Game, Set, Match: David Shrigley’s Tennis Ball Exchange Arrives in Fremantle
June 2025: 10,000 fluorescent yellow tennis balls will line the gallery walls of the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre this August as part of The Walyalup Fremantle Tennis Ball Exchange, an interactive exhibition by internationally acclaimed British artist David Shrigley.
Audiences are invited to become part of the artwork by bringing their own tennis ball – scuffed, chewed, grungy or graffitied – to exchange with one of the fresh balls on the nearly 1km of shelving inside the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre. The result is a playful, participatory art experience from one of the UK’s most recognisable contemporary artists. Participants are rewarded with a pin badge decorated with the exhibition title, in Shrigley’s distinctive handwriting (limited to the first 3,000 participants).
British artist, David Shrigley OBE, is internationally acclaimed for his distinctive and darkly comic style, using humour to highlight the absurdities of everyday life. He has published more than 40 books, and was a finalist in the 2013 Turner Prize following his critically acclaimed retrospective Brain Activity, as well as being selected for the Fourth Plinth Commission in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2016, one of the UK’s most high-profile public art commissions.
Toying with notions of commerce and community, the installation interrupts expectations of a gallery context. Visitors are encouraged to return throughout the exhibition’s run to see how the installation evolves, each ball carrying with it a unique story or mark of its past life. It’s a living work shaped by the public – equal parts sculpture, performance, and community archive.
Abigail Moncrieff, Curator and Collections Lead at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre is excited to welcome people into the gallery in a new and playful way.
“David Shrigley’s joyful work invites everyone to get involved and see the work transform with their contribution, which is a perfect fit for Fremantle. We’re delighted to be presenting work by renowned artist David Shrigley that is accessible, humorous and uniquely community-driven.”
The Walyalup Fremantle Tennis Ball Exchange is a satellite exhibition for Fremantle Festival: 10 Nights in Port, open at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre daily from 10AM until 5PM, between Monday, 4 August to 7 September.
Beyond the exhibition, families are invited to a Ball Hunt in the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre grounds from 10am – 12pm, on Saturday 9 August. Alongside the Ball Hunt will be totem tennis, kids entertainment and more.
For more information visit https://wfac.org.au/whats-on/post/david-shrigley-tennis-ball-exchange/
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For information, interviews & images:
Alice Hamilton
Detail Marketing Communications
alice@detail.com.au
0415 576 577
Two experienced operators have been appointed to run the food and beverage outlets at two of the City of Fremantle’s most popular facilities.
Café owners, Loan and Triet Ly, will take over the café at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.
It’s a return to a familiar place for the couple, who used to run the very successful Canvas Café at the Arts Centre for more than a decade.
“From a business point of view, we decided that this is the right opportunity for our family,” Loan said.
“After finishing Canvas Café in 2022, we took the time to rest, reflect, travel and start a new business. Now that our business in Victoria Park has been established and is steady, it’s a good time for us to return to the Arts Centre, pick up where we left off and make it even better.”
The City has completed some restoration work on the café, including painting, flooring, electrical and landscaping.
The Ly family is working on a new brand and fresh fit out, with the new café to be called PLATED. There may even be the return of some familiar faces among the kitchen and service staff as well.
It will serve Modern Australian seasonal food to customers seven days a week and will also cater for events and exhibitions in coordination with the Arts Centre team, with picnic baskets and high tea options among the offering.
PLATED is scheduled to open on 1 September 2025. Updates will be posted on Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre’s social media channels.
Meanwhile, the kiosk at the Fremantle Leisure Centre will re-open its doors as Leisure and Bean in early to mid-August 2025.
Owners Walter Goss and Anne-Kathrin Jahn previously ran Little Stove café in Bicton before selling up and travelling the world in late 2023.
“What we enjoyed most about our time at Little Stove was being part of a community and providing a space for people to come for coffee, food and conversation. This will be our main goal for Leisure and Bean as well,” Walter said.
“After taking some personal time to travel and recharge, it has only reminded us that we live in one of the most beautiful spots on earth and we were thrilled when the opportunity presented itself to run a community and neighbourhood-based project in our own backyard again.”
As well as getting to know the Leisure Centre regulars, by providing quality coffee and ‘grab and go’ food items, the husband-and-wife team plans to create an alfresco area outside the Leisure Centre, on the Shuffrey Street side, for passers-by to grab a quick coffee and a bite to eat – starting with some winter warmers like hot soup and porridge.
