FROM witches lurking in the alleyways of Fremantle to magical walks through the Norfolk Island pines, this year’s 10 Nights in Port has it all.
Featuring 31 events, workshops, exhibitions and performances, the annual winter festival is a diverse and lively affair.
“From comedy nights to photography talks, an accessible dance party, experimental theatre, and everything in between, we have created a program that will get audiences off the couch this winter and into the streets of Walyalup,” says festival director Jo O’Dea.
One of this year’s highlights is Wishing Trees at Esplanade Park. It’s an interactive and immersive installation in the Norfolk Island pines, devised by Perth botanical artist Lara Rose Bos.
As wars and ideological conflicts rage across the world, the installation will be a quiet atmospheric space where you can take a breather and regroup emotionally and spiritually.
“Now more than ever, we need to turn to the natural world and community to stay grounded and connected,” Bos says.
• Botanical artist Lara Rose Bos is doing a special installation at this year’s 10 Nights in Port.
Spooky
“Nature is scientifically proven to have overwhelming health benefits. As much as we need nature to survive and thrive, nature also needs us to protect it moving forward. We can’t have one without the other.”
Bos is just back from a two month research and work trip in Europe, which included a stint at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show in London.
“We created a show garden and a large-scale floral installation in the streets of Chelsea, which ultimately won Best in Show.
“It was incredibly refreshing to see a significant trend throughout the UK and Europe towards an environmentally focused approach, embracing naturalistic and wild gardening and floristry.
“The core message is about respecting nature, protecting biodiversity, and preserving habitats.
“On my recent visit to Kew Gardens their latest slogan states ‘The future is Botanic’ and I couldn’t agree more.”
Atmosphere of a different kind will be found at the spooky festival event Coven, a guided tour around Freo at night where you encounter six witches.
The witches are actually local artists including Felicity Groom, Della Rae Morrison and Annick Akanni. Participants will join the witches in song and partake in small rituals as the coven makes its way through Fremantle under a full moon.
The event is shrouded in mystery, but apparently it’s a “collaborative visual and audio project of six individual artist/witches” that involves the Fremantle Women’s Choir.
The hub of the festival will be Fremantle Town Hall, which will host a variety of events including children’s sensory workshops, a ‘climate cabaret’, dance party, experimental theatre and live music.
It’s the first time the festival will be overseen by the experienced O’Dea, who has previously run Bunbury Fringe and the Nannup Flower and Garden Festival.
Burlesque
“With themed guided trails in Booyeembara Park, a ‘Climate Cabaret’ from Hannah Moloney of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, experimental theatre with Max Barton (Wednesdays at The End of the World) and Mowanjum Now bringing the Kimberley warmth to wintery Fremantle, we invite everyone to check out the program and find something that resonates with them,” she says.
There will also be a late-night Freak Out! where partygoers can enjoy a fusion of drag, burlesque, circus and cabaret set to 90s house and club anthems.
Plus complementary exhibitions at the Fremantle Arts Centre.
10 Nights in Port is on August 7-17. For more details and the full program see 10nightsinport.com.au.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK