Richmond Riverfest - River Touching Workshop

Come and join artist Annique Goldenberg in this 2 hour experiential and creative workshop about touch and the river: participants will enter the river’s habitat to explore, discover and create using our hands and the materials we find.

Touch has many subtle shades of meaning, all involving an intimacy of experience whether it be emotional or physical. So often, when we pass by a river we see, we hear, we smell, but rarely do we stop to touch.

You will be invited to enter the Richmond River’s habitat, to slow down and observe the patterns and materials, to sense and feel the ever-changing nature of the tidal zone and become more aware of this unique environment.

We will walk lightly on the riverbank; drawing, sculpting, and placing; in companion thinking with the river and each other. As we work, the tide will slowly rise, gently approaching and then erasing our marks, drawing our trace back into the eternal cycle of river and tide.

Meet 1.30 – 3.30pm Sunday 5th October at Serpentine Park, North Creek Ballina (carpark next to the Richmond Oyster Hut).

This event is funded by Ballina Shire Council and the North Coast Regional Landcare Networks Caring for Catchments project.

This event is a part of Richmond RiverFest - Sunday 28 September - Sunday 26 October, 2025 - Connecting us from Sea to Source!

Richmond Riverfest is a month-long celebration of the rivers, cultures, and communities of the Northern Rivers. The festival brings together Custodians, community groups, conservation organisations, artists, and educators to honour our river systems through storytelling, public events, and a shared commitment to protection and restoration.

This year’s Riverfest launches in Ballina on Sunday 28 September, World Rivers Day — a fitting place where the Richmond River meets the sea and the tributaries of the upper catchments converge. The festival then flows upstream, with events across the region, culminating in Lismore on Sunday 26 October.

Along the way with our numerous partners, Riverfest offers opportunities to connect, learn, and explore how cultural knowledge, science, and community action can come together to heal the Richmond River.

With a focus on listening to the voices of the river and empowering community-led restoration, Riverfest is a powerful reminder that when people gather in celebration and purpose, real change can flow.

https://richmondriverfest.com/