Unpacking the Experience at ‘Stage The Change", Stendhal Festival
Stendhal, the music festival where we hosted stage the change, became a space for reflection on how the SDGs are woven into the activism of all the speakers we had throughout the weekend. From poverty and gender equality to climate action, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption, the conversations were deeply rooted in these global issues.
Here’s a glimpse of the incredible people who took the stage and the important topics we explored.
by Charo Lanao & Karen Eyben
Charo guided us through the history of the SDGs, explaining their evolution and highlighting the essential role of the Inner Development Goals in achieving the current SDGs. Meanwhile, Kare shared insights on how we can connect the SDGs from a local perspective—using the river and nature surrounding the farm where Stendhal took place—while also linking them to a
The Change BCC interview
by Jacqueline Gibson
While juggling breastfeeding Leiyla, Jacqueline and Izy talked about the challenges of sustainable behavior, as well as how to incorporate sustainability both at home and in the workplace.
by Jane Christie & Sharon Galway
Jane, an herbalist, shared her personal story and emphasized the importance of authenticity, highlighting how supportive others can be when you’re true to yourself. Meanwhile, Sharon, a coach, spoke about how financial independence is one of the best traits to model for your children. Jane also hosted a workshop on herbal medicine during Saturday.
by Nicholas Hanrahan & Joanne Fullerton
Nicholas shared the stories behind the children featured in the exhibition photos, shedding light on the vulnerability of indigenous communities impacted by climate change. He explained how flooding isolates these communities, and how Trocaire supports them through ecological projects and disaster risk management, including evacuation training.
Joanne discussed the importance of collective action, stressing that waiting for government intervention can take too long. She highlighted how, by coming together as a community, we can become true changemakers.
by Raissa Balduino & Rebecca Harper
The first campaign aimed to represent the voices of parents advocating for better childcare in Northern Ireland, ultimately securing the first subsidy for families. Rebecca highlighted the struggles parents face, feeling isolated and unsupported due to the government’s lack of investment in childcare strategies. It emphasized how crucial and urgently needed these resources are for families.
by Darren Ferguson & Matthew Philip
Kicking off with the music of Maron Brhane, Darren discussed the importance of promoting culture by giving professional artists from ethnic minorities the opportunity to perform on main stages.
Meanwhile, Mathew explained the evolution of carnivals, tracing their origins back to protests. He pointed out that the Notting Hill Carnival in London was born out of the Caribbean community’s fight for emancipation from slavery.
Mathew also highlighted a worrying trend: the violence rate in London in 2025 is almost identical to that of the 1960s, largely due to the loss of funding for youth clubs. This has contributed to a rise in crime during the summer months, underscoring the urgent need for investment in community programs.
Carnivals, he said, are a form of resistance—a protest for all marginalized communities.
by Caroline Brooks & Janelle Hanna
Caroline explained how Share and Repair Foyle is a volunteer-led community initiative based in Derry/Londonderry, with a shared mission of reducing waste. They have a “library of things” where people can borrow items like gardening tools, camping gear, and kitchen appliances. They also host repair cafés, where community members can bring in broken items to be fixed.
Janelle talked about her experience in the denim industry and shared her passion for upcycling denim. She also led a workshop on how to repair denim using sewing techniques.
by Katherine Rowlandson
Katherine brought attention to how societal perceptions have shaped our view of STEM, often pushing girls away from these fields. As a result, fewer women pursue STEM careers, and those who do face more challenges. They often feel the pressure to prove themselves more capable than their male counterparts. She also introduced Kippie, a charity that uses gaming as a tool to empower marginalized and socially excluded young people. Kippie also held a Superhero and villain workshop that attracted loads of kids!
by Eamonn McCann & Steve Bradley
Eamonn and Steve discussed the importance of reinstating train services and expanding the rail network, pushing for the return of rail connections to counties like Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.
by Joanne Butler
Talks about how it started as a personal garden to grow into provide unique nature based educational courses as well as organic plants and vegetable starter packs at our home in Northwest Donegal.
by Paul Forte
They explained the SDGs and how we can apply them to our daily lives. The audience was given a specific SDG goal and asked to reflect on how it relates to them personally and what changes they could make in their everyday actions. By the end of the exercise, everyone left feeling empowered, realizing that we can all be Agents of Change.
All of our speakers received an Agent of Change badge!
Check more information about the speaks at https://stagethechange.com/speakers/
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