TONTS.

This episode discusses themes of birth trauma, post natal depression and anxiety.Bron Lewis is one of Australia’s most promising new comedians. She was the co-winner of the National Raw Comedy competition in 2022, a four-time champion of the Moth storytelling competition, and both the best and the worst mum living at her house. Bron is a writer at The Project and has a prominent presence on stages all around the country.Bron’s critically acclaimed show ‘Probably’ sold out in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, and it scored her a nomination for Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s ‘Best Newcomer’ for 2023.Bron is performing her live show 'OBVIOUSLY' on July 26th at Comedy Republic in Melbourne - tickets available hereYou can also follow here on instagram right here at @bronlewiscomedyFor more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiOriginal theme music: Free by Claire TontiEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Part Two of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head herehttps://www.clairetonti.com/eventsFor more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiOriginal theme music: Free by Claire TontiEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Part One of a conversation with the soulful indie folk singer songwriter Mietta - storytelling and creating on Boonwurrung country in Australia's Mornington Peninsula. At 22 years of age, Mietta is in a season of emergence. With deep connection to her home roots and her community she is also an education researcher, learning skills mentor, facilitator and designer of youth wellbeing and expressive writing workshops. Mietta has recently supported the beloved artists Pete Murray and Kim Churchill and has just released her first recorded single with producer and friend fellow indie folk musician Timothy Li. You can find her playing all over the place in her home community and surrounds. For updates find her @mietta.music on instagram.To listen to her beautiful song Slowly head herehttps://www.clairetonti.com/eventsFor more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiOriginal theme music: Free by Claire TontiEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Matrescence AlbumTwo times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women’s rights, LGBTQI+ visibility, and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.Founder and CEO of Melbourne’s acclaimed Women’s Spoken Word organisation and monthly event, Mother Tongue, she has guided the voices of thousands of women into the world. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who’s words, workshops and courses leave a profound impression.A British artist now based in Melbourne, Australia; she studied at the famous London stage institution, The BRIT School, which birthed many strong talents such as Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kae Tempest and more.A self-identified queer, erotic, spiritual, mother she has a theatrical and yet deeply authentic performance and writing style, renowned for captivating her audiences with depth, honesty, and humour. She now writes and presents regularly to her online community of over 20k followers with poetry, talks, and opinion pieces.In 2017 she published her book, Sex and God, performed internationally, was a grand slam finalist and became the first women to represent Australia at the National Poetry Slam, USA. In 2018 her poem, Witches, went viral on InternationalWomen’s Day with over one million views in 3 days, and over 3 million views to date. Towards the end of the year she completed a US tour, and launched her album of spoken word, Unhear This. In 2020 she successfully crowdfunded her latest book Virago: A Poetic Manifesto, reaching over 200% of her original goal on Kickstarter and pre-selling over 300 copies across 4 continents.Website - https://fleassymalay.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/FleassyMalayFor more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiOriginal theme music: Free by Claire TontiEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Matrescence AlbumMatrescence FestivalDr Melanie Jackson is a private midwife providing homebirth services since 2009. In 2015 she completed her PhD, called "birth outside the system: wanting the best and safest" This work sprouted academic publications and has also allowed her to work as a researcher and midwifery lecturer at Western Sydney university, as a peer reviewer for academic journals and as a project officer at the Australian College of Midwives and motivates the work she now does on her social media and youtube channels.Melanie also hosts The Great Birth Rebellion which aims to dismantle western beliefs and management of birth and presents an evidence-based alternative to modern birth practices. They believe that calculated rebellion against medicalised maternity care is the evidence-based and preferred path to having a great birth. Melanie is a mother of two and lives on a permaculture farm in the Blue Mountains of NSW.Website - www.melaniethemidwife.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/melaniethemidwife/For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiOriginal theme music: Free by Claire Tonti Editing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Matrescence AlbumMatrescence FestivalAmy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. After more than a decade covering breaking news and current affairs for the ABC around the country, her 'traditional' career took an unexpected turn when she found herself lost, overwhelmed and diagnosed with a thyroid disease after the birth of her first daughter. 14 years - and two more babies - later, she is now the best-selling Hay House author of Mama Rising, the host of the ‘The Happy Mama Movement’ podcast (with more than 400,000 downloads), an internationally awarded Life Coach, runs numerous online programs for mothers all over the world, expert contributor to media outlets around the globe, and the creator of the #1 itunes meditations for children with more than 23 million downloads ‘Bedtime Explorers’. In 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 200 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally. Website - www.amytaylorkabbaz.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/amytaylorkabbaz/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/amytaylorkabbaz/For more from Claire you can head to https://www.clairetonti.com or instagram @clairetontiEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JG

Welcome to another episode of TONTS. on the road. Audio grabs from Claire's tour of the UK last year. This one is from her London show with the spoken word poet Hollie Mcnish. Hollie is an award-winning poet, writer and performer. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Slug (and other things I’ve been told to hate) and won the Ted Hughes award for new work in poetry with her poetry and parenting memoir Nobody Told Me. She has two further poetry collections, Plum and Cherry Pie, one modern adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone and alongside fellow poet Sabrina Mahfouz, co-wrote Offside, a play relating the history of UK women’s football. She loves writing and her live readings are not to be missed. Hollie is currently touring the UK at the moment and her new book Lobster is on sale now.For more from Hollie you can find her here and watch here YouTube video performing Megatron in a Boxing ring here You should definitely watch it!For more from Claire Tonti head hereEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JPOriginal music: Free by Claire Tonti

Jasper Peach is a trans, non-binary and disabled writer, speaker and parent. They are passionate about equitable access and inclusion, focused around the dismantling of misplaced shame via storytelling. Their written work has been published in The Age, HireUp, The Big Issue, Archer, The Guardian, Verandah, Australian Poetry Journal, Meanjin, ABC and SBS online.With a background in Auslan interpreting, broadcasting and civil celebrancy, writing has continued their personal trend of being all about communication and community. Their first book, You’ll be a Wonderful Parent, was published March 2023 by Hardie Grant and is a celebration of rainbow families of all kinds.For more from Jasper you can find them on instagram @jasperpeachsays or find Jasper's book here For more from me you can find me @clairetonti on instagram or at my website www.clairetonti.comEditing: RAW CollingsSocial Media: Maisie JP