Surf-themed celebrations at Margaret River Heart with Arts Margaret River Margaret River Pro gala events

The Margaret River Heart will host a feast for culture lovers during the Margaret River Pro international surf contest and in the days leading up to it. In news released this week, the Arts Margaret River-run venue would see ocean-themed films, an acclaimed surfing podcast and exhibitions take off from April 20. Organisers said residents and visitors to the region during the Pro would find something to suit individual tastes. “This means you can expect to not only see the world’s best surfers put everything on the line, but you can also explore the wonders of nature and our place within it all through creative mediums,” they said. Headlining the surf-related events was a live recording of the famed True Grit surfing podcast which billed itself as “the original and best surfing podcast in the universe”. Jed “Smivvy” Smith and Vaughan “Rinsed Corn” Dead would set up at the Heart for the recording expected to include international guests, recorded before a live audience on April 16 at 4.30pm, with tickets available through the Arts Margaret River website. Already ongoing was an innovative fundraiser for the Dave Seegar-helmed Margaret River Soup Kitchen titled “Bowls for Soupie”. The exhibition sees some of the region’s best potters, ceramic artists and glass-blowers air their wares at the Heart until April 26. The fundraiser seeks to support the low-cost vegan kitchen which has been running since 1995 and provides about 20,000 meals each year. The exhibition culminates in a one-off Soupie spectacular at the Community Centre on Thursday, April 27, with the ticketed event starting at 5.30pm, and participants having the chance to score one of the coveted bowls. A film showcase will also coincide with the Pro, with the annual Ocean Film Festival tour setting up shop, alongside airings of Ground Swell and Corners Of The Earth: Kamchatka. Also playing is the self-billed The Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe, which is an Australian-made stop-motion comedy following the efforts of Mick Fanning to restore the world’s memory of surfing after a virus vaccine wipes everyone’s memories.