Gib Talks speakers set to take stage this Saturday

This Saturday, 14 speakers will take to the GibTalks stage at the John Mackintosh Hall. They will be giving 15-minute talks on a range of subjects, similar to the successful TED Talks format. The event is organised by Julian Felice and Gibraltar Cultural Services. The speakers give an insight ahead of their talks.

Dr Kat Aguilera
‘Before they Break: Why Early Intervention Matters in Military and Frontline Trauma'

Dr Aguilera draws on her clinical experience treating military and frontline trauma to examine why high-performing personnel often deteriorate for years before seeking help, which specific warning signs predict breakdown, and what happens when trauma compounds in operational environments.

The talk explores the costs of delayed intervention - not just to the individual, but to organisations, and families - and presents the intensive trauma treatments now being implemented in the UK. These approaches demonstrate what becomes possible when we intervene early, before trauma responses become embedded and decades of damage accumulate.

Dr Aguilera makes a compelling case for building early intervention infrastructure into military and emergency services, arguing that the neuroscience, treatment protocols, and evidence base already exist. The question this talk addresses isn't whether we can prevent catastrophic breakdown, it's why we're still waiting until people break before we act.

Giovanni Origo MP

Making Room at the Table

In ‘Making Room at the Table’ I shall explore the question of who democracy is really for, through the lens of age and representation. Drawing on my own personal experiences, I shall reflect on the assumptions often placed on youth and how these can affect participation within the political space. I intend to address the myth of youth apathy, suggesting that disengagement is less about disinterest and more about exclusion.

I will consider why young people, despite being deeply affected by long‑term policy decisions, are frequently under‑represented in political institutions. Notwithstanding, I look to challenge the idea that influence must be earned solely through age. In contrast, I will highlight the value of diverse perspectives, especially from those who will live longest with the consequences of today’s political decisions and noting that democracies are often stronger, when space is intentionally made for the next generation to help shape its future.

Isobel Ellul MBE – “The Men in my Life: The Audacity of Choice”

A story about my grandfather, Vicente Acris, and father, Eric Ellul, and how they inspired me to be who I am today.

Starting from very humble beginnings, they both became socially mobile, respected locally, and set up their own successful businesses. They had the audacity to challenge societal norms and glass ceilings of their ‘prescribed’ futures and roles, believing choice of opportunities should be available to all, irrespective of life circumstances and labels.

Born and living in London, from the late 1960s to early 1970s, during a time of social revolution and global division, planted a ‘rebellious’ seed. My formative years visiting Gibraltar during school holidays, and then growing up with a closed frontier, which did not suit me, had me learn from the ‘men in my life’ as I shaped my outlook on life, politics, religion and community.

Like them, I became audacious, an activist and resilient to opposition.

Sir Joe Bossano, Minister for Economic Development

Who I am

This year is my 54th year as a member of Parliament. Most people are familiar with the role. I have played in the growth and development of our economy and at the same time in campaigning against any, and every attempt to discuss our sovereignty with Spain. But I thought talking about who I am, which I’ve never done before might also be of interest to some of our people.

Julian Santos
Defending the defenceless - Children's privacy rights in a digital world

The talk will cover my journey into children's privacy law and the case of Weller v Associated Newspapers Ltd where the Court of Appeal recognised that children do not choose to be public and that their interests require special weight when privacy rights are assessed. My discussion will move beyond the law to consider the modern risks flowing from increased use of social media and data profiling. Unlike adults, children cannot meaningfully consent to, or understand, the long‑term consequences of digital exposure. The talk will consider whether existing privacy principles are adequate to protect children from harms that may crystallise many years later, and how children can be protected while developing their autonomy and identity. I hope to offer a thought-provoking and forward‑looking perspective on where privacy may be heading, and why children stand at its frontier.

Liam Byrne
My Journey

I shall be covering some of the chapters of my life’s journey since arriving in Gibraltar in 1982 a month before, my 7th birthday. I shall touch upon my settling in period, the growth of my small family, my involvement in local and international athletics which has been a dominant influence in my life and finding my routes. My goal is to deliver a relaxed narrative at a human level to provide the audience with a little insight into what has shaped me as an individual. To provide more depth I would need a lot more than the 15 allocated minutes, so it is going to be a challenge to condense the content and convey as much as possible. I hope I can keep the audience engaged and very much look forward to the experience.

Louise Busto
Turning Pain into Purpose

Turning Pain into Purpose is a raw and compelling talk about motherhood, resilience, and what happens when personal adversity collides with systemic gaps in care. After giving birth to extremely premature twin boys, I was thrust into the reality of neonatal medicine, grief and fear, an experience that exposed just how little structured support existed in Gibraltar for families facing complex pregnancies.

What became impossible to ignore was that prematurity was only part of a much bigger picture. Fertility struggles, antenatal anxiety, baby loss, and postnatal depression were largely unspoken, often unsupported and misunderstood.

From that realisation came BabySTEPPs, a charity born from lived experience and driven by the belief that information, compassion, and support matters.

This talk explores how quiet voices can become advocates, and how pain can create lasting change.

A story of resilience, advocacy, and legacy.

A reminder that while pain is unavoidable, purpose is always a choice.

