2026 Melbourne conference

Date: August 15-16, 2026
Venue: Arrow on Swanston, 488 Swanston Street, Carlton, VIC 3053
Times (yet to be confirmed as at May 31) include a 10am Saturday start and 5pm Sunday finish.
Guests include Lucy Cavendish (keynote) and Kate Forsyth

Tix are now on sale!

2026 conference art (Witches in Fairy Tales) by Cassandra Kavanagh

Our 2026 conference theme is ‘Witches in Fairy Tales: Wise Women or Evil Enchanters?‘

Conference art by Cassandra Kavanagh

Join us in Melbourne for two magical days exploring fairy tales from an Australian perspective. Our keynote speaker, internationally celebrated author, oracle deck creator and witch Lucy Cavendish, will make a rare appearance, and will be joined by acclaimed fairy tale writer Kate Forsyth and an eclectic selection of artists, authors, storytellers, musicians, psychologists, academics and fairy-tale lovers. 

There will be fun performances, thought-provoking presentations, fascinating panels and creative workshops, and lots of time to chat with like-minded people from around the country.

Program: Coming!
Queries to afts.conference<at>gmail.com

Tickets: Join us here!

Prices (excluding Humanitix booking fee):
Full weekend: $200 (member), $250 (non-member)
Saturday only: $130 (member), $170 (non-member)
Sunday only: $130 (member), $170 (non-member)

Presenters’ Expressions of Interest have now closed.

As we encompass all disciplines and types of creativity, we invite you to submit presentations in a diversity of forms, as this is one of the delights of an AFTS conference. How will you weave a fairy-tale witch – male or female, wicked or wonderful – into your presentation? For more detail, visit our blog. Thank you – submissions closed April 30, 11pm.

Read more about the conference

  • Our conference artist Cassandra Kavanagh has been painting since the age of two, and reading since the age of four. Visit our blog to learn why fairy tales remain a firm favourite, despite being traumatised by Bluebeard at age seven! And in Part 2, her thoughts on our theme, ‘Witches in Fairy Tales’.
  • Our keynote speaker Lucy Cavendish is an author, oracle deck creator, podcaster, surfer, wildlife carer – and witch! Learn why she thinks our 2026 theme is ‘delicious’! In Part 2, Lucy reflects on the wisdom of fairy tales and on witchcraft.

We’d like to thank …