Inspire Festival 2016

Overview

There really is a festival for everything, as the latest event to take over the Brisbane Powerhouse shows. Presented by the Brisbane Writers Festival, the Inspire Festival carves its own niche by encouraging attendees to ponder weighty subjects and pursue a more meaningful, creative life.

Three jam-packed talks comprise the fest's 2016 program — and we mean jam-packed both in terms of the content set to be discussed and the talent set to do the chatting. Inspire TALK sees Stan Grant, Trent Dalton, Robin Bailey and Kelly Higgins-Devine dissect the very art of conversation, while Inspire DEMOCRACY gathers Jan Owen, Eyal Halamish, Mark Bahnsich, Dr Lorann Downer and Erik Jensen to contemplate the very timely topic of voting. And then there's Inspire DRIVE, which examines ambition and motivation with Michael Ross, Orange Sky Laundry's Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, Tim Fairfax and Catherine McGregor — aka all Australian or Queenslander of the Year award-winners.

So, that's your Saturday sorted; however the Inspire Festival doesn't just work its magic via panel sessions. In its attempt to evoke inspired thought and positive action, it also brings everyone together for Friday night drinks, though you'll have to buy a festival pass to enjoy that part of the fun.