Mia Freedman, Co-Founder of Mamamia, and co-host of Australia’s Number #1 News and Pop Culture Podcast Mamamia Outloud gets her friend, Oscar-nominee  Naomi Watts, into the hot seat to get loud on all things midlife and menopause. 

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 co-founder Mia Freedman, the session will take place on Tuesday October 17 at 1pm at the Great Hall, UTS Sydney.  

MENOPAUSE AND MIDLIFE: A SPRINGBOARD FOR REINVENTION

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 is Australia’s leading women’s media brand, reaching over 7 million Australian women each month across podcasts, articles, social media, newsletters and events Mamamia is also the largest women’s podcast network in the world with over 259 million listens across 56 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 an 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 2023 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. 

Accessing SXSW Sydney 2023 – Badges and Wristbands:   

Badges are your master key for SXSW Sydney – they open the doors to a stacked program over 1,000 events across the week-long event, from its Conference and Tech & Innovation Expo to its Music, Screen and Games Festivals.   

Wristbands give access to SXSW Sydney’s Music, Screen or Games festivals, for performances, screenings and showcases. 

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. 

Badges and Wristbands are now available at sxswsydney.com.   

In collaboration with the NSW Government Via Destination NSW, TEG & SXSW®  

About SXSW®   

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2024 will take place March 8-16 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com.    

About SXSW Sydney®   

Futurist conference and festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney, will see the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent creative industries come together in the heart of Sydney Harbour. The event is a week-long program stacked with more than 1,000 ground-breaking events and networking sessions across pillars of Tech and Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture.   

Informed by a multicultural landscape and an enduring preservation of past, present and future Indigenous cultural heritage, Sydney offers a rich and exciting arts and culture scene with beautiful galleries, acclaimed theatres and burgeoning performance spaces.   

About Destination NSW   

Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW is responsible for leading the delivery of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 in partnership with government and industry. Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and expos for Sydney and regional NSW.   

About TEG  

TEG is a global leader in Live Entertainment, Ticketing and Technology. Every day TEG connects fans to experiences and customers with brands. We are proud partners of some of the world’s largest and most iconic venues as well as leading event promoters globally. TEG operates worldwide out of seven country offices and includes Ticketek, Ticketek Marketplace, Ticketek UK, Ticketek New Zealand, Ticketek Malaysia, Ticketek Philippines, Eventopia, Softix, TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Sport, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, Handsome Tours, SXSW Sydney, TEG Theatrical, MJR Presents, TEG Lifelike Touring, TEG TES Live, Brickman, TEG Rockefeller, Rugby Live, TEG Europe, Propaganda, TEG USA, Qudos Bank Arena, FAN+, VIP NOW and Ovation.