Madeleine Madden and Mother Hetti Perkins

How are you staying connected this Mother's Day, given the current circumstances in the world?

Lots of FaceTime! I have a big family so luckily there’s lots of family around to check in with. And those of us who can drive (embarrassingly not me!) do grocery drops for more vulnerable family members.

The duality and bond between Mother and Daughter is unparalleled, what traits of your mum do you also possess?

My mum is like my best friend, we’re incredibly similar. I think I’m slowly morphing into her. Subconsciously I started dressing like her when she was young and had my hair cut like hers. We share the same sense of humour, love for 80s music and interior design.

My mum is a full-time working single mum of four. She is incredibly hard working but also puts family first. I’ve definitely learnt that from her as well. My siblings and I were also raised by our grandparents who are integral to who we are as well. So when I celebrate Mother’s Day, I also celebrate my strong grandmothers and my aunts as well.

An inspiring and powerful woman in her own right, what has been the best lesson your Mum has offered you?

“Act with dignity and humility.”  and “Everything you do, you also do for your people.”

My grandmothers also brought me up to be a ‘Proud Black Woman’ and always told me to “Walk into a room with your head held high”.

Given your family's heritage, do you feel like acting and activism was destined to be on the cards for you?

From pretty early on I knew what I wanted to do. My family has always been very supportive of my dreams. A huge part of my identity is connected to my family and heritage. I’m incredibly proud of my family and acknowledge the sacrifices they’ve made for me to be where I am today. I couldn’t have done any of this without them.

Tell us about your work as an activist and role with Seed Mob.

I heard about Seed Mob through my sister Lille who joined Seed back in 2018. Being a young person today but particularly being an indigenous person, I felt so angry and powerless about what was happening to our beautiful country at the hands of our reckless government and greedy corporations. Seed empowered me to fight for the preservation of our country and introduced me to a community of like minded young, passionate indigenous people who are also standing up for our people and fighting for climate justice.

What does having a voice and platform in 2020 Australia mean to you?

2020 has been a really challenging year internationally. With so much suffering and divisiveness it’s really comforting and uplifting to see people putting our differences aside and putting humanity first. I’ve been really inspired by everyday people leading with love and looking after their fellow humans. To me having a platform is and has always been speaking up for people whose voices can’t be heard.

What makes your Mum so special?

Everything about her! She is so selfless and really is a mum to everyone. She has an ENORMOUS heart!

Any exciting projects in the works you would like to share with us.

Before the global lockdown and before we went on hiatus, I was shooting ‘The Wheel of Time’ series in and around Europe. It’s honestly been a dream job and on like most jobs, I’ve made friends that I consider family. Professionally and personally it’s been huge for me. 

However, like most people in the arts right now this is a really scary time for creative's futures and our livelihoods. It’s a really important time to support the arts. This mothers day, I’ll be buying art and band merch as presents to help give back to the community.