September 2026
ChorusOz | Carmina Buranasat26sep5:00 pm6:00 pm5:00 pm - 6:00 pm(GMT+08:00) Winthrop Hall
Event Details
Event Details
Picturethis: one thunderous chord from the orchestra, 200 voices ringing out – ‘O Fortuna!’
Imagine the sound. Imagine how it will feel to experience one of the most thrilling choral works ever written.
ChorusOz returns to Perth in 2026 with Carl Orff’s kaleidoscopic masterpiece, Carmina Burana. It’s a wild rollercoaster ride through the fickleness of fate and fortune, the circle of life, the joys of wine, gambling, love and sex… from huge choral roars, to gentle lullabies and rollicking drinking songs.
Whether Carmina Burana is an old favourite or you just recognise the beginning from that big beer ad, ChorusOz Perth promises to be an unforgettable performance with professional soloists and the Perth Symphony Orchestra in Winthrop Hall, all under the inspiring leadership of Brett Weymark.
Time
A Taste of Irelandsun27sep3:30 pm5:30 pm3:30 pm - 5:30 pm(GMT+08:00) Regal Theatre
Event Details
Direct from Off-Broadway and London’s West End, the internationally
Event Details
Direct from Off-Broadway and London’s West End, the internationally acclaimed A Taste of Ireland Company returns with its flagship production — ‘A Taste of Ireland — The Irish Music & Dance Sensation’ — touring Australia in 2026. Laugh, cry, and jig into the night with a production that is Celtic, for this generation.
Performed by former World Irish dance champions, and featuring dancers from Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, and the recent West End cast of Éireann, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ brings the spirit and energy of modern Ireland to life with a pint of Irish wit. Watch world-class performers blend melodic folk mash-ups, live jaw-dropping acapella tap battles, and heartfelt storytelling in a live celebration of Irish music and dance.
Featuring revamped classics of Danny Boy, Tell Me Ma, Wild Rover, and many more well-known songs, the show’s reimagined contemporary score blossoms alongside the brash Irish charm of the live dance cast. ‘A Taste of Ireland’ merges cultural traditions, modern flair, and craic galore to deliver a performance that has been leaving audiences across the globe jigging on their feet for the last decade.
With a social media following of over 200,000, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ is exactly what it promises: a taste of everything you love about Ireland — with a generous helping of more. ‘A Taste of Ireland’ is a show with 100% live singing and dancing that fuses storytelling, modern Irish dance, tap, and contemporary performance to bring Ireland’s stories to life on stage.
With a strictly limited Australian run, see ‘A Taste of Ireland’ in 2026 for limited performances before it takes off around the globe once again.
‘Witness the birth of a nation told through rhythm and beat, with the cry of the Vikings as they were brought to defeat, the rise and fall of the rebellion the show tells the tale, trapped were the Irish, watch them dance from the jail. For the nation fought free from Dundalk to Tralee, they sing and they dance through the night full of glee. For Ireland, there was not a nation quite like her, hold on to your seat, feel Ireland’s passion and fire.’
**please note: musical instruments are subject to change from performance to performance
Time
A Taste of Irelandsun27sep7:30 pm9:30 pm7:30 pm - 9:30 pm(GMT+08:00) Regal Theatre
Event Details
Direct from Off-Broadway and London’s West End, the internationally
Event Details
Direct from Off-Broadway and London’s West End, the internationally acclaimed A Taste of Ireland Company returns with its flagship production — ‘A Taste of Ireland — The Irish Music & Dance Sensation’ — touring Australia in 2026. Laugh, cry, and jig into the night with a production that is Celtic, for this generation.
Performed by former World Irish dance champions, and featuring dancers from Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, and the recent West End cast of Éireann, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ brings the spirit and energy of modern Ireland to life with a pint of Irish wit. Watch world-class performers blend melodic folk mash-ups, live jaw-dropping acapella tap battles, and heartfelt storytelling in a live celebration of Irish music and dance.
Featuring revamped classics of Danny Boy, Tell Me Ma, Wild Rover, and many more well-known songs, the show’s reimagined contemporary score blossoms alongside the brash Irish charm of the live dance cast. ‘A Taste of Ireland’ merges cultural traditions, modern flair, and craic galore to deliver a performance that has been leaving audiences across the globe jigging on their feet for the last decade.
With a social media following of over 200,000, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ is exactly what it promises: a taste of everything you love about Ireland — with a generous helping of more. ‘A Taste of Ireland’ is a show with 100% live singing and dancing that fuses storytelling, modern Irish dance, tap, and contemporary performance to bring Ireland’s stories to life on stage.
With a strictly limited Australian run, see ‘A Taste of Ireland’ in 2026 for limited performances before it takes off around the globe once again.
‘Witness the birth of a nation told through rhythm and beat, with the cry of the Vikings as they were brought to defeat, the rise and fall of the rebellion the show tells the tale, trapped were the Irish, watch them dance from the jail. For the nation fought free from Dundalk to Tralee, they sing and they dance through the night full of glee. For Ireland, there was not a nation quite like her, hold on to your seat, feel Ireland’s passion and fire.’
**please note: musical instruments are subject to change from performance to performance
Time
Juveniliatue29sep9:00 am8:00 pm9:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia. Juvenilia is work produced by an
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia.
Juvenilia is work produced by an author or artist while they were a child.
This very special exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australia’s kids’ authors and illustrators like Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Ursual Dubosarsky and more.
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is handwriting stories on scrap paper or drawing pictures in pencil and then rubbing them out, today’s most prominent creators of children’s books all started as children too, dreaming about being able to publish their own story.
This unique and intimate collection is an insight into the early writing and drawing of some of the most established authors and illustrators in Australia. And, after three years of touring the eastern side of Australia, Juvenilia is finally coming to WA as part of the Awesome Festival 2026!
At the launch you will have the opportunity to meet author Aimee Chan, who gathered all the pieces for this display, and hear her talk about what this collection represents about the importance of early childhood storytelling.
PRESENTED BY: Aimee Chan
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Aimee Chan
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-juvenilia
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Larktue29sep9:30 am1:00 pm9:30 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her particular interest in hair, drawings, shapes and pedestrian elements of society, she gives an affectionate nod to the chatter and warblings of the air dwellers with surprisingly accurate Australian bird-calls.
