MycoVerse Manifesto

Spore dreaming

Apr 01, 2025

1st April, 2025

A manifesto is a bold declaration of vision, intention, and belief - a public statement of dreams not yet fully realised. This document outlines my personal vision for the West Coast of Tasmania. It is not yet reality. Any collaborators mentioned here are part of my “dream team”, and while they are currently unconfirmed, I am taking practical steps to bring this vision to life.

This is a creative manifesto shared in the spirit of collaboration and vision-building. If you are interested in collaborating, or discussing further, please get in touch.

Yes, it’s before midday on April 1st. No, this isn’t an April Fools' joke. It involves glowing mushrooms, an old church, and virtual reality headsets made from mycelium. Welcome to Notes from the MycoVerse.

In 2012, I tried this with the old Mercury building, and it (mostly) came true, so now I'm having another go with Queenstown in mind, but this time I actually own the building.

In 2021, I bought an old church and hall in Queenstown, Tasmania. I've spent many hours inside it- dreaming, imagining, sketching exciting future plans. This is the venue that will be transformed into the West Coast MycoVerse.

The old Uniting Church, Queenstown, on the West Coast of lutruwita/ Tasmania

You can check it out as it stands on my blog and on Instagram

A space once devoted to devotion is now being reimagined as a cathedral of fungi, innovation, and awe.

Queenstown has this weirdness about it… but it’s a captivating, beautiful weirdness, unlike anywhere else on earth. There’s true heart to this place, and the sense of community is strong. I was honoured to have a project featured in the 2023 Unconformity festival that allowed me to get to know the place intimately, connecting to history, people and land through a storytelling charm necklace.

There’s something ancient, wild and untamed in the air, just beyond the commonly perceived ‘moonscape’ of Queenstown. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. Spores drift unseen, carrying the potential for transformation. This place, shaped by time and weathered by history, and rain…so much rain, is ready to bloom into something entirely new.

Some of the fungi I've spotted in Tasmania

Welcome to West Coast MycoVerse, a portal into the unseen, the interconnected, the mind-expanding world of fungi.

A Cathedral of Mycelium

We have reimagined this sacred space as a temple of curiosity, where ancient fungal wisdom meets cutting-edge virtual reality. Step inside and walk amongst towering, luminescent fungi, where every step reveals the hidden networks beneath our feet. Lose yourself in immersive experiences that shift perspectives, dissolve boundaries, and ignite wonder.

An AI generated image depicting people viewing fungi via a VR experience. (Church is not as fancy in reality)

VR will be experienced via mycelium headsets, creating a direct connection between the digital and biological worlds. An acclaimed US-based artist (such as) Randy Polumbo will showcase his mycelium-based artwork in an interactive VR experience, blending art, technology, and fungi in a way never seen before.

The West Coast Revival

This is not just an art installation. It is a movement.

Alongside an established West Coast tour company, we are crafting journeys into the wild, where visitors experience the raw, untamed power of nature and return to Queenstown to see its potential harnessed in new ways.

From Spores to Sustainability

The West Coast MycoVerse is also a launchpad for the future of sustainability. We are cultivating premium, gourmet mushroom varieties, first for Tasmania and the mainland, then dried and exported worldwide. But that’s just the beginning.

We are laying the groundwork for Queenstown to become a hub of mycelium innovation, partnering with leaders in regenerative packaging and biotech to pioneer biodegradable, fungi-based solutions. A leader in this area is Ecovative . They did a presentation at MONA a few years back. It was incredibly inspiring to see how mycellium has so many uses.

In contrast to Tasmania’s problematic salmon farming industry- which has drawn criticism for polluting marine environments and harming fragile ecosystems- we are offering a clean, regenerative alternative. Mushroom cultivation is low-impact, resource-efficient, and can be conducted in harmony with nature. This industry holds the potential to become a high-value, sustainable export that not only protects our environment but also creates meaningful, long-term employment across the state.

Mushrooms themselves are nutrient-rich and versatile, offering a small but valuable amount of protein, alongside unique bioactive compounds that support immune and brain health. As demand for plant-based, low-impact food rises globally, Tasmania has a chance to lead the way.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms are doing amazing work in this area! You can book a tour of their special mushroom growing facility in Southern Tasmania. Check them out here

‘Tunnel Hill Mushrooms’ Website. Check them out!

The Grand Opening

We believe in bold beginnings.

To celebrate the birth of this vision, I imagine a gathering of inspiring minds from the worlds of fungal science, biological wonder, and artistic innovation. Researchers, authors, scientists and artists- those exploring the mysteries of interconnected life and ecological transformation - will be invited to speak, share, and celebrate.

And because no revolution is complete without music, I envision a performance from a bold, genre-defying artist known for her immersive, otherworldly sound—one who aligns with the ethos of transformation and ecological reverence. Can you guess who I’m referring to?

It’s Not a Small Dream

It is a seismic shift in how we see our place in the web of life.

It is a commitment to creating local employment and supporting the economy through curiosity, sustainability and by creating a sense of awe.

It is proof that forgotten spaces can be reborn, that nature and technology can collaborate, that fungi can heal, inspire, and build a better world.

Join the Myco-Revolution

I want your thoughts. Your business advice. And your investment into this as an idea. This is more than a dream- it’s a living ecosystem, and I invite you to become part of it. Just as mycelium connects forests, soil, and species, this project thrives through collaboration. You are not just supporting an idea, you are a spore in a growing network, helping it spread and evolve.

This is a financially viable venture, with a high-value product (mushrooms!) and a bold vision for the future. As we grow, so will the opportunities for those who join us.

And yes, there will be long lunches, but not just any lunches. These will be celebrations of connection; feasts where ideas, people, and resources intertwine. The table is where we dream, strategise, and build the future, just as fungi break down the old to make way for new life.

If this excites you, let’s talk.