PROGRAM PREVIEW

The full program is now live!

DAY ONE (TUESDAY)
DAY TWO (WEDNESDAY)

Progress is a space built for people who want a better future.

Whether you’re new to social change or have decades of experience, you’ll find ideas, tools and people who help you level up.

Check out the first wave of breakouts for Progress 2026.

Full agenda with session times coming soon.

IN CONVERSATION
IN PERSON + ONLINE • INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER

FROM SCROLLING TO THE STREET: INSIDE MAMDANI’S BREAKOUT ORGANIC SOCIAL STRATEGY

Gabriella Zutrau (MoveOn / Zohran for NYC) USA
Larah Kennedy (Quiip)

  • How do you turn likes, comments, and DMs into real-world momentum?

    Learn this and more from the architect behind Zohran's social media chatbot infrastructure – one of the most exciting recent organic social strategies around.

    Gabriella Zutrau – digital strategy advisor to organisations like MoveOn and Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign – will unpack how online communities can grow fast and turn online energy into offline action.

    From cracking organic social reach to building chatbot infrastructure that actually works, Gabbi will join Larah Kennedy from Quipp to share honest reflections from the field, and plenty of inspiration to level up your digital engagement.

PANEL
IN PERSON + ONLINE • INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER

DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: WHAT WORKS AGAINST DISINFORMATION

Paul Costello (GMF Cities) Germany
Jordy Nijenhuis (Dare to be Grey) Netherlands
Ika Trijsburg (Aus. National University)
Elena Yi-Ching Ho (Research and Action)

  • Disinformation doesn’t stop at borders – and neither do the solutions to tackling it. This panel will zoom out to examine how mis- and disinformation are shaping democratic life here and overseas, and then zoom back in on what’s actually working to counter it.

    Bringing together organisers, researchers, and democracy practitioners from across the globe, learn real-world strategies, hard-won lessons, and emerging ideas for protecting trust, participation, and democratic resilience.

    Expect sharp insights, practical takeaways, and an honest conversation about what it takes to meet today’s challenges – from local communities to global movements.

PANEL
IN PERSON + ONLINE

RE-IMAGINING HEALTH: BUILDING A FAIRER SYSTEM FOR AUSTRALIA

Dr Jill Gallagher (VACCHO)
Dr Alexandra Jones (FRED)
Jessica Birch (Lived Experience Advocate)
Caterina Giorgi (For Purpose)
Other speakers to be announced

  •  Across Australia, health outcomes are moving in the wrong direction. Climate change, corporate power, and widening income inequality are making it harder for communities to stay well, while our health system remains stuck reacting to crises instead of preventing harm.

    From First Nations community-controlled health to global health justice, prevention, and people-centred care, the panel will re-image what a fairer health system could look like. Expect a bold, grounded conversation about how we shift power upstream, tackle the social and commercial drivers of poor health, and build a system that keeps people well rather than waiting for them to get sick.

SKILL WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON + ONLINE • INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER

LEARN, ADAPT, WIN: LESSONS FROM AOTEAROA

Kassie Hartendorp (ActionStation Aotearoa) NZ

  • When foundational rights come under attack, movements need clarity, strategy and strong pathways to win.

    In this session, Māori activists will share how they developed a clear critical path to defend Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) in the face of coordinated attacks.

    The workshop will focus on movement strategy, decision-making under pressure, and how we share lessons across borders to build campaigns capable of winning big when it matters most.

SKILL WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON ONLY

VIDEO MASTERCLASS FOR COMMS TEAMS (WHO DIDN’T GO TO FILM SCHOOL)

Tom Maclachlan (Chop Chop)

  • Got a campaign video you need to make, but it keeps stalling? You’re not alone. This session is for comms teams who use video to get their message out there. Leave with a brief, a script, and a simple plan to get one stuck video moving again.

PANEL
IN-PERSON + ONLINE

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT AI?

Tom Sulston (Digital Rights Watch)
Lina Przhedetsky (University of Melbourne)
Other speakers to be announced

  • AI is already reshaping our jobs, our rights, and our democracy – and the parameters we set now will shape our future, for better or worse. Learn from real case studies of AI regulation, unpack what’s working and what has failed in advocacy, and leave with an informed analysis of the practical opportunities to influence policy right now, including where progressive movements align and where tensions emerge. Bringing together expertise from academic, creative writing, digital rights, and the union movement, this frank conversation is for everyone ready to build power and win fair regulations on AI.

