Risingholme is proud to be part of The Ōtautahi ACE Network which brings together organisations and educators committed to strengthening Adult and Community Education across Ōtautahi Christchurch. For this year’s Festival of Adult Learning, the network teamed up with Sam Woolf and Erica Austin, hosts of the Ōtautahi in Practice podcast, to record and release three special Adult Learners’ Week episodes exploring the stories, experiences, and this impact of adult learning from learners, tutors, and organisers from across the ACE sector.
A global celebration of learning
Adult Learners’ Week is a UNESCO initiative celebrated in more than 40 countries. It is part of an international movement that recognises learning as a lifelong pathway to participation, wellbeing and self-determination. In Aotearoa, ACE Aotearoa has celebrated the festival across the motu for more than 25 years, showcasing the learning available in our communities and acknowledging the courage, commitment and success of adults who return to learning.
Held from 7–13 September in 2026, the festival offered a chance to celebrate learner success, raise the profile of adult and community education, and encourage people to take their first or next step into learning something new.
Finding our voice through podcasting
This year’s theme offered an exciting opportunity to think about all the different voices that make up the ACE sector, and the podcast idea came naturally as a result. As a format, podcasts are built for conversation, reflection and hearing directly from the people who make learning happen.
Over the course of three episodes, hosts Sam and Erica invited guests to share their perspectives on learning and how it has shaped their interests and identity, the connections with people and places of learning, as well as some of the challenges that they have faced along the way. By giving a platform to share their stories directly, the episodes bring this year’s theme to life.
Created through collaboration
The event, much like the conversations had, was a collaborative one. It brought together the ACE in Ōtautahi network which meets regularly to build a strong and active ecosystem of organisations that champion learning across the city. Risingholme Learning and the Canterbury Workers’ Educational Association (CWEA) were among the lead organisations developing the event, helping shape a collaborative platform where different organisations could contribute their knowledge, people and stories.
That collective approach was strengthened through partnership with Ako Ōtautahi Learning City Christchurch, which runs the Ōtautahi in Practice podcast with Plains Media. The programme amplifies stories of curiosity, growth and the transformative power of learning in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Reflecting on the series, podcast host Sam had this to say:
“All three conversations were very unique and highlight the diversity of options and experiences that are available when exploring an interest outside of traditional siloed education institutions and directly acknowledges the porous network of interconnected organisations, people, and culture of learning that has long existed on this land that Ōtautahi sprawls across.
We heard stories about how learners have changed careers as a result of a conversation and healthy learning experience, and how systems that support all the facets we hold as complex individuals open opportunities that align more strongly with a learner’s goals.
The guests clearly spoke with passion and grace about their experiences and it was clear that they care deeply about providing quality learning opportunities for all.”
Listen to the podcast
Click on the tiles below to listen to each of the Adult Learners’ Week podcast episodes below.
