Perth International Arts Festival 2015

As part of the line-up for the $22.4 million festival, World War I themes feature prominently, with giant puppets set to roam the streets and the stories of Indigenous soldiers presented on stage.

In total, more than 1,000 artists will feature in the festival's 63rd year.

"We're very fortunate this year that almost everyone we wanted to come to the festival has said yes, so actually the scale of it and the intensity of it is increased by the fact that people around the world, artists around the world really want to come and play in Perth," festival director Jonathan Holloway told the ABC.

"It's by far the largest festival Perth has had."

This is the fourth and last year Mr Holloway will sit as director of the festival, before handing over the reins to a yet to be announced successor.

His first festival included the grand spectacle of Place Des Anges, which saw high-wire performers dump nearly two tonnes of feathers on ecstatic crowds above St George's Terrace on a hot summer night in 2012.

He said while Perth audiences have always been "incredible", there was a courage and willingness to engage with performances that had emerged during his four years at the helm.

"We've seen them really engage in unusual and unexpected ways of connecting with arts," he said.

"Whether that be through iPads, or under feathers or on the beach at dawn, whether that be rolling about with death in wheat, or breaking bread with deaf-blind Israeli performers, it's been an audience all along that's really taking creative risk

A Word from the Director:

My four Festivals as Artistic Director in Perth have been about two things – stories and experiences

The stories have spanned millennia and have explored who we are, where we have come from, our current situation and where we might be going.

They are stories about this land, between the desert and the sea, defined by and beholden to both. Stories of our relationships with each other and with the rest of the world. The truth of our digitally complex, environmentally conscious, culturally diverse world and how we reconcile with it.

While the stories are intellectually complex, it is the visceral experiences that have the power to transform and define us.

Curating experiences is less straightforward than telling stories. No two people approach a Festival moment in the same way, and no four people will agree on the meaning – or indeed value – of the experience they just shared.

No two Festival journeys will be the same, and our hope is that your travels through this Festival will include experiences both intimate and epic. Experiences that whet the appetite and stimulate all five senses. Moments that allow us to remember something we all knew as children – that the map is not the territory, that the best discoveries are made by straying from the path or committing to a fantastic voyage.

Stories and experiences in perfect collision can propel us around the world in one Festival. In our constant search for and celebration of the extraordinary, we have looked far and near, seeking out ever new ways to harness the greatest talent from around the world and nurture the best artists from Western Australia.

Perth International Arts Festival is a beautiful and much loved thing, and I have been honoured to spend half a decade getting to know its character and its desires, and to have guided it to new places.

And so we come to another crossroads, and the beginning of our next great adventure …

Bon voyage.

EVENT DATES - 13 Feb–7 March 2015

Find out what is on at the Perth International Arts Festival 2015 at the official site

What Are The Things You Love About Summer in WA?

IT’S hot, dry and ... heaven. If there’s one thing that characterises Western Australia it’s summer.

Three months of sun, sand, salt water and how we’ve moulded our lives to make the most of it. Whether that be a stunning swim at a beach Down South or waiting for the Fremantle Doctor to come sweeping through the front door. Maybe it’s a Simmo’s ice cream (two scoops), or crabbing at that secret spot in the Swan.

For some it’s backyard cricket with the boys next door, an outdoor movie under a still sky or an ice cold beer from one of our boutique breweries.

To remind us how lucky we are, today The Sunday Times and PerthNow lists 50 reasons why we really do love these three long, lingering months of magic.

Listed in any order we hope they trigger memories from the past and tempt you to try something new in this sunburnt state of ours. And if you think we missed anything that makes your summer great, let us know below.

Jaylen Henke (6), Kynan Wells (8), and Jai Henke (8) enjoying a game of cricket at home in the garden. Photo: Marie Nirme

1. Backyard cricket. All we need is a bat, a ball and an esky for wickets (or a wheelie bin). No tip-and-run for us though – that’s for amateurs.

2. AFL footballer Hayden Ballantyne: Boating, skiing, crabbing and fishing with family and friends in Mandurah.

3. Sundays at the Mundaring Weir hotel. Nestled in the Perth Hills’s jarrah forest – there’s not much better than a pint of beer, the bush band and the venue’s famous spit roast.