PRESENTED BY: Christine Johnston & the 2026 AWESOME Festival present
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Christine Johnston
Recorded Music – Peter Nelson
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-madame-lark
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Touch & Gotue29sep9:45 am1:10 pm9:45 am - 1:10 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children in a playful environment shaped by two friendly dancers and a live guitarist, several rolls of masking tape, and lots of imagination. The children and their adults are invited to enter this cheerful world of pathways, stepping-stones and lines. The children become part of the performance themselves or observe from a safe distance, touching and going – just as they need to.
PRESENTED BY: Sally Chance Dance
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sally Chance Dance
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Rehearsal Room 1
AGES: Under 5 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIU
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Hermittue29sep10:00 am11:45 am10:00 am - 11:45 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house? There is sound. What happens inside? A lid opens. Is there something inside? What is inside? Who is inside? Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house?
There is sound. What happens inside?
A lid opens. Is there something inside?
What is inside? Who is inside?
Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance about a mini house. The inhabitant is not at home, but we do hear him… A funny and moving performance about being alone and coming home.
…’ for a near-perfect combination of movement and human voice in children’s theatre, there’s no need to look any further than Simone De Jong of the Netherlands’ exquisitely funny show Hermit..’ **** The Scotsman / Edinburgh’s children festival Imaginate
Hermit tours around the world and was staged a.o. in Egypt, China, Scotland, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Simone de Jong Company (Amsterdam 2015) creates work based on movement, music and imagination. Original, funny, sensitive. Our performances are mostly non-verbal (L.N.P.), since for a young child the spoken word is only one of hundreds of languages (Reggio Emilia). We like to connect with children and challenge them at the same time. We start from the physical and aim for the philosophical.
Our company receives structural funding from the Dutch Performing Arts Fund for 25-28.
PRESENTED BY: Simone de Jong Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Actor – Toon Kuijpers
Director: Simone de Jong
Set design: Erik Begemann
Light design: Jacques van Room
Music: Max Gramser / Miaux
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground
AGES: 2 – 7 years old
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 35 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIQ
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on a gentle sensory journey from land to sky to sea, finishing amongst the stars. Featuring gorgeous live music & movement, plus multisensory activities specifically designed for babies and their carers to enjoy together. Babies are accepted just as they are, and encouraged to listen, smell, touch and explore within this warm hug of a show. Snuggleplay is the supportive ‘village’ of our collective imagination, centred on connection, engagement and inclusion. This work responds to the need for early years cultural experiences that prioritise emotional safety, calm, and embodied interaction. Snuggleplay offers a unique artistic experience that sits outside conventional definitions of theatre, early childhood education or parent-and-baby classes.
Please note: This show is created only for caregivers and pre-walking babies aged 6 months to 15 months to give the safest experience for all. Please make alternative care arrangements for siblings.
PRESENTED BY: Sensorium Theatre
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Director & Concept – Michelle Hovane
Artist Provocateur & Choreographic Consultant – Alice Cummins
Musical Director & Composer – Thea Rossen
Co-Devisors: Michelle Hovane, Alice Cummins, Jacqui Otago, Thea Rossen, Kathleen Szalay
Dramaturgical consultant – Ella Hetherington
Design Co-ordination & additional dramaturgy – Francis Italiano
Set Designer – Sanjiva Margio
Costume Designer & Associate Designer (set & props) – Ellen Flatters
Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Performers: Thea Rossen, Michelle Hovane, Jacqui Otago, Kathleen Szalay, Gala Shevtsov
Production & Stage Manager – Wendi Graham
Professional Therapeutic Supervision (OT) – Annabel Poulsen
Developmental Therapist consultant – Holly Campbell
Producer & Audience Development – Lena John Gomez
Paper courtesy of Alice Cummins’ terra
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Middar Room
AGES: 0 – 2 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIT
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Stellarphant by James Foleytue29sep10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space. Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no”
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space.
Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no” for a different reason, but she won’t give up. With courage, creativity and the help of some unexpected friends, she sets out to build her own spaceship and prove that anyone can reach for the stars.
Full of laughter, heart and imagination, Stellarphant takes audiences on a cosmic adventure about determination, equality and following your dreams. Based on the award-winning picture book by James Foley and adapted for the stage by Clare Testoni, this uplifting production reminds us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
• Author – James Foley
• Adaptor – Clare Testoni
• Set & Costume Designer – Fiona Bruce
• Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
• Sound Designer & Composer – Amaru Zachariassen
• Video Designer – Roly Skender
• Director – Sam Longley
• Hannah Davidson as Stellarphant
• Tegan Mulvany as The Man, Panthera Tigre, Mrs Phant, Kirkey Eucalypt
• Laura Maitland as King, Professor Arborious, The Sheep, Mr Phant, Another Man, Big Boss
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVMO
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Penelope & Her Pet Lizardstue29sep10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Visually striking and highly interactive, the extraordinary Madame Penelope and her exotic pets add spice and humour wherever they go. Dressed to kill and everybody’s friend, the classy Madame Penelope loves
Event Details
Visually striking and highly interactive, the extraordinary Madame Penelope and her exotic pets add spice and humour wherever they go.
Dressed to kill and everybody’s friend, the classy Madame Penelope loves to show off her well-trained pets. That is if she can catch them! Her ever curious and playful lizards are off to explore the territory. She has her work cut out for her trying to get them back off the adoring public.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-madame-penelope-her-pet-lizards
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Browntue29sep10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed,
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed, his contraption is built from cedar, leather and brass. Vocals & fingerpicked ukulele are amplified through old megaphones, mimicking the effect of a 78 record. A quality musical and roving act in the finest tradition of vaudeville and ragtime
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
‘Uptown’ Brown!
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-uptown-brown
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Woven Wonderstue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as long as you like, exploring a colourful collection of fabric scraps, wool, yarn and natural fibres. Experiment with a range of looms—from simple sticks and cardboard to vintage wooden frames—and create anything from a small woven sample to a striking textile artwork. Take your creation home as a keepsake, or contribute it to a growing community weaving that celebrates creativity, connection and the collective spirit of the Awesome Arts Festival.
PRESENTED BY: Louise Snook
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Louise Snook – artist
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-woven-wonders
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Amazing Astro Animals - the Exhibitiontue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space. Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies? Or
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space.
Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies?
Or that the first Earthlings to travel around the moon were tortoises and mealworms?
