INSPIREx…A place to think

Bold ideas. Courageous thinking. Unwritten futures…

INSPIREx is a new Semann & Slattery experience — one day, three dynamic presentations, nine courageous speakers and endless inspiration.

Fast-paced and deeply engaging…INSPIREx is a full-day jewel box conference. The day brings together leading educators, thinkers and changemakers to offer a series of short, thought-provoking talks designed to challenge assumptions, energise practice and spark new possibilities in early childhood education.

INSPIREx is a day designed for educators who want to challenge ideas, connect meaningfully and leave inspired to act.

Nine powerful presentations in TEDx-style format, across three themed INSPIREx Talks:

DISTRUPT THE ORDINARY
Questions our practice

• Laura Stone – Early Childhood Education Producer, ABC Kids
• Emma Liebeknecht – Director, Adelaide Miethke KindergartenNatasha
• Natalia Krysiak – Architect, Play Consultant & Founder, Cities for Play
  

BENEATH THE SURFACE
Asks us to reshape our thinking

• Anthony Semann – Director, Semann & Slattery
• Lucia Stacchiotto – Pedagogista, Researcher & Associate Lecturer, Southern Cross University
• Dr Claire Warden – Founder of the Floorbook® Approach & International Leader in Nature Pedagogy 

UNWRITTEN FUTURES
Imagine possibilities...for children, educators and communities

• Adam Christie – Adam Christie Consulting
• Helen Thomson & Suzana Klarin – University of Melbourne Early Learning Centre 
• Dr Fiona Young – Architect and Founder, ARCHITECTURE_WITH

Our speakers invite us to question what we accept as normal, explore the deeper ideas shaping practice, and imagine new futures for children, educators and communities.

What will you take away?

You will be inspired to:

• Question what has become ‘ordinary’ in early childhood practice
• Look beneath the surface of everyday decisions and assumptions
• Listen more deeply to children’s voices and ways of knowing
• Rethink environments, media and community as catalysts for learning
• Provocations to share with colleagues sparking dialogue and reflection

Conversations to continue…

• What have we accepted as ‘normal’ that might be ready to be reimagined?
• What deeper ideas and values are shaping the way we work with children each day?
• If the future of early childhood education is still unwritten, what role might we play in shaping it?

Bold ideas begin with courageous questions.
What possibilities will you reimagine—what will you explore in practice and with your colleagues?

Register now to secure your Early Bird discount. Early Bird offer expires on Friday 24 June, 2026.