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Experience Perth Festival 2020 campfire

Tanya MacNaughtonWestern Suburbs Weekly

IAIN Grandage has launched an impressive and culturally significant 2020 program in his first year as artistic director of Perth Festival, running February 7 to March 1.

With a Festival theme of ‘Karla’, a Noongar term meaning fire and by extension country and home, the entire first week is dedicated to First Nations performances.

“This is a first for any major Australian international arts festival and a celebration of Australia’s unique voice in the world,” Grandage said.

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“Our Festival is a campfire for sharing stories and inviting belonging.”

The bedrock of Indigenous culture will include Yirra Yaakin Theatre’s world first Noongar-language play, Hecate, an adaptation of Macbeth by Perth Festival associate artist Kylie Bracknell (Kaarljilba Kaardn).

Sydney-based Bangarra Dance Theatre will return to Perth with Helpmann Award-winning production Bennelong and the Yolngu cultural experience Bungul was created in North East Arnhem Land with songs, dances and paintings that inspired Gurrumul’s final album.

WA Opera’s Bran Nue Dae and Perth Festival commissioned play Black Ties, a wedding rom-com from a First Nations perspective, continue the Indigenous artistic celebration.

“Perth Festival 2020 will be a huge, euphoric celebration of Perth, WA – it’s my home town and I love it,” Grandage said.

“We introduce a sparkling new Festival hub, City of Lights including our new contemporary music venue Chevron Lighthouse, welcome the return of the much-loved Chamber Music Weekend and premiere exciting new works made especially for you by talented local artists working with artists from across the country and around the world.”

Perth Festival 2020 has more than 250 free and ticketed events across theatre, music, opera, dance, film, visual arts and literature, finishing with Bon Scott tribute finale Highway to Hell along Canning Highway on March 1.

Full program at www.perthfestival.com.au.