Manuel Enriles
Mind Your Language!

My choice of topic will be hardly surprising for those who know me. A life-long fascination with language is the most likely reason why I built my career on it. I have been a modern foreign languages teacher for well over thirty years and I am co-founder and president of Multilingual Gibraltar. Language is so complex that not a day goes by when I do not discover something new about it. The study of language has been going on for over 2,500 years, yet modern linguistics is a relatively new discipline that has only been around since the late 19th century. Much has been learnt since then, but there still remains much more to discover, particularly about multilingualism. But do not panic, it is safe to attend the talk. I assure you no knowledge about the complexities of linguistic analysis is required. If you are curious about language and want to learn a bit more about it please come along, you will enjoy it.

Mark Montovio
The Heart of Parenthood

CortUtero: The Heart of Parenthood is a reflective, talk that invites the audience to question the quiet assumptions we make about parenting, looking at how deeply gender stereotypes still shape parenting expectations today, and the impact it has on society.

Mark gently unpacks the hidden cultural script that practically dictates that women are expected to know instinctively how to raise a child, and that men are expected to learn, if they so choose, but both ultimately pay the cost of this divide. The talk emphasises that what babies really need are parents or guardians who are present, attuned, and emotionally responsive, and gender should not be a barrier.

Drawing on ideas of ambivalent sexism and real-life encounters, this talk hopes to make a case for gender-free parenting by focusing on the removal of stereotypical behaviours and concepts, so we can raise not only more secure children, but also freer humans.

Melissa Bosano

The Road Less Travelled

The Road Less Travelled is a talk about the choices we make in life, and how much pressure we put on ourselves to get them right. Drawing on literature, her work with young people, and her own life going slightly off-script it is an
exploration of why decision-making can feel so overwhelming.

Using Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken as a starting point, Mel looks at the idea that there isn’t one “correct” path, and how often we end up following the one that’s most expected of us.

A talk that focuses on our own core values as a guide; this discussion is about letting go of regret, tuning out some of the noise, and making small, everyday choices that help us live with a little more peace.

Nadine Collado

From Boardrooms to Brushstrokes – Reinventing Identity Through Art

For nearly three decades my professional life was built around structure. Solving problems, making decisions and generating income for two very different types of organisations – both at executive level.

Eighteen months ago that changed to no structure, no teams, no responsibility but much rather to be standing in front of my easel where time stands still and the mind is flourishing as the paint hits the canvas.

Why would I leave certainty, structure, status, and an interesting role for something completely different? In fact, it happened twice.

My talk will explore the triggers behind the career shifts and the deeper questions they raised about identity and purpose. It will also draw on relevant academic studies on career transitions as well and what it reveals about reinvention in mid-life. I talk about how my art journey began and where I am.

Naomi Duarte
Art, Understanding, and the Joy of Paying Attention

This talk explores art not as talent, productivity, or spectacle, but as a way of paying attention to the world around us. Drawing from personal experience, cultural references, and philosophy, it looks at how art begins with observation, leads to understanding, and ultimately becomes a form of care and connection.

Rather than positioning art as something reserved for artists alone, the talk argues that its deepest value lies in how it shapes the way we see; people, places, relationships, and ourselves. Art is presented as a practice of learning that never fully ends, one that resists speed, easy answers, and surface-level engagement.

By reflecting on encounters with visual art, music, and everyday acts of noticing, the talk invites audiences to consider how attention, curiosity, and authenticity can enrich life far beyond the studio or gallery and why art, at its core, is about understanding.

Richard Buttigieg
Serendipity: When accidents meet tenacity

Serendipity; not a word used often and very easily confused with luck. Serendipity isn’t just pure luck—it’s that magic spark when preparation and chance come together and the mix is fuelled by pure tenacity. Think Alexander Fleming: mold in his petri dish was random, but years of relentless lab work let him spot penicillin’s power, saving millions. It’s no accident—it’s hustle meeting happenstance. Science backs it: diverse experiences wire your brain for “aha” moments, boosting creativity. Your brain builds resilience too; failures teach pattern recognition, so subtle accidents pop out clearer. Ever notice how athletes who train obsessively somehow are the ones who “get lucky” with game-winning plays?

So, stay open, be the hardest worker in the room, and when serendipity strikes, pounce on it.

And then tenacity primes the pump. Because every late night, every dead-end experiment, every “no” thickens your mental soil.

Serendipity’s waiting for your hustle. And I’m going to tell you how that happened to me in a very real way.

Peter Montegriffo

Where are we going?

Our post-Brexit future with the EU will be very different to the United Kingdom. Once formally adopted, we will begin to implement a historic Treaty that will govern our new EU relationship. This will involve free and unrestricted flow of people and goods between Gibraltar and Spain/EU and the removal of the frontier. The objective of the Treaty is stated to be “to secure the future prosperity of the whole region”.

We should consider what has driven each of the main protagonists to agree these arrangements.

What will these changes mean for Gibraltar - our society, economy and our way of life? Will nothing much change or will it bring about deeper shifts in our habits and community?

Great opportunities will open in this new phase of our journey. We need to respond in a way that will protect and be faithful to Gibraltar’s priorities and identity.