In the final instalment of Sink or Swim, we look to the future and explore how we can survive the hotter summers that lie ahead for all of us. Blacktown is facing increasingly extreme urban heat, but locals are coming up with their own solutions. We visit two cool refuges where we discover ordinary citizens and local leaders who are shaping the communities they want in the places where they live.

You’ll hear from Maryam Zahid, a community leader creating spaces for newly arrived women to learn skills like swimming, and Emma Bacon, who is campaigning for community-led heat responses.

And you’ll find out – will Angelica and her swimming classmates reach their goals this summer? Will they sink or swim?

Sink or Swim is a UTS Impact Studios production. You can listen to the full series at Impact Studio’s official website: https://impactstudios.edu.au/sinkorswim/

It is written and produced by Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis and Britta Jorgensen.  

Audio editing by Britta Jorgensen and Celine Teo-Blockey.

Additional support from Jane Curtis and Tamson Pietsch.   

The executive producers are Olivia Rosenman and Sarah Gilbert. 

Sound design by Melissa May.

The theme song is Beaming by Friday.   

Podcast artwork and graphic design by Alexandra Morris. 

Research by Jackie May. 

All The Best Credits:

All The Best is hosted by Madhuraa Prakash. 

This episode was mixed by Zac Pennington.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.