The 19th annual Wavescape Surf and Ocean Festival comes to the shores of the Mother City with an inspiring in-person lineup of ocean conscious events taking place around the Peninsula form 1 to 11 March 2022.
In the wake of the receding COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festival is thematically concerned with rejuvenation and conservation. The festival, which is presented by Vans, is not only about nurturing nature, but also about creating a sense of community among ocean-loving people.
Festival Director Shani Judes said: “In this difficult era in human history, we feel it is important to recognise and promote the symbiotic connectedness between humans and nature. We really want to remind people that you cannot protect something that you do not love.”
Here’s a brief overview of some of the events that you can look forward to:
On Tuesday 1 March, Oceans Alive will be hosting an event at the Two Oceans Aquarium, presenting a series of short films and a panel discussion around conservation strategies and tactics with four South African ocean organisations (Sentinel Oceans Alliance, the Litterboom Project, the Sea Change Project and Protect the West Coast), with input from a marine scientist, a former Sea Shepherd activist and a representative of the small-scale fishing community. This session will incorporate a Q&A session, answering common questions like how the public can get involved in conservation campaigns.
A returning favourite of the festival are the five days of ocean and surfing films at four venues: The Labia Theatre in town, The Galileo outdoor cinema at Kirstenbosch, a screening in Kommetjie, and ending with a Vans night at The Shred skatepark in Paarden Eiland.
The Wesgro Blue Ocean Master Class for aspirant environmental filmmakers is also back this year with the theme of underwater filming: the expertise and equipment required (Tuesday 8 March). Other returning events include the Slide Night at the Centre for the Book for an evening of epic salty tales on Thursday 3 March and the Artboard Project at Jack Black’s Taproom on Wednesday 9 March.
The festival is launching a new event aptly named as the Board Meeting, which hosts a surfboard swap and an exhibition by sustainable ocean eco-brands and conservation organisations, with fun activities for kids at Jack Black’s Taproom on Saturday 5 March.
The Ocean Photographic Exhibition – a collaboration between Wavescape, Orms, Canon and SJ Artists – started with a competition that attracted more than 1 300 entries of ocean photographs from around South Africa. The top 20 photographs will be exhibited on the Sea Point Promenade from the end of February.
Heres the full lineup with dates (subject to change in the following week):
In the wake of an avalanche of problematic mining activities and seismic surveys around South Africa, a festival like Wavescape has never been more necessary. We urgently need to come together as a community to share our love for nature and the ocean, and in doing so, we may just have a shot at projecting what many of us hold inherently close to our hearts.
- Website: www.wavescapefestival.com
- Tickets: www.quicket.co.za
- Instagram: @wavescapeSA
Also read:
Surfboard meets aeroplane – Cape Town’s first eFoiling business
Picture: Wavescape / Facebook
