For Vivid Sydney 2022, I delivered a keynote and moderated a panel discussion with three former cult members as part of Vivid Ideas at the UTS Great Hall. The event sold out, the capacity was raised and an extra allocation of tickets was released, then it sold out again.

“What each participant wanted to convey to the filled auditorium was that anyone, no matter how intelligent, gregarious, creative, strong-willed they are, can fall victim to a cult; that some cults don’t really look like cults, at least, not the popular depiction of cults; and that the persistent engagement of family and friends on the outside can eventually help someone leave a cult. And once someone leaves, they have a chance to rebuild their lives and become successful, as each of the women has.”

Rita Bratovich, City Hub Sydney

I appeared at Woodford Folk Festival 2022/23 for two completely packed-out talks, and returned in 2023/24 for a live podcast recording and a second collaboration with QUT's Digital Media Research Centre:

Do As I Say: How Cults Control, Wed 28 Dec, 2022

Aren’t cults just alternative belief systems that are unfairly maligned? What makes someone susceptible to ending up in a cult? How can we help those exiting high-demand groups? Explore these questions and more with Sarah Steel, podcaster (Let's Talk About Sects) and author of Do As I Say, with moderator Joe Gould (The Crooked Fiddle Band).

Online Conspiracies, Cultic Thinking & Courting Chaos, Fri 30 Dec, 2022

Seeking alternative viewpoints is crucial in a world where vested interests lobby governments, and where capitalist forces fight to win every argument even when it means destroying the planet. But sometimes we look for the “truth” in the wrong places, and online communities that seem welcoming are paving a path to something else entirely. A discussion with QUT Professor of Digital Communication Daniel Angus.

Polarisation, Radicalisation and Cult-Like Behaviour, Sun 31 Dec, 2023

Author and podcaster Sarah Steel (Do As I Say, Let's Talk About Sects) hosts a panel discussion with researchers from QUT's Digital Media Research Centre around the dynamics of polarisation – when it's harmless, and when it can contribute to radicalisation and threaten our democracy.

Let's Talk About Sects Live: Twelve Tribes (Live Podcast Recording), Mon 1 Jan, 2024

Take a deep dive into the human stories behind the Twelve Tribes – and maybe some ethical consumption to boot – with Sarah Steel. Enjoy live accompaniment by Joe Gould (The Crooked Fiddle Band) for the award-winning podcast Let’s Talk About Sects.

In May 2026 I was invited by the NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner James Cockayne to moderate a survivor panel at a workshop on cult experiences and their overlooked intersections with modern slavery at NSW Parliament House.

I spoke on a panel at the ABC's OzPod Conference in 2019 on a panel with Greg Bearup (Who the Hell is Hamish / The Australian) and Ollie Wards (Unravel season 4 / triple j) about the public's fascination with con artists and fakes.