CREATIVE LAB

A three-day program workshops and learning opportunities

Saturday 12 September 

• Film in a Day workshop with Pluggas Studios, 9am to 3pm. $30pp. Work as a film crew under the guidance of Plugga Studios to create a short film in a day. From storyboarding to camera operations, and everything in between.

• Lets Sew a Short Film with Cindy Vogels, 9.30am to 12.30pm. $15pp. A playful, hands-on community workshop that invites participants to discover storytelling through fabric, stitching and imagination. Created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival, this unique experience brings together sewing, visual art and filmmaking in an accessible way that welcomes all ages and skill levels. Participants will step into the role of costume makers, prop designers and character creators, sewing a cast of wonderfully weird and delightfully unexpected soft sculptures that will become the stars of a collaborative short film. Everything needed to participate will be provided.

• Vision Board Pocket Books with Robyn Cook from Cultivate the Chaos, 1.30pm to 4.30pm. $15pp. Create a vision board you can carry with you! Learn how to create pocket-sized vision boards from simple folded paper books. Explore collage with old and new papers, magazines and clippings. Mix images, colours and words to express your goals and ideas. Take home your own unique pocket-sized source of inspiration.

Sunday 13 September

• Physical Theatre with DIVE Theatre, 9am to 1pm, $15pp. An immersive journey that combines physicality, creativity, and storytelling to explore the powerful connection between body, mind, and social space. You’ll learn to use your physicality as a powerful storytelling tool, both on stage and in everyday life. This workshop will challenge you to build confidence, push your boundaries, and develop essential soft skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability.

• Writing Dialogue That Actors Can Play with Dr Sharon Hogan, 10am to 12pm. $10pp. Great dialogue does more than communicate information—it reveals character, drives story, and creates opportunities for powerful performances. In this practical and engaging workshop, playwright and theatre director Dr Sharon Hogan explores the craft of writing dialogue that works on the page and comes alive in performance. Designed for screenwriters, filmmakers, and emerging storytellers, the workshop focuses on creating authentic, dynamic exchanges that actors can truly inhabit.

• Improv Comedy Principles for the Screen with Jenny Wynter, 1pm to 3pm. $10pp. In this interactive workshop you’ll learn how improvisational thinking - from a “yes and” approach to finding “the game” of a scene to a collaborative mindset - can unlock your screenwriting.

• Student Film Showcase, collaborating with STUFFit STudent Film Festival, 3.30pm to 5.30pm. FREE. See a curated selection of student films submitted to Heart of Gold in 2026 as well as some best-of films from the STUFFit collection. The next generation of filmmakers on display!

Monday 14 September 

• Local Voices, Queensland Stories creative forum and showcase of creativity in the Gympie region. In partnership with Creative Arts Gympie Regin and Regional Arts Services Network. Networking and food, Gold Bar operating. $15pp.