WHAT HAPPENS AT S P A C E DOESN’T STAY AT S P A C E

Words by Sian Gooden, storyteller at  s p a c e.

s p a c e  is where ideas meet influence. We are building a collective of unlike-minds with a passion for making the world a better place through action. Unlock ideas you didn't know you had and meet those you didn't know you needed to know.

s p a c e was designed to break the mould and shatter the cookie-cutter principles followed by 99% of events.  Disconnection, context, un-like minds, and being yourself, not your job title are all fundamental pillars. s p a c e is less think-tank, more do-tank.

So, in many ways, it’s not surprising that 18 months after our inaugural event, unlikely collaborations are still surfacing.

2019 cadet, Aqeel Karma is pursuing his vision to transform education in Australia by collaborating with other doers he met in Byron Bay last year- Louka Parry, Adriano Di Prato, Penny Locaso, and Mikel Dixon.

Can you tell me about the Young Trailblazer Program?

Aqeel- “I'm bringing together high school students from around Australia for a free, ten-week program that aims to empower them to be changemakers in education by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to shape what and how they learn. 

It’s no secret that the education system needs to innovate, but young people are not often considered or consulted in making such decisions. It’s usually educators and policymakers who are years removed from going through the school system themselves who are making these decisions on behalf of young people.

Initially, the idea was to run something locally in Canberra, but when Covid hit I saw an incredible opportunity to bring together different perspectives from all over the country to enhance the richness of the experience for everyone involved.” 

So how did s p a c e help to shape the Trailblazer Program? 

Aqeel- “I went to s p a c e at the age of 19, two years into my university studies. I was really passionate about empowering young people to have a voice in decision making but I didn’t really know where to go with that. At  s p a c e, I saw that young people are not alone in this journey. There are plenty of people in positions of power and influence who want to provide a platform for youth voices.

I’ve got four amazing cadets from last year running sessions as part of the Young Trailblazers Program. Louka Parry is an absolute legend in the education space. I attended an intimate session of his last year so we had a few in-depth conversations around what needs to change in the education industry. Adriano Di Prato also knows the education system inside out and understands how to communicate effectively with educators. Then there’s Penny Locaso and I can’t think of anyone better to help us understand the value of human skills that can address issues young people face in school around culture. And finally, Mykel Dixon, who is so unashamedly himself regardless of the setting. I think if we’re going to try and drive change in the education system we need to encourage each other to be our unique selves. 

I didn’t necessarily spend a lot of time with these four cadets at the event, but I did get an understanding of what they were all about and the impact they hope to make. By being at s p a c e I knew that we all shared a passion for creating a more ambitious Australia so it was quite easy to join the dots and collaborate.” 

Penny-  “Aqeel and I were connected off the back of s p a c e. He reached out as he felt there were synergies in the work that we are both doing, particularly in our shared passion for human connection and the role it plays in developing skills for the future. We did some work together when Covid hit around an idea that I called Human Hour. This was all about bringing strangers together to connect on a human level for an hour online through practices that made them happy. Aqeel loved the idea. When he created the Trailblazer program he invited me to run a Human Hour for his amazing students so I said yes!”

Adriano -  “Aqeel reached out to me and shared his incredible passion for young people and empowering them with the necessary skills and character to thrive in our new tomorrow. So much of Aqeel’s vision is congruent with the work at my new educational enterprise, a School for Tomorrow and our hugely popular podcast, Game Changers. In late November I’ll be delivering an interactive workshop at Aqeel’s Young Trailblazers event around the themes of Communication, Voice & Agency. I’ll be joined by two former students, Jack & Caleb, who continue to be active individuals committed to social change and human advancement in the areas of mental health, gender equity and environmental sustainability.”

Mykel- “Aqeel reached out on LinkedIn, armed with a bold vision for the next generation of change agents and a rich tapestry of compliments about me and my work… how could I say no to that lethal combination?”

Can you tell me what impact you hope to have made through the Trailblazer program? 

Aqeel- “I hope this program inspires and equips young people to be change makers and drive learning innovation in their own school communities.” 