PANEL
IN-PERSON ONLY

INSIDE AUSTRALIA’S CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Ben Raue (The Tally Room)
Gautam Raju (Movember)
Other speakers to be announced

  • Australia’s political landscape is shifting fast. The rise of One Nation, normalisation of far-right ideas, and growing radicalisation of men is reshaping how politics is fought and won. This panel will unpack what’s driving these trends and why they’re gaining ground now. We’ll look at where we’re losing reach, how grievance and identity are being weaponised, and what this means for elections, public debate and safety. We’ll also focus on what comes next – what does an effective progressive response look like; and how do we counter exclusionary politics without amplifying it, and rebuild a politics rooted in dignity, belonging and democratic participation?

PANEL
IN-PERSON ONLY

PROTECTING COUNTRY: FIRST NATIONS LEADERSHIP ON THE FRONT LINES

Josie Alec (Australian Conservation Foundation)
Milima May
Brendan Kennedy (MLDRIN)

  •  First Nations people are leading powerful campaigns to protect Country across this continent, defending land, water, culture and climate in the face of fossil fuel expansion and over-extraction of precious river systems. In this panel, First Nations campaigners share hard-won lessons from the frontlines. They’ll speak to the challenges of confronting powerful interests, what it means to lead campaigns grounded in culture and community, and how allies can show up in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, First Nations leadership. This session offers important insights for anyone committed to climate justice and protecting Country.

WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON ONLY

SEEING THE WHOLE TERRAIN: MAPPING FOR CAMPAIGN READINESS

Kristen Gillies (For Purpose NZ)
Zenaida Beatson(For Purpose NZ)
Anna Jackson (For Purpose NZ)

  • Campaigns often launch at speed, under pressure, with high stakes. When strategy isn’t settled or teams aren’t aligned, cracks show fast: unclear asks, hidden power dynamics, internal tension and burnout. This workshop offers space to take stock and get ready to move forward together. Using a collaborative, game-like process, you’ll map your campaign across five core dimensions: strategy, story, power, alignment and capacity. Working in small teams, you’ll identify what’s strong, what’s stretched, and what foundations need attention. Designed to support healthier teams and more sustainable campaigning, this session will help to build shared understanding, navigate internal tensions, and strengthen the internal practice needed to win.

PANEL + DISCUSSION
ONLINE ONLY

WE RUN THE TABLE, NOT JUST SIT AT IT

Kate May (Health communications consultant and lived experience advocate)
Nina Carr (Independent disability advocate)
Other speakers to be announced

  • Too often in our movements and organisations, lived experience advocates are invited for consultation rather than collaboration, without decision-making power, or confined within inequitable power imbalances. Learn from lived experience advocates across social, health and disability sectors what ethical, intentional and effective engagement looks like in practice. Pressure-test your own organisation’s approach and leave with tools to embed lived experience leadership in policy, governance and advocacy, without tokenism or extractive practice.

SKILL WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON + ONLINE

MOVING FROM DIVERSITY BUZZWORDS TO ACTIONABLE ANTI-RACISM

Noura Mansour (Democracy in Colour)
Will Potter (Tomorrow Movement)
Other speakers to be announced

  • Building racial justice into our work takes more than values statements or good intentions. It requires skills that shape how we organise, make decisions, and show up in moments of conflict and change. This hands-on workshop will equip you with core anti-racist skills to use day to day.

    We’ll build a shared understanding of how systemic racism operates, then focus on practical tools for challenging it, from identifying harm in workplace and campaign practices, to responding constructively when racism shows up. Leave with concrete actions you can apply, and greater confidence to practise racial justice in real-world settings.

PANEL
IN-PERSON

WINNING THE NEXT CLIMATE FIGHT

Amanda Cahill (The Next Economy)
Adam Bandt (Australian Conservation Foundation)
Other speakers to be announced

  • Australia is at a turning point on climate. The science is clear, the impacts are here, and the political window for real action is opening and closing at the same time. The question now isn’t whether change is needed, but how we build the power to deliver it. This panel brings together movement leaders to take stock of where the climate fight is at and what comes next. From winning stronger policy and standing up to fossil fuel interests, to building alliances with workers and communities and keeping public support onside, the conversation will focus on the strategies that can shift what’s possible.

PANEL
IN-PERSON + ONLINE

LESSONS IN SOLIDARITY: COLLABORATION ACROSS CLIMATE AND DISABILITY MOVEMENTS

El Gibbs (Writer and disability advocate)
Emma Bacon (Sweltering Cities)
Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Activate) Aotearoa NZ
Jason Boberg (Activate) Aotearoa NZ

  • Disabled people are among those most impacted by climate change. Both the disability advocacy and climate advocacy movements have long been home to some of the most innovative problem solvers.

