Every so often, tech and art meet in a way that makes you stop and grin. This week, it’s happening at the Sydney Opera House. (In conveninelty perfect timing for the school holidays)
Apple has teamed up with the Opera House to present Plasmotopia, a free creative drawing workshop by New York-based Australian artists Tin & Ed. It’s part of Wild Things, the Opera House’s inaugural International Kids Festival, and it invites you to draw, paint and explore creatures inspired by the Great Barrier Reef using iPad and Apple Pencil. Then comes the magic: your creations leap into augmented reality and grow across the walls and floors of the building.
How it works
People have always drawn to make sense of the world, on cave walls, shells, stones and everyday objects. Plasmotopia reimagines that ancient instinct for the touchscreen age.
You start by choosing from a collection of three-dimensional forms inspired by corals and other organisms from the Reef. Each one becomes your canvas. Guided by facts and creative prompts, you then use special brushes to bring your underwater world to life. You can paint with glowing bioluminescence, drifting algae or animated coral polyps.
When you finish, your creation appears in augmented reality, growing from the Opera House’s walls and floors. As more organisms join in, a colourful reef begins to form around you, built by every person in the workshop.
More than a clever trick
The workshop delights, and it also carries a message. Plasmotopia encourages us to look closely, create with curiosity and feel more connected to one of the planet’s most important ecosystems. It’s a gentle way to spark conversation about the Reef with kids (and, let’s be honest, with grown-ups who could use a reminder).
It also shows what creative tech can do when it steps beyond the screen. The iPad and Apple Pencil become tools for storytelling, and AR turns a single drawing into a shared, living artwork.
Go along
- What: Plasmotopia, a creative drawing workshop presented by Sydney Opera House and Apple
- Where: Centre for Creativity, Sydney Opera House
- When: Saturday 26 September to Thursday 1 October 2026
- Length: 60 minutes (subject to change)
- Who: Kids and adults of all ages, suitable for 5+
- Cost: Free, with booking at sydneyoperahouse.com/wild-things/plasmotopia
With the workshops wrapping up on Thursday, book soon if you’re in Sydney.
Can’t make it? Play at home
You don’t need to be at the Opera House to join in. Plasmotopia is available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, so you can start drawing your own reef from the couch. You can download it here.
As Apple puts it, every world begins with a drawing.
