Inclusive Journalism Cymru - Networking, AGM and Showcase Event

Meet fellow creatives and shape the future of Inclusive Journalism Cymru!

Inclusive Journalism Wales will holding their second AGM & Social on Saturday 15th March 2025 – a chance to meet the team and other members, get involved in a range of activities we’ll be running across the day, and have a say on what the future of Inclusive Journalism could look like.

What can I expect?

• 2:00pm – 3:30pm – Networking With Neurodivergence
  Hear from our special guest speakers on how to make valuable connections (even if socialising feels like a challenge) and put these tips into practice.

• 4:00pm – 5:00pm – Showcase and Q&A
  We’ll be showcasing Soma Ghosh’s audiopiece – a creative response to archive material – plus a Q&A session all about podcasts.

• 5:15pm – 6:15pm – AGM
  

• Get updates on what we’ve been doing over the past year and share your views on what you’d like us to prioritise.

• 6:15pm – 7:30pm – Shared meal and Iftar
  Delicious meal, completely free of charge, which will also serve as an Iftar to mark Ramadan.

We are fully aware that attending all activities might be overwhelming, so want to assure you that attendance is completely optional and you are welcome to dip in and out as you please. There is no obligation to stay until the end and you can choose the bits that suit you / your capacity the most. 

The venue is wheelchair accessible with ramps. We will only be using the ground floor.

In more detail

In our ‘Networking With Neurodivergence’ session you will get the best tips and tricks from industry professionals, as well as the chance to try them out yourself. We know that networking is crucial to find new opportunities in the creative sector, but that many of us find it difficult – whether it’s because of neurodivergent brains, social anxiety, or general shyness – this session is designed to give you the skills and confidence so you can mingle with ease. Speakers include Jannat Ahmed (Lucent Dreaming), Rosie Higgins (Unquiet Media) and Sara Robinson (Neurodivergent Friendly Cardiff). 

To ensure that the event is accessible, we have partnered with Nurologik to create a NuroCove i.e. an adult sensory space that is free for everyone to use throughout the afternoon and evening. This pop-up space includes comfortable seating, soft furnishing, items to assist with self-regulation, appropriate lighting solutions and more. The IJC team will also be attending a training course so that we are more aware about how to meet neurodivergent needs. On top of this – all attendees have the option to be paired with a ‘buddy’ for the entirety of the networking session who will share their interests and who you can network together with.

We’ll be presenting an audiopiece by Soma Ghosh, one of three winning members whose work we’re commissioning under the ‘Understanding Our Past to Know Our Present’ project, in partnership with the Welsh Broadcast Archive. Expect a surprising insight into Welsh history via mythical trees and Bengali connections. Soma will be joined by our Co-Director and fellow creator Damian Kerlin as they discuss the process of making a podcast. 

At our AGM we’ll be opening the floor up to our members to share your views on how we could be making journalism more inclusive. If you would like to have a particular subject raised at the AGM, then please do get in touch. We want to make sure it’s a collaborative event and that your voice is heard. (Don’t worry if you can’t make it down to Cardiff though, as we’re planning events in mid and north Wales, where we’ll be showcasing our collaborations with the Wales Broadcast Archive and where you’ll also get the chance to share your views. Keep an eye out for further announcements.)

With the help from our friends at Now in a Minute Media and the Grange Pavilion Youth Forum, we’ll share an evening meal together whilst observing Iftar, as the event falls during Ramadan. We hope this will make it easier for members who are celebrating Ramadan to attend, and this will of course be an inclusive celebration that is open to all members. 

And if that wasn’t enough, internationally acclaimed photographer Mohamed Hassan will be exhibiting some of his incredible photos at the venue, as well as taking photos throughout the event. He is also offering free headshots for up to four attendees – so make sure you fill in our registration form to enter the draw. (You can see some examples that Mo did for our website).

Please be aware that there will be a Wales V England rugby match at Principality Stadium from 4:45pm on the day of the event. This means that travel will likely be much more crowded than usual, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead. We’ll be sending out a note to all attendees ahead of the event including travel advice and suggestions.

Accessible Venue