4. Fish and chips while watching the sun set over the ocean at one of our beautiful beaches.

5. The influx of tourists from all over the world who come to WA to experience one of the world’s best summers. More than 500,000 interstate and overseas visitors will travel from all over the world to enjoy our piece of the world during summer. The majority of tourists are from the UK and Singapore and the US.

Moonlight Cinema is back for 2015.

6. Outdoor films. There are plenty of options to enjoy a great film outside at night, from the Moonlight Cinema at Kings Park to the Somerville Auditorium at the University of WA. A special mention has to go to the funky Rooftop Movies on the top floor of the Roe St car park in the City.

7. 92.9 Breakfast presenter Heidi Anderson: I love being able to cruise down the freeway and within three hours be in paradise (the South-West). A perfect day for me is waking up in Dunsbourough with a breakfast at Sumudra cafe and then heading down to Meelup Beach. I normally finish up with a pint of beer at Eagle Bay Brewery while munching on their delicious ribs and watching the sun go down.

8. Ice coffee, because deep down we’re all a bit bogan.

9. The “interactive sculpture” in Perth’s Forrest Place we call the water labyrinth. It’s like a giant sprinkler fight in the city.

Wendy Lockhart, Zali Eddington and mum Brooke enjoying Perth’s water labyrinth. Photo: Marie Nirme

10. The new free sun lounges at Bathers beach in Fremantle.

11. Fresh fruit. Fresh bread. Fresh honey. Fresh everything from one of the state’s 21 farmers markets. Special mention to the Boyanup Farmers Market (every fourth Sunday of the month from 8am-noon).

12. The summer music festivals and outdoor concerts every year. We may not have the Big Day Out or Soundwave anymore, but mega stars like Drake are still enticed to WA by events like the Future Music Festival.

13. West Coast legend Karl Langdon: Crayfishing off Hillarys, fishing off Rotto and crabbing in Mandurah at this time of the year is the best way to spend quality time with family and friends.

14. Watching our champion cricket team the Perth Scorchers at the WACA as part of the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

15. The sausage sizzle. It doesn’t matter if it’s outside Bunnings, at your kids’ sporting match or on the home barbie – the sizzle is a summer staple.

16. Night markets. The “Twilight Hawkers Market” every Friday in Perth is a taste feast and has spurred a bunch of more local versions, like the new night markets every Monday night in Inglewood.

17. Dragging for prawns in the Swan River on a balmy night. Once a summer institution, this is back on the agenda thanks to restocking efforts.

Rottnest Island is an iconic beacon of summer in WA.

18. Our iconic Rottnest Island. Pinky’s, The Basin, a mock cream bun from the bakery or a sweat-soaked cycle to West End. The list goes on.

19. Crown Austrlian Resorts CEO Barry Felstead: Having an ice old beer while cooking a steak on the barbie.

Jenna Bevan exercising on the DNA tower in Kings Park. Photo: Alf Sorbello

20. Wedding season. Love is in the air during summer as cooing couples walk down the aisles at venues (or beaches) all over the state.

21. The award-winning and world-famous Simmo’s ice cream at Dunsborough, Busselton, Mandurah and Rottnest. Too many flavours to count. Maybe Licorice for dad, Lemon Sorbet for mum and a non-stop selection for the kids including Caramel Malteser, Jaffa, Crunchie Munchie, Bubblegum. Plenty of excuses for a return visit or two or three ...

22. Ditching the confines of the gym and getting fit instead by running along the Swan River at dawn or watching the sun set as you go up and (and up and down again) at Kings Park’s DNA tower.

23. The Golden Valley Tree Park in Balingup. The 60-hectare, heritage-listed site in our South-West has a collection of trees that was started more than 100 years ago and is now the largest arboretum in WA.

24. Skyworks 2015. Join the throng of patriotic Australians and celebrate what it means to be an Aussie on The Esplanade foreshore and at Kings Park. As ever, the spectacular fireworks will be a highlight of the January 26 celebrations.

Australia Day at the South Perth Foreshore.

