Rosamund Brennan

Sachie Mikawa recounts meeting cabaret performer Trent H Baumann while touring Canada in 2012 and gradually falling in love with him. She realised the depth of his kindness when he befriended her mother, Shoko, who had lost her home and car and endured profound grief after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Despite the language barrier, Trent developed a warm relationship with Shoko and regularly brought her small sweets, gestures that moved Sachie deeply. The couple later reunited, created performances together as Egg and the Birdmann, married in Wellington in 2023, and now live in London while continuing their artistic partnership after Shoko’s death.

Musician Jack Ceriani recounts how a sudden and painful rupture in his right eye threatened the recording of his album but was made manageable through the calm support of his partner, Rebecca “Darl” Ritchie. Despite his impaired vision and severe discomfort, her encouragement led him to proceed with the studio session, where friends rallied around him and most of the album was recorded in a single day. The experience strengthened his sense of trust and partnership with Darl as he continues adapting to life with advanced keratoconus.

Western Australia has invested $290m in Perth Film Studios to attract international screen production and grow its share of Australia’s industry. The new facility, led by CEO Thomas Avison, aims to position Perth alongside major east coast hubs by leveraging financial incentives and the state’s diverse locations. Early productions such as the Stan–ITV series Two Birds and the Netflix series Breakers signal momentum, though challenges remain, including crew shortages, distance from global hubs, and the risk of strain on local independent producers. Industry leaders argue long-term sustainability will depend on building local capability and developing recurring, locally driven projects.

A couple reflects on how a challenging 2,500km cycling journey from Venice to Athens strengthened their relationship and confirmed their readiness for marriage. Shared hardships, resilience and mutual support shaped their bond, culminating in a quiet decision to wed during a reflective moment in a Sapporo whisky bar. Their 2024 beachside wedding and continued adventures together reinforce a sense of partnership grounded in trust and teamwork.

A new documentary, Moort: Calling Dingo Back to Country, highlights the cultural and ecological importance of dingoes for Indigenous communities in south‑west Western Australia, where the animals have largely disappeared due to decades of eradication policies. Elders and advocates argue for shifting from lethal control to coexistence strategies that support both farmers and ecosystems. The film’s development brought together Aboriginal custodians and conservation groups, culminating in a campaign urging the Western Australian government to remove dingoes from pest classifications and end harmful baiting practices. Examples such as Wooleen Station demonstrate the environmental benefits of allowing dingoes to return, reinforcing calls for nationwide coexistence approaches that respect Indigenous cultural connections to the species.

Barefoot hiking is gaining niche interest from Seoul to Australia, offering participants a heightened sensory connection to their surroundings. Hikers such as Gen Blades and Dale Noppers describe physical and emotional benefits, from enhanced awareness to feeling more attuned to nature, while conservation researcher Uralla Luscombe-Pedro embraces barefoot walking across remote coastlines. Experts note that while barefoot movement can improve balance and reduce some foot issues, it carries risks and requires gradual adaptation. Advocates highlight the practice as a way to slow down, notice environmental details and cultivate deeper engagement with the natural world.

A large-scale light installation by Finnish artist Kari Kola illuminates King George Sound in Albany, Western Australia, drawing inspiration from Menang culture and the local bloodroot plant. The work, spanning more than 10 million square metres, forms part of Albany’s bicentenary events and was developed through extensive consultation with Menang elders. Using hundreds of LED lights and skyward beams, the installation integrates clouds and weather into its display and may even be visible from space. It highlights the region’s layered Indigenous, colonial and wartime histories while aiming to reflect rather than impose on the landscape.

Light installations along the Swan River open the 2026 Perth festival with Karla Bidi, a Noongar-led project reflecting themes of belonging, loss and cultural endurance. Additional works include Joe Bloom’s A View from the Bridge, which captures deeply personal conversations from locals across sites connected by the river. Stories shared by community members highlight grief, memory, identity and healing, forming an intimate portrait of Perth as the festival runs through 1 March.

A one-man theatre production portrays Cadel Evans’ path to winning the 2011 Tour de France through an intense performance by Connor Delves, who cycles 27km onstage while shifting through pivotal moments from Evans’ life and career. Drawing on interviews with Evans and integrating archival visuals, the show blends physical endurance with humour and narrative depth. The final sequence recreates Evans’ decisive time trial victory, culminating in an emotional finish that highlights both the athlete’s achievement and the actor’s effort.

Ed Sheeran launches his Loop tour in Perth with an ambitious solo stadium performance built around live looping, delivering a mix of fan favorites and new material. Technical issues, including sound delays and a faulty pedal, occasionally disrupt the intimacy of quieter moments, though Sheeran remains an engaging presence and adapts with audience requests and collaborative moments with Irish folk band Beoga. High-energy visuals and pyrotechnics elevate the show’s finale, even as the looping concept proves challenging to sustain in a large venue.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds return to Australia with a two‑and‑a‑half‑hour performance blending material from their four‑decade career with songs from Wild God, delivered with intense staging, gospel‑inflected arrangements and Cave’s emotionally charged presence. Themes of faith, grief and renewed joy shape the set, moving between the devastation of Bright Horses and the uplift of Joy, before a reflective encore featuring Skeleton Tree and Into My Arms. The show is received with overwhelming enthusiasm from a 10,000‑strong Perth crowd.