Penny- “I hope my session shows the young people Aqeel is working with ways to look at the world through a different lens, challenge their unconscious bias and belief systems and consider different perspectives.” 

Adriano- “My hope, is that the entire Young Trailblazers event, supported by many successful creative Australians, provides each young participate with the necessary self- efficacy, industry insights, skill acquisition, confidence and adaptability to not only learn, live, lead and work in our new VUCA world, but move from surviving to thriving.”

Mykel- “I hope our work together becomes a lighthouse of clarity, courage and possibility. Something these kids can return to throughout their lives to remember who they are, why they’re here and why we need their unique self-expression. To find their way through the dark clouds of commercialism, comparison and consumerism that will inevitably descend upon their adult lives.”

How do you think that Australia should build back better?

Aqeel- “I think we need to be using this as an opportunity to rethink systems that haven't been challenged yet. We can either go back to what things were or we can use this period in time as a catalyst to move things in a different and more meaningful direction.

Obviously, my ideas and work are in the education space- I hope that in future we see the value that teachers bring and this manifests into what they get paid and reducing their work overload. I hope we can explore how to involve technology and different modes and mediums to create a more holistic learning experience. I hope we might look at entries into university and tertiary education being less reliant on grades and more reliant on things that demonstrate resilience and skills that are so important just to navigate life.”

Penny- “I would love to see us investing in building skills in adaptability and space to encourage people to be innovative and creative in how they reinvent themselves and their businesses for this new world we find ourselves in.”

Adriano- “My hope remains that we consider more opportunities to have a deeper consciousness of self, place and other. That we engage our focus in building back better through ethical public and private sector initiatives, across industries, that brings people together and develops opportunities for greater investment in our collective future. Ensuring we do this by being open to diversity, equity and inclusion around the table, because representation matters. Having creativity, wellness, kindness and our collective humanity central to a better normal.”

Mykel- 1. Vote out the current federal government. 2. Vote out the current federal government. 3. Vote out the current federal government.”

As one of the inaugural s p a c e cadets last year, can you tell me a little more about the experience? 

Penny- “s p a c e attracted the most unbelievably diverse mix of people. And it threw out all of the norms of traditional networking events — you’re sitting on a beanbag, by the ocean, having these deep conversations you wouldn’t have normally because nature and human connection go hand in hand. People were sharing what they’re really thinking and seek to see the world through a different lens.”

Adriano-  “Over the three days I was fortunate to encounter many people, from different walks of life, confirming for me that we emerge, grow and thrive because of each other, not in spite of each other. The profoundness of our collective humanity and efficacy was palatable and on display through each moment of s p a c e.

The most unlikely outcome from s p a c e 2019 was a time of deep personal contemplation. And after 26 years in the safety and familiarity of a school setting, I decided to resign from my position and start 2020, now unemployed, yet with a plan to take my vision for a more ambitious and future-focused education system to a broader audience. 

This has resulted in me connecting with awesome people from s p a c e like Madeleine Grummet, Lacey Filipich, Will Connolly, Michelle Cox, and Mykel Dixon. Some featured on Game Changers or on our a School for tomorrow online learning community. Others have invited me to be part of their podcast or show. Generous, kind, and living giving.”

Mykel- “s p a c e for me was delightful in all the best ways! And I think spaces like s p a c e are so important to enable us to dream and design together and to write the next chapter for this country, together.” 

Aqeel- “s p a c e was huge for me. I'm an ideas person- a big picture thinker. I went in with a massive vision for impact, but it was quite fuzzy. A lot of the conversations I had at s p a c e really changed my trajectory. I don't think I would have actually started working on something to empower young people in a deep and meaningful way to be agents of change within schools. I don't think the concept of Young Trailblazers would have about without some of the conversations I had at s p a c e.”

s p a c e is where ideas meet influence. We are building a collective of unlike-minds with a passion for making the world a better place through action. Unlock ideas you didn't know you had and meet those you didn't know you needed to know.

Join us for Australia’s Biggest Unconference, November 11-13. Or apply to join us in Byron Bay, May 2021.