25. Sky News presenter Ashleigh Gillon: A long lazy vineyard lunch accompanied by a chilled bottle of Margaret River white. Life with a toddler means opportunities for the indulgence are few and far between. For my family, the discovery of Arimia down south has meant we can still enjoy what has always been a favourite summer’s day treat.

26. Swimming with dolphins at Bunbury thanks to the multi-award winning Dolphin Discovery Centre.

27. Lake Leschenaultia. Pack your bathers and head 45 minutes inland to the Shire of Mundaring where this former railway dam turned recreational lake offers a stunning weekend retreat.

28. WA Cricket coach Justin Langer: Catching blue manna crabs and then eating them with fresh bread, salt, pepper and vinegar. You wouldn’t be dead for quids.

29. Cheering on the table-topping Perth Glory in the soccer A-League.

30. Craft beer, from the staples at Little Creatures in Fremantle to the Feral Brewing Company in Baskerville.

31. Don the mask and snorkel and make a splash at the Busselton Jetty. The longest jetty in the southern hemisphere is a wildlife mecca, with visibility to match.

32. A steak and cheese pie at the Dunsborough bakery.

33. Kayaking on Augusta’s Blackwood River in the rivermouth.

34. Popstar Samantha Jade: WA summers are simply the best. From Cottesloe Beach to Margaret River we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The Giants are coming to Perth.

35. The Giants. We haven’t seen them yet, but these towering puppets (one that stands 11m tall) will be something to remember. The $5.4 million public spectacle will kick off the Perth International Arts Festival and be the biggest free public arts event the state has ever had.

36. Dropping the crab nets in the Swan River or Peel Inlet for a feed of fat blue mannas.

37. Watching how bad the weather is everywhere else. As Perth enjoys an amazing summer, there’s always someone on your Facebook newsfeed who is complaining a miserable winter and declaring how jealous they are of your photos.

38. Nine News Perth weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs: Fish and chips on at Cottesloe beach on a balmy summer evening.

Scherri-Lee Biggs. Photo: Sean Middleton

39. The Boyup Brook Country Music Festival.

40. Trying your luck under the lights of the Narrows Bridge for the mythical mulloway.

41. An early morning round at Point Walter Golf Course. The giant gum tree in the middle of the fairway on the 7th hole has ruined many promising under-par rounds.

42. The Fringe Festival. Running from January 23-February 22, the annual art event takes over Perth with everything from burlesque to a battle between rappers and comedians. This year’s event comes with the Fringe World UV rating (mild to very hot) so audiences can tell what they’re in for.

43. Every green thumb with a veggie patch loves summer for one reason above all others – it’s the one time of year to grow a bountiful harvest of sweet, juicy tomatoes that eclipse anything you can find in a supermarket. For a true taste of summer, pick one ripe from the bush, wrap it in a basil leaf and devour on the spot.

44. Tourism Council Chief Executive Evan Hall: Summer Sunday in the Perth Hills. I love wandering through Kalamunda markets, having a picnic in the cool at Araluen gardens or a Sunday session with cold ciders at CORE cider house.

45. The summer afternoon sou’wester. Beach-goers might head for home when the sea breeze kicks in but this is the hour our army of kite surfers relish.

46. Summer is crayfish season and few spots are more scenic than diving for crays off Hamelin Bay near Augusta. While you’re in the vicinity, take in the spectacular view from the top of the Augusta lighthouse.

47. Manjimup stone fruit. During summer the peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots are ripe, full of flavour, sweet as honey and about as local as they come.

48. Summer means it’s finally warm enough to ditch the wetsuit and indulge in a surf or stand-up paddle board session at Iso’s reef off Cottesloe wearing only boardshorts or a bikini.

49. Being lazy. Summer in WA is hot, so there’s no better excuse to just lounge around. Whether its under the shade in a park, on the couch at home or down the beach – summer makes being lazy socially acceptable.

50. WA Premier Colin Barnett: Tennis season. I play early on Thursday mornings and on the weekends when I can. For tennis lovers this is a great time of year with the Hopman Cup in Perth and the Australian Open (on TV).

