Bob Hawke, Dr Karl, Tracey Spicer & More Named On Woodford Folk Fest Speakers Program

The annual Woodford Folk Festival has revealed its utterly stacked line-up of speakers set to get punters' grey matter working through its wide-ranging series of talks this December.

More than 70 speakers have been named for the thought-provoking spread, which is set to canvass topics such as the environment, Indigenous issues, humanitarian response, technological innovation and more during the event's six-day span.

Among their ranks are longtime festival favourite Bob Hawke, beloved science dad Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, revered media figure and author Tracey Spicer, noted Indigenous activist Noel Pearson, author and historian David Hunt, music journalist and broadcaster Geoff Wood, academic and poet Heather Shearer, activist and performer Albert Wiggan (with John Butler and archaeologist Peter Veth), lawyer and constitutional reform research fellow Shireen Morris, New Democracy Foundation research director Lyn Carson, 102-year-old dancer Eileen Kramer and a raft of other thinkers and artists.

They join a wider program encompassing music, arts, circus, cabaret, forums,film, workshops and children's activities, returning for its 32nd year at its traditional home of Woodfordia.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

"Woodfordia not only brings people together through joy and celebration, but also through ideas, issues and our shared aspirations for the future," festival director Bill Hauritz said in a statement.

"To have thought leaders of this international standing all here at the same time is a coup for Queensland and one of the hidden treasures of the Woodford Folk Festival program.

"We’re hoping this early release of our speakers program ensures these leading lights aren’t lost within the thousands of performances showcased in the upcoming program launch."

The 2017 Woodford Folk Festival runs between 27 December and 1 January. Tickets are available now.

See the full speakers program below, and check the festival's website for more details.

Woodford Folk Festival — 2017 Speakers program

The Reef

Dr Fanny Douvere
Dr Brian von Herzen
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, feat. Claire Atkinson, Matthew Dunbabin, Peter Gash, Daniel Gschwind, Kelly Heaton, Anna Marsden, Russell Reichelt, Dianne Sciacca and Heidi Taylor
Professor Ian Lowe
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
The Honourable Dr Steven Miles
Linsey Pollack & Lizzie O'Keefe: Dangerous Song
The Overview Institute Of Australia

Rights & Rites Of Passage

Tracey Spicer
Eileen Kramer
Dr Arne Rubinstein
Maggie Haertsch
Elham Day
Leigh Donovan
The Ageing Revolution

Kimberley

Mark Jones
The Albert Wiggan Trio
Barry Trail
Nic Wrathall & Stephanie King

Uluru Comes To Woodford

Noel Pearson
Peter Veth
Shireen Morris
David Allinson
Sean Gordon

Into The Future

Ian Dearden
Ian Ugarte
Lyn Carson
Dion McCurdy

Humanitarian Lecture Series

Fabian Prideaux
Dr Ben Henley
Francisco Monteiro
Leeanne Marshall
Tamarah King
Tom Bamforth
Zach McEvoy

Environment

Clare Archer-Lean
John Sinclair
Lock The Gate Alliance
Dr Sandra Tuszynska
FunGAL
Roy Sonnenburg
Heather Shearer

Health

Lui Weber & Robert Price
Dr Daniel Aronov
Two Old Ducks
Narelle White Ryan
Melissa Fox
Sean Parnell
Melli O'Brien
Dr Sam Manger
Sandeep Gupta
Hwiemtun
Dominique LivKamal