Potatoes for Progress

Where there’s a will, there’s a way… Particularly in the small Northern NSW town of Murwillumbah, where a small team of creatives are working hard to revive and regenerate the town’s struggling arts and retail scene. With some 30 shops out of only around 70 in the whole town having closed their doors recently, The Hey Maker! collective are busy encouraging people from near and far to visit their historic town, as well as getting those who live in the region to shop locally and support the remaining retailers. As founder and friend-of-Peppermint Ellie Beck explains: “We are in a town that is dwindling; where people easily drive up the coast for discount and major shops rather than shop local, ethical or handcrafted. Like other towns across Australia who have had to face renew and revive or die situations, Murwillumbah needs some fun, hands-on acts of creative artiness!” If you’re keen to be part of this support, Hey Maker! are having their first public event – a Potato Print Pop Up – this weekend, using locally-grown potatoes and recycled cardboard and display products. It’s free and all are welcome, so if you want to be champion of local art and design (and get more intimate with a potato than you probably have in a while), be sure to head along.