City of Fremantle CEO Glen Dougall welcomed both new lessees.
“We appreciate the community’s patience, while we worked to secure these long-term leases. We’ve managed to attract some really top-quality hospitality professionals, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” Mr Dougall said.
Above: City of Fremantle CEO Glen Dougall and Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge with cafe owners Loan and Triet Ly at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.
May 2025: We couldn’t be happier to announce our three incredible judges for the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award 2025.
Hannah Mathews is Director/CEO of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Over the last twenty years she has held key curatorial positions at Monash University Museum of Art, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Next Wave, The South Project and the Biennale of Sydney.
Hannah’s recent curatorial projects include Shelley Lasica: WHEN I AM NOT THERE (2022); Vivienne Binns: On and through the surface (2022); D Harding: Through a lens of visitation (2021); Agatha Gothe-Snape: The Outcome is Certain (2020); Shapes of Knowledge, MUMA (2019); and Alicia Frankovich & Lili Reynaud Dewar (2018).
Hannah graduated with a Master of Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne in 2002 and has completed curatorial residencies in New York, Berlin, Tokyo and Venice. She has taught in curatorial programs at Melbourne University, Monash University and RMIT University, Melbourne and has held various board positions, including National Association for the Visual Arts, City of Melbourne Arts & Culture and International Art Space, Perth. Her publication, To Note: Notation Across Disciplines won the inaugural Cornish Family Book Prize for Art and Design Publishing in 2018.
Trent Walter is a Sri Lankan/Australian artist, printer and publisher based in Naarm, Melbourne. He established Negative Press in 2009 which operates as a print and book making studio where Walter works with artists and cultural institutions on printed matter. Negative Press also functions as Walter’s publishing imprint for collaborations with artists and for hosting occasional exhibitions.
Walter was an exhibiting artist with Stuart Geddes, for NIRIN, 22nd Biennale of Sydney 2020. The pair collaborated on NIRIN NGAAY (https://nirin-ngaay.net/), exhibited at Carriageworks and also distributed as a bound print publication. He has also collaborated with Fayen d’Evie for “Essays in Gestural Poetics” 2021 and “Ascending/Descending Sonic Shadows” 2019; and Emily Floyd and Experimental Jetset, Amsterdam, on Floyd’s artists’ book “Female Orgasm: A codex of sorts, after Ursula K Le Guin”.
In 2016, Walter and Brook Andrew were commissioned by the City of Melbourne to create a permanent, public artwork commemorating the lives and public execution of Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner. The pair were also joint recipients of a Georges Mora Fellowship in 2013–14 and they collaborated on the artists’ book Dual/Duel, published in October 2021.
Trent Walter is a lecturer in Visual Arts at La Trobe University.
Jessyca Hutchens is a Palyku woman living and working on Noongar boodja, and a Lecturer at the School of Indigenous Studies and a Co-Director at the Berndt Museum, at the University of Western Australia. Jessyca is an art historian, curator, and writer who has previously held positions as the Curator at the Berndt Museum, a Curatorial Fellow at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia, the Curatorial Assistant to the Artistic Director for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, and as a Lecturer in Global Art History at the University of Birmingham.
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For more information, please contact:
Ruby Kingsmill
Detail Marketing Communications
ruby@detail.com.au
0426 243 738
April 2025: Curated by Zali Morgan, the multi-disciplinary exhibition ‘It’s Always Been Always’ is a tribute to Aboriginal women, celebrating their pivotal role as custodians, intrinsic connectors and cultural caretakers.
Bringing together a diverse range of small to large-scale works by six acclaimed Aboriginal female artists from across Australia, the exhibition will centre the voices of Blak women and their powerful connections to Country, Community, and Culture.
Curated by Whadjuk, Balladong, and Wilman Noongar artist Zali Morgan, It’s Always Been Always features newly commissioned and existing works by: Wendy Hubert (Yindjibarndi – Juluwarlu Art Group), Kaylene Whiskey and the Iwantja Young Women’s Film Project, (Yankunytjatjara – Iwantja Arts), Harriette Bryant (Pitjantjatjara – Mimili Maku Arts), Jazz Money (Wiradjuri and Irish), Yabini Kickett (Bibulmun/Noongar), and Amanda Bell (Badimia and Yued Noongar).