Or that the first fish in space was called a ‘mummichog’?
Learn more about intrepid animal astronauts in this free exhibition.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley and Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-amazing-astro-animals-the-exhibition
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketstue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-awesome-kids-markets-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Kooky Finds Home - a sensory adventuretue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I often start dreaming of the sky and fly away before I remember the little details around me. Can you help me explore the space and find the delightful things, so I know where to come home?
This hub combines mindfulness, puppet-led storytelling, and nature-based sensory play. Families can join at any time and take part in a short guided sense play story session with Kooky followed by drawing a ‘map of home’ for Kooky and open-ended making. Caregivers would be co-participants for babies. The space is set-up with curated, native Australian flora to interact with. This hub is designed as a calm, gentle play space where children are invited to explore at their own pace and own way.
PRESENTED BY: Bronte Frances
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground Foyer
AGES: Under 5
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-kooky-finds-home-a-sensory-adventure
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Little Impressionstue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact. By using everyday materials in new ways, students are encouraged to think creatively about sustainability and their role in caring for the world around them.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-little-impressions
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Skills and Thrills Circus Playtue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome circus skills that will wow your family and friends!
PRESENTED BY: Yip Yip Circus
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-skills-and-thrills-circus-play
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brown's Pinball Palacetue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies of antique machines but his own unique mix of Pinball and its older version, Bagatelle. The machines operate entirely by hand and are very hands-on and fun to play with. The steel balls roll through wooden twists, hitting brass bells and other obstacles, bringing joy to both children and adults.
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-uptown-browns-pinball-palace
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book Boogie - A Storytime Experiencetue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in the library has mysteriously lost its story. With only imaginative titles remaining, children are invited to fill the empty pages through drawing, writing, performance and creative play. Blending contemporary clowning, live theatre and hands-on making, Book Boogie transforms story time into a joyful, participatory experience that celebrates imagination, literacy and connection. Suitable for libraries, festivals, schools and community events, the work welcomes children of all ages and abilities, encouraging families to create together at their own pace. Premiering at Bondi Feast before seasons at Sydney Fringe Kids and the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Book Boogie has delighted thousands of young storytellers by proving that sometimes the best stories are the ones waiting to be invented.
PRESENTED BY: Curly Fernandez
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Originally created by Sabrina D’Angelo & Curly Fernandez
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
AGES: 4 – 8 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-book-boogie-a-storytime-experience
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Storyteller in Residence: Glenn Swifttue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine level of the State Library of Western Australia. Come and bask in the glorious glow of words as you listen, imagine, build and share stories inspired by some of your favourite books.
PRESENTED BY: Glenn Swift
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-storyteller-in-residence-glenn-swift
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
A Perfect Citytue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like? Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like?
Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit for everyone. From homes and parks to transport, workplaces, and places to play, every brushstroke helps create a vibrant community inspired by young people’s ideas.
As the Festival unfolds, so too does the giant artwork, growing with each session into a colourful vision of creativity, connection, and possibility. Along the way, participants will explore big questions about how communities work and how we can shape kinder, happier neighbourhoods for the future.
Come and leave your mark on a one-of-a-kind artwork that celebrates imagination and collaboration.
PRESENTED BY: Charlotte Meagher
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-a-perfect-city
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Artist in Residence | Nicholas Kirknesstue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness. Inspired by
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for fishing, the water, and the rich biodiversity of Western Australia, Nicholas expresses his love of aquatic life through his creativity. Over the course of his creative development, Nicholas has amassed an impressive body of work, characterised by elaborate illustrations and ornate woodcarvings of the creatures he admires most. In a unique union of utility and art, Nicholas also crafts his own fishing lures, blending function with artistry and reflecting his hands-on relationship with his two greatest passions—creativity and the water.
You can find Nicholas at AWESOME International Arts Festival as this year’s Artist in Residence, where visitors are welcome to meet the artist, watch him work, and create some fishy art of their own.
PRESENTED BY: DADAA
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Nicholas Kirkness | Artist in Residence
Julie Barratt | DADAA Director Arts Strategy
Jemma Attwater | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Murray Willis | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Miles Bettis | DADAA Arts Worker
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Gallery
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-artist-in-residence-nicholas-kirkness
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketstue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-awesome-kids-markets-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Experts Radio Labtue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The interactive performance is hosted by ‘born storyteller’, theatre-maker Alice Mary Cooper and an experienced team of performers. The interviews are shared live over a PA to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families, and curious onlookers in a specially designed listening zone. Commissioned by Imaginate for Family Encounters.
PRESENTED BY: Alice Mary Cooper & Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Alice Mary Cooper- Creator and Performer
Geraldine Heaney- Creative Collaborator
Val Reid- Designer
Gavin Mcabe- Sound Designer
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-experts-radio-lab
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundtue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-imagination-playground-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Love Makes a Family Hubtue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to a growing community masterpiece that fills out over the festival. What is a family? Who’s in yours? What makes it different? Grab some glue, and help us build something that says: what unites us is our difference.
PRESENTED BY: Rainbow Families WA, Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads, Pride WA
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-love-makes-a-family-hub
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Play in Processtue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave,
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave, discover, and create at their own pace. There are no instructions, no finished product, and no right or wrong way to play. Instead, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, experiment with a wide variety of open-ended materials, and help transform the space throughout the festival. Hidden surprises, collaborative artworks, and ever-changing installations ensure every visit feels a little different. Designed for children of all abilities, Play in Process celebrates creativity, exploration, and the joy of making, reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful art is found in the process, not the product.
PRESENTED BY: Mud Buddies Perth
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-play-in-process
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Change Maker Tenttue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the Change Maker Tent is all about – helping you to use your voice to make the world better.
Join us in a welcoming space to explore an important issue facing lots of West Aussies, you’ll find the tools to speak out against poverty in WA and join in a simple but powerful way to be part of the solution.
PRESENTED BY: No Place for Poverty
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
No Place for Poverty
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-change-maker-tent
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Zine Factorytue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library. Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library.
Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a small, self-published, DIY magazine) with all materials provided. Zines can be about whatever you want, however you want – stories, art, food reviews, comics, or anything else on your mind. If it can go on a page, it can be in a zine. If you need some help, we’ll have local zine maker Sophie ready to help you out.
After you’re done, you’re welcome to photocopy your zine and donate it to our AWESOME Arts pop-up zine library.
