Talks and Events

Various talks, workshops and events facilitated or involving support and participation of Dr Indigo Willing, SkateCER leader and co-founder of Respect is Rad / Consent is Rad, We Skate QLD and the co-convener of the SSHRED monthly Seminars.

Sydney Skateable Cities Festival (date tba)

Skate and Create Art for Change (date tba)

Events in 2025

France – Connect Festival Bordeaux, France 16-19 October 2025

Panel – Skateboarding in Under-Recognised Places. Speakers: Denia Kopita (Free Movement Skateboarding, Skateistan), Dr Marie ‘Maz’ Mayassi (Melanin Gals and Pals, Roll Models Goodpush cohort) Chair: Dr Indigo Willing. 17-19 October, 2025.

Connect poster green text on white background with dates and location at Cour Marby and the streets

Paper Presentation: ‘Rolling Out Research: Myth-Breaking and Change-Making in Skateboarding’ Connect Skate Urbanism Festival. 16 October. 2025. Bordeaux, France.

Sciences and skateboarding day event. photo of round table of people talking.

Australia – University of Sydney 9 October 2025

‘Knowing the Cities: Pivoting from Containment of Skateboarding in Sydney to Skate Urbanism in Bordeaux’.

9 October 2025

Online talk by Dr Indigo Willing (Skate, Create, Educate and Regenerate (SkateCER) and Leo Valls (Connect Skate Urbanism Festival)

‘Knowing the Cities: Pivoting from Containment of Skateboarding in Sydney to Skate Urbanism in Bordeaux’ for Knowing the City – movements, epistemologies, and visions‘ Symposium at The University of Sydney, 9 October 2025

Pushing Towards a Brighter Future:

An evening with Skateistan (Sydney Gadigal Country)

Sunday 21st September 2025 at PALAS Gallery.

Guests and speakers at Skateistan event held at PALAS gallery.

Guests incuding Mike O’Meally (skate photography) and opening speaker Shaun Gladwell (artist)

Professor Lindsey Reece (Australian Sport Commission Playwell Director), Oliver Percovich (Founder, Skateistan) and Dr Indigo Willing (Skateistan International Advisory Board Co-Chair and Event MC/Curator)

Skateboarders Liv Lovelace (Paris Olympian), Felicity Turner (world competitor) and Mimi Knoop (5 x X Games Champion and Skatistan International Advisory Board)

Speaker Fatima (teacher) with her son (a student) from Skateisan’s program in Afghanistan with Wendell Teodore (centre)

A special evening celebrating Skateistan — the award-winning international NGO using skateboarding and education to empower youth across 1,020 social skateboarding projects in 115 countries.

Held on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 7pm, PALAS Gallery hosted a bespoke, specially invited gathering of leading skateboarders, artists, sportswomen, academics, feminists, philanthropists, and social change activists. The night explored how skateboarding breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for young people, especially girls, in Australia and around the world. Special guests speakers included Shaun Gladwell (artist), Oliver Percovich (Founder of Skateistan), Fatima (teacher, Skateistan Afghanistan), Liv Lovelace (Paris Olympian), Felicity Turner (world competitor), Mimi Knoop (5 x X Games champion and Skateistan International Advisory Board member) and MC Dr Indigo Willing (Co-chair, Skateistan International Advisory Board member). Presented by https://skateistan.org/ and https://palas-inc.com/ with sponsorship from SSSHARC at University of Sydney, SkateCER and Respect is Rad.

Skating, Architecture and Sociology Talk: A special presentation for TASA Thursdays

Thursday 21st August 2025 at 5pm, Recording available here

Dr Indigo Willing from the University of Sydney Arts and Social Sciences – University of Sydney project will Chair online talks about skate architecture with speakers: Dr Dan Johnston, Anastasija Kukić, Gav Drumm and Alicia Mardones as guest responder (bios here)

Time. 5pm on 21st August Thursday hosted by The Australian Sociological Association (TASA)

Registration information here

New Wave Skate, London UK. Queer Skate Forum and Active Allyship. City Mill Skate. 28 June, 2025.

Panel with Lucy Adams, Professional Skateboarder and Skateboard GB, Marie Mayassi from Melanin Gals and Pals, Omi and Stacey from Trans Skaters, Amber Edmundson from New Wave Skate UK and Dr Indigo Willing from Respect is Rad. Convened by Amber Edmundson.

Moving Bodies Lab, University, ‘Diverse Bodies Rolling Together’ Durham 17-18 June 2025

Invited talk by Dr Indigo Willing and Dr Esther Sayers. 17 June, 2025. Durham Host Dr Cassandra Phoenix (note there will also be a follow up Q and A /moving together session on 18 June with Dr Indigo Willing, Dr Rebecca Olive and Dr Sarah Bell) Info I Recording

Skate Notthingham – Meet and roll at Skate Hive Session with Jo Wardle and Dr Indigo Willing. The Tramline Spot. 8 June 2025.

