Make Good Festival at Bundanon: Exploring Ideas for Better Living

Bundanon is set to host Make Good Festival: Ideas for better living, a new event dedicated to celebrating curious minds and practical skills for how to live a good life, running from 17–18 May 2025.

Featuring an inspiring line-up of authors, artists, makers and doers, the new festival for Bundanon will present talks, workshops and hands-on experiences that explore ways to live thoughtfully and responsibly. The two-day program is an opportunity for audiences to connect with a community passionate about innovation and positive change, and to discover fresh perspectives on ways to enrich daily life through meaningful choices and actions.

Make Good Festival is curated by Danielle Harvey, Bundanon’s Head of Live Programs & Audience Engagement, building on her experience producing large-scale ideas-centred events at The Ethics Centre, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.

“Bundanon has always been about fostering connection, creativity, and learning,” said CEO of Bundanon Rachel Kent.

“Make Good Festival is the perfect example of how we bring people together to explore new ideas and solutions, aligning seamlessly with Bundanon’s mission to inspire innovation through art, science and culture.”

Program Highlights

• A Twilight Feast, a special collaboration between Bundanon’s award-winning chef Douglas Innes-Will and The What If Society’s chef Eilish Maloney, offers a unique three-course communal dining experience celebrating local flavours, seasonal produce and zero food waste. Saturday 17 May | 5.30pm
• Celebrated Australian author, landscape architect, environmental educator and television presenter Costa Georgiadis will lead a discussion on finding joy in everyday life, sharing practical tips on enriching daily routines, including connecting with nature and nurturing relationships. Sunday 18 May | 1.30pm
• Kirsten Bradley, Co-founder of Milkwood, a social enterprise dedicated to teaching permaculture design and skills, will share practical tips on how to live a more homegrown and sustainable lifestyle. Bradley and her partner Nick Ritar started Milkwood over 15 years ago and now run world class student learning experiences. Saturday 17 May | 10.30am
• An in-conversation with environmentalist and award-winning author Jane Rawson, discussing how and why we think about the natural world the way we do, following the release of her latest book, Human/Nature: On life in a wild world. Sunday 18 May | 11am
• Award-winning science writer Lauren Fuge will examine what drives our urge to explore, and whether we can learn from our history of voyaging as a way of reimagining the future. Drawing on her debut non-fiction Voyagers: Our Journey into the Anthropocene, investigating how exploration led humanity to the brink of destruction, she offers a call to action to shift our relationship with nature beyond relentless consumption. Saturday 17 May | 12.30pm
• Dr. Paul Callaghan, a member of the Worimi people from coastal Australia, will discuss his best-selling book, The Dreaming Path: Indigenous Wisdom to live our best story. Drawing on more than 60,000 years of culture and wisdom, Callaghan, who has over 20 years of experience as a healer and spiritual guide, shares sacred knowledge from First Nations people as a means of finding purpose in modern life. Saturday 17 May | 11.30am
• Award-winning science journalist and author of Why Are We Like This, Zoe Kean will discuss what evolutionary mysteries and paradoxes can teach us about better ways of living in synergy with the creatures we share the planet with. Sunday 18 May | 12pm
• Local First Nations Custodians Joel Deaves and Jordan Thomas will lead a guided cultural bushwalk and introduction to reading Country, sharing their traditional stories, language, and knowledge about healing Country, and Indigenous fire management. Saturday 17 May | 1.30pm
• Wiradjuri fibre artist, Jessika Spencer, a finalist in the 2024 National Indigenous Fashion Awards, will run a drop-in workshop on woven jewellery making, using eco-dyed natural fibres to create contemporary pieces that speak to ancient traditions. Saturday 17 May | 10.30am–1.30pm
• The women behind Australian-made slow fashion practice and design brand High Tea with Mrs Woo will lead a kintsugi (golden repair) workshop for mending clothing, borrowing from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. Established in 2004, the collaborative studio bridges the space between fashion and clothing, art and craftsmanship, with a focus on sustainable circular design. Saturday 17 May | 11.30am
• Chef Eilish Maloney from The What If Society, a food-focused zero waste cooperative in the NSW Southern Highlands, will run a workshop on pickling fruits and vegetables. Sunday 18 May | 10.30am
• South Coast woodcarver Rachel Shaw will lead a workshop on spoon carving for beginners, focused on slowing down and working with your hands. Sunday 18 May | 1.30pm
• Low Tox Life founder Alexx Stuart leads a workshop exploring DIY low-tox alternatives, including how to make skincare products that participants can take home. Saturday 17 May | 2pm
• Aboriginal artist and teacher Jaz Corr will lead a Wayapa Wuurrk class – an Earth connection, wellbeing and movement practice based on ancient Indigenous wisdom. Sunday 18 May | 10am
• Taylor Johnston-Petersen from Yonder Movement will lead a vinyasa flow yoga class overlooking the Bangli/Shoalhaven River. Sunday 18 May | 9am
• Art Tours by Kids will see young people sharing their commentary on Bundanon’s current exhibition Thinking together: Exchanges with the natural world. Sunday 18 May | 11am
• The Providore Marketplace provides a place to sample the region’s best fresh, locally grown and produced food, skincare and more. Sunday 18 May | 10am

Make Good Festival coincides with the first performance of the Boyd Music Series by chamber music duo Bronzewing on Saturday 17 May. Guests can book an overnight Stay Weekend which includes accommodation on the award-winning Bridge, the Twilight Feast that is paired with local beverages, and a range of guided tours and activities.

Make Good Festival is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Ticketed events start at $18 and include Art Museum and Homestead entry. Multi-pack discounts apply at check out.

More info & tickets: bundanon.com.au/make-good