FESTIVAL PROGRAM & SESSION THEMES

We acknowledge the Palawa people - carers of land, water and sky. We thank their elders, cultural knowledge keepers, cultural practitioners and community/family groups – past and present.
Sovereignty was never ceded.

In times of darkness we seek light. Small moments to cherish in an ever-changing world.

Join us for a dance that takes us from the infinite skies to the depths of the ocean.

Where we ask, what does it mean to be human in a world of binary opposites? Where polarisation is pulling people further away from a diverse ecosystem evolved over the passage of deep time.

How can we embed equanimity in our practice – the composure and calmness to act in a world of excessive light and constant noise. Where do we find this calm? Find hope within discomfort?

As we puncture yet honour the dark, we will delve into the study of intuition and creativity as essential, often overlooked, aspects of design and decision-making. Speakers will explore how intuitive thinking unlocks deeper insights, fosters innovation, and connects us authentically to our surroundings.

PROGRAM OUTLINE

The Festival program extends across four days and includes tours and events pre and post the Festival. A snapshot of the 2025 Festival program below. 
Please note, program, timings and speakers are subject to change.

FRIDAY 17 & SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER

  • Friday
    - 4pm:     Studio visits - starting at Playstreet and then REALMstudios, join local practices for a fun late Friday afternoon. 
               


SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER

  • Morning: Join the locals at the Farmers Market. Great food and coffee in a relaxed street setting
  • 9:00am: AILA Fresh Meetup at at Ecru. Thanks to National Partner PlayCo for supporting this opportunity
  • Here's a list of some great coffee houses and breakfast spots!
  
 
  • 2:30pm: Festival registration and afternoon tea at the Theatre Royal - Main entrance, (Google maps: corner of Collins St and Campbell St)
  • 3:30pm - Opening talks at the Theatre Royal 
  • Dark Past with Dr Julie Gough, Sarah Wilcox, Mat Hinds and Dewayne Everett-Smith.  
    Lutruwita, once connected to the mainland by a land bridge, is and always was, home to the Palawa people. It is unceded land. It’s history so dark that every person who calls “Australia” home must know about it. Many stories have been told, but are they the stories that we should be hearing? Starting the festival with truth telling and acknowledgement of Lutruwita’s ground, water and sky.
  
 


MONDAY 20 OCTOBER

 
  • 10:15am: Festival registration/attendee arrival at the Odeon Theatre - Liverpool St Entrance (main doors). 
  
  • 11:00am: Festival talks at the Odeon Theatre 
  
  • Shadowing Thoughts
    - Panel discussion with Amelia Padgett, Barbara Schaffer, Bonnie Gordon and Simone Bliss (facilitator).
    The practice of Landscape Architecture has undergone many seasons. Today we are uniquely positioned to link many professions together. But how are we treated? How do we treat one another?  What can we do to set boundaries? By understanding the inner workings of our profession we can bring light to the difficult questions of mental health, work life balance and inter-office politics. An open conversation guided by leading psychologists, employers and advocates with lived experience in the workplace that the profession rarely talks about.
  
  • 12:35pm (1hr): Lunch in the Cathedral (next to the Odeon).
    If you preordered a Festival t-shirt, you can pick it up from AILA desk in the cathedral.
  
  • Dark Skies with Dr Theresa Jones, Landon Bannister, Joe Bean and others.
     Absence makes the heart glow fonder—in the era of constant illumination, true darkness has become a rarity. Light pollution bleeds into night skies, dimming the stars and disconnecting us from the ancestral knowledge and stories written across the cosmos. Yet in the spaces between light—those precious, inky depths of sky country—there lies a profound stillness, a tapestry of memory and meaning. Darkness is not emptiness; it is presence, rich with stories, guiding celestial rhythms, and cultural heritage often lost to the glare of modern life.
  
  • 3:10pm (30min): Afternoon tea
  
  • Jarrah – a preview of an animated short film from Western Australia by Dr Noel Nannup, Clancy Martin and Daniel Jan Martin, supported through the 2024 LFA Fellowship of the Landscape Foundation of Australia and the UWA School of Design
  • All the Light We Sometimes See with Dr Saideepa Kumar and Lisa Gershwin.
    From the microscopic to the vast, nature puts on a lighting show, our oceans and forests glitter and glow with light we sometimes see.  Microorganisms, bacterial, fungi, fauna and soils light the dark in a range of ways – In the first part of this session, you will be introduced to glow worms, fireflies, jellyfish and more.  

    In the second half of this session, bushfire specialists including Prof David Bowman, Linton Burgess and Daniel Bennett (facilitator) and others talk to the role of fire in urban settings where can fire shapes ecosystems in ways both creative and destructive. From infernos to sparks, light and fire dance together, transforming the landscapes we live in.
  
 
  • Taking Back the Night with Assoc Prof Bianca Fileborn and Dr Anna Edwards. 
    All of civilization began around the campfire.  Today, the nighttime setting remains an important locus for social engagement. But is it safe for everyone or just for some? Have we constructed the public realm to facilitate movement for the visually impaired? For women? For the LGBTQIA+ community? Presenters will discuss these issues and how we might contribute to an equitable and vibrant nighttime economy wherein we can continue the communal storytelling and knowledge sharing central to the evolution of our culture. 
  