This workshop is self-guided so you can come, stay and go as you please. All we need is you and your ideas.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 7+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-zine-factory
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Areatue29sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from upcycled materials and take home a playable masterpiece.
Led by Dutch-Australian sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij, this lively session invites all ages to explore rhythm, resonance and creativity.
From plastic bottles and straws to broken instruments, everyday objects become the building blocks for new sonic creations. Whether you build a guitar, drum, kazoo, or dream up something entirely new, every participant walks away with their own self-made instrument.
PRESENTED BY: Jacob Plooij
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jacob Plooij – violinist and sound artist
Paul Cleaver – workshop assistant
Jacob Plooij is a classically trained violinist who performs with musicians and ensembles across globe. A sound artist with a flair for blending traditional techniques with innovative ideas, Jacob is passionate about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. His vision for Upsound Instruments is rooted in collaboration and sustainability, inspiring participants to create playable musical instruments from materials that others may discard.
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Multipurpose Room
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book Launch - Kep Barna: Water Creaturestue29sep10:30 am11:30 am10:30 am - 11:30 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join Noongar language teacher and storyteller Jayden Boundry for a workshop based on his book Kep Barna: Water Creatures. Children will discover various water creatures and learn their names in
Event Details
Join Noongar language teacher and storyteller Jayden Boundry for a workshop based on his book Kep Barna: Water Creatures. Children will discover various water creatures and learn their names in Noongar and English, supported by Tyrown Waigana’s illustrations. This interactive session celebrates language, culture, and connection to Country, encouraging families to continue their Noongar language journey together.
PRESENTED BY: Jayden Boundry
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jayden Boundry & Tyrown Waigana
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: Under 5s
TICKETS: $5.00 per person
DURATION: 50 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOGWG
Time
OOMPAH!!!tue29sep10:30 am11:30 am10:30 am - 11:30 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Oompah! are a fun and energetic Bavarian themed ensemble delivering the great German brass band sound. Traditional Bavarian songs like Ein Prosit, Rosemunde (the Beer Barell Polka) and Ein, Zwei,
Event Details
Oompah! are a fun and energetic Bavarian themed ensemble delivering the great German brass band sound. Traditional Bavarian songs like Ein Prosit, Rosemunde (the Beer Barell Polka) and Ein, Zwei, S’guffa, are mixed with classic party pop songs like Run to Paradise, Sweet Caroline, and Long Way to the Top. The aim of the game is to create a great party atmosphere. The perfect entertainment for your event in Perth!
PRESENTED BY: OOMPAH!!!
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Ben Collins – Clarinet
Riki Malet – Trumpet
Jade Kingston – Trombone
Alex Parkinson – Sousaphone
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-oompah
Time
Walk of the Whales by Nick Blandtue29sep11:00 am2:00 pm11:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young Frida asks the one question no one else will: “Why did you leave the sea?” Based on Nick Bland’s much-loved book and adapted by Gita Bezard, Walk of the Whales is a magical play about friendship, home, and cleaning up the mess we’ve made.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Main Theatre
AGES: 8+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOBRM
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book launch - Amazing Astro Animalstue29sep2:00 pm3:00 pm2:00 pm - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join local author and illustrator James Foley to celebrate the release of his first-ever non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals! Before humans ever left the planet, animals boldly went where no man
Event Details
Join local author and illustrator James Foley to celebrate the release of his first-ever non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals!
Before humans ever left the planet, animals boldly went where no man had gone before. Even now, these unwitting test pilots and space travellers outnumber their human counterparts.
From the creator of the award-winning, bestselling picture book Stellarphant, comes a book about the truly amazing animals that have been rocketed into space. From microscopic tardigrades to a pregnant cockroach, from last-minute mutts to unhatched chicken eggs, these animals and their stories are weird, wacky and wonderful. Chock-full of extraordinary facts and fun, this is an absolute must read.
Join us for a wacky, wonderful book launch, MC’d by graphic novelist Aśka, and featuring world-famous astrozoologist Professor Vüpshe Dazchy.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley & Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
Professor Vüpshe Dazchy – world-famous astrozoologist
Aśka – graphic novelist and quantum physicist
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: $5.00 per person
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIS
Time
Juveniliawed30sep9:00 am8:00 pm9:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia. Juvenilia is work produced by an
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia.
Juvenilia is work produced by an author or artist while they were a child.
This very special exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australia’s kids’ authors and illustrators like Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Ursual Dubosarsky and more.
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is handwriting stories on scrap paper or drawing pictures in pencil and then rubbing them out, today’s most prominent creators of children’s books all started as children too, dreaming about being able to publish their own story.
This unique and intimate collection is an insight into the early writing and drawing of some of the most established authors and illustrators in Australia. And, after three years of touring the eastern side of Australia, Juvenilia is finally coming to WA as part of the Awesome Festival 2026!
At the launch you will have the opportunity to meet author Aimee Chan, who gathered all the pieces for this display, and hear her talk about what this collection represents about the importance of early childhood storytelling.
PRESENTED BY: Aimee Chan
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Aimee Chan
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-juvenilia
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Larkwed30sep9:30 am1:00 pm9:30 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her particular interest in hair, drawings, shapes and pedestrian elements of society, she gives an affectionate nod to the chatter and warblings of the air dwellers with surprisingly accurate Australian bird-calls.
PRESENTED BY: Christine Johnston & the 2026 AWESOME Festival present
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Christine Johnston
Recorded Music – Peter Nelson
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-madame-lark
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Touch & Gowed30sep9:45 am1:10 pm9:45 am - 1:10 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children in a playful environment shaped by two friendly dancers and a live guitarist, several rolls of masking tape, and lots of imagination. The children and their adults are invited to enter this cheerful world of pathways, stepping-stones and lines. The children become part of the performance themselves or observe from a safe distance, touching and going – just as they need to.
PRESENTED BY: Sally Chance Dance
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sally Chance Dance
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Rehearsal Room 1
AGES: Under 5 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIU
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
A Fear Less Storytime with Kelly Canbywed30sep10:00 am11:00 am10:00 am - 11:00 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join award-winning author and illustrator Kelly Canby for a joyful, interactive storytime inspired by her latest picture book FearLess. Together you’ll meet a small character discovering that bravery doesn’t mean
Event Details
Join award-winning author and illustrator Kelly Canby for a joyful, interactive storytime inspired by her latest picture book FearLess. Together you’ll meet a small character discovering that bravery doesn’t mean never feeling scared. It means taking one small step anyway. After the story, children become part of the adventure as Kelly transforms their ideas into hilarious live drawings in a playful drawing session, before inviting a few brave volunteers to grab the pen themselves. Full of laughter, imagination and gentle encouragement, A Fear Less Storytime celebrates courage, creativity and the wonderful things that can happen when we dare to give something a go.
