COMN11-115: Gold Coast Surf, Culture, and Storytelling

The Gold Coast has a rich history as a globally renowned surf city, boasting numerous national and world surfing champions and some of the finest surfing waves on the planet. In this subject, you will go surfing, learn underwater smartphone photography, and visit culturally significant coastal Aboriginal sites, among other immersive field trips and activities, to construct your own multimedia narratives about those experiences. You will use ethnographic methodologies to collect data – including critical on-site observations, field notes, photographic and video recordings using smartphones – to tell those stories as you explore the Gold Coast’s surfing cultures and heritage. Storytelling is foundational to this subject, with emphasis given to the importance of place to personal identity within Gold Coast surf communities.