See original Perth Now Post

Skating, Songs and Striptease Make for Chilly Winter Fun in Perth

The James St Amphitheatre is set to become an ice rink

It might be tempting to stay indoors, but a number of events around town are hoping to entice you out into the chilly weather during the winter months.

Need something to entertain the kids? A 250 square metre outdoor skating rink will be open in the James Street Amphitheatre from July 4 to 20, just in time for the school holidays.

If you’re a whiz on a pair of skates it could make for a romantic date, particularly if your loved one is less coordinated and needs to hold onto you for dear life. Adults can indulge in a little mulled wine or cider afterwards, while the kids (and the big kids) can renew their sugar high on hot chocolate and cookies.

It’s the first time Winterland has been held in Perth, though a similar event was held in Fremantle in 2012. More details are available here.

If a snowball fight is more up your alley, pack up the family and head to Bindoon this Sunday for the Wear Ya Wellies Family Fun Day at Edmonds Place Reserve. A "snow truck" will provide the winter-themed fun, along with quirky competitions such as "Welly Toss" and Tug-O-War.

The City of Perth will also host its own snowfield in Forrest Place starting 7 July, but it's only for kids aged under 12 and their parents.

Those who really want to heat things up might find some saucy inspiration among the acts at this year’s Perth City Winter Arts Season, which runs until the end of August.

Generally, winter is a time when most people want to be putting more clothes on and not taking them off, but if you’re willing to risk hypothermia, there are burlesque workshops running, as well as striptease shows by national and international performers.

Also part of the Winter Arts Season, a monthly supper club held in the undercroft of the Perth Town Hall on the last Friday of each month. The set-up is a bit of a do-it-yourself degustation with street food vendors selling their wares and local musicians providing the entertainment.

If you’re really into the local music scene, the Hidden Treasures series will run every Thursday in July. It’s the fourth time the event has been held in Fremantle with a variety of acts scheduled to play in venues a little left of centre, including the Navy Club and the Fremantle Workers Club.

Finally, for something more sedate and (most importantly) free, Brookfield Place in the city will be illuminated once more for this year’s Winter Lights Projections.

From 12 to 28 July, a number of Perth’s historic buildings will be lit up with scenes of snow and ice. For more information, click here. 

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Perth Celebrates China Connection with Spectacular Display

Perth has long boasted strong ties with East Asia through trade and a pioneering twinning agreement with Haikou in China’s Hainan province.

The Perthshire Chinese Community Association new year procession through the streets of Perth to mark the start of the Year of the Horse

Perth has long boasted strong ties with East Asia through trade and a pioneering twinning agreement with Haikou in China’s Hainan province.

And on Tuesday staff and pupils from Perth High School immersed themselves in all aspects of Chinese culture when they celebrated Chinese New Year.

Youngsters were joined by Andy Chan, chairman of the Perthshire Chinese Community Association, and Mandarin teacher Yang Jacobsen, for the China Day event which included Chinese cookery, Chopsticks and Paper Cutting, Tai Chi and Chinese Dragon Art workshops.

The Fair City school is widely regarded as a hub for learning about the Chinese language and culture, and is home to what was Scotland’s first Confucious classroom and offers Mandarin as one of its foreign languages.

A spokesperson for the school told the PA: “Perth High School has strong links with the Chinese community and is committed to increasing young people’s knowledge and awareness of Chinese language and culture.”

Meanwhile on Monday Perth and Kinross Provost Liz Grant welcomed in the Chinese New Year with members of the Perthshire Chinese Community Association

The Provost also invited members of the local Chinese community to a civic reception at 2 High Street to mark this Year of the Horse.

Celebrations took take place in Perth city centre starting with a firecracker display at the viewing platform on Tay Street, which lit up the early evening.

This was followed by a spectacular procession which was headed up by two police horses and a Chinese lion dance troop.

The acrobats performed gymnastic poses and tumbles, leading the Provost and community members through Perth High Street, King Edward Street, St John’s Place and St John Street to the Salutation Hotel on South Street to continue the evening’s celebrations.

Also on hand to amaze and entertain was circus-themed entertainment including close-up magical illusions, a stilt walking juggler and a daredevil street show performer who incorporated fire into his act.

