The Beach – it’s part of who we are
Published
‘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.’
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.
More information
Geoff Magee
Geoff Magee
Geoff Magee
Associated activities for The Beach
Beach Babies - On Wednesdays and Fridays from January 7, The Beach is open extra early just for our young visitors 0-24 months and their parents and carers to enjoy.
Sip a beverage of your choice from the cafe as you lounge with your bub beside immersive large-scale light projections. There are adult-friendly conversations to enjoy as you view collection displays of vintage swimwear and surf culture, as well as baby sensory play time featuring a range of tactile beach-inspired experiences, from bubbles to balance stones, inflatables to musical instruments, interactive rock pool animations, intertidal animal puppets and beach library stories inside our exhibition area.
Dates: Wednesdays and Fridays
Times: 9am – 10:30am
Booking: Bookings recommended
Price: $26 adult, $18 member adult, babies free
Beach Bods Life Drawing - Gladdy Drawing Club presents Beach Bods, a life-drawing session set within The Beach.
Work from posed beachgoers inspired by the photographic traditions of Max Dupain and Anne Zahalka, with a focus on form, posture and character. This session is suitable for beginners through to experienced artists and offers a structured but relaxed drawing environment.
All materials are provided.
Dates: Wednesdays 7 & 14 January
Times: 10am – 11am
Booking: Bookings required
Price: Free
Mermaids Take-Over the Beach – Make a splash after dark as mermaids take over The Beach in a special after-hours, ticketed live performance event for families and young ocean lovers.
On the evenings of 16th and 17th of January a shimmering shoal of Darling Harbour mermaids will transform The Beach with live performances, mythic storytelling, dress-ups, creative activities, and sparkly face and body art, all presented in a unique evening atmosphere.
This interactive performance is in collaboration with Beeswax and Bottlecaps an independent production house, specialising in circus, vaudeville, and variety.
Dates: 16 & 17 January
Times: 4.30–6pm and 6–7.30pm performances
Booking: Bookings required
Price: $35 general admission
Beach Yoga - Start your morning with calm and clarity in The Beach - our indoor sanctuary of faux sand and sea. In this peaceful yoga session, you’ll move, stretch, and breathe while surrounded by a gentle soundscape of waves and the occasional call of a seagull.
This class is suitable for both seasoned yogis and first timers.
Start your day with balance and energy inside our sandless city beach.
Dates: Tuesdays 20 & 27 January
Times: 8:30am – 9:30am
Booking: Bookings required
Price: Free
LATES! The Beach Ball - For one night only, LATES! transforms the Museum into an after-hours beachside escape. Wander the galleries at your own pace, catch live performances along the boardwalk, and join mermaid-led mini tours that reinterpret the collection through a summer lens.
The Lighthouse Gallery becomes the Copacabana Club, hosting a curated program of music, movement and beach-inspired performance. Across the site, expect summery cocktails, relaxed beach games, in-gallery artmaking, film screenings and drawing sessions, as well as a large-scale foam sandcastle as a playful centerpiece to the night.
Dates: Thursday 29 January
Times: 6pm – 9pm
Price: $25
