Ed Kirwan- Empathy: Connection that Inspires Learning

Beyond the Status Quo · Oct 15, 2026 · 51m

Summary:

In this episode of Beyond the Status Quo, Tamara and Kathryn speak with Ed Kirwan, founder of Empathy Week and Empathy Studios, which use film to build the skill of empathy in schools around the world. Ed traces his own first challenge to the status quo back to a Year 11 class he refused to write off, and follows a through-line from that classroom to his work today. His argument: trust is built on connection, connection is built on understanding, and empathy is the skill underneath both, the thing that turns belonging and human flourishing from aspiration into something schools can…