Shellharbour City Council is thrilled to introduce ‘Enliven’, a new series of diverse art programs, live music and immersive creative experiences developed to uplift the City after the recent lockdown period.

A twist on Council’s annual Live n Local event, Enliven brings together a wide array of local businesses, musicians and artists to create a vibrant community atmosphere across the City's venues, restaurants, cafes and bars.

The COVID-safe event series is initially programmed for three months, commencing early August through to November. It’s made up of four different programs with each event designed to be delivered at reduced capacity, within current Government guidelines.

Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said that Enliven would help reconnect the Shellharbour community in a way that was safe for everyone to enjoy and be a part of.

“Each year Council’s Event Calendar provides opportunities and experiences to bring local communities, businesses and visitors together in celebration of the City’s culture,” said Cr Saliba.

“The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in significant uncertainty around the ability to effectively plan for many large-scale community gatherings,

“Enliven acts as a solution to ensure events can continue being held safely and in line with the most recent government legislation. It enables us to maintain support for local business and creative enterprise, as well as showcase the talents of our local creative community,” she said.

The programming series includes Live n Look, Live n Listen, Live n Learn and Live n Local.

Live n Look is a creative arts-based event designed to encourage exploration of Shellharbour’s art scene and provide a unique way for friends and families to connect and experience art. App-based and self-guided, Live n Look is an all-inclusive event that can be completed at the participant's own pace. There will be exhibitions, pop-up performances, and immersive art experiences as part of this program.

Live n Listen will be held in peak visitation periods and high visitation locations with a focus on engaging visitors outside of Shellharbour. The events will feature higher-profile musicians and interactive experiences, to showcase and celebrate the City’s best assets.

Live n Learn is a series of interactive arts learning experiences incorporating local venues including cafes, restaurants and retail businesses.

Beyond a workshop, Live n Learn will be complete, immersive creative experiences - part 'how-to', part performance and part social connection.

The newly branded ‘Imaginarium’ creative space will play host to a series of events as part of the Enliven program. The series will commence in early August, with weekly workshops, exhibitions, music and experiences programmed through to the end of November.

The Imaginarium is a collaborative creative space for makers, artists, businesses, and art lovers to connect, interact, and network. Previously known as the Shellharbour Village Exhibition Space, the creative space recently undertook a major rebrand to better reflect the City’s growing range of creative potential.

Lastly, The Live n Local music series is based on the hugely successful Live n Local one-day annual event. This rolling series will engage local business and local musicians in a series of pop up, acoustic style gigs designed to take place across the City in cafes, restaurants, venues, shops, and bars.

The Enliven program is designed to be a flexible, rolling program of creative activities and events. The series is programmed to respond to the changing regulatory and social environment. If Government legislation prevents outdoor events planned from going ahead in December and January (such as Surf and Skate Festival and Carols by Candlelight) programming for Enliven may be extended to ensure Shellharbour’s favourite annual events are able to be experienced in a new way.

Media enquiries: Kelli Wells 0448 361 008