Petrichor - Workshop with Sophia Dacy-Cole
Description
This winter, You Are Here is hosting a series of cosy creative workshops at our new HQ in the city. Come learn something new, meet some lovely people, and have an experience to cherish.
PETRICHOR
Sophia Dacy-Cole and You Are Here invite you to get your hands dirty—literally.
Petrichor is a hands-on soil and water workshop that invites participants to spend two hours in deep sensory immersion with their favourite dirt.
The term petrichor describes the smell of rain on soil, and was coined by Australian Scientists Isabel Joy Bear and Dick Thomas in a 1964 Nature paper. Petra for rock, and -ichor, variously translated as “tenuous essence”, and “ethereal fluid.” It was Bear and Thomas who first discovered that this petrichor smell would emanate from “the vast majority of dried silicate minerals and rocks.”
The workshop includes: hands-on play with wet soil, clay, moss, and rocks; guided embodied meditations; reflective writing and drawing; lots and lots of nerdy facts; and deep group chats about how rain and soil make us feel. It's a spa day, a romp in the mud, and a crafternoon all rolled into one.
This is part of an ongoing research project, and participants will be contributing to a small body of work on how dirt makes people feel.
Participants are invited to bring their own soil, clay, moss, or argillaceous (clayey) rocks to experiment with.
Sophia Dacy-Cole is a conceptual artist, writer, emerging environmental humanities scholar, and unschooled ethnoecologist. Sophia plays, works, and loves on unceded Ngunnawal lands. She recently completed her PhD in soil studies and sculpture at the ANU School of Art and Design. She is interested in who we become when we spend intimate time with the wild world.
This is a one-off workshop.
Sunday 2 August
2pm-4pm
The YAH Workshop will be open from 1:30pm if you'd like to arrive early to settle in.
Materials are provided, and our experienced facilitator is friendly, supportive, and excited to share their practice with you.
These workshops are designed to be welcoming, relaxed, and low-pressure — perfect for people looking to connect with their creativity or try something different this winter.
Our space is alcohol-free, open to people aged 16+, and focused on creating a comfortable and inclusive environment where you can experiment, make mistakes, and enjoy the process.
PLUS! participants will have the opportunity to stay on for a Show n Tell later in afternoon if they’d like to, to meet participants from other recent workshops in the You Are Here's CBD Creative Workshop series and see their creations.
Tickets
There are ticketing tiers available. You can choose whichever ticket tier works for your budget. The "Under 30" price is just for people under 30 years of age. The First Nations price is just for First Nations people.
Profits from workshops contribute to creating affordable space in the city for artists, and You Are Here's artist development programs. Thank you for supporting the arts!!
If you’d like to check whether this workshop is right for you, or discuss accessibility requirements, email us at producers@youareherecanberra.com.au — we’re happy to chat.
Photo by Amy Figgs of MountainWalk Photography
FAQs
- Will there be food and drinks available?
We have a little kitchenette where you can make a cuppa. If you need something more substantial, there's plenty of restaurants nearby where you can grab lunch before the workshop!
- Where is the venue?
You Are Here HQ is in the middle of the city, on the corner of 131 City Walk and 2 Mort Street, right above King O'Malley's pub.
This workshop is in The You Are Here Workshop on Level 1.
Enter through the sliding glass doors on the City Walk or Mort Street, and take the escalator, stairs, or lift up to Level 1 (the lift is around to the left of the pub section, if you have come in from City Walk)
- Can I park at the venue?
There is no parking in the immediate vicinity of the venue. You can park at the Canberra Centre or there is some on-street parking around Braddon.
- Is there public transport close by?
Yes! We are located right in the middle of the city bus interchange, and a short distance from the Alinga Street light rail stop.
- Is the buidling accessible?
It is an older building with imperfect accessibility.
The YAH Workshop is on Level 1. There is a lift available, but it is quite small, so wheelchair users generally can't turn around within it, and will need to "reverse" out.
There is an accessible bathroom on Level 1.
If you would like more info or to discuss your access requirements, please email producers@youareherecanberra.com.au
- Are accessibility resources available?
We have a small budget to provide requested accessibility resources to participants.
If you would like to request any specific resources to make the workshops accessible for you, please email producers@youareherecanberra.com.au to make your request, and we'll let you know if it's within our capacity to provide it! Don't be shy, we'd love to provide what you need if we can!
Free Companion/Carer tickets are available for any participant requiring their support person to attend.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity