NEW ANNUAL / Cavitation: Hands-On Workshops

Sandcastle workshop: Making an Unstable World

Hands-On Making Sessions

Saturdays 26 September & 3 October, 10.30 - 12.30pm

What happens when water redraws the world? 

Inspired by Cavitation: Breathing Ocean by Izabela Pluta and the lost concrete map once embedded in Newcastle Canoe Pool, this collaborative workshop invites children and their grown-ups to build a temporary world from sand, water and simple natural and reusable materials.

Rather than recreating a fixed, recognisable map, participants will work together to create an unstable, tidal world of islands, coastlines, waterways, pathways and imagined territories. Working with an artist educator, families will shape, excavate, connect and transform their shared landscape before introducing water to see what shifts, disappears or becomes newly connected.

Participants are encouraged to photograph their world before and after its transformation, contributing to a collective Atlas of Change created across the two workshop days.

Through playful experimentation, children will explore a central idea within Cavitation: that maps, coastlines and borders are never completely fixed. They are continually shaped and reshaped by water, weather, movement and the stories people attach to place.

No art-making experience is needed. Come prepared to work with sand and water, and to let your carefully constructed world change.

Suitable for people of all ages. Children must be accompanied and supervised by a participating adult throughout the workshop.

Canoe Pool

Located at the eastern end of Newcastle Beach, Canoe Pool is perfect for families with little ones. This shallow wading pool provides a safe and enjoyable space for splashing, swimming and building sandcastles. The pool's water levels vary depending on the sand, creating a unique experience each time.

To make the most of your visit, bring your own sun shelter, as the pool area can get busy during summer, resembling a village of sun tents. There are shaded picnic tables and accessible toilets nearby at Newcastle Ocean Baths.

Accessibility

The Canoe Pool offers wheelchair access at the main entrance, accessible toilets, and designated accessible street parking.

Limited public seating is available.