Victorious Australia Bringing Same Squad to Perth for 3rd Ashes Test

Australia will take the same 12-man squad to Perth for the third Ashes test this week after humbling England by 218 runs to win the second match in Adelaide on Monday.

Selector John Inverarity said in a statement that uncapped fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and 12-test paceman Doug Bollinger would also be in Perth on standby and would train with the squad for the test match "should they be required."

Australia fielded the same team in Adelaide that thrashed England by 381 runs in Brisbane, the first time in a year that the team has been unchanged for consecutive tests.

Coach Darren Lehmann was reluctant to mess with a winning formula for the WACA, where their pacemen will hope to wreak maximum damage against a shell-shocked England side on a bouncy wicket.

"At the moment, all good," Lehmann said of his bowlers' fitness for the third match starting on Friday.

"(If they're) 100 percent, they'll play. If not, they won't.

"From our point of view, we've just got to keep what we're doing now. Not change too much. Just make sure we adapt to Perth conditions. As you've seen, we adapted very well from Brisbane to here, and now we go back the other way."

Australia lead the five-test series 2-0 and can wrest the Ashes away from holders England with victory in Perth.

Australia squad: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (captain), Steve Smith, George Bailey, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon, James Faulkner

New A380 flights from Perth

New A380 flights from Perth

Emirates the world’s largest international airline, is set to launch A380 super jumbo services to Perth from March 1.

According to Canberra sources the airline has slots approved for the 496-seat A380 to replace one of its tripe daily Boeing 777 services.

The A380 flight is scheduled to arrive at 5.25pm and depart at 10.30pm.

To see a virtual reality view of the A380 click here.

Emirates had planned to operate the A380 from Perth from mid year but delays in the installation and integration of the new aerobridge has put that back to March next year.

However, that A380 was allocated to Brisbane.

While the new service is slated from March 1 it may slip depending on A380 deliveries.

Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of A380s with 39 in service and the airline had 51 on order.

But this week it ordered another 50 taking the total backlog for the airline to 101.

The Emirates A380 has 14 first class suites, 76 business class beds and a lounge bar on the upper deck and 406 economy class seats on the main deck.

At this week’s order announcement Emirates President Tim Clark said that the A380 “remains highly popular with our passengers.”

“It is still one of the most efficient aircraft to operate today in terms of fuel burn and emissions per passenger, and it gives us the flexibility in some cases to meet passenger demand in slot-constrained markets.”

One of the most popular features of the A380 is the quiet cabin and the plane is more stable than most in turbulence.

The Emirates A380s are mobile phone and email capable and have over 1500 entertainment options.

Emirates has been associated with Europe’s largest passenger aircraft since April 2000 when it was the first airline to announce plans to purchase the super jumbo.

The A380 is a major part of the airline’s ambitious expansion plans outlined by Mr Clark earlier this month.

“By 2020, we will have more than 250 aircraft serving some 70 million passengers across six continents. It will make us the largest airline on the planet by international passenger traffic,” Mr Clark said.

“However, being the biggest airline in the world is not really the end goal. Our aim has always been to connect travellers from around the world to Dubai, and other destinations with just a single stop via our hub.

“The strategic location of Dubai makes it possible for us to serve almost 90 per cent of the world’s population with non-stop flights.”

Over a third of the world’s population lives within a 4-hour flight from Dubai, and two-thirds are within an 8-hour flight.

Today, Emirates operates nearly 3,200 flights globally per week to 135 destinations in 76 countries.

The airline has 50,000 staff made up of 160 nationalities

Perth Evolving to be Style Capital Says Josh Goot

PERTH is evolving into Australia's style capital, according to one of the country's hottest designers.

Internationally adored, Sydney-based designer Josh Goot said Perth had a growing fashion culture and a "captive consumer".

"There is a burgeoning domestic market in Perth, as well as tourist dollar that I'm sure is alluring established international brands," Goot, who flies into WA next week to open the new-season runway show for high-end fashion boutique Ricarda, said.

"Perth, like Sydney and Melbourne, has great relevance as an Australian style capital.