Working across differing practices and materialities including video, installation, paint and poetry, these artists will share stories of resilience and kinship, and the unique ways they sustain and nurture their relationships with land, family and identity
Morgan, whose work often explores cultural legacy and connection between women and the land, commented:
“This exhibition champions female Aboriginal artists from across Australia. It seeks to reflect on the resilience of Indigenous women and pay homage to their strength and wisdom which has shaped our communities. Each artist will bring her own story – stories of women, motherhood and femininity – stories that need to be told and which speak to broader contemporary issues in the Australian arts and political landscape. Now is the time to listen to First Nations artists and communities, and in particular, Blak women.”
Abigail Moncrieff, Curator and Collections Lead at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre, commented on the great honour in celebrating the strength and wisdom of these six women artists and their stories in the galleries in Walyalup Fremantle.
“It’s Always Been Always will transform the gallery into an immersive space with artworks ranging from a 9-metre painting by Yindjibarndi Elder, Cultural Custodian and Linguist Wendy Hubert, to a site responsive text installation by Amanda Bell, to the vibrant and joyous video work of Kaylene Whiskey and the Iwantja Young Women’s Film Project.”
“It’s Always Been Always will share the diverse stories of Indigenous women and celebrate their central role in preserving culture and shaping the future of their communities.”
It’s Always Been Always will exhibit at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre on Saturday, 3 May – Sunday, 3 August 2025.
For more information, visit: https://www.fac.org.au/whats-on/post/61861/
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For more information, please contact:
Ruby Kingsmill
Detail Marketing Communications
ruby@detail.com.au
0426 243 738
About Zali Morgan
Zali Morgan is a Noongar woman with ancestral connections to Whadjuk, Balladong, and Wilman Boodjar. She was born and raised near Wooditchup on Wardandi Boodjar and is now based near Boorloo. Zali has a deep passion for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and artists, particularly uplifting Noongar art and artists. With a keen interest in decolonising practices, she has worked closely with private and institutional collections, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Wesfarmers Arts, and the Berndt Museum of Anthropology. Recently, Zali has curated exhibitions for John Curtin Gallery, Edith Cowan University, City of Joondalup, and Bunbury Regional Art Gallery. She is the Noongar Residency Curator at Goolugatup Heathcote and is the 2025 Revealed Curator at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. Zali is dedicated to reshaping narratives around Aboriginal art by challenging colonial frameworks and advocating for sovereignty in creative expressions.
MARCH 2025: Australia’s most prestigious print prize has announced a boost to its prize pool as it
opens submissions nationally to emerging and established artists.
The acquisitive biennale exhibition will return in August 2025 for its 47th year, marking it the nation’s longest running and most sought-after print award.
The Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award will this year award the ‘First Prize’ winner $20,000. While the ‘First Nation’ and Young Emerging’ print prizes will each award $5,000. The total prize pool has grown to $30,000, making it the nation’s biggest print prize.
The Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award will be judged by a panel of nationally acclaimed artists and academics.
Judges will be looking for a diverse selection of prints and artist books which challenge what print making is in its many forms; from small to large-scale across a range of innovative and emerging print making methods including 3D, textile, etching, lino and wood cutting, digital and screen printing.
Abigail Moncrieff, Curator & Collections Lead at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre commented that this was an exciting moment for artists to be part of the country’s most prestigious print award.
“We’re excited to open submissions to the Walyalup Fremantle Art Centre Print Award and announce a boost to the prize pool. We felt it was time for the value of the prize to be refreshed and we hope this will encourage artists from across the country to enter this fantastic award, which seeks to represent contemporary print making today.”
Exhibition highlights in recent years have included Jacky Cheng’s Yue Lao – God of Matchmaking and Marriage, created from recycled Chinese calendar papers; Jay Staples and Stephen Brameld’s incidental artwork Forest, a Merbau tannin timber-to-fabric transfer on canvas, and Kieren Karritpul’s Traditional Fish Basket, a collagraph print.
Submissions are open until 2 June 2025. The exhibition will take place in August at the Walyalup Fremantle Art Centre.
All exhibited artworks are for sale with the winning piece acquired for the City of Fremantle Art Collection, the largest municipal art collection in WA.