PRESENTED BY: Kelly Canby
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: 3+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOIKX
Time
Hermitwed30sep10:00 am11:45 am10:00 am - 11:45 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house? There is sound. What happens inside? A lid opens. Is there something inside? What is inside? Who is inside? Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house?
There is sound. What happens inside?
A lid opens. Is there something inside?
What is inside? Who is inside?
Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance about a mini house. The inhabitant is not at home, but we do hear him… A funny and moving performance about being alone and coming home.
…’ for a near-perfect combination of movement and human voice in children’s theatre, there’s no need to look any further than Simone De Jong of the Netherlands’ exquisitely funny show Hermit..’ **** The Scotsman / Edinburgh’s children festival Imaginate
Hermit tours around the world and was staged a.o. in Egypt, China, Scotland, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Simone de Jong Company (Amsterdam 2015) creates work based on movement, music and imagination. Original, funny, sensitive. Our performances are mostly non-verbal (L.N.P.), since for a young child the spoken word is only one of hundreds of languages (Reggio Emilia). We like to connect with children and challenge them at the same time. We start from the physical and aim for the philosophical.
Our company receives structural funding from the Dutch Performing Arts Fund for 25-28.
PRESENTED BY: Simone de Jong Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Actor – Toon Kuijpers
Director: Simone de Jong
Set design: Erik Begemann
Light design: Jacques van Room
Music: Max Gramser / Miaux
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground
AGES: 2 – 7 years old
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 35 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIQ
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on a gentle sensory journey from land to sky to sea, finishing amongst the stars. Featuring gorgeous live music & movement, plus multisensory activities specifically designed for babies and their carers to enjoy together. Babies are accepted just as they are, and encouraged to listen, smell, touch and explore within this warm hug of a show. Snuggleplay is the supportive ‘village’ of our collective imagination, centred on connection, engagement and inclusion. This work responds to the need for early years cultural experiences that prioritise emotional safety, calm, and embodied interaction. Snuggleplay offers a unique artistic experience that sits outside conventional definitions of theatre, early childhood education or parent-and-baby classes.
Please note: This show is created only for caregivers and pre-walking babies aged 6 months to 15 months to give the safest experience for all. Please make alternative care arrangements for siblings.
PRESENTED BY: Sensorium Theatre
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Director & Concept – Michelle Hovane
Artist Provocateur & Choreographic Consultant – Alice Cummins
Musical Director & Composer – Thea Rossen
Co-Devisors: Michelle Hovane, Alice Cummins, Jacqui Otago, Thea Rossen, Kathleen Szalay
Dramaturgical consultant – Ella Hetherington
Design Co-ordination & additional dramaturgy – Francis Italiano
Set Designer – Sanjiva Margio
Costume Designer & Associate Designer (set & props) – Ellen Flatters
Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Performers: Thea Rossen, Michelle Hovane, Jacqui Otago, Kathleen Szalay, Gala Shevtsov
Production & Stage Manager – Wendi Graham
Professional Therapeutic Supervision (OT) – Annabel Poulsen
Developmental Therapist consultant – Holly Campbell
Producer & Audience Development – Lena John Gomez
Paper courtesy of Alice Cummins’ terra
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Middar Room
AGES: 0 – 2 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIT
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Stellarphant by James Foleywed30sep10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space. Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no”
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space.
Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no” for a different reason, but she won’t give up. With courage, creativity and the help of some unexpected friends, she sets out to build her own spaceship and prove that anyone can reach for the stars.
Full of laughter, heart and imagination, Stellarphant takes audiences on a cosmic adventure about determination, equality and following your dreams. Based on the award-winning picture book by James Foley and adapted for the stage by Clare Testoni, this uplifting production reminds us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
• Author – James Foley
• Adaptor – Clare Testoni
• Set & Costume Designer – Fiona Bruce
• Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
• Sound Designer & Composer – Amaru Zachariassen
• Video Designer – Roly Skender
• Director – Sam Longley
• Hannah Davidson as Stellarphant
• Tegan Mulvany as The Man, Panthera Tigre, Mrs Phant, Kirkey Eucalypt
• Laura Maitland as King, Professor Arborious, The Sheep, Mr Phant, Another Man, Big Boss
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVMO
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brownwed30sep10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed,
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed, his contraption is built from cedar, leather and brass. Vocals & fingerpicked ukulele are amplified through old megaphones, mimicking the effect of a 78 record. A quality musical and roving act in the finest tradition of vaudeville and ragtime
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
‘Uptown’ Brown!
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-uptown-brown
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Boat of Faithwed30sep10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr Curly’s net of possibilities or be embraced by an angel. Inspired by the poetry and art of Michael Leunig.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-boat-of-faith
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Woven Wonderswed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as long as you like, exploring a colourful collection of fabric scraps, wool, yarn and natural fibres. Experiment with a range of looms—from simple sticks and cardboard to vintage wooden frames—and create anything from a small woven sample to a striking textile artwork. Take your creation home as a keepsake, or contribute it to a growing community weaving that celebrates creativity, connection and the collective spirit of the Awesome Arts Festival.
PRESENTED BY: Louise Snook
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Louise Snook – artist
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-woven-wonders
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Amazing Astro Animals - the Exhibitionwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space. Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies? Or
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space.
Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies?
Or that the first Earthlings to travel around the moon were tortoises and mealworms?
Or that the first fish in space was called a ‘mummichog’?
Learn more about intrepid animal astronauts in this free exhibition.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley and Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-amazing-astro-animals-the-exhibition
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketswed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-awesome-kids-markets-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-imagination-playground-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Kooky Finds Home - a sensory adventurewed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I often start dreaming of the sky and fly away before I remember the little details around me. Can you help me explore the space and find the delightful things, so I know where to come home?
