The SPEAQ Forum is Queensland’s practitioner oriented, interactive conference bringing together Domestic and Family Violence workers involved in interventions with those who use domestic and family violence. We welcome people in all roles associated with this work. As our key professional development event for the year, the purpose of this gathering is to connect, reflect, inform, share practice wisdom and explore new ideas to strengthen practice and strengthen the passion that drives our work. The SPEAQ Forum is different to many conferences, developed from the ground up by and for practitioners. With a strong focus on practice and on conversations between participants, it provides more than just great presentations by guest speakers, and fees are kept low enough to enable practitioner attendance. The Forum has been held annually since 2009, and we now welcome participants from around Australia, bringing unique perspectives from their part of the world to enrich our conversations and mutual learning.

This year’s theme is about opening and exploring space for new possibilities as pathways to change. This applies both to our change work with persons using violence and how we as a sector are developing and responding to the social, organisational, and statutory environment that we are in. Curiosity challenges and disarms power and propels deeper understanding; it is foundational in creating cultures of engagement and innovation. Challenge, both uninvited and created, is an essential part of the change process that can be both uncomfortable and exciting. How can we best embrace these two powerful principles in our work to eliminate abuse?