Purpose

At the 30th Annual General Meeting of Deaf Australia in October 2016, the establishment of The Colin Allen AM Lecture was announced to honour the achievements of former President of Deaf Australia – Colin Allen AM.

The intention of the Lecture is that individuals who will give the presentation will reflect on the themes of significance that complement the contribution and legacy of Mr Colin Allen AM, including:

• Deaf Community (both Australia and International)
• Human Rights for Deaf people and their families
• Sign Language rights
• International development cooperation
• Deaf Theatre
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) issues
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About the Lecture

Deaf Australia members can nominate any Deaf person to present on any of the above topics.

The Lecture will be presented during an official function hosted by Deaf Australia, and the individual who delivers the Lecture will be recognised through presentation of a work of art by a Deaf artist. The Lecture will be recorded and maintained as an archive of lectures for the benefit of the public and as an historical artefact of significance for the Australian Deaf Community.

The Lecture should not be interpreted as a scholarship in any way.
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Eligibility Criteria

1. The Colin Allen AM Lecture shall be a presentation relevant to the Deaf Community delivered in Auslan. The person delivering the lecture must be an Australian resident.

2. ​​​​​The Colin Allen AM Lecture shall provide an opportunity for members of the Australian Deaf Community and the wider community to reflect on the following themes of significance:  

• Deaf Community (Australia and International)

• Human Rights for Deaf people and their families

• Sign Language rights

• International development co-operation

• Deaf Theatre

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) issues

• or in other ways that have benefited Deaf people or the Australian Deaf Community such as undertaking research programmes to improve Deaf people’s human rights.

3. The Colin Allen AM Lecture shall not be used for marketing purposes; however, event sponsors may be acknowledged before and after the presentation as relevant.

4. The content of the Colin Allen AM Lecture should, where possible, not contradict the spirit of and mission of Deaf Australia and the legacy of Dr. Colin Allen AM. Any conflicts should be discussed and resolved with Deaf Australia prior to delivering the presentation.
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Past Lecture Topics and Presenters

• 2025: "The Lingering Shadow on Language Deprivation" presented by Dr.Leigh-Anne Edwards.
• 2024: "How Decolonised Parenting supports our self-worth" presented by Biko Shaka (aka Ashton Jean-Pierre)
• 2023: "The Voice to Parliament" presented by Jodie Barney.
• 2022: "Why Deaf Schools need to be valued" presented by Marnie Kerridge.
• 2021: "Deaf Theatre Yesterday, Today& Tomorrow?" presented by Caroline Conlon

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