This hub combines mindfulness, puppet-led storytelling, and nature-based sensory play. Families can join at any time and take part in a short guided sense play story session with Kooky followed by drawing a ‘map of home’ for Kooky and open-ended making. Caregivers would be co-participants for babies. The space is set-up with curated, native Australian flora to interact with. This hub is designed as a calm, gentle play space where children are invited to explore at their own pace and own way.
PRESENTED BY: Bronte Frances
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground Foyer
AGES: Under 5
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-kooky-finds-home-a-sensory-adventure
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Little Impressionswed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact. By using everyday materials in new ways, students are encouraged to think creatively about sustainability and their role in caring for the world around them.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-little-impressions
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Skills and Thrills Circus Playwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome circus skills that will wow your family and friends!
PRESENTED BY: Yip Yip Circus
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-skills-and-thrills-circus-play
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brown's Pinball Palacewed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies of antique machines but his own unique mix of Pinball and its older version, Bagatelle. The machines operate entirely by hand and are very hands-on and fun to play with. The steel balls roll through wooden twists, hitting brass bells and other obstacles, bringing joy to both children and adults.
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-uptown-browns-pinball-palace
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book Boogie - A Storytime Experiencewed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in the library has mysteriously lost its story. With only imaginative titles remaining, children are invited to fill the empty pages through drawing, writing, performance and creative play. Blending contemporary clowning, live theatre and hands-on making, Book Boogie transforms story time into a joyful, participatory experience that celebrates imagination, literacy and connection. Suitable for libraries, festivals, schools and community events, the work welcomes children of all ages and abilities, encouraging families to create together at their own pace. Premiering at Bondi Feast before seasons at Sydney Fringe Kids and the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Book Boogie has delighted thousands of young storytellers by proving that sometimes the best stories are the ones waiting to be invented.
PRESENTED BY: Curly Fernandez
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Originally created by Sabrina D’Angelo & Curly Fernandez
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
AGES: 4 – 8 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-book-boogie-a-storytime-experience
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Storyteller in Residence: Glenn Swiftwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine level of the State Library of Western Australia. Come and bask in the glorious glow of words as you listen, imagine, build and share stories inspired by some of your favourite books.
PRESENTED BY: Glenn Swift
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-storyteller-in-residence-glenn-swift
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
A Perfect Citywed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like? Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like?
Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit for everyone. From homes and parks to transport, workplaces, and places to play, every brushstroke helps create a vibrant community inspired by young people’s ideas.
As the Festival unfolds, so too does the giant artwork, growing with each session into a colourful vision of creativity, connection, and possibility. Along the way, participants will explore big questions about how communities work and how we can shape kinder, happier neighbourhoods for the future.
Come and leave your mark on a one-of-a-kind artwork that celebrates imagination and collaboration.
PRESENTED BY: Charlotte Meagher
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-a-perfect-city
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Artist in Residence | Nicholas Kirknesswed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness. Inspired by
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for fishing, the water, and the rich biodiversity of Western Australia, Nicholas expresses his love of aquatic life through his creativity. Over the course of his creative development, Nicholas has amassed an impressive body of work, characterised by elaborate illustrations and ornate woodcarvings of the creatures he admires most. In a unique union of utility and art, Nicholas also crafts his own fishing lures, blending function with artistry and reflecting his hands-on relationship with his two greatest passions—creativity and the water.
You can find Nicholas at AWESOME International Arts Festival as this year’s Artist in Residence, where visitors are welcome to meet the artist, watch him work, and create some fishy art of their own.
PRESENTED BY: DADAA
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Nicholas Kirkness | Artist in Residence
Julie Barratt | DADAA Director Arts Strategy
Jemma Attwater | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Murray Willis | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Miles Bettis | DADAA Arts Worker
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Gallery
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-artist-in-residence-nicholas-kirkness
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketswed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-awesome-kids-markets-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Experts Radio Labwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The interactive performance is hosted by ‘born storyteller’, theatre-maker Alice Mary Cooper and an experienced team of performers. The interviews are shared live over a PA to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families, and curious onlookers in a specially designed listening zone. Commissioned by Imaginate for Family Encounters.
PRESENTED BY: Alice Mary Cooper & Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Alice Mary Cooper- Creator and Performer
Geraldine Heaney- Creative Collaborator
Val Reid- Designer
Gavin Mcabe- Sound Designer
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-experts-radio-lab
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-imagination-playground-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Love Makes a Family Hubwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to a growing community masterpiece that fills out over the festival. What is a family? Who’s in yours? What makes it different? Grab some glue, and help us build something that says: what unites us is our difference.
PRESENTED BY: Rainbow Families WA, Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads, Pride WA
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-love-makes-a-family-hub
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Play in Processwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave,
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave, discover, and create at their own pace. There are no instructions, no finished product, and no right or wrong way to play. Instead, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, experiment with a wide variety of open-ended materials, and help transform the space throughout the festival. Hidden surprises, collaborative artworks, and ever-changing installations ensure every visit feels a little different. Designed for children of all abilities, Play in Process celebrates creativity, exploration, and the joy of making, reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful art is found in the process, not the product.
PRESENTED BY: Mud Buddies Perth
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-play-in-process
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Change Maker Tentwed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the Change Maker Tent is all about – helping you to use your voice to make the world better.
Join us in a welcoming space to explore an important issue facing lots of West Aussies, you’ll find the tools to speak out against poverty in WA and join in a simple but powerful way to be part of the solution.
PRESENTED BY: No Place for Poverty
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
No Place for Poverty
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-change-maker-tent
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Zine Factorywed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library. Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library.
Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a small, self-published, DIY magazine) with all materials provided. Zines can be about whatever you want, however you want – stories, art, food reviews, comics, or anything else on your mind. If it can go on a page, it can be in a zine. If you need some help, we’ll have local zine maker Sophie ready to help you out.
After you’re done, you’re welcome to photocopy your zine and donate it to our AWESOME Arts pop-up zine library.
This workshop is self-guided so you can come, stay and go as you please. All we need is you and your ideas.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 7+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-zine-factory
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Areawed30sep10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from upcycled materials and take home a playable masterpiece.
Led by Dutch-Australian sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij, this lively session invites all ages to explore rhythm, resonance and creativity.
From plastic bottles and straws to broken instruments, everyday objects become the building blocks for new sonic creations. Whether you build a guitar, drum, kazoo, or dream up something entirely new, every participant walks away with their own self-made instrument.