To find out more, visit: https://www.wfac.org.au/whats-on/post/2025-fremantle-arts-centre-print-award/
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For more information, please contact:
Ruby Kingsmill
Detail Marketing Communications
ruby@detail.com.au
0426 243 738
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
• The First Nations Print Prize is supported by Wesfarmers Arts
• The Young Emerging Print Prize is supported by Fremantle Community Bank
ABOUT THE PRINT AWARD
The Walyalup Fremantle Art Centre Print Award was founded in 1976, just a few years after the establishment of the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre. The prize was initiated by Ian Templeman as a way of attracting interstate artists and audiences to the young gallery.
Now in its 47th year, the Print Awards is the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre’s longest running exhibition series and Australia’s premier print award. The award attracts entries from a huge range of established and emerging artists from across Australia
12 March 2025 – Fremantle, Australia: Fremantle International Street Arts Festival (FISAF) has today revealed its spectacular 2025 lineup set to transform the City’s streets into a vibrant stage for global creativity over the Easter long weekend (18 April – 21 April 2025).
Celebrating its 25 year anniversary, this year’s festival will bring a fittingly exclusive fire-filled spectacle to Fremantle’s streets, with the West Australian premiere of ‘Amor’ by France’s Compagnie Bilbobasso.
‘Amor’ will headline FISAF’s growing After Dark program of festivities with a wild pyrotechnic display that combines the passion of Argentinian tango with explosive theatrics, luring visitors to further explore the streets of Fremantle every evening.
Kicking off on Good Friday, the 25 year anniversary of FISAF will feature a stellar roster of acts that push the boundaries of street theatre with a bundle of Western Australian first experiences.
A completely free family friendly experience throughout the Easter long weekend, street performers set to make their Australian premiere at this year’s FISAF, include:
- Imagicario (Canada): Visitors can meet the otherworldly, playful and colourful puppets inspired by fictional biodiversity as they roam through the Fremantle’s streets on stilts over two metres high.
- Haribow (Japan): Hop, skip and jump to a musical showcase with this energetic double dutch group from Japan, who famously placed as finalists in Series 17 of Britain’s Got Talent.
- Torpeza Rítmika (Argentina): Festival-goers will have the chance to meet this self-taught clown and experience a rollercoaster of emotions as they journey through a poetic and surrealistic performance.
Boasting an expansive lineup of over 70 artists, international performances hero alongside home-grown Australian acts, with spellbinding Indigenous-led dreamtime acrobatic troupe Living Sculptures: How the Birds Got Their Colours returning to Western Australia for FISAF to perform against the backdrop of Fremantle’s Esplanade Park.
Kicking off at 12pm on Good Friday, performances will be staged across eight iconic Fremantle venues, including the National, Fremantle Prison, FOMO Freo, Sail & Anchor and Esplanade Park, with roaming acts also set to surprise and delight festival-goers throughout the day and night.
Festival Creative Producer Brendan Coleman said this year’s lineup reaffirms the festival’s commitment to showcasing both internationally renowned and emerging local talent.
“This year’s lineup truly captures the essence of FISAF’s transformative street arts experience, which we have proudly delivered to the public for the past 25 years. In particular, we are thrilled to welcome Amor by Compagnie Bilbobasso to this year’s festival lineup, where audiences can entangle themselves in a captivating love story and argument, featuring explosions and dances with fire right here in Fremantle,” said Coleman.
FISAF’s humble beginnings commenced in 1999, with the festival becoming a landmark event on the Western Australian calendar each year during the Easter long weekend.
The festival is now renowned globally as the largest street arts festival in Australasia, attracting thousands of eager-eyed festival goers in search of something unusual to experience on Fremantle’s streets.
Visitors can discover the complete FISAF program and plan their long weekend experience at: https://www.streetartsfestival.com.au/
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MEDIA CONTACT
Sandra Brkic, NonPlus Studio
Sandra@nonplus.co | 0401 686 177
Brought to you by the City of Fremantle and proudly supported by the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia
Courses run across six-weeks, 18 February – 25 MARCH, 3:45 – 5:15pm.
Fremantle Arts Centre (FAC) announces the launch of its first-ever After School Art Courses, expanding its renowned children’s creative learning program beyond the school holidays. Designed for students in Years 3 to 6, these term-based courses provide a unique opportunity for young artists to develop their skills in a fun, supportive, and engaging environment.
