Art & Wellbeing Workshop — Story Festival, Hobart
Cultural storytelling through mindful art practice
Project overview
This art & wellbeing workshop was delivered as part of the Story Festival, an annual council-funded celebration of community, diversity, and cultural exchange held on Hobart’s Eastern Shore.
The festival is fully supported by Clarence City Council and is designed to create meaningful opportunities for interpersonal connection through shared cultural experiences.
Within this context, the workshop offered a quiet, reflective space where art became a form of storytelling and exchange.
Project details
Location: Clarence, Hobart, Tasmania
Year: 2024
Context: Council-funded cultural festival
Format: In-person group workshop
Audience: Adult participants
Focus: cultural storytelling, mindful art practice, creative presence
Concept & intention
The workshop was conceived as an invitation into shared cultural storytelling through making, rather than as a demonstration or performance.
Drawing on Anna Mykhalchuk’s Samchykivka-inspired practice — a folk painting approach characterised by rhythm, botanical forms, and symbolic connection to nature — participants were guided through a slow, attentive creative process.
The intention was to create space for:
presence rather than outcome
participation rather than observation
intuition rather than instruction
Through colour, repetition, and natural motifs, participants were encouraged to connect with their own stories while taking part in a collective creative experience.
Reflection
Within the vibrant and diverse program of the festival, the workshop became a moment of calm and focused attention.
It demonstrated how mindful art practice can support cultural exchange in a way that feels personal, respectful, and deeply human — allowing participants to slow down, reflect, and connect through the shared act of making.
This project reflects Anna Mykhalchuk’s wider Art & Wellbeing practice, where creativity is approached as a form of care, presence, and community connection.
Festival context
Story Festival is curated around the idea that culture is best shared through active participation.
Rather than passively watching performances or purchasing objects, festival participants engage directly in workshops, communal meals, and intimate events — from learning traditional crafts to sharing food, movement, and stories across cultures.
This workshop contributed to the festival’s broader vision by offering art as a gentle, inclusive language that supports connection beyond words.