PRESENTED BY: Jacob Plooij
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jacob Plooij – violinist and sound artist
Paul Cleaver – workshop assistant
Jacob Plooij is a classically trained violinist who performs with musicians and ensembles across globe. A sound artist with a flair for blending traditional techniques with innovative ideas, Jacob is passionate about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. His vision for Upsound Instruments is rooted in collaboration and sustainability, inspiring participants to create playable musical instruments from materials that others may discard.
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Multipurpose Room
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Wild Symphonywed30sep10:30 am3:00 pm10:30 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The Perth Symphony Orchestra invites you to explore the storytelling magic of classical music. Come along with Fiona Campbell as she introduces you to the wonderful world of the string
Event Details
The Perth Symphony Orchestra invites you to explore the storytelling magic of classical music. Come along with Fiona Campbell as she introduces you to the wonderful world of the string quartet, presenting #1 New York Times best-selling author Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony, a picture book and live concert experience detailing the adventures of Maestro Mouse and his companions from the animal kingdom.
From the joyous rhythms of “Happy Hippo” to the hair-raising harmonies of “Brilliant Bat,” Wild Symphony reveals the author as a lifelong musician and composer who counts himself among those inspired at a young age by Peter and the Wolf, The Carnival of the Animals, and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.
Packed with lush music and engaging demonstrations, this interactive concert will show you how music and musicians work in harmony to build new worlds and set the imagination soaring.
PRESENTED BY: Perth Symphony Orchestra
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-wild-symphony
Time
Walk of the Whales by Nick Blandwed30sep11:00 am2:00 pm11:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young Frida asks the one question no one else will: “Why did you leave the sea?” Based on Nick Bland’s much-loved book and adapted by Gita Bezard, Walk of the Whales is a magical play about friendship, home, and cleaning up the mess we’ve made.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Main Theatre
AGES: 8+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOBRM
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Zebraswed30sep12:00 pm2:20 pm12:00 pm - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Funky, fashionable and funny, The Zebras know how to get a party started. With their own groovy dance tracks, they create a sense of play and connection across age, culture
Event Details
Funky, fashionable and funny, The Zebras know how to get a party started. With their own groovy dance tracks, they create a sense of play and connection across age, culture and gender. Think bold stripes, wild dance moves and animals with serious style. They’re bringing the disco back to the streets, one hoof at a time.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-the-zebras
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Youth Council Workshops with James Foleywed30sep3:00 pm4:00 pm3:00 pm - 4:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Calling all 8–12-year-olds! Join world-renowned children’s book author James Foley for a playful, hands-on workshop at the State Library of WA. Through games, movement, and making, you’ll explore what creativity
Event Details
Calling all 8–12-year-olds! Join world-renowned children’s book author James Foley for a playful, hands-on workshop at the State Library of WA. Through games, movement, and making, you’ll explore what creativity means to you, share what your day at the festival has been like, and help imagine what a Children’s Advisory Council could look and feel like. No sitting still filling in surveys just fun, active ways to have your say and be heard.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts & James Foley
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Education Room
AGES: 8 -12 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
Time
Event Details
Travel to Creativity City these school holidays! In this creative workshop, we’re asking young people aged 13 – 18 about how they want to shape the future of creativity for
Event Details
Travel to Creativity City these school holidays! In this creative workshop, we’re asking young people aged 13 – 18 about how they want to shape the future of creativity for themselves and their peers. If you are a creative person (or want to be!) of if you have thoughts about creativity and youth culture, we want to hear them.
Through illustration, creative writing, collage and more, participants will be invited to imagine themselves as the newly appointed mayor of ‘Creativity City’. They’ll make a ‘Travel Guide’ – creating a map of what the City looks like, what the must-sees are and even deciding who and how it all runs.
If you are a young person who want to make a difference in their community, then we can’t wait to give you the keys.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 13 – 18 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
Time
October 2026
Juveniliathu01oct9:00 am8:00 pm9:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia. Juvenilia is work produced by an
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia.
Juvenilia is work produced by an author or artist while they were a child.
This very special exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australia’s kids’ authors and illustrators like Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Ursual Dubosarsky and more.
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is handwriting stories on scrap paper or drawing pictures in pencil and then rubbing them out, today’s most prominent creators of children’s books all started as children too, dreaming about being able to publish their own story.
This unique and intimate collection is an insight into the early writing and drawing of some of the most established authors and illustrators in Australia. And, after three years of touring the eastern side of Australia, Juvenilia is finally coming to WA as part of the Awesome Festival 2026!
At the launch you will have the opportunity to meet author Aimee Chan, who gathered all the pieces for this display, and hear her talk about what this collection represents about the importance of early childhood storytelling.
PRESENTED BY: Aimee Chan
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Aimee Chan
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-juvenilia
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Larkthu01oct9:30 am1:00 pm9:30 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her particular interest in hair, drawings, shapes and pedestrian elements of society, she gives an affectionate nod to the chatter and warblings of the air dwellers with surprisingly accurate Australian bird-calls.
PRESENTED BY: Christine Johnston & the 2026 AWESOME Festival present
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Christine Johnston
Recorded Music – Peter Nelson
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-madame-lark
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Touch & Gothu01oct9:45 am1:10 pm9:45 am - 1:10 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children in a playful environment shaped by two friendly dancers and a live guitarist, several rolls of masking tape, and lots of imagination. The children and their adults are invited to enter this cheerful world of pathways, stepping-stones and lines. The children become part of the performance themselves or observe from a safe distance, touching and going – just as they need to.
PRESENTED BY: Sally Chance Dance
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sally Chance Dance
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Rehearsal Room 1
AGES: Under 5 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIU
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Create your own dystopia!thu01oct10:00 am11:00 am10:00 am - 11:00 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join the authors of the new YA dystopian-comedy ‘Old Bertie’ as they explore the fun of creating their own rich fictional world. The workshop will explore the authors’ unique collaborative
Event Details
Join the authors of the new YA dystopian-comedy ‘Old Bertie’ as they explore the fun of creating their own rich fictional world. The workshop will explore the authors’ unique collaborative approach to writing, the techniques they used to create their novel, and how young authors can do the same!
PRESENTED BY: Perrella & Osborn
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Geographe Room
AGES: 10+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOGWB
Time
Hermitthu01oct10:00 am11:45 am10:00 am - 11:45 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house? There is sound. What happens inside? A lid opens. Is there something inside? What is inside? Who is inside? Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house?
