A NUCLEAR explosion was the first contact Martu elder Nyarri Nyarri Morgan claims to have had with the outside world. The aftershocks of colonisation were slower to infiltrate the remote desert land he calls home, so Morgan’s country remained relatively untouched by western influence until the mid 20th century. Growing up, Morgan had no knowledge of…

IF Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi mooned a crowded gathering of citizens would it reduce crime, antisocial behaviour, and increase bicycle use in the city? It worked for Bogota mayor Antanas Mockus who used the shock tactic to gain attention and support for his left-field initiatives in the 1990s. Along the way he turned the…

FOR the first time since its inception two years ago the Next Gen Short Film Festival will be open to the public, not just industry types. “Emerging filmmakers often don’t get to see their short films on a big screen in front of an audience,” organiser Jasmine Leivers says. Nine films, including comedies, mysteries and…

SILLY TOWN is a fictional realm inhabited by colourful characters who lived in Fremantle between 1920 and 1960. Using illustrations and poetry, artist Gaea Anastas brings to life an era when communities pulled together in adversity. “It encompasses the spirit of community, carrying an important message of self-love and co-existence,” she says. The Fremantle artist’s…

A  DEGREE of ennui could be expected at a third viewing of Fringe World La Soiree show in as many years. But here I was holding my breath and squirming in painful empathy as Captain Frodo dislocated various joints to squeeze his body through increasingly small tennis racquets. When he fell off stage in a tangled…

IT’S west of the moon in an icy kingdom, where a polar bear king waits for his champion and a woodcutter’s daughter holds the key to a warrior’s destiny. West of the Moon is based on a Scandinavian version of Beauty and the Beast; it’s a traditional tale made modern with a mix of shadow…

UK 60s supergroup The Searchers are riding the nostalgia wagon back into town, for their Solid Gold Hits Tour. They’ll roll out old favourites along with lesser known oldies such as What Have They Done to the Rain. The 1962 anti-nuclear protest song is a timely choice with the Barnett government approving a uranium mine…

COMEDIAN Claire Hooper was taken aback when her boyfriend’s mum handed her a lengthy and very personal questionnaire at their first meeting. She must have passed the test, though, as not long after he was upgraded to husband. Ten years on Hooper stumbled across mama’s inquisition, unleashing a rich well of inspiration for the brand…

Lake Street Dive Now in its ninth year the New Year’s Day concert at Fremantle Arts Centre is a date never to be missed as the perfect alternative to a New Year’s Eve frenzy or the perfect cure the day after one. This is always one of the feel-good events of the summer and 2017…

WITH a generous dollop of Romany, a Sacre Coeur-sized slice of Parisian style and a bucket load of homage to Uncle Sam, Sassafras is set to get toes tapping with its brand of gypsy jazz at the Brisbane Hotel. The breakneck jazz will combine with wistful French ballads and re-worked standards: “In a vibrant and…