'The Beach invites us all to come together – gently - to reconnect with the coastal rituals that shape Australian life with the shoreline's spirit of welcome, play and shared stories.' Ms Daryl Karp AM
The centrepiece of the Australian National Maritime Museum's summer program is an activation called The Beach. It is an exhibition and an all-ages playscape. It was developed to bring us closer together, and to remind us that kindness and care are the foundations of a strong and compassionate community.
The Beach captures our shared values - looking after one another, welcoming difference, and celebrating our seaside culture. It asserts that the beach belongs to all of us and should always be a safe and welcoming place.
'Since the horror of the 14th of December, we have had a great deal of discussion about continuing,' said Ms Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO.
'We have all been challenged by what that act of terrorism at one of our most famous and beloved places has done to us all. It was an act that strikes at the very heart of our Australian life.
'After much deliberation we decided to continue, showcasing our beaches as places of connection and belonging. The shoreline has always been a place where we all meet – just open skies and shared sand – it belongs to us all, a place of joy, togetherness and shared fun.'
The Beach is where fun, art and memory meet. Digital projections, a breezy soundscape, interactive rockpools and a soft, towering, sand(less) castle transform the museum's Lighthouse Gallery into a summer world that is both recognisable and new. Here, the beach becomes more than a destination – it becomes a way of seeing and celebrating ourselves and each other.
Artists including Anne Zahalka, Max Dupain, Lola Ryan, Charles Meere and Ken Done capture the sun-soaked joy and the rhythms of cultural rituals. As you wander through light, playful forms and familiar seaside objects, consider how the beach shapes us – and how we shape it in return.
The Beach leverages our collections, stories and performance to help families and visitors reconnect with coastal traditions and with each other.
It features programs that build connection: babies' hour, family workshops, theatre performances, late night events, yoga, and life drawing are designed to highlight aspects of why Australians love the beach and the social rituals that accompany our coast – where we all gather, play, and share stories.
There is an acknowledgement that beaches have not always felt safe or welcoming for everyone; and visitors are invited to consider inclusion, respect, and the responsibilities we share on the shore.
Through art, objects and performance, The Beach celebrates beach life and asks thoughtful questions about how we share the shore - because reclaiming the beach means recommitting to respect, inclusion and care.
The Beach is part of the museum's summer program running until February 1.