    This session explores what becomes possible when climate and disability movements collaborate as equals, ensuring that those most affected are not only included, but centred in designing the future of climate justice campaigning. Through shared lessons and examples of collaboration, we’ll examine how movements can learn from each other, strengthen collective power, and build solutions that are more just, resilient and effective for everyone.

PANEL
IN-PERSON + ONLINE

WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT THE HOUSING CRISIS

A/Prof Ben Spies-Butcher (MQ Housing & Urban Research Centre)
Dr Alistair Sisson (Macquarie University)
Maiy Azize (Anglicare)
Leo Patterson Ross (Tenants’ Union of NSW)
Fiona York (Housing for the Aged Action Group)

  • What do voters actually think about the housing crisis – and how can that insight drive real reform? Dive into voter research conducted during the 2025 federal election campaign to reveal how people across generations, tenures, and political identities understand the housing crisis, its causes, and the solutions on offer.

    We’ll unpack where public frustration is landing, which narratives are cutting through, and where government credibility is holding, or failing. If you’re working to win stronger housing policy, on the streets, online, or inside the system, this session will give you the insights you need to do it smarter and faster.

SKILL WORKSHOP
ONLINE ONLY • INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER

FREE DIGITAL TOOLS YOU SHOULD BE USING, BUT PROBABLY AREN’T

Josh Klemons (Social Media Consultant & Digital Strategist) USA

  •  Everyone in the movement is stretched. Budgets are tight, timelines are brutal, and the pressure to show up online never lets up.

    Josh has done social media and digital marketing work with local and statewide political campaigns, tiny non-profits, Fortune 500 companies and everything in between. In this session, he’ll share free digital tools that can make everyday campaigning easier and more effective, from writing and design to video, branding and content planning. We’ll focus on tools that save time, lift quality, and help small teams punch above their weight.

IN CONVERSATION
ONLINE ONLY

ORGANISING BEYOND THE CITIES: BUILDING POWER IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA

Speakers to be announced

  • Winning change in regional and rural Australia takes more than parachuting in during election cycles. It requires long-term relationships, local leadership, and organising infrastructure that’s built to last. This session brings together organisers and organisations to explore what it takes to build and sustain local organising and campaigning capacity outside major cities. Drawing on real-world case studies, participants will dig into the challenges and opportunities of regional organising, and leave with tested tools, fresh provocations, and a stronger case for why investing in rural and regional capacity is essential to winning lasting change.

PANEL
IN-PERSON ONLY

ANATOMY OF A POLICY CHANGE

Caterina Giorgi (For Purpose Aus.)
Georgi Dent (The Parenthood)
Other speakers to be announced

  • Policy change is rarely neat – instead, it’s often long, messy work, where progress is uneven and relationships matter as much as formal power. We’ll unpack three policy changes in this session, each offering a distinct lens on how change happens. Speakers will share what they were trying to achieve, where they made gains and losses, and what they learned. We’ll dig into the role relationships played, who mattered at key moments, and what “good” relationships looked like. If you want a shiny win in a sanitised case study, this isn’t it. If you want an honest look at how policy change actually happens, this is for you.

WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON ONLY

THE ECONOMY WE COULD HAVE

Katherine Trebeck (The Next Economy)
Josh Devine (Regen Australia)

  • Australia’s economy appears strong on the surface, but rising inequality, insecure work and ecological breakdown reveal deep structural problems. The Economy We Could Have shows these challenges are not inevitable – they’re the result of economic choices shaped by power and values, and they can be changed. This workshop will explore what a wellbeing economy looks like in practice, and how upstream economic change can address today’s crises at their roots. Drawing on real-world case studies, we’ll identify practical pathways towards systemic change that prioritises dignity, fairness, connection and ecological care. Leave with tools to connect big-picture vision with everyday strategy, strengthen winning narratives, build alliances, and drive change.

WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON ONLY

POWER SHIFTS: RECLAIMING AGENCY

Carli Liembach (Women's Environmental Leadership Australia)
Cherry Muddle (Women's Environmental Leadership Australia)

  • Power is often framed as something we’re fighting against, but such framing can leave us stuck in scarcity, burnout and constant defence. This workshop will invite you to rethink how we understand and use power, reframing it as relational, regenerative and something we already hold when we organise together. Through reflection, storytelling and power mapping, we’ll identify allies and voices who hold power, shift habits and narratives that disempower you, and explore more collaborative ways of leading and working together. You’ll leave with tools to move from embattlement to empowerment, shift from a “power over” to “power with” mindset, and strengthen your ability to build durable, people-powered change.