The AWESOME Arts Festival will once again delight audiences young and old, when it is presented at the Perth Cultural Centre during the next school holidays in spring.
The 2020 festival will feature the world premiere of The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, a retelling of May Gibbs’ classic picture book presented by the West Australian Ballet’s Young Artists, WAAPA and Perth Symphony Orchestra.
The production forms part of a three-year initiative for West Australian Ballet to create new, fun, high-quality and accessible ballet works, especially for younger audiences and their families.
The initiative is providing career pathways and work opportunities for Western Australian creative artists, and will ultimately help to retain local talent within the State.
Thanks to the Minderoo, Feilman, and Simon Lee foundations, the show will be presented for free, reducing any financial barriers for children and families who would like to attend.
The closing event will feature The Nightingale by West Australian Opera, a work developed in partnership with arts organisations Co:3 Australia, WA Youth Orchestra, and WA Young Voices. It will be held from October 3 to 4 at His Majesty’s Theatre.
AWESOME Arts Australia receive recurrent funding from the State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“Since the very first festival in 1996, the AWESOME Arts Festival has been a celebration of creativity and innovation for Western Australian children and families.
“The 2019 event saw an estimated attendance of over 162,000 people and 97 per cent said it provided access to high-quality arts events and activities they otherwise wouldn’t experience.
“The AWESOME Festival will be the first major arts festival to be presented in the State as we shift towards recovery, so I encourage families to attend the 2020 program.”
