a mother, counsellor, supervisor, group facilitator and writer. She is a white, CIS-gendered, queer woman with an intense interest in how our relationship with ourselves and each other interface with the social constructs around us. Beth has been called a love warrior on more than one occasion and believes loneliness is one of the most significant health crises our society faces.
- Brett Paradise is the Regional Manager for headspace youth mental health services and is Clinical Manager at Choices Reproductive and Sexual Health. He has more than two decades of experience managing social and community programs and services, including three years as executive Director at specialist LGBTIQA+ community organisation, the Twenty10 Association incorporating the Gay and Lesbian Counselling service of NSW. He has a long history of volunteering his time with Tropical Fruits Inc for which he is currently the Chairperson. Brett married Dean, his partner of 12 years, last November.
For Edda Lampis, love is central to existence. She believes that love is the ultimate healing force, connecting life with the Source. She is deeply enamoured with Lismore’s land, waters and people since moving here 21 years ago. She is honoured and excited to be facilitating this upcoming Thursday Night Live. Edda has two degrees from Southern Cross University: a Master of Indigenous Studies and a Bachelor of Indigenous Studies (Trauma and Healing).
EVENT
Thursday Night Live!
When: Thursday 14 February, 6pm – 7.30pm
Where: Lismore Regional Gallery, 11 Rural Street, Lismore NSW 2480
Cost: Free
