events and offerings: past.

Classes at The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNCW - Spring 2026

TRAVEL COLLAGE

March 2 through April 13
Mondays 9:30 - 11:30 am

Celebrate past travels, plan future adventures, or dream up trips yet to come through the creative process of collage. Using personal memorabilia, magazines, and found materials, we’ll explore image, language, and memory—shaping them into meaningful works that capture experience, intention, and possibility through layered, hands-on composition.

CRAFTING THE COMPRESSED: FLASH FICTION

March 24 through April 28

Tuesdays10 - 11:30 am

Explore the art of flash fiction—stories under 1,500 words that use brevity to powerful effect. This class draws on craft excerpts, key techniques, and discussion of published stories to examine flash both as its own genre and as a tool for understanding longer fiction. Open to new and experienced writers ready to read, reflect, and experiment with creating bite-sized stories.

Emergence Through Ritual: From Roots to Reach

Half-day Retreat

Connect to nature's rhythm and personal intuition to build a clear and grounded intention for the coming shift of season.

In this half-day retreat container, we will use mindful movement, guided time in nature, artful creation, and gathering to foster community and tap into personal strength. We will focus on transforming routine into sacred practice—not just for special occasions, but as a woven part of daily life, developing awareness and a sense of our aliveness.

Like a tree, we must root deeply to reach high, trusting the unseen, internal work that paves the way for outward change.

Together, let us tend to this internal work, which enables the slow, intentional unfolding of possibilities and fresh perspectives.

Sarus Festival: for Site-specific & Experimental Art 2025

SARUS FESTIVAL

Wilmington, NC

August 8 - 10, 2025

SARUS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The 2025 SARUS Festival marks its 8th iteration as a site-specific, experimental arts event in North Carolina. It features non-commercial, professional performances and outreach, bringing together national and international artists—both established and emerging—for collaboration, teaching, and inspiration. SARUS showcases diverse art forms including dance, theatre, visual art, installations, film, workshops, youth programs, and social events. The festival is organized and presented by Alban Elved Dance Company.

WHQR Interview: Around Town With Rhonda Bellamy

FLOW & DRIFT

Mini Contact Improvisation Retreat

Wilmington, NC

August 9 & 10, 2025

This mini-retreat offers a chance to engage in two days of contact improv jams, with opportunities to experience the Sarus Festival for Site-Specific and Experimental Art (see full festival schedule: https://sarusfestival.weebly.com/festival-schedule.html), while allowing free time to lounge and play on the beautiful Wrightsville Beach or explore Wilmington’s historic downtown.

Accommodations and food are not included and must be acquired individually by participants.

As part of the Sarus Festival's mission to showcase site-specific and experimental work that fosters community and exposes people to new art forms, the latter part of Sunday’s jam will be open to public viewing and will include a post-jam discussion with audience members (jammers are welcome to participate in the discussion).

ITINERARY:

Saturday 8/9 @ Hope Recovery (3403 Winston Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28405)
11:15 am - Arrival and Check-in
11:30 am - 12 pm: Opening Circle
12 - 2 pm: Warm-up & Jam

Sunday 8/10 @ Hope Recovery
1:30 pm - 2 pm: Arrival and Circle
2 pm - 2:30 pm: Warm-up
2:30 pm - 4 pm: JAM
4 pm - 4:30 pm: Continue jamming into the improvisational round-robin-style performance

4:30 PM - 4:45 pm: Audience Discussion
4:45 - 5:15 pm: Closing circle

7 - 9 pm: Sarus Closing Party @ Barzaar (1610 Castle St)