Nathan Bennett

We exist to enrich life through art in Western Australia. At the edge of Australia, at the edge of the world, our lifestyle, our environment, our history provides us with a singularly distinctive outlook on how we celebrate creativity and culture — and embrace the very best that humanity has to offer from anywhere on the planet. Every summer since 1953 Perth explodes with music, dance, stories, conversations and laughter. Bright and bold and refreshingly down-to-earth, our Festival is made for locals — but we invite everyone to jump in, and experience art in a different light. We are uniquely placed to celebrate the oldest living culture in the world by championing rich indigenous traditions and contemporary arts practice. We build a creative community through arts sector development and diverse audience engagement, which are the heartbeat of the Festival. We collaborate with local institutions, grass roots arts organisations and provide opportunities, skills and jobs for hundreds of people each year. This Festival and this city share the most dynamic region in the world, the Indian Ocean Rim and East Asian time zone where more than 60% of the world’s population lives. The opportunities for artists, producers and presenters to explore creative engagement and international partnerships throughout the region are boundless. The Festival was born out of the University of Western Australia's annual summer school entertainment nights as a “festival for the people” in response to a changing post-war society hunger for cultural nourishment. Perth Festival now stands as Australia’s premier curated arts festival – and one of the greatest in the world – with a diverse program of international artistic excellence. Wendy Martin is the Artistic Director 2016–19.