FAC After School Art Courses: Drawing, Watercolour, Collage & Mixed Media
Taught by the talented Jenessa King, this six-week course focuses on the fundamentals of visual awareness, creative expression, and technique development. Students will explore different mediums weekly – drawing, watercolour, collage, and mixed media – while learning about key historical and contemporary artists. The program culminates in a mini exhibition on the final day, where students will showcase their artwork to family and friends.
When: Tuesdays, 3:45–5:15pm (18 February – 25 March 2025)
Studio: Drawing
Cost: $200
FAC After School Art Courses: Creative Clay
Guided by expert ceramicist Melissa Statham, students will gain hands-on experience in ceramics, exploring techniques such as hand-building, glazing, and firing. Each week introduces new creative challenges, from making personalised mugs and decorative plates to designing their own board games. Like the drawing course, this program concludes with a mini exhibition celebrating the students’ artistic achievements.
When: Tuesdays, 3:45–5:15pm (18 February – 25 March 2025)
Studio: Ceramics
Cost: $200
A New Era for Children’s Art at FAC
For years, FAC has been a hub for children’s creativity during school holidays. Now, with the introduction of term-based after school courses, young artists can enjoy a consistent and structured learning experience throughout the year in a supportive and relaxed setting.
Enrolment & Further Information
All materials are included in the course fee, and enrolment opens Monday, 20 January 2025. Parents are encouraged to book early as spots are limited.
To enrol or learn more, visit www.fac.org or contact Fremantle Arts Centre at 9432 9555.
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Media Contact:
Kassandra Zaza
Marketing Officer
Fremantle Arts Centre
Email: kassandraz@fremantle.wa.gov.au
Walyalup | Fremantle Arts Centre launches summer exhibitions in collaboration with Perth Festival Trio of artists present their respective works connected by a sense of place.
Existing works will stand alongside groundbreaking new pieces as the galleries open with exhibitions by three prominent artists, connected by a deep relationship to place and community.
Two major new works will premiere as part of Perth Festival. Renowned artist Kate Mitchell presents Idea Induction – an immersive, interactive installation in the main gallery. Ballardong artist Dianne Jones will debut The Beach, inspired by, and created in Walyalup/Fremantle. This will be exhibited alongside Jones’s earlier photographic series Australian Photographs – in which the artist inserts herself, smiling and waving into analogue images that place contemporary indigenous identities into Australian narratives.
Mervyn Street’s powerful Stolen Wages is a significant solo exhibition featuring Kimberley history and resilience, while also celebrating his recent landmark victory against the State Government.
Fremantle Arts Centre Curator and Collections lead Abigail Moncrieff added, “The Perth Festival exhibition is an eagerly anticipated event at FAC and this year we are pleased to co-present three incredible artists who all bring something different.
Kate Mitchell’s Idea Induction will feature the artist in the exhibition, inviting viewers to sit at her ‘singing chair’ and experience the source of creativity. Dianne Jones’s joyous and powerful work The Beach features her family on the beach at Walyalup, while Mervyn Street presents a personal body of work. A notable figure in the Kimberley, Mervyn traces his experiences and memories working as a stockman, made all the more significant for his part in the recent $180 million class action against the government for Stolen Wages.
The three artists offer audiences a multiplicity of experiences, from Mitchell’s interactive work, Dianne’s powerful and joyous photography and Mervyn’s painting that documents his experiences in The Kimberley.”
‘Where do ideas come from?’ – Kate Mitchell poses this question in Idea Induction and asks for participation, inviting audience members to sit and ask a question, or solve a problem, aided by a monochord singing chair – allowing for a full-body experience of deep resonant sound, facilitating a relaxed, creative state.
Idea Induction features several other prompts throughout the exhibition, inductions from the artist to transport the viewer into their own creativity.
Dianne Jones made the photographic series Australian Photographs more than twenty years ago, using analogue processes to re-photograph and destabilise Australian beach narratives. Reworking iconic Australian beach photographs such as artist Max Dupain, she places herself in these images- queering these sites and inserting contemporary indigenous aboriginal identities into these scenes.
Alongside these works, Dianne will unveil a new large scale photographic work responsive to Manjaree (Bathers Beach) in Walyalup / Fremantle and its spiritual importance as a site of kinship and meeting in Noongar culture.