 
  • Late: Continue the conversation and come explore Nipaluna/Hobart's night scene at the Den Salamanca (Google maps link)
  


TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER

  • Here's a list of some great coffee houses and breakfast spots!
  • 7:00am: Morning yoga with Dr. Rebecca Chabot at Mather's House. Places still available
  
 
  • 10:00am: Attendee arrival at the Odeon Theatre 
  
  • 10:15am: Festival talks 
  
  • Bringing Light to the Dark with Prof. Joel Pearson, Dr Hannah Hopewell and Owen Café 
    In this session we delve into the study of intuition and creativity as essential, yet often overlooked tools for bringing light to dark spaces, unlocking deep insights, fostering innovation, and connecting us authentically with our surroundings. By embracing both analytical and intuitive approaches to our work, we open space for more holistic, empathetic, and imaginative ways of creating and understanding the world.
  
  • 12:35pm (1hr): Lunch at the Cathedral with live music thanks to PlayCo! Sessions resume after lunch, including afternoon tea at approx. 2:45pm (30min).
  
  • The Heart of Darkness with Theresa Sainty, Rosie Martin, Dr Josie Kelman and Dr Bob Brown  
    Healing is at the heart of bringing light to the dark. These sessions look optimistically at the way language, land and identity are deeply entwined with concepts of connection to Country and are part of the healing of the dark past.  Healing also entails listening – listening to the stories of others in a calm manner that helps bring people into the light. Listening to the land we learn how its systems work and how we can protect functioning ecosystems and heal the fractures in life’s cycles we have created.  Finally, the planet is speaking to us. Do you hear it? Do you defend it?
  
 
  • 6:30pm: Cocktail Function - 2025 AILA National Landscape Architecture Awards at Glen Albyn. Complimentary return buses will depart from the Hobart CBD (Mövenpick Hotel - 28 Elizabeth, Street, Hobart) between 6:00pm and 6:15pm - please note these times are strict. After the Awards Cocktail Function, return buses will begin boarding at 10:30pm from the venue and will return to the Mövenpick Hotel in the CBD. 
    We look forward to an evening of celebration, connection, and conversation as we announce the 2025 National Winners. Enjoy the stunning sunset views from the Glen Albyn deck and later in the evening, stargaze with local astronomers under the dark skies. 
    Please note, bookings for this event are now closed.
  
 

WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER

  • 8:30am - 1pm  AILA Board and Chapter President meeting 
  • 9.30am - 2pm Climate Ready Hobart Forum at the Hobart Town Hall, 50 Macquarie Street. For event information and to register your attendance please RSVP here. Registrations close on Friday 10 October.
  

SESSION THEMES

Dark Past

Lutruwita, once connected to the mainland by a land bridge, is and always was, home to the Palawa people. It is unceded land. It’s history so dark that every person who calls “Australia” home must know about it. Many stories have been told, but are they the stories that we should be hearing? The festival starts with truth telling and acknowledgement of Lutruwita’s ground, water and sky.

Shadowing Thoughts

The practice of Landscape Architecture has undergone many seasons. Today we are uniquely positioned to link many professions together. But how are we treated? How do we treat one another?  What can we do to set boundaries? By understanding the inner workings of our profession we can bring light to the difficult questions of mental health, work life balance and inter-office politics. An open conversation guided by leading psychologists, employers and advocates with lived experience in the workplace that the profession rarely talks about.

Dark Skies

Absence makes the heart glow fonder—in the era of constant illumination, true darkness has become a rarity. Light pollution bleeds into night skies, dimming the stars and disconnecting us from the ancestral knowledge and stories written across the cosmos. Yet in the spaces between light—those precious, inky depths of sky country—there lies a profound stillness, a tapestry of memory and meaning. Darkness is not emptiness; it is presence, rich with stories, guiding celestial rhythms, and cultural heritage often lost to the glare of modern life.

All the Light We Sometimes See 

From the microscopic to the vast, nature puts on a lighting show, our oceans and forests glitter and glow with light we sometimes see.  Microorganisms, bacterial, fungi, fauna and soils light the dark in a range of ways – In the first part of this session, you will be introduced to glow worms, fireflies, jellyfish and more.  

Taking Back the Night

All of civilization began around the campfire.  Today, the nighttime setting remains an important locus for social engagement. But is it safe for everyone or just for some? Have we constructed the public realm to facilitate movement for the visually impaired? For women? For the LGBTQIA+ community? Presenters will discuss these issues and how we might contribute to an equitable and vibrant nighttime economy wherein we can continue the communal storytelling and knowledge sharing central to the evolution of our culture. 

Bringing Light to the Dark

In this session we delve into the study of intuition and creativity as essential, yet often overlooked tools for bringing light to dark spaces, unlocking deep insights, fostering innovation, and connecting us authentically with our surroundings. By embracing both analytical and intuitive approaches to our work, we open space for more holistic, empathetic, and imaginative ways of creating and understanding the world.

The Heart of Darkness

Healing is at the heart of bringing light to the dark. These sessions look optimistically at the way language, land and identity are deeply entwined with concepts of connection to Country and are part of the healing of the dark past.  Healing also entails listening – listening to the stories of others in a calm manner that helps bring people into the light. Listening to the land we learn how its systems work and how we can protect functioning ecosystems and heal the fractures in life’s cycles we have created.  Finally, the planet is speaking to us. Do you hear it? Do you defend it? 

The 2025 Festival of Landscape Architecture is taking place in Nipaluna/Hobart from the 19-21 October 2025. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land the Palawa people and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.