Naomi Watts, actress and Founder of STRIPES, brings her expertise, personal stories, and knowledge to SXSW Sydney for an open conversation around menopause. Hosted by MamaMia creative director Mia Freedman, the session will take place on Tuesday October 17 at 1pm at the Great Hall, UTS Sydney.
Mia Freedman hosts a live conversation with Naomi Watts to talk about her “second act” – life pre-, mid-, and post- menopause, the genesis around Stripes, and her mission to normalize the conversation about women’s health in midlife. The two women share a conversation around all things menopause from peri to post, a subject that has been historically off limits.
Stripes is a menopause beauty and wellness brand that was founded in October 2022.
Mamamia has an audience of more than six and a half million women every month and is also the largest women’s podcast network in the world with over 173 million listens and 44 different shows.
Naomi Watts, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Stripes, said today: “I’m thrilled to be joining the inaugural SXSW conference in Sydney! SXSW in Austin is always a rollercoaster of inspiration, fresh ideas, and amazing speakers. I’m so glad that it’s happening in Australia, and I just can’t wait to have some real talk about the whirlwind of menopause, women in their prime years, and the hustle of a career in midlife and beyond. This is not the end, we’re not invisible or irrelevant. It’s the beginning of something wonderful, actually — we’ve earned this time, we’ve earned our stripes.”
Mia Freedman, Co-founder of Mamamia said today, “Mamamia started a conversation with Australian women about peri-menopause several years ago when we launched our first Very Peri Summit and the response was overwhelming. Generation X women want to talk about this life stage and with Mamamia’s core purpose as a media company being to make the world a better place for women and girls, we’re here for it. I can’t wait to sit down with Naomi who is helping so significantly to change the conversation around this life stage every woman will go through.”
Fenella Kernebone, SXSW Sydney Head of Conference Programming, said, “We are so excited that Naomi Watts and Mia Freedman will be joining our speaker program, and for the opportunity to hear a frank and open conversation about menopause. This is a vital topic for everyone and one I am proud will be taking place in our first year at SXSW Sydney.”
This session joins a world-leading conference line-up as SXSW Sydney shines as a leading city for nurturing creative talent. Previously announced featured speakers in the screen industry have included Nicole Kidman and producer Per Saari, actor Jason Clark and Charmaine Bingwa, director Phillip Noyce, screenwriter Amy Wang, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, Australian screen legend Leah Purcell and Hollywood Producer Bruna Papandrea, alongside innovators in other forward-looking industries including Chance The Rapper, AI expert Amy Webb and Slack Co-Founder Cal Henderson.
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As it is a conference session, it is only possible to see the Menopause And Midlife: A Springboard for Self-Reinvention session with a SXSW Sydney 2023 badge.
