Relieve your winter “cabin fever” with these fascinating festivals taking over Huskisson this August. From glowing ocean science and indie cinema to hands-on art workshops, here is how to spend your weekends around the Bay this month.
Science Week at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum
National Science Week is a big deal every year at our very own hub of science, technology, art and history, the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, and this year is no exception.
From 15-22 August, the museum is hosting a full program with a focus on luminescence in the ocean, and aquatic life from Jervis Bay to Antarctica.
KIDS’ SHOW For the young STEM or STEAM enthusiast, the interactive theatre is a must. Nic Nac Theatre Company is putting on a show for young children that recreates the magic of bioluminescence, a phenomenon that appears in our oceans that makes the water glow under the moonlight.
Tickets are still available for the Saturday 15th (11am and 1.30pm) and Monday 17th (10am and 12pm) shows, for $15 child and $20 adult, which includes entry into the museum & gallery.
BIOLUMINESCENCE SECRETS For anyone who has ever wished they could predict the appearance of bioluminescence creating a magical effect after dark, this is a talk for you. Science communicator and photographer David Finlay will be sharing his secrets to become a “chaser of light” in the form of sea sparkles, glow worms and ghost fungi that can be found on our coast. Tickets to this event at 10am on Saturday 22 August are $20/$15 and are almost sold out!
MORE EVENTS on the Science Week calendar are on the Museum’s website.
Travelling Film Festival at Husky Pictures
Our charming heritage picture theatre hosts the annual Travelling Film Festival which makes its way from a debut in Sydney to key locales around the country. Die-hard TFF fanatics pounce on an all-film pass (9 films for $126) the second the tickets are released and this year, the line-up of films is even more enticing and exciting that last year.
Only this morning, we heard from the Shark Island Institute, whose executive director Ian Darling AO is presenting a very special documentary about Kangaroo Valley as part of this year’s festival.
The Valley is an immersive cinematic portrait of life in Kangaroo Valley, the secluded farming community nestled between the Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands. It’s described thus, “Observed with warmth, patience and extraordinary care, the film invites audiences into the lives of a diverse cast of locals, capturing the rhythms of community life, creativity, resilience and belonging. The result is a rich and deeply human portrait of a place that moves to a different rhythm.”
You can indulge in this “uniquely compelling, meditative cinema experience” at 9.30am on Sunday 30 August. A single film ticket is $16.
Arts Muster Festival Huskisson
This is the fourth year that Huskisson hosts the festival that encourages everyone to roll up their sleeves and create—rather than passively consume—art and cultural experiences that will lift their spirits and help to integrate creativity into the very fabric of their lives.
Arts Muster’s program of 19 events is designed for every ability, including absolute beginners and those people who say, “I’m not creative”. This is your chance to try something new, to see beauty and creativity in the world around you, to slow down and invest in your own wellbeing.
Here’s my personal itinerary for a full four-day immersion:
- Movie Night: “I love the dress code for this community event: wear something that makes you feel good.” $25, Thursday 27 August, 5.30pm. Book Now to attend “A Frolic at the Movies” at Husky Pictures. All proceeds go to buying tickets for local high school students to attend Arts Muster events.
- Abstract Art Making to Sonic Stimulus: “I’m intrigued by this event, what will the music say to me?” $90 includes catering and art materials, Friday 28 August, 6pm. Book Now to attend “Mindscapes + Soundscapes” at the Husky Community Centre.
- Intuitive Cloth Doll Making: “This is my ideal weekend, spending two days crafting talismanic doll-creatures that are tactile, expressive and even have hearts. Oh my heart.” Book Now to attend “Cloth Doll Making”, $350 Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, 9.30am-4pm each day in Huskisson.
- Rhythm Reset: “I love a sound bath from our local naturopath and sound healing practitioner, Katie Choice-McGowan, this is the perfect way to wrap up an immersive arts festival. Katie will be joined by wellbeing practitioner Tara Lee for breath work and journalling. Count me in.” $50, Sunday 30 August, 6pm. Book Now to integrate your creative weekend experiences.
