Since early 2023, MDMA has been authorised for use in Australia to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.  

Still, it remains a controversial treatment publicly and among experts. Adam Bayes from the Black Dog Institute and researcher Rebecca Huntley, whose book Sassafras: A memoir of love, loss and MDMA Therapy recounts her experience of using MDMA to treat trauma, discuss the personal and medical cases for (and against) psychedelics.  

Learn more about this contentious treatment and hear Adam and Rebecca’s perspectives, in conversation with Norman Swan.

This event was presented by the Sydney Writers' Festival and supported by UNSW Sydney.

Since early 2023, MDMA has been authorised for use in Australia to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Still, it remains a controversial treatment publicly and among experts. Adam Bayes from the Black Dog Institute and researcher Rebecca Huntley, whose book&nbsp;Sassafras: A memoir of love, loss and MDMA&nbsp;Therapy recounts her experience of using MDMA to treat trauma, discuss the personal and medical cases for (and against) psychedelics.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Learn more about this contentious treatment and hear Adam and Rebecca&rsquo;s perspectives, in conversation with Norman Swan.
This event was presented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swf.org.au/">Sydney Writers' Festival&nbsp;</a>and supported by UNSW Sydney.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

UNSW Centre for Ideas

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Idea…

UNSW Centre for Ideas | All Episodes

Psychedelia

What happens when a master of the stage turns to the page? 

Acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, artistic director and now novelist Andrew Upton has never been one to stay in his lane. Across theatre, film, television and fiction, his many creative pursuits are united by one calling: storytelling. 

In this compelling conversation with Michaela Kalowski, recorded live at Belvoir St Theatre, Upton discusses his debut novel, Krank Fuss – a modern-day fable set against the gathering darkness of Europe in 1937. Moving from the stage to the page, he explores the craft behind the novel, the inspiration that drives his work and the different possibilities that emerge when creating for theatre and fiction. Their conversation travels across creativity, culture, technology, power and freedom – and considers the enduring ability of storytelling to help us see familiar questions from entirely new perspectives. 

For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit unsw.to/cfi-podcast

What happens when a master of the stage turns to the page?&nbsp;
Acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, artistic director and now novelist Andrew Upton has never been one to stay in his lane. Across theatre, film, television and fiction, his many creative pursuits are united by one calling: storytelling.&nbsp;
In this compelling conversation with Michaela Kalowski, recorded live at Belvoir St Theatre, Upton discusses his debut novel,&nbsp;Krank Fuss&nbsp;&ndash; a modern-day fable set against the gathering darkness of Europe in 1937. Moving from the stage to the page, he explores the craft behind the novel, the inspiration that drives his work and the different possibilities that&nbsp;emerge&nbsp;when creating for theatre and fiction. Their conversation travels across creativity, culture, technology,&nbsp;power&nbsp;and freedom &ndash; and considers the enduring ability of storytelling to help us see familiar questions from entirely new perspectives.&nbsp;
For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit <a href="https://unswcentreforideas.com/podcasts">unsw.to/cfi-podcast</a>

Andrew Upton: From stage to page  

During his first night in prison at 16 years old, Michael Kwan knew it was time to take accountability for the choices he’d made. Now, Michael wants to share the opportunities he made for himself - an education, a part-time job, a place to call home - with other at-risk youth and those already inside the youth justice system. He’s now the CEO and co-founder of Praxis Youth, a non-profit that is translating big ideas into real action for young people.  

On this episode of We built this thing, Michael chats with host Justine Rogers about what drove him to complete an education from behind bars, to graduate from high school, and pursue engineering at UNSW. As if he hasn’t accomplished enough in such a short time, they’ll also dive into Michael’s life as a CEO in his 20s and how he’s turned his life’s mission into an award-winning organisation. 

For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

During his first night in prison at 16 years old, Michael Kwan knew it was time to take accountability for the choices he&rsquo;d made. Now, Michael wants to share the opportunities he made for himself - an education, a part-time job, a place to call home - with other at-risk youth and those already inside the youth justice system. He&rsquo;s now the CEO and co-founder of Praxis Youth, a non-profit that is translating big ideas into real action for young people.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On this episode of&nbsp;We built this thing, Michael chats with host Justine Rogers about what drove him to complete an education from behind bars, to graduate from high school, and pursue engineering at UNSW. As if he&nbsp;hasn&rsquo;t&nbsp;accomplished&nbsp;enough in such&nbsp;a short time,&nbsp;they&rsquo;ll&nbsp;also dive into Michael&rsquo;s life as a CEO in his 20s and how&nbsp;he&rsquo;s&nbsp;turned his life&rsquo;s mission into an award-winning organisation.&nbsp;
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

We built this thing Ep3: From incarcerated to CEO: driving change in youth justice from the inside-out with Michael Kwan 

After 17 years at the United Nations, Janet Salem was growing frustrated with the gap between the sustainability data she was gathering, and the information businesses were using to make investment decisions. She saw an opportunity to give business’s crucial insight into their resource consumption and environmental impact to make more informed decisions, the same way food packaging provides nutritional information so that consumers can make more informed decisions. Now, she’s co-founded a start-up to help get sustainable investment a green thumbs up from the CFO.

Her journey from UNSW environmental engineering graduate to UN advisor to start-up co-founder sounds like a perfectly executed career path, but none of it was planned. On this episode of We built this thing, Janet chats with host Justine Rogers about being a first-time founder in her 40s. From getting over imposter syndrome in the tech-bro universe to the benefits of breaking the mould from the traditional ideas of what a fintech founder, UN advisor or engineer should be.

For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

After 17 years at the United Nations, Janet Salem was growing frustrated with the gap between the sustainability data she was gathering, and the information businesses were using to make investment decisions. She saw an opportunity to give business&rsquo;s crucial insight into their resource consumption and environmental impact to make more informed decisions, the same way food packaging provides nutritional information so that consumers can make more informed decisions. Now, she&rsquo;s co-founded a start-up to help get sustainable investment a green thumbs up from the CFO.
Her journey from UNSW environmental engineering graduate to UN advisor to start-up co-founder sounds like a perfectly executed career path, but none of it was planned. On this episode of We built this thing, Janet chats with host Justine Rogers about being a first-time founder in her 40s. From getting over imposter syndrome in the tech-bro universe to the benefits of breaking the mould from the traditional ideas of what a fintech founder, UN advisor or engineer should be.
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

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