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Our Story
Seven Sisters creates a powerful and safe space for women's voices to be heard,
wisdom to be shared and a place to heal, celebrate and inspire each other.
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Over the last decade, our drug & alcohol free wellbeing based event has run annually in regional Victoria
positively impacting the lives of over 15,000 women. Our event is run by women for women and
provides opportunities for women to connect, contribute, support other women and to gather tools, resources and information to help inspire, connect them with their own truth and expand their possibilities across
all areas of life.
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What we do..
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How did it begin?
FOUNDERS STORY
In 2011 at 23 years old, I attended my first women’s circle; this experience changed the way I related to myself and other women. It installed a deep pride in being a woman; in appreciating the mysteries of my body and tuning into my inner knowing. It was a powerful space to experience us as women supporting and celebrating one another rather than judging and competing with one another.
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I was moved to make this experience accessible to as many women as possible – to create a place to share women’s wisdom and foster that safety, support, and transformation on a larger level.
5 months later, with the enlisted help of supportive family and friends who each felt called to share their gifts to the vision, we ran the first event.
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Over the last 10 years the event has since called to many women, touching many hearts and transforming lives and up until this day has provided an important platform for women's voices, creativity and expression.
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Dr. Lauren Woodman
Tell us about the name
Why Seven Sisters?
When first exploring the idea of running a women’s festival, the name ‘Seven Sisters’ emerged with such strength and energy. It felt right. I appreciated the alliteration and the reference to sisterhood.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, the name is adorned with a rich and vibrant history relating to the Pleiades star cluster.
These seven stars are a theme of stories and legends relating predominately to women, which are carried by numerous cultures and nations around the world, including the Ancient Greeks, Chinese and the First Nations people of Australia, who hold the Dreamtime story of the Seven Sisters. I love that the name stimulates reflection of history and meanings, encourages women to share their stories and reminds us all that the light of the Seven Sisters Stars shine down on every woman—connecting us all.
– Founder Dr. Lauren Woodman
Tell us about Country
ACKNOWLEDGING COUNTRY
The original festival was held in 2012 in Yorta Yorta country and was Welcomed by Aunty Ella Anselmi. It was then relocated to the lands of the Boon Wurrung people where the event has been held and Welcomed by Senior Elder N'arweet Carolyn Briggs for the last 8 years. Seven Sisters Festival will be held on the lands of the Taungurung people where we will be Welcomed by Aunty Jo Honeysett and Aunty Bernadette Franklin.
We respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional owners of the land of the Indigenous people, the traditional custodians of this land, and respect their culture and identity which has been bound up with the land and sea for generations.
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Opening Ceremony 2016 Boonwurrung Dancers - Opening Ceremony
Future Visions
SEVEN SISTERS FESTIVAL & OUR HOME SITE
Our vision is to create a permanent home for consciousness-expanding events. We have found a site to put our roots in the ground and we are excited that we can now cultivate sustainable practices, revegetate the land and build permanent gardens, art and sustainable infrastructure to inspire a sense of magic, wonder and beauty for all those who attend the festival.
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So far we have planted 4500 trees, set up solar power, a composting station, built additional water storage solutions and set up our own Polytunnel so we propagate our own native plants for festival gardens and revegetation.
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Get Involved
GARDENERS, ARTISTS, HOBBY BUILDERS
Please reach out to discuss
live-in residentials or commissioned work.
We can support a couple of projects each year.
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Please email info@sevensistersfestival.com
with a bio/ photos of your ideas and description of your vision.
Sustainability
2024 DIRECT ACTIONS & FUTURE PLANS
The Seven Sisters Festival respects the land we gather and connect on, and thanks our attendees, staff, contractors, partners and community for their support in our sustainability mission. Where possible, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint with the intention to improve every future event to increase the overall sustainability of our festival by adhering to the following policy and guidelines.
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Seven Sisters Festival 2024 direct actions:
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• Ban the sale of plastic bottled water and plastic straws
• Continue composting as part of our waste management system
• Encourage attendees to bring reusable coffee cups and water bottles
• Encourage attendees not to print tickets
• Encourage attendees to be sustainable festival attendees and include guidelines on our website
• Reduce, reuse and recycle festival materials where possible
Energy
• All staff to ensure that power sources are turned off at the power point when not in use, in relation to the power that does not impact event function or safety. (Examples include: power points for kettles, phone chargers, printers, equipment not used overnight, etc).
• Encourage all contractors, food vendors and festival partners to reduce power usage where possible and ensure power sources are turned off when not in use, in relation to the power that does not impact event function or safety. (Examples include: power points for kettles and other food preparation items, point of sales systems not being, etc).
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Travel
• Where possible, engage local contractors and purchase local resources to reduce travel footprint.
• Encourage staff and guests to carpool including incentivising carpooling.
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Resources
• Engage local contractors where possible.
• Purchase locally sourced resources where possible.
• Re-use materials for future events where possible.
• Source sustainable and sustainably packaged resources where possible.
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Waste
• NO single-use plastic to be sold or distributed.
• Food must be served in compostable materials.
• The use of plastic straws and plastic bags is not permitted.
• NO plastic bottles are to be sold; this includes water and soft drink.
• Continue composting as part of the festival waste management plan.
• Ensure traders have access to recycling and composting bins.
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Water
• All staff to ensure that when utilising water for festival use that it is necessary and used efficiently.
• All festival guests and contributors are encouraged to ensure taps are turned off fully and that showers times are reduced where possible.
Supporting Others
EACH YEAR WE PARTNER, PROMOTE & OR SUPPORT VARIOUS LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL CHARITIES ORGANISATIONS & COMMUNITY GROUPS, THESE HAVE INCLUDED:
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Room to read, Traditional Health Care, Arts to Healing, SECASA, Huru International, Boon Wurrung Foundation, Bush Heritage Australia, Onegirl, Melbourne Rudorf Steiner School, Homebirth Australia, The Compassion Project, Tree Sisters, One billion Rising, Hope Healing Circle, Pay the Rent, The Wilderness Society and others.
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Each year we also provide over 50 goodwill tickets to First Nations women and those women who have experienced financial or emotional hardship or to those who have contributed generously to the community.
See our FAQ page on how to apply.
Do you have a group or organisation you wish to seek support for?
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Please feel free to send forth your ideas and we can see if we can assist
info@sevensistersfestival.com
Partnership
Seven Sisters Festival’s is always looking for new partnerships with like-minded organisations.
We have a range of opportunities to allow your organisation to be involved with the festival and we’re always happy to talk about any other creative ideas.
Lets chat! info@sevensistersfestival.com
