The Golden Mile Grotto by The Sirens Collective

Discover an immersive underwater sanctuary where art, play and participation come together.

The Golden Mile Grotto invites visitors to explore a dazzling world inspired by marine life, mythology and queer creativity. Join workshops, create sea creatures, share stories and transform into a luminous character of your own. Whether you're visiting with friends, family or flying solo, this welcoming installation offers a playful journey through imagination, belonging and transformation.

Artist statement:

Step inside The Golden Mile Grotto, a shimmering, immersive wonderland where light, sound and story collide. Guided by a team of visionary multidisciplinary artists, this interactive installation transforms visitors into living artwork. 

Become a fluid, luminous sea creature of your own creation, blurring the boundaries between human, marine, and myth. Centred around a majestic, shell-inspired sea bed, nodding to both The Birth of Venus and Sydney’s iconic Mardi Gras, the Grotto offers interactive workshops, playful rituals and collective storytelling to celebrate queer ecology, diversity and renewal. Dive into a world of transformation, contribute your own story to the living space and discover how queer identities reflect nature’s most extraordinary forms of adaptation and symbiosis. 

Workshop:

Siren sessions 

• 23 October - 5.30pm to 6.30pm / 8pm to 9pm 

• 24 October - 1.30pm to 2.30pm / 4.30pm to 5.30pm / 6pm to 7pm 

• 25 October - 1.30pm to 2.30pm 

Step into the tranquil grotto, a sanctuary from the storms above, and let its light and shadows inspire your inner sea creature. Inside, a treasure chest of costumes awaits. Transform into your marine form and take your place upon the clam shell. 

Colourful air clay sea creatures

• 24 and 25 October - 12pm to 1pm 

Craft your own vibrant air-clay sea creature with artist Jayanto Tan and contribute to the grotto’s ghost-net installation. Through this hands-on workshop, you can unlock your imagination, share stories and explore the magic of the underwater fairy-world. No experience required. 

Sea snail mail storytelling

• 24 and 25 October - 3pm to 4pm 

In the ocean's depths, a trail of glowing sea snail slime becomes a luminous message to the past. You’re invited to trace a note to your past self: what is one lesson you know now that you wish you knew then? 

Audience guide:

The project is suitable for all ages but children must have adult supervision at all times

Artist bio:

The Sirens Collective is a multidisciplinary group comprising Selina Springett, Jayanto Tan, Shoufay Derz, Shelley Tansley and Ariella van Luyn. Together they bring expertise in visual art, sound, installation, performance, storytelling, research, education and community engagement to create participatory art projects that explore identity, belonging, culture, queer experience and connection.