The Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival, which recently raised a record R712 000 for ocean charities, continues its ocean work with ‘Sea Walls: South Africa,’ a global art collaboration between Wavescape, SJ Artists and the Pangeaseed Foundation.
The first of several murals commissioned for the project, which takes place from 3 to 11 November 2023, was commissioned in Cape Town during the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival and presented by Vans.
Also read: Wavescape’s surfboard art auction raises R712 000 for charity
Cape Town muralist Nardstar* created a mural on a wall along the Sea Point promenade, joining a network of more than 500 ocean-inspired walls in cities across 19 countries. The motto of the Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans programme is ‘A Drop of Paint Can Create an Ocean of Change.’
A synergy between art and activism, or ‘ARTivism,’ as coined by the founder of the Pangeaseed Foundation, Tre Packard, will come to selected street venues around Cape Town to evoke an emotional connection to the flora and fauna of the ocean, thus driving public awareness of critical ocean issues.
According to Packard, sea walls are a ‘weapon of mass construction that touches our hearts. Leveraging the universal power of art, we inspire the world to protect what we love with the generous support of our global network of ARTivists’.
The NSRI, 9Miles Project, Shark Spotters, Beach Co-op and Ocean Pledge were among the ocean organisations that benefited from the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival, which raised R712 000.
Around 250 people gathered at Jack Black’s Taproom to watch comedian Nik Rabinowitz tease and cajole pundits into parting with their money for ten artistically decorated boards by Brett Murray, Marty Lund, Justin Southey, Lee-Ann Heath, Marie-Louise Koen, Liberty Battson, Amy-Lee Tak, Fhatuwani Mukheli and Dbongz Mahlathi.
The most expensive board, a hyper-realistic portrait of environmental legend David Attenborough by Marti Lund, was sold for R115 000 to American filmmaker Michael Ien Cohen, who had just returned from California to host the Wavescape festival’s final official event, his award-winning film Humanity Stoked at the Labia Theatre.
The film is an experiment into how humanity can move forward as espoused by iconic skateboarders, activists, scientists and artists united by urban skateboard culture. When Cohen returns to the United States, he plans to have the board signed by famous American surfers and skaters and auction it off again to benefit youth development programmes.
The festival kicked off with a sold-out outdoor screening of Birth of the Endless Summer at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in collaboration with the Galileo Cinema, which drew over 700 people.
More than 70 young people attended the screening of three films at Bertha Movie House in Khayelitsha’s Isivivana Centre.
Following the screenings, Wavescape and 9Miles Project took the kids to Strandfontein Beach for an in-person ocean session and surf lesson. Slide Night, a signature festival event, saw eight salty seafarers, ranging from scientists to big wave surfers, speak for 10 minutes on a variety of ocean topics at Cape Town’s prestigious Centre for the Book. The American Consulate team was well represented.
The festival then collaborated with the Beach Co-op and Shark Spotters for an underwater cleanup in Fish Hoek, where 50 snorkel divers retrieved many bags of seabed trash, with China TV present to film a story. The board meeting was held at Jack Black’s Taproom once again, with over 400 people passing through during the day to swap or buy surfboards and enjoy each other’s company while learning about the art and craft of surfing.
There were demonstrations by sustainable surf products and eco-conscious brands, as well as children’s activities set to DJ Roastin’ Records’ musical vibes. Sixty people attended and competed in the Sunburnt Surf Club’s alternative surf event, which was followed by two soulful surf movies at the Labia, which was well attended by a full house of 150 people.
The final event was Wesgro’s Blue Ocean Masterclass, which focused on aerial filming above the coast and ocean. Jean Tresfon, a gyrocopter pilot, discussed the dos and don’ts of filming from the air, as well as the etiquette between passengers and pilots.
Dean Engela, the founder of Darkwing Aerials, gave a presentation with examples of the footage they have produced for clients. Hloni Coleman, a top content creator, discussed regulatory and other challenges confronting the drone industry, as well as trends and techniques gleaned from his international travels. Jakkie le Roux, Orms’ sales guru, brought high-end drones for participants to inspect.
In the wake left by the Wavescape festival, their podcast collaboration with Steve Shooter from Shredding the Gnar will continue with the release of interviews and reels that feature participants, friends and partners of the festival, as well as the broader ocean community.
Wavescape will also unveil its much-anticipated new website, which will combine the festival and the forecasting website into a single platform for surfing, conservation and ocean awareness.
Also read:
Preserving what we love: Wavescape Surf and Ocean Festival 2023!
Picture: Supplied