DA presents STTOP at TEDxSydney Youth 2024

Last week Documentary Australia had the pleasure of partnering with TEDxSydney Youth to co-present the screening premiere of Stay Tuned To Our Planet, as part of our Environmental Accelerator program. The session included a screening of one episode and was followed by a Q&A with STTOP presenter Mathew McKenna.

“Tackling climate change can be intense and overwhelming to deal with so we wanted to bring an element of positivity,” said Mathew. When asked about the series’ social media format, he also reflected, “…younger generations are spending more time watching content online than anywhere else.”

Stay Tuned To Our Planet (aka STTOP) is a 28 x 5-minute documentary series for young people who want to play a part in the fight to save our planet. In each STTOP episode, YouTuber Mathew McKenna interviews an eco-warrior who unpacks an environmental issue, empowering young people with achievable, everyday actions to make a positive impact on the planet and help reduce climate anxiety.

The episode that screened at the TEDxSydney Youth centred on young change-maker Sophia Skarparis, aka PlasticFreeSophia, who at the age of 14 created a petition to ban single-use and heavy retail plastic bags in New South Wales. This petition was tabled in Parliament in October 2018 and led to the successful implementation of the NSW Plastics Action Plan in 2022.

Platforming the voices of young leaders and visionaries redefining the future in the face of uncertainty, TEDxSydney Youth was the perfect setting for STTOP’s screening premiere. The theme, CTRL > SHIFT, is about “…how control can shift to create a world that young people actually want to live in,” stated TEDxSydney Youth Curatorial Assistant, Eve Beck.

Both the screening and the Q&A were well received by TEDxSydney Youth’s vibrant and engaged audience, who we hope took inspiration from STTOP’s message of positive impact in the face of climate anxiety.

Check out all 28 episodes with eco-warriors unpacking environmental issues and everyday actions to make a positive impact on the planet.

Watch STTOP on YouTube or TikTok or Instagram

Join the STTOP community.

Supported by Intrepid Travel, the Environmental Accelerator aims to increase awareness and action on a range of pressing environmental issues by using documentary storytelling as a tool to create change.