Margaret J Harvey is a Torres Strait Islander performance maker, writer and researcher of Saibaian Ait Koedal/Samu bloodline and English heritage. Grounded in Saibaian cosmology, her work spans live performance, documentary, installation and digital visual ecologies. Her projects include Bami, Woer Wayepa – The Water is Rising, My Lovers' Bones, Saibai Island Dance and The Dark Matter of Usulal, and have been presented by ACMI, Queensland Museum, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Melbourne Festival and internationally. Harvey is Co-Director of Jo Ze Sparks, Associate Artist with Force Majeure, and author of Saibai Island Ancestral Performative Knowledge (Brill, 2024).

Dr Letila Mitchell is an artist, director, and producer, renowned for her commitment to Indigenous Oceanic knowledge and cultural activism. Founder of Rako Pasefika, she has elevated Pacific storytelling through theatre, film, and music. Her work promotes the preservation of cultural knowledge and emphasizes environmental sustainability within the creative industries. In the fields of oceans and climate, a highlight project was as one of the key coordinators of the Te Mana o Te Moana project, which led to the restoration of seven ocean voyaging canoes. These canoes journeyed across the Pacific, reaching as far as the East Coast of the United States, to raise awareness about ocean noise and pollution. Her ongoing efforts consistently highlight the importance of both ecological and cultural sustainability. Dr Letila has held influential leadership roles including Director of the Fiji Arts Council, First Nations Programming Senior Producer at the Sydney Opera House, and Culture Advisor for the Pacific Community. She has produced major events, including being a part of Commonwealth Games ceremonies team, and serves as Artistic Director for RakoPasefika. Passionate about amplifying the voices of Indigenous Oceanic women, Dr Letila’s legacy inspires new generations of cultural leaders across the Pacific.

Kate ten Buuren is a Taungurung artist and curator interested in contemporary visual art, film and stories. She is a founding member of First Nations arts collective this mob. Kate was the 2025 Curator of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, and has previously held curatorial roles at the Melbourne Arts Precinct, ACMI and Koorie Heritage Trust. Some of her curatorial projects include: The Blak Infinite (co-curated with Kimberley Moulton) at Fed Square for RISING; How I See It: Blak Art and Film at ACMI; Now You're Speakin' My Language for NOWNESS Asia; Collective Movements at Monash University Museum of Art (co-curated with Maya Hodge and N’arweet Carolyn Briggs); and They Shield Us at Koorie Heritage Trust. Kate is the curator of RISING's 2026 First Peoples Melbourne Art Trams. Kate is curator of the 2026 First Peoples-led exhibition, an initiative established by Craft in 2020 to support the development of contemporary First Nations curatorial practice within craft and design.

Creative Climate Funded by Creative Australia as the national culture, arts and climate action peak body, Creative Climate is an Indigenous and artist-led national consortium made up of four powerhouse organisations, two experienced facilitators and an environmental consultant. We come together with a shared intent to respond to and support the sector in climate justice and adaptation. We’re working across policy, practice, research, advocacy, and public programs to build and strengthen the mycelium of artists and organisations working towards climate-aligned cultural transformation.

Speakers: Margaret Harvey and Letila Mitchell
Host: Kate ten Buuren