Stolen Wages from Meryvn Street features newly commissioned and existing works that continue Mervyn’s legacy of telling truth to power, following his historic court victory over the State Government for decades of wages stolen from the cattlemen of the Kimberley.
Stolen Wages is presented by Fremantle Arts Centre with Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency and commissioned by Perth Festival.
Idea Induction and The Beach are curated by Abigail Moncrieff, Fremantle Arts Centre. Stolen Wages is curated by Emilia Galatis.
Exhibition Dates: 7th February – 20th April 2025 | 10am – 5pm Daily.
Kate Mitchell: Idea Induction Presented with Perth Festival
Dianne Jones: The Beach Presented with Perth Festival
Mervyn Street: Stolen Wages Presented with Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency and Perth Festival
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Kate Mitchell
b. 1982 Sydney, Australia. Lives and works on Gubbi Gubbi land / Sunshine Coast. Kate Mitchell’s practice spans video, objects, image-making, and public interventions. Mitchell’s video works often position her as the central protagonist in absurd, challenging, and amusing situations – teasing out themes related to productivity, labour, success, and failure.
The current focus of her practice draws on social uses of magical thinking and New Age practices and their collision and absorption by conventional structures and rational frameworks. Mitchell is interested in the multi-layered outcomes of these experiments that speak to who we are, what we value and how we exist.
Mitchell’s work is included in leading public and private collections across Australia including: Kadist Foundation, Paris and San Francisco; Michael Buxton Collection, Melbourne; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. In 2019, Mitchell was included in ‘Enter’ at the Lyon Housemuseum. In 2020, she was commissioned to create All Auras Touch, an expansive installation at Carriageworks. In 2022, she was selected as part of the Adelaide Biennial for her work Open Channels. The artist is represented by Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney.
Dianne Jones
Dianne Jones is a Ballardong artist from Noongar Country in Western Australia. Jones utilises photo-media to reposition the representation of Aboriginal Peoples and enact creative resistance to historical and contemporary colonial ideologies. Storytelling, family histories and decolonising archives are an integral part of her visual practice. Jones’s art reveals what is missing from pervasive Australian narratives and art history, highlighting the multifaceted nature of contemporary Indigenous identities and the importance of truth telling. Jones has completed her Masters at Victorian College of the Arts and is currently completing her PhD.
Her work is part of a growing movement by Indigenous artists to explore generational traumas and expose the ongoing impacts of colonisation. Jones’s work is held in many important public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Parliament House Perth WA, Edith
Cowan University and the Museum of Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Mervyn Street
Mervyn Street is a Gooniyandi man. Gooniyandi is one of the two river groups from the country around Fitzroy Crossing. He was born at Louisa Downs Station. Mervyn speaks fluent Gooniyandi as well as English. Mervyn is an accomplished author, illustrator, carver and painter. He has authored a book entitled ‘Know Your Granny’ about his country and his language. He has also co-produced the book entitled ‘At The River’. Mervyn has used his artwork extensively in the Yiyili School where he teaches his traditional language. Mervyn is an important person for art and culture in Yiyili and Pull Out Springs communities and is a former Chairman of Mangkaja Arts.
For more information, please contact:
Ella Boekeman
Fremantle Arts Centre ellabo@fremantle.wa.gov.au
As part of its commitment to reconciliation, the City of Fremantle is pleased to announce the next event in its Truth Telling program: “FOCUS – First Nation Films”.
Over two Birak first summer nights, everyone is invited to sit under the stars in the grounds of Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre to share First Nations stories and sounds.
This free event will have live music and a curated selection of documentary feature and short films, which bring together a tapestry of stories that speak to the impacts of colonisation and to the resilience and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
With host Ron Bradfield Jnr and guest speakers including one of Australia’s finest and long-standing contemporary historical documentary makers Tom Murray, this is a considered and special weekend of music, conversations and films not to be missed.
Event information:
Event: Focus – First Nation Films
Location: Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre – Front Garden
Dates: Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 January 2025
Time: 6-10pm
Cost: Free (registrations n/a)
Other: This is an alcohol-free event. Food and drink vendors will be available on site. Picnics welcome.
Film program:
Saturday 25 January 2025
Sunday 26 January 2025
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the film program may contain images and/or audio of deceased persons
Further line up announcements to be made. Visit fac.org.au for updates.
