Annette Rohde is the Creative Practitioner of Fresh Ginger Creative and has worked for over 15 years as a visual and marketing communications strategist with a passion for making a difference. Her work includes marketing communications management, graphic design, copywriting, and storytelling. In her creative practice, Annette is a writer, printmaker, ceramicist and community artist. She has worked on intergenerational storytelling projects, community wishing tree projects, and collecting and sharing stories within a community on reducing food waste.

Annette has a Bachelor of Communications and a Masters in Visual Art & Design. She has a certificates in Mental Health First Aid, Understanding Dementia and Preventing Dementia.

Through Fresh Ginger Creative, Annette works on projects that aim to improve people’s wellbeing and sense of belonging by sharing knowledge and experience through storytelling; both words and images.

Annette currently facilitates creative workshops and community arts projects focussed towards making an impact on community health and wellbeing through creative activities and sharing stories through the Curiosity Cafe. 

The Curiosity Café, a creative hub in Aldinga Beach, is where people can be inspired, connect to community, share stories, explore their creativity and build their sense of belonging and worthiness through a range of creative workshops and events. 

Through creative play and shared stories, the aim is to inspire, connect and build a sense of belonging and worthiness. 

Located in beautiful Aldinga Beach on the South Australian Fleurieu Peninsula, in between the native scrub and the scenic beach, where they can explore and connect imperfectly perfectly.

It is a place to feed the soul, rejuvenate the senses and regain their sense of belonging and worthiness. At the Curiosity Café, you are worthy, you are valuable to the community, your individuality is what makes you you.

The Curiosity Café includes:

• Mindfulness art workshops 

• Nature based creative activities

• Clay Play

• Printmaking 

• Writing your life story

• Upcycling workshops

• Permaculture workshops

• Sharing cooking skills

• Regular craft days

• Creative wellness retreats.

Social connectedness is critical for good health. One in five Australians experience mental illness each year. Two of those five experience challenges to Mental Health in any year.  One in four Australians are lonely. One in two feel lonely at least once a week. One in four experience social interaction anxiety. Play and curiosity (using art, mindfulness activities, nature play, writing and story sharing) using strength based approaches, allows possibilities to untap a persons strengths and promotes divergent thinking which aids resilience and problem solving.

References:

·      Johann Hari, Lost Connections, 2018

·      Stuart Brown, Play: How it shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, 2010

·       Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin, Craftfulness: Mend yourself while making things, 2019

·      Caitlin Marshall, CoFounder of Makeshift, Protecting Mental Health through Social Connections, Illawarra Council, 20 October 2020

Inspiration : Connection : Belonging

The Curiosity Café is a creative hub where people can be inspired, connect to community, share stories, explore their creativity and build their sense of belonging and worthiness through a range of creative workshops and events .

The Curiosity Café provides a range of creative workshops and events, conducted by Fresh Ginger Creative and other South Australian artists and wellness practitioners, for people to explore a medium, become a regular ‘member’ of various creative sessions, and to take themselves on a retreat when looking to disconnect from their busy lives so they can connect back to themselves. 

The Curiosity Café is a safe home located in beautiful Aldinga Beach on the South Australian Fleurieu Peninsula, in between the native scrub and the scenic beach, where they can explore and connect imperfectly perfectly. It is a place to feed the soul, rejuvenate the senses and regain their sense of belonging and worthiness. At the Curiosity Café, you are worthy, you are valuable to the community, your individuality is what makes you you.

It all started when…

… well it’s been something I’ve dreamed and talked about for a while. My purpose, my vision, my mission is this…

The Curiosity Cafe is a place where you can come and connect, be inspired, be creative, feel worthy and belong.

The Curiosity Café is a creative hub where people can be inspired, connect to community, share stories, explore their creativity and build their sense of belonging and worthiness through a range of creative workshops and events.

The Curiosity Café provides a range of creative workshops and events, conducted by Fresh Ginger Creative and other South Australian artists and wellness practitioners, for people to explore a medium, become a regular ‘member’ of various creative sessions, and to take themselves on a retreat when looking to disconnect from their busy lives so they can connect back to themselves.

The Curiosity Café is the home of Fresh Ginger Creative located in beautiful Aldinga Beach on the South Australian Fleurieu Peninsula. Located between the native scrub and the scenic beach, it is a safe place to explore and connect perfectly imperfectly. It is a place to feed the soul, rejuvenate the senses and regain a sense of belonging and worthiness.

At the Curiosity Café, you are worthy, you are valuable to the community, your individuality is what makes you you.

Workshops at Curiosity Cafe

Nature Festival Workshops

Sunday 1 October 2023 - Botanical Imprints: Exploring nature’s patterns on fabric and paper

Book here

Sunday 8 October 2023 - Create a garden totem with clay

Book here

Clay Play with Annette Rohde

Mindful clay session where you can create something with clay using hand building techniques. Each 2 - 3 hour session you can make 2 small items - 2 mugs, a cup and a bowl or something else of your choice.

Sessions include tools, equipment, clay glazing and firing. Kits can be purchased if you want to continue to make at home (on request).

Tea and coffee provided.

Bring an apron and old towel, you’re bound to get dirty. For health and safety, please wear closed-in shoes.

Inky Printing with Annette Rohde

Print your own card or a small image to frame - using either lino cutting (relief) or dry point etching (intaglio) print making methods.

All materials will be supplied but feel free to bring any paper and ideas.

Sessions include all material.

Small Kits can be purchased if you want to continue to make at home (on request).

Tea and coffee provided.

Bring an apron and old towel, you’re bound to get dirty. For health and safety, please wear closed-in shoes.

Creating your Story with Annette Rohde

A life storybook can provide a memoir to share with your love ones and to keep as a memory of special life events. You can use it to help remember moments about growing up, your family, your school days, the places you have lived and other things about yourself.

Come along for a fun afternoon in the beautiful Aldinga Beach area, and in this workshop with Annette Rohde from Fresh Ginger Creative, you'll be guided on planning and creating the content for your story or of a family member. 

All materials will be supplied but feel free to bring any paper, ideas, images or materials that you would like to include in your life storybook. 

In this workshop you will:

- Immerse yourself in some specially designed activities to get your creative juices flowing

- Explore the story thread that you want to focus on

- Design the format and structural elements of your story

- Start writing first rough outline of your story.

You will then have time to complete once you go home or can continue to work on it at the Curiosity Cafe. 

Participants of this workshop are invited (but not required) to take part in the workshop series:

- Heart Threads: Make your life story book

- Heart Threads: Create an image for your book cover

Limited spaces available, booking essential.

Accommodation available if you want to make it a weekend away. Contact Annette for more information.

Sharing stories of your every day life enriches and strengthens connections in the community, in your family, in your life, and builds your sense of belonging and worthiness in the world.

I look forward to sharing this experience with you and helpng you to honour and express the heart threads of wealth and knowledge that come from the experiences in your life.