Just two weeks before it kicks off this year, Perth Festival has revealed a range of new shows and extra performances as part of their all-Western Australian program.
The full Literature & Ideas and Contemporary Music programs have now been announced, along with more details about City of Lights, Supported by Lotterywest (pictured above) in the Perth Cultural Centre and family day out, Wild Things, at Perth Zoo.
The 2021 Literature & Ideas program spans three weekends, starting with A Day of Ideas focusing on the mighty Derbal Yerrigan/Swan River at Perth Concert Hall on Saturday, February 13.
His Majesty’s Theatre will be buzzing from February 21-22 as lovers of books and the people who write them share the joy at more than 30 events for Literature Weekend in the City. An array of local writers – and international and national special guests joining live by video link – will take centre stage at the freshly refurbished heritage theatre.
The program offers the opportunity to spend the weekend with former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, acclaimed US novelist Brit Bennett, Oscar-winner Shaun Tan and Booker Prize finalist Maaza Mengiste, who will talk to local moderators and answer audience questions, along with our best Western Australian writers. If you can’t make it on the day, you can watch some key sessions from home.
Throughout the Festival, Perth Cultural Centre will come to life for City of Lights, Supported by Lotterywest, with a series of spectacular free projections exploring the precinct’s venues and hospitality.
Projections at City of Lights will turn the precinct into an immersive 360-degree cinematic thoroughfare, with its grand buildings drenched in vivid colours and powerful stories of our place in the world. Seven films, including the Bilya Beneath tribute to the waterways of our city, will run in a continuous loop from 8pm to midnight from Tuesday to Sunday nights.
City of Lights encourages visitors to walk through and explore the precinct from surprising new angles. They can also catch free tunes at The State Theatre Centre’s STC Courtyard Sessions, with special guest curators including Grammy winner Lucky Oceans and African beats crew, Black Brass.
Perth Festival will also celebrate WA’s local music heroes with WA Mixtape, a special chilled-out evening of classic WA covers and originals presented in association with RTRFM at Government House Gardens on Saturday, February 20.
Rising WA stars like punk act Dennis Cometti, electro outfit Your Girl Pho, dreamy indie act Rabbit Island and soul-pop singer Queency will get together with Kim Salmon, Katy Steele and other local legends to perform an original song plus classic tunes from Eurogliders, The Stems, The Triffids, Jebediah and many more.
WA Mixtape – like RTRFM’s In the Pines meets Slightly Odway – is the third concert in Perth Festival’s series of WA musical showcases at Government House Gardens this year. It follows the sold-out events Koort (Heart) and The Jazz Line as a treat for fans of music in a beautiful garden setting.
Perth Festival 2021 closes on Sunday, February 28 when their Curated by Kids young programmers let their ideas run free at Wild Things, a Perth Festival takeover of Perth Zoo.
This zootopia of authors, musicians and activities for all ages include Perth Symphony Orchestra pop ups, Soukouss Internationale, James Foley, animal illustration classes, creature choreography, Noongar storytelling and an animal passport trail that takes you around the world. With a focus on the conservation work by Perth Zoo, attendees can learn about the numbat, the western swamp tortoise and the red tail black cockatoo in this one-of-a-kind family day out.
Perth Festival runs from Friday, February 5 until Sunday, February 28. For more information and to buy tickets head to perthfestival.com.au
