Cradle of Creativity Conference Opens with Sue Giles Address

9 Sep 2026

Sue Giles opened the Cradle of Creativity Conference for professionals (artists and teachers) with the following words:

I’m speaking from the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, here in Naarm, Australia. I pay my respects to the elders of this land I am on and the deep cultural practice that has continued for thousands of generations.

It is such a pleasure to be asked to address the Conference at Cradle of Creativity. I would like to acknowledge the representatives of the Dept of Basic Education and the Dept of Sports, Arts and Culture. And also Yvette Hardie – a dear friend and powerhouse in the history of ASSITEJ International and ASSITEJ Honorary President.

Only this morning in my time I was talking with our Australian advisory board about why ASSITEJ matters and how people can understand its impact. The Cradle of Creativity World Congress in 2017 immediately came up as an example of a life-changing event for several: this was a turning point in the careers of many and the moment where people realised what a brilliantly diverse community we are all part of. I, and so many like me, were suddenly introduced into a context of vibrancy, energy and passion and meaning like no other.

When I experienced the Cradle of Creativity in Johannesburg in 2023, I had even more powerful revelations – moved and galvanised by the reasons people made their work and the ideas and skill on the stage. This festival opens the world to what is possible, placing African spirit and context deeply into people’s consciousness.

In our global association we need to constantly remind ourselves of the importance of cultural context and how it frames and shapes the work created with, for and by young people in the world. We also need to be reminded to shake up our embedded ideas and our entrenched practice – to be responsive and constantly curious, to take risks and to know what’s at stake.

International connection and collaboration is a way of making things happen that might not otherwise – from artists meeting and making magic together across borders, to the awesome list of funders and supporters I’ve seen listed who are behind the current Cradle of Creativity. By connecting and joining forces we can affect change. By sharing approaches and listening and learning we can affect change – in ourselves and in the work we make and for children and young people.

What is challenged and what is learned is at the heart of every gathering of TYA artists, opening ourselves to what we don’t know. It is a moment when we can take time to really see others, listen deeply to different perspectives and hear different experiences. And through this, to understand how very similar we are as practitioners, in why we make the work we do for the audiences we serve, even if your practice – how you create and deliver – is astoundingly different to mine. It is because of our differences, and how we acknowledge them, along with our shared aim of the greatest and best access to the performing arts for children and young people, that we can be united.

I sometimes feel despair at the conflict and darkness of the world, I think we all do – but when I do, I think about this performing arts community – the work everyone does and the shared passion for creativity – a community of theatre makers who know what they must do to make a vital difference possible in a child’s life. A group of people who make sure that hope – as an action – springs eternal.

I remind myself of the children and young people themselves and who they are, how they are strong, how they think and feel. How, if we learn to listen to them and hear them, we will create place and space for their expression and can enable their right to cultural agency.

And I think about the power of theatre – as a moveable feast, a catalyst for change, and an ever-evolving form. Peter Brook once said “Nothing is more vital to the theatre of the world, than the working together of artists from different backgrounds and cultures.” I would add, that making work with and for children and young people, involving them in many and various ways, understanding the vitality and resonance that their leadership provides, keeps our art form of theatre flexible, unexpected and deeply relevant.

I wish all at the conference moments of clarity, moments of disruption and moments of connection. I wish I were there, in that room, feeling the energy, wisdom and spirit pouring into me. Thank you for inviting me to speak and thank you all for the amazing work you do every day.