SEA STORIES | AUDIO WORK
Settle in for an intimate, uplifting journey into the headspace of some extraordinary water creatures ...
An audio love-letter to the ocean, this big-hearted communal listening experience is all about the power of rituals, friendship and connection – and the joys of watching dawn break. Settle into Dixon Park Beach pre-sunrise and start your day with a moving tribute to Newy and listen to these extraordinary humans who call the water home. Bring a chair or picnic blanket and sunnies, then claim your headset, ready to greet the morning like never before in this soul-stirring audio experience set against the glow of dawn at Dixon Park Beach. SEA STORIES is part meditation, part storytelling, and entirely uplifting – early risers get to experience this incredible audio love-letter, blending music, voice and environment. This intimate listening experience dives into the minds of extraordinary water-lovers – locals who know the ocean not just as a place, but as a transformative force. Inspired by their interviews and the elusive “flow state,” SEA STORIES explores how immersion in water can unlock resilience, clarity and connection, carrying us through life’s challenges.
Sea Stories is a composition of transformative first-person stories that poetically intersect with the ever-changing seascape before you. The work utilises a wireless headphone system and is experienced as an early morning outdoor listening event to audiences seated on beachfront deckchairs oriented towards sunrise over the ocean. Duration 35mins
Our most recent edition of Sea Stories has been commissioned by New Annual for Newcastle (Sept-Oct, 2026). Originally commissioned for Festival 2018 on the Gold Coast.
ARTISTIC TEAM
Director/Creator: Roslyn Oades
Sound Design: Bob Scott (Gold Coast) / Michael Toisuta (Newcastle)
Site Design: Kylie Crews (Gold Coast) / Sally Hill (Newcastle)
Producer & Community consultant: Min Collie-Holmes (Gold Coast)
Newcastle interviews & Community liaison: Janie Gibson (Newcastle)
Featured voices : Gold Coast edition - Monique Murphy, Tim Baker, John Graham, Arwin Arwin & Dr Serena Lee / Newcastle edition - Jeanette Lacey, Joe Clayton, Monique Murphy, Arwin Arwin, Ken Lambert & Peter Gillam
Title music (Newcastle): Christopher Sutherland (aka Abhaya Sky)
Publicity Image: Dylan Evans
PERFORMANCE DATES
2026 Season: New Annual Festival 26 Sept-4 Oct
Dixon Park Beach, Newcastle, NSW (daily at sunrise)
2018 Premiere: Commonwealth Games Arts Program, 5-15 April
Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD (daily at sunrise)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We gratefully acknowledges the many generous east coastal residents who have contributed to this project, including Gold Coast locals: Dulcie Annand, Arwin Arwin, Tim Baker, Hague Best, John Graham, Trevor Hendy, Cherrie Howard, Dr Serene Lee, Sally Mackinnon, Father Reg Mills, Monique Murphy, Tom Murray, Jim Ottoway, Meg Porter, James Roberts, Roselle Tenefrancia, Dave 'Baddy' Treloar, Daniel Ware & Warren Young. Newcastle locals: Phillipa Anderson, Ruth Boydell, Fiona Clark, Joe Clayton, Pat Davidson, Stephen Davies, Peter GillamRod Harrison, Jeanette Lacey, Ken Lambert, Libby Maskey, Izabela Pluta, Shellie Smith & James Wong.
Sea Stories was an original commission for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games "Festival 2018" with the support of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth games Corporation, City of Gold Coast and Queensland Government and Commonwealth Games Federation.