David Bowie’s 1994 visit with Brian Eno to the Maria Gugging psychiatric clinic, known for its Art Brut community, strongly influenced the concepts behind his 1995 album “1. Outside.” Newly exhibited photographs by Christine de Grancy capture his engagement with resident artists whose unfiltered creative approaches inspired Bowie’s later studio methods. The upcoming exhibition in Western Australia showcases these images alongside a reconstruction of August Walla’s painted room and archival video. The clinic’s history, including its role in the Nazi Aktion T4 program, contrasts with its later artistic legacy, adding depth to Bowie’s personal connection to themes of mental illness. The material is presented through collaborations with the Santa Monica Art Museum and Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery.

Families in Australia are adapting their homes to better meet neurodivergent needs, using sensory-based design to create balanced living environments. Cherie Clonan’s household combines light-filled spaces with dark, sound-blocked rooms to accommodate contrasting sensory preferences, while architect Eddie Page incorporates simplicity, zoning and environmental control in compact studios designed for people with autism and ADHD. Experts note that thoughtful layouts can reduce daily strain and support wellbeing, and those living in purpose-built spaces report greater independence, calm and comfort.

More than 40 artists transformed the long-abandoned P&O Hotel in Fremantle into an immersive installation series for the Fremantle Biennale, using its layered history as inspiration. The project grew from a local artists’ collective and was made possible when the building’s owners offered temporary access, prompting works that explored themes of maritime heritage, loneliness, colonial history, ecological memory and climate anxiety. Installations included sound pieces, multimedia projections, handcrafted environments and a dystopian video game. The initiative highlights how unused spaces can foster creativity when property owners provide access, revealing the cultural potential lying dormant in neglected urban buildings.

A new musical by Eddie Perfect revives the legacy of Australia’s Tivoli circuit, once the nation’s premier vaudeville institution. Drawing on extensive historical research and support from the Minderoo Foundation, the production blends storytelling with homage to iconic performers including comedians, showgirls and international stars who defined the Tivoli’s golden era. Set in 1954, it highlights the circuit’s mix of glamour, boundary‑pushing performances and cultural impact before its decline with the rise of television. The show aims to celebrate a forgotten entertainment tradition and preserve the stories of performers who shaped Australian theatre.

Australian author Craig Silvey reflects on fatherhood, his creative life in Fremantle and the influences that shaped his writing, including his rural upbringing and strong female role models. He discusses the development of his sequel to Runt and the importance of positive male representation in literature, arguing that boys need stories that validate their emotional experiences and offer healthy role models. Balancing family life with creative work, he highlights how his parenting philosophy informs the characters he writes and his belief in literature’s ability to counter harmful narratives about masculinity.

Traditional owners, environmental advocates and legal experts argue that granting the Great Barrier Reef legal personhood could strengthen protections as climate change, pollution and warming seas threaten the ecosystem. Supporters say guardians representing First Nations groups and other stakeholders could enforce the reef’s rights in court, improving accountability and influencing planning decisions. Legal scholars note similar models abroad and in parts of Australia, though the absence of treaties with Indigenous peoples complicates adoption at a national scale. As coral bleaching intensifies and UN pressure mounts over the reef’s heritage status, proponents view personhood as a way to shift public responsibility and empower communities working to safeguard the reef for future generations.

Fiona Stanley emphasises that improving health outcomes requires investing in early intervention, social supports and Indigenous-led, community-based care rather than expanding hospitals and specialist services. She highlights the success of Birthing on Country programs in reducing preterm births, infant mortality and child removals, and links broader health inequities to structural racism and inadequate policy focus. Reflecting on her career in epidemiology and advocacy, she urges policymakers to adopt preventative, community-focused health systems and warns that climate change poses a major threat to wellbeing.

Perth’s WA Museum Boola Bardip will host Australia’s largest-ever exhibition of China’s Terracotta Warriors beginning 28 June, showcasing more than 225 artifacts, many leaving China for the first time. The show includes 10 life-size warriors, rare newly unearthed objects, and installations exploring the legacy of Qin Shi Huang and his still-unopened tomb. Developed with Chinese cultural institutions, the exhibition highlights historical achievements of the Qin dynasty and emphasizes cultural diplomacy amid global tensions.

An Australian team of artists and scientists created Revivification, an installation powered by lab-grown neural organoids developed from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s cells, allowing his work to continue posthumously. The system transforms neural activity into sound while feeding environmental audio back into the organoids, raising questions about creativity, authorship and ethics. Developed by artists and a neuroscientist, the project blends biological art and experimental music, with hopes the artificial brain will evolve and continue generating new compositions over time.

PJ Harvey opens her Australian tour in Perth with a theatrical, folklore‑infused performance built around her album I Inside the Old Year Dying, blending Dorset‑inspired imagery, haunting vocals and shifting stage moods. The set interweaves new material with highlights from her career, evolving from ethereal and introspective moments to powerful rock‑driven tracks. A stripped‑back rendition of The Desperate Kingdom of Love provides the emotional peak before the show concludes with an encore featuring C’mon Billy and White Chalk, underscoring the enduring influence of Dorset on her work.