Documentary series Stay Tuned To Our Planet (STTOP) will screen this week as part of TEDxSydney Youth at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta.
The latest title to be announced as part of Documentary Australia’s Environmental Accelerator program, STTOP is a 28 episode climate action series that aims to help mitigate climate anxiety in young Australians by empowering them with achievable, everyday actions.
Following an online launch on YouTube and TikTok earlier this year for World Environment Day, 5 June, the TEDxSydney Youth session is co-presented by Documentary Australia and marks the series’ Australian screening premiere. It will be followed by a Q&A with series presenter Mathew McKenna, a YouTuber with 330,000 subscribers who joined forces with filmmaker Lizzy Nash to transform his own experience of climate anxiety into a positive initiative for young people.
“For me, the series is a marriage of what I know I’m good at — making people laugh — and what I’m passionate about — our environment,” he said.
“I was able to meet and interview some amazing people from wildly different backgrounds — dedicating their lives to the study of flies, or changing Australian laws at the age of 14 — incredible people.”
For Nash, the series came as a response to being the mother of a teenager and contemplating the effects of climate change for the next generation.
“I realised I had to be part of the solution, and that I could take action by using my skills and experience as a filmmaker,” she said.
“New research has shown that one of the most helpful ways to alleviate climate anxiety is by providing young people with resources on different ways to take action. So, that is what the series provides.”
In 2023, Orygen Institute’s landmark report Climate of Distress found that 1 in 3 young Australians, or 32 per cent, are dealing with climate anxiety on a daily basis, with 72 per cent saying that hearing positive climate change stories in the media or online is helpful when experiencing climate distress.
The filmmakers worked closely with researchers, mental health experts and a Teen Advisory Board over three and half years to bring STTOP to life. The series is now endorsed by the Orygen Institute, University of Melbourne, headspace, Planet Ark, Environmental Education NSW and Parents for Climate, among others.
STTOP is the sixth title to be supported through Documentary Australia’s Environmental Accelerator program, which supports a slate of environmental documentaries to reach new
audiences and create lasting social impact, with the aim to increase awareness and action on pressing environmental issues.
Documentary Australia’s Environmental Accelerator is made possible thanks to its major partners, including Intrepid Travel, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Madman Entertainment, Mutual Trust, Planet Ark and other supporters.
Get tickets to TEDxSydney Youth | Watch STTOP on YouTube or TikTok
About the series
Stay Tuned To Our Planet
Creator: Lizzy Nash, Impact Producer: Jackie Turnure
Stay Tuned To Our Planet (STTOP) is a 28 episode climate action series for young people who want to play a part in the fight to save our planet. In each STTOP episode, YouTuber Mathew McKenna interviews an eco-warrior who helps him to unpack an environmental issue, empowering young people with achievable, everyday actions that can make a positive impact on the planet and help reduce climate anxiety. Made with the help of a teen advisory board, STTOP is entertaining, fun and informative, supporting young people with positive messages, agency and hope for the future.
Further information: sttop2030.com
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=pwhIv8MWQdM
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC2vBtzQMkm4eKglg79I9Spw
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@sttop2030
About Documentary Australia
Documentary Australia is a unique non-profit that supports filmmakers and organisations on the frontlines of social change, amplifying powerful documentaries to inspire action on critical social and environmental issues. Supported by Intrepid Travel, the Environmental Accelerator program supports a slate of environmental documentaries to reach new audiences and create lasting social impact through the provision of strategic guidance and pro-bono impact campaign support.
Further information: documentaryaustralia.com.au/environmental-accelerator/