Held Notthingham Sunday 8 June (with follow on leadership discussion session on 9 June) Info

The Box Museum, Plymouth. ‘Rolling Together Symposium’. 6 – 7 June, 2025. Plymouth,

Panel speaker for The politics of respect: access and inclusion in skateboarding’s cliques, communities and spaces. Panelists: Dr Dani Abhulhawa, Dr Indigo Willing and Bella Ward. Chair Lucy Elmes 6 – 7 June, 2025. Plymouth, UK. Info

Rolling Together Workshop and Guest Lecture Technische Universitat Dortmund, Institute for Sport and Sportwissenschaft and Skateboarding Initiative Dortmund (2025)

Guest lecture. Host Dr Benjamin Büscher. 21 May, 2025. Venue: ‘Skate, Create and Educate Together: Inclusive Spaces and the Social Benefits of Skating’.
Gastvortrag am 21.5.2025, 10-12Uhr, Skatehalle Dortmund, Germany. See Weber, M. (2025) summary posted 3.06.2025. URL: https://sport.kmst.tu-dortmund.de/newsdetails/skate-create-educate-and-regenerate-53298/

Skateistan (2025) ‘We Lead and We Discover Together: Leadership in Skateboarding’, Talk and workshop. Co-presented by Respect is Rad x Goodpush x SSHRED. 16 May 2025. Berlin, Germany

World Science Festival. ‘Skate Design and Creative Communities’ Sessions

29-30 March, 2025, Brisbane

We Skate QLD held the ‘Skate Design and Creative Communities’ Sessions, an art and design area for all ages. 29-30 March. QLD Museum. South Bank Piazza. Led by Millie Miljevic, Evie Ryder and Dr Indigo Willing. The public also had an opportunity to hear from Dr Indigo Willing about SkateCER and share their ideas on design innovations for future skateable cities. Over 600 people engaged with the art, zine making, mini skatepark and skate design technology activities on offer.

Dr Indigo Willing with 3D printed skate obstacles. Thank you QLD Museum for our invitation to World Science Week Brisbane

Millie, Indigo, Evie and Connie in the We Skate QLD marquee

Over 600 visitors engaged with the We Skate QLD art and skate design technology offerings

‘Skate and Create: Skaters Perspectives on Skateable Spaces and the Social Benefits of Skating’ seminar

25 March 2025, Federation Park, Glebe, Sydney

Host: HY William Chan, Architect and Obel Teaching Award Fellow at UTS Architecture. Guest Lecturer and Facilitator: Dr Indigo Willing, Skate, Create, Educate and Regenerate (SkateCER) and Respect is Rad with guest speakers from the SkateCER advisory group Aaron Christiansen (landscape architecture candidate UNSW), Alicia Mardones (MA architecture candidate USYD) and Sam Whyte (founder, Foenix Crusiers).

Group at ramp – UTS Talk to MA Architecture Students at Glebe Federal Skatepark. Photo courtesy of William Chan

International Women’s Day. Sydney Skatepark – 9 March 2025

Sydney Park, 9th March 11am to 4pm.

Sponsor. Co-hosted by 2Girlssk8, Foenix Cruisers and Respect is Rad. Coaching by Totem Skateboards supported by Big H’art and fundraising for Beyond Blue and Big H’art’s Skate of Mind program. Sponsors: SkateCER, Project Distribution, DLX, Fast Times, Passport, Boardworld, World of Wheelcraft, Boardworld, Impala, Bijoux and Til June.

Group of women at bowl at Sydney Park with IWD sign📷 @slydawg83

Sydney Pride Skate Event

24 February 2025. Sydney Park

Pride Skate Event to celebrate Queer skaters and allies during Mardis Gras 2025. Sydney Skatepark, Sydney Park. 24th February. 6-8pm. Sponsor. Co-hosted by Skate with Me Sydney, Respect is Rad, and Foenix Cruisers with arts activation including Matilda Holmes from Til June and Jane Gillings.

Group of Queer skaters and allies at Sydney Park for Pride Event at the bowl with canvas saying Pride.

Events in 2024

Playing Our Way, Thriving Together

8 November 2024, University of sydney

Professional development program for adoptees/refugees and allies. 8 November 2024.

The aim of this gathering of experts was to share approaches and reflect on how the role of ‘play’, (from DJ’ing to creative sports, games and hobbies) can be a valuable part of post-adoption services. The half day program also explored how future workshops and services with themes of play can be empowering.

The main aims of this half day program is to provide an opportunity for adoptees, and particularly queer adoptees – who are not always given safe spaces and can lack crucial services – to access peer to peer learning and also gain professional insights from adoptee allies and non-adoptees as well. This includes having time to speak with fellow professionals and researchers about training strategies, experiences collaborating with government and private services, plus grants and consultancy options as their skills become increasingly in demand. There will also be an opportunity to hear from leading experts in Queer Gaming and Interaction Design, and Queer-led Social Work and Education initiatives.

Sponsored by Dr Indigo Willing’s Relationships Australia ICAFFS Community Grant and SSSHARC at The University of Sydney. Keynote speaker: Dr Victoria Rawlings. Guest lecturers: Dilsah De Rham and Nicky Hammond. Co-faciliated by Dr Indigo Willing, SSSHARC, USYD and Dr Xavier Ho, Monash University.