"It has a unique and Australian identity, plus great proximity to the rest of the world."

Goot's comment comes as Leederville  one of the metropolitan area's emerging centres of cool  prepares to hold its first fashion festival on Thursday night.

Vincent Mayor Alannah MacTiernan said the event, "Constellations", was a chance for up-and-coming local designers to show their work. Models will replace mannequins in shopfront windows displaying the latest fashions from a selection of WA designers from 5pm.

A fashion runway show will also be held in the Laneway between Funky Bunches and Kailis Restaurant at 7pm.

Among the emerging designers in the festival are Ariana Davis, Stott & Sims, On A Whim, SeaWolf Design, Katherine Young, Emily Murco, Dear Maurice, Chaka Leyla, ARA, Nicole Marrington and Jewel Designs.

The designs will be showcased by models from SCENE Models.

There will also be an after- party upstairs at the Leederville Hotel from 8.30pm-10pm.

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Perth Monopoly Board in the Planning

AN official Perth Monopoly game is in the planning, with Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi already throwing in her two cents worth regarding which landmarks to include.

Ms Scaffidi, who was last year dubbed second best mayor in the world, was one of the first on Tuesday to "like" the project's Facebook page, where members of the public can suggest landmarks they'd like to see included.

Top of her list was the 50-year-old Council House, which glows in a variety of colours at night following the addition of more than 22,000 LED lights in 2010.

She also suggested Kings Park, which City of Perth wants to include within its boundaries along with James Packer's Crown Casino at Burswood.

The park is currently administered by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority while Crown falls within Victoria Park.

Ms Scaffidi defended the City of Perth's plan to annexe more land, which has been rejected by Victoria Park Mayor Trevor Vaughan as "cherry picking".

"We're disappointed that some parochialism has slipped into this argument," Ms Scaffidi told AAP.

"They are very passionate about their local communities but we need to lift our horizons very strategically about what is the capital city and the form of local government that is going to serve our greater city well for the next 30 to 50 years.

"If we just do small tweaks and minor boundary changes, it's really not going to be worth the expense or the bother."

Ms Scaffidi also said the City of Perth remains staunchly opposed to the Liberal-led state government's plan to run light rail down its main pedestrian malls as there would not be enough room to accommodate both trams and foot traffic.

She said light rail would be good running down the main corporate thoroughfare, St George's Terrace, however.

Ms Scaffidi also said Transperth buses should not be allowed in the CBD as they add substantially to congestion, leaving the free CAT buses and light rail to ferry people around the small CBD zone.

Back on Monopoly, she suggested Jutland Parade in Dalkeith - one of the nation's most salubrious suburbs - could be Mayfair.

The game is scheduled to hit the shelves in November.

PCB Welcomes Perth Hotel Expansion

Metro Hotel Perth will increase its room capacity by almost 50% as management looks to capitalise on ever increasing demand for Perth hotels.

Following a $3.5 million renovation to all 94 rooms in 2009, Metro Hotel Perth is embarking on a new project which will include major renovations to the lobby area, hotel, pool area and restaurant.
Forty-six new rooms will also be completed by the end of the year, bringing the property’s offering to 140 rooms.

Making the announcement yesterday, Metro Hospitality Group chief operating officer George Bedwani said the additional rooms were vital to address accommodation shortages in Perth, where occupancy currently stands at 85%.

“We believe the hotel industry in Perth will remain buoyant over the next five years as there continues to be capacity constraints due to few major hotel developments being built in Perth,” he said.

“This hotel is in high demand [and] we are now going the next step to ensure we benefit from the anticipated growth and demand over the next 4-5 years,” Bedwani added.

With the latest Deloitte Global Performance Review predicting that Perth occupancy will peak at 89% in 2014, Perth Convention Bureau chief executive Paul Beeson said the additional capacity comes as a fitting time for the MICE market.

“The effects on MICE will be positive, with an increase in room stock and by extension more competitive rates,” he told The Nibbler. “The WA government’s efforts to incentivise hotel development continue to stimulate additional room stock, and The Metro Hotel is a direct result of this.”

Construction will commence mid year and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013. Management has promised the development will cause “minimal disruption” to guests.