The Rides of March!

CENTRE OF THE MIND: Slide Night takes place again at Centre for the Book. Photo Wavescape

The 2023 poster was designed by Buenos Aires artist Falu Carolei, whose work pays homage to skateboarding, rock, surf, tattoo, and graffiti cultures. In this iteration of the poster, Carolei takes the festival’s ocean eye (used in a long lineage of Wavescape posters) to draw on the inspiration of iconic 70s counter-culture creator Rick Griffin, who created album covers and other artwork.

Wavescape will curate 13 events for three weeks between 2 and 22 March. The festival will include open air film screenings with The Galileo Open Air Cinema and others, beach cleanups, Blue Oceans filmmaking workshop, the Slide Night evening of ocean talks, the Board Meeting family and board swap day, and the annual Wavescape Artboard Project, comprising an exhibition of artistic surfboards auctioned for ocean charities.

The festival coincides with the rebranding of Wavescape that includes combining the original Wavescape website, with its quirky content and forecasting tools, with the festival event website.

ROB ON FIRE: Rob van Vuuren (get it) at a boisterous artboard auction. Photo Wavescape

Festival Director Shani Judes said that this would complete the last step for Wavescape to become a fully fledged ocean media organisation that serves its partners in the ocean space by ocean reportage that include surfing stories and issues that challenge the ocean community.

“Using our unique convergence between the authenticity of surfing and beach lifestyle, and the seriousness of ocean conservation, we really want to build powerful media advocacy tools for ocean minded entities to widen their reach to find new customers and custodians that protect and promote healthy oceans,” she said.

The Wavescape Artboard Project returns in full force with 10 one-of-kind surfboards upon which 10 South African artists are working their magic. The auction takes place at Jack Black’s Taproom, this time on Wednesday 22 March.

The artists include Fhatuwani Mukheli, Marie-Louise Koen, Amy- Lee Tak, Dbongz, Justin Southey, Liberty Battson, Lee-ann Heath, Lucie de Moyencourt, Martin Lund and of course Brett Murray.

Slide Night, the flagship ocean evening of ocean talks, brought to you by Save our Seas Foundation, takes place at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town with eight salty sea dogs on board to entertain and inform about their work with the oceans.

We will host the Wavescape Blue Oceans Masterclass, a themed workshop that provides practical advice and networking for young filmmakers.

MOVIE NIGHTS: Several indoor and outdoor venues will screen films in 2023. Photo Wavescape

The latest surfing and ocean films will take place with the Galileo open air cinema at Kirstenbosch, Kommetjie and an outreach screening at the Bertha Movie House, isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha. Wavescape has also teamed up with the Sunburnt Surf Club to screen films at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town.

In collaboration with social media influencer and podcaster Steve Shooter, Wavescape will park a branded Podcast Bus at events with a mobile podcast studio. Episodes of the series Shredding the Gnar will be hosted by Shooter, who will be in discussion with a diverse group of salty ocean souls connected to the festival.

Other events and elements of the festival include an Underwater Beach clean-up with Beach Co-op and an ocean discussion (while literally sitting in the ocean).

The Save Our Seas Foundation, a long term supporter of Wavescape, will be joining us to celebrate their 20 year anniversary with ocean activations. Wavescape will also work with Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, a global PangeaSeed Foundation programme that brings the message of ocean conservation into streets around the world via murals and events that raise public awareness of critical environmental issues.

Thanks to the following festival partners: Vans, Save Our Seas Foundation, Petco, Jack Black Beer, Justice for Jaws and Lubanzi Wines.

ARR ME HEARTIES! Several events take place at Jack Black's Taproom. Photo Jonx Pillener

2023 Lineup:

• Thursday 2 March: First Thursday pop up ocean exhibition and mobile podcast
  
• Friday 3rd March: Outdoor screening with the Galileo open air cinema
• Wednesday 8th March: Film screening at the Bertha Movie House, isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha followed by an ocean excursion with the 9 Miles Project
• Thursday 9 March: Ocean Quiz Night at Jack Black's Tap Room
• Tuesday 14th February: Artboard exhibition opens
• Wednesday 15 March: Slide Night, Centre for the Book
• Thursday 16 March: Beach Co-op Undersea clean up and ocean discussion, Fish Hoek Beach
• Saturday 18 March: The Board Meeting & Expo @Jack Black's Tap Room
• Sunday 19 March: Morning Sunburnt Surf Club surf event
• Sunday 19 March: Evening Film night & Q&A curated by Sunburnt Surf Club at the Labia
• Monday 20 March: Blue Ocean's Master Class with Wesgro (Invest SA)
• Tuesday 21 March: Kommetjie Film Screening
• Wednesday 22 March: ArtBoard Charity Auction @ Jack Black’s Tap Room
• Thursday 23 March: Spike Swell Course
• Friday 24 March: End of festival film screening & braai
• Public Art Mural which will form the start of Sea Walls South Africa
  
  @wavescapeSA
  shani@wavescape.co.za