'Tributary’ – a Nature-hearted weekend for Birrarung Riverfest 2026

Saturday October 3 and Sunday October 4 at NECCHi East Coburg and Merri Merri Creek.

Tributary is a weekend of creativity and nature-connectedness hosted by Nature-hearted Collective as tribute to the Merri Merri and Birrarung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country.

Tributary brings together nine creatives – Vanessa Duque, Sheena Mathieson, Scarlet Sykes Hesterman, Sarah Muir-Smith, Samrakshana, Robin Tregenza, Pen Pender, Dennis Liu and Craig Burgess – to offer a program of creative activities that connects with place and invites conversation.

The weekend is made up of four half-day sessions across two days, with an evening of creek-side sounds and a meal together on Saturday October 3.

Program:

About the facilitators:

Vanessa Duque (she/her) is a fashion practitioner whose denim practice currently explores indigo as a way of working slowly and reciprocally with materials; and currently researching human–material collaborations through indigo, tracing the journey from plant to colour and reimagining materials as sites for living and cultural connection. vanessaduque.studio

Sheena Mathieson (she/her) is a visual artist and community arts facilitator, whose varied practice is united by a respect for difference and the play of colour, form, texture and the found. Sheena is interested in the notions of sustainability and place; making evocative art from recycled and found materials, combined with quality media. sheenamathieson.com

Scarlet Sykes Hesterman (she/they) is an artist, educator and conservationist in training. Scarlet teaches animation and encourages humans to connect with ecologies through the natural world, art-making and community. scarletsykeshesterman.com

Sarah Muir-Smith (she/her) is a Naarm-based craftsperson and facilitator, exploring how local craft can be in service of the living world. She recently completed her masters of Regenerative Design at Central Saint Martins, working with local plants to create habitat augmentation structures for native fauna. Sarah is forever intrigued by the alternative ways of knowing and relating that arise through playful, experimental engagement with materials. snakebirddesigns.com

Samrakshana (she/her) is an explorative and experimental artist, driven by expression and performance. While her music is rooted in Carnatic (South Indian classical) practices, Samra pursues the best of many worlds, evading strict traditional parameters and pushing boundaries to create bold and mellifluous sounds. Samra shares a love for the plant world and a commitment to social justice through community advocacy.

Robin Tregenza (she/her) is a visual artist and plants person with a creative practice embedded in process and the use of found materials, and inspired by her passion for the landscapes she inhabits.

Pen Pender (she/her): 'I have a long held passion for plants. Growing, tending and learning about them as a florist and gardener. My introduction to natural dyeing came from reading a magazine article in 2019, I have been hooked ever since!  This is an ancient craft and one that is fascinating to explore. It is seeing a welcome revival and with it the awareness of materials, thoughtful manufacture and consumerism.' penpender.com

Dennis Liu (he/him) is an interdisciplinary artist who explores movement, music and improvisation. He is drawn to the lyrical and poetic spaces that can emerge when we offer presence to ourselves, each other and our wider environment. He is currently completing a Masters of Therapeutic Arts Practice at the MIECAT Institute.

Craig Burgess (he/him) is an artist and facilitator. Craig started hosting drawing workshops in 2023 at the overlap of creative process, nature-connectedness and wellbeing. Craig brings curiosity around drawing’s capacity to support embodied presence, reflection, noticing, and to revitalise our sense of self-and-other in relationship with the more-than-human. drawplantstogether.com

About Birrarung Riverfest

This event is part of the 2026 Birrarung Riverfest. Celebrate the Yarra, Birrarung at one of 70+ events hosted over three weeks from 27 September to 18 October.

Whether you enjoy riverside walks, cleanups, creative workshops, wildlife spotting or paddling adventures, there's something for everyone at Riverfest.

Riverfest is presented by the Yarra Riverkeeper Association with thanks to our partners Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo collaboration and Water4Good. Check out the full Riverfest program here.