A special session of SUNDAY MUSIC, on Sunday 26 January from 2-4pm, features Kiwirrkurra Band, from the Kiwirrkurra Community in Western Australia, performing tunes with a western desert reggae rock feel.
Media Release: for immediate release.
Fremantle Arts Centre have announced the second lineup for Sunday Music – a free outdoor concert series showcasing a rich assortment of local and international talent – featuring the likes of much-loved local rap force Mali Jose (WA), the visually and sonically mesmerising Aurus (Réunion), and folk pop sensation JFDR (Iceland), in their lush front garden every Sunday, from 2-4pm, until April 2025 – supported by Fremantle Community Bank.
For over 40 years, Sunday Music has been a pillar event at Fremantle Arts Centre, showcasing a diverse array of musicology – spanning all genres and all corners of the Globe – for a vibrant celebration of music and culture, while providing a vital platform for Western Australian artists. Set in the heart of Fremantle – a renowned hub for music and culture – the seven-month outdoor summer concert series is the ultimate destination for capturing new and emerging talent, with the quaint surrounds and laidback atmosphere delivering a unique experience for both artists and audiences.
‘As we celebrate a remarkable first half of Sunday Music, highlighted by performances like Dave McCormack last weekend, we’re delighted to announce another incredible line-up for Sunday Music Part 2’ says City of Fremantle’s Director of Creative Arts Pete Stone. ‘Featuring artists from across the globe, it’s a privilege for the City of Fremantle to bring such outstanding musical experiences to the community, free of charge every Sunday, made possible through the generous support of Fremantle Community Bank.’
Debra Rule, Chair of Fremantle Community Bank, agreed, ‘We are honoured to be part of the FY24/25 Sunday Music program. Over the past few months, it has been a joy to attend the sessions and experience the talented artists on stage and the strong sense of community they foster. Sunday Music (Part 2) promises to continue uniting diverse musicians with enthusiastic audiences, in celebration of the unifying power of live music.’
For their first-ever Perth performance, the prolific award-winning Icelandic star, JFDR brings their ethereal sounds to the front garden, promising for an unforgettable afternoon. The singer, multi-instrumentalist, and film score composer, Jófríður Ákadóttir, began her professional career at just 14, and soon evolved into one of Iceland’s most recognised artists, collaborating with the likes of Ólafur Arnalds and Damien Rice, while catching the attention of avant-pop queen Björk.
Evoking Réunion island’s traditional Maloya music with vibrant African and British pop influences, AURUS offers a visually and sonically compelling performance, singling in both English and Creole, while wearing an iconic headdress. Also from Reunion, Tchega (Réunion) takes you to the Indian Ocean islands with their Creole Folk music, with sounds reminiscent of the sea-breeze, sunshine, and tropical feel-good island music.
The Witchy Djypsies (France/Guadeloupe/The Netherlands/Australia) are a high-energy, eclectic international six-piece band fusing soulful Latin beats, cheeky gypsy jazz and brass-infused ska rhythms – celebrating the diversity of their unique musical influences while tearing down genre borders.
Fremantle’s very own hip-hop sensation, Mali Jo$E has been hailed one of the leaders of Australia’s next generation of rappers – layering pared-back R&B beats with rich vocals, Jo$e will perform songs from him acclaimed mixtape El Niño. While People Taking Pictures (Australia), with psychedelic music at its core, present their genre blending project – featuring elements of alternative rock, indie, hip-hop, sampling, jazz and electronic music – as the newly formed six-piece live band bring a live performance to be remembered.
Also from WA, cosmic folk-rock group, The Bures Band (Australia) bring the sounds of the seventies – as they premiere songs from their much-anticipated newly released sophomore album Fools Circle and continue their dreamscape odyssey from Laurel Canyon-like sounds to today.
At Fremantle Arts Centre on 25 & 26 January, FOCUS – First Nations Film Festival will showcase a curated selection of feature and short length indigenous films alongside the coinciding Sunday Music program, which sees hip-hop trio Downsyde take to the stage – bringing together a tapestry of stories that speak to the impacts of colonisation and to the resilience and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Fremantle Arts Centre’s Sunday Music summer concert series is on every Sunday from 2-4pm until April 2025.
More acts to be announced soon, please visit fac.org.au for more info.
ENDS
Media contact: Tiki Menegola | tiki@tikimenegola.com | 0467 227 822