There is sound. What happens inside?
A lid opens. Is there something inside?
What is inside? Who is inside?
Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance about a mini house. The inhabitant is not at home, but we do hear him… A funny and moving performance about being alone and coming home.
…’ for a near-perfect combination of movement and human voice in children’s theatre, there’s no need to look any further than Simone De Jong of the Netherlands’ exquisitely funny show Hermit..’ **** The Scotsman / Edinburgh’s children festival Imaginate
Hermit tours around the world and was staged a.o. in Egypt, China, Scotland, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Simone de Jong Company (Amsterdam 2015) creates work based on movement, music and imagination. Original, funny, sensitive. Our performances are mostly non-verbal (L.N.P.), since for a young child the spoken word is only one of hundreds of languages (Reggio Emilia). We like to connect with children and challenge them at the same time. We start from the physical and aim for the philosophical.
Our company receives structural funding from the Dutch Performing Arts Fund for 25-28.
PRESENTED BY: Simone de Jong Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Actor – Toon Kuijpers
Director: Simone de Jong
Set design: Erik Begemann
Light design: Jacques van Room
Music: Max Gramser / Miaux
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground
AGES: 2 – 7 years old
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 35 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIQ
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Spontaneous Stories with James Foleythu01oct10:00 am1:00 pm10:00 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join James Foley for a laugh-out-loud session where the kids are in charge. Bring your weirdest and wackiest ideas for stories, because we’ll be mashing them up into the funniest
Event Details
Join James Foley for a laugh-out-loud session where the kids are in charge. Bring your weirdest and wackiest ideas for stories, because we’ll be mashing them up into the funniest Franken-tale you’ve ever heard – which James will illustrate, live.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Education Room
AGES: 8 – 12 years
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
DURATION: 60 minutes
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNUUX
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on a gentle sensory journey from land to sky to sea, finishing amongst the stars. Featuring gorgeous live music & movement, plus multisensory activities specifically designed for babies and their carers to enjoy together. Babies are accepted just as they are, and encouraged to listen, smell, touch and explore within this warm hug of a show. Snuggleplay is the supportive ‘village’ of our collective imagination, centred on connection, engagement and inclusion. This work responds to the need for early years cultural experiences that prioritise emotional safety, calm, and embodied interaction. Snuggleplay offers a unique artistic experience that sits outside conventional definitions of theatre, early childhood education or parent-and-baby classes.
Please note: This show is created only for caregivers and pre-walking babies aged 6 months to 15 months to give the safest experience for all. Please make alternative care arrangements for siblings.
PRESENTED BY: Sensorium Theatre
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Director & Concept – Michelle Hovane
Artist Provocateur & Choreographic Consultant – Alice Cummins
Musical Director & Composer – Thea Rossen
Co-Devisors: Michelle Hovane, Alice Cummins, Jacqui Otago, Thea Rossen, Kathleen Szalay
Dramaturgical consultant – Ella Hetherington
Design Co-ordination & additional dramaturgy – Francis Italiano
Set Designer – Sanjiva Margio
Costume Designer & Associate Designer (set & props) – Ellen Flatters
Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Performers: Thea Rossen, Michelle Hovane, Jacqui Otago, Kathleen Szalay, Gala Shevtsov
Production & Stage Manager – Wendi Graham
Professional Therapeutic Supervision (OT) – Annabel Poulsen
Developmental Therapist consultant – Holly Campbell
Producer & Audience Development – Lena John Gomez
Paper courtesy of Alice Cummins’ terra
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Middar Room
AGES: 0 – 2 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIT
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Stellarphant by James Foleythu01oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space. Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no”
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space.
Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no” for a different reason, but she won’t give up. With courage, creativity and the help of some unexpected friends, she sets out to build her own spaceship and prove that anyone can reach for the stars.
Full of laughter, heart and imagination, Stellarphant takes audiences on a cosmic adventure about determination, equality and following your dreams. Based on the award-winning picture book by James Foley and adapted for the stage by Clare Testoni, this uplifting production reminds us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
• Author – James Foley
• Adaptor – Clare Testoni
• Set & Costume Designer – Fiona Bruce
• Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
• Sound Designer & Composer – Amaru Zachariassen
• Video Designer – Roly Skender
• Director – Sam Longley
• Hannah Davidson as Stellarphant
• Tegan Mulvany as The Man, Panthera Tigre, Mrs Phant, Kirkey Eucalypt
• Laura Maitland as King, Professor Arborious, The Sheep, Mr Phant, Another Man, Big Boss
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVMO
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Penelope & Her Pet Lizardsthu01oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Visually striking and highly interactive, the extraordinary Madame Penelope and her exotic pets add spice and humour wherever they go. Dressed to kill and everybody’s friend, the classy Madame Penelope loves
Event Details
Visually striking and highly interactive, the extraordinary Madame Penelope and her exotic pets add spice and humour wherever they go.
Dressed to kill and everybody’s friend, the classy Madame Penelope loves to show off her well-trained pets. That is if she can catch them! Her ever curious and playful lizards are off to explore the territory. She has her work cut out for her trying to get them back off the adoring public.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-madame-penelope-her-pet-lizards
Time
Uptown Brownthu01oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed,
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed, his contraption is built from cedar, leather and brass. Vocals & fingerpicked ukulele are amplified through old megaphones, mimicking the effect of a 78 record. A quality musical and roving act in the finest tradition of vaudeville and ragtime
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
‘Uptown’ Brown!
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-uptown-brown
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Boat of Faiththu01oct10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr Curly’s net of possibilities or be embraced by an angel. Inspired by the poetry and art of Michael Leunig.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-boat-of-faith
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Please Wait Herethu01oct10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
High-status, restrained and ridiculous, three Security Guards turn queuing and crowd control into an art form! Subverting status, passers-by are seduced, corralled, and sorted, turning the collective act of waiting
Event Details
High-status, restrained and ridiculous, three Security Guards turn queuing and crowd control into an art form! Subverting status, passers-by are seduced, corralled, and sorted, turning the collective act of waiting and cueing into a series of interactive games that get increasingly absurd.
Lines are drawn and crossed, rules are made and broken, audiences are invited, coercion into a participatory performance, uniting an audience of strangers in the spirit of play.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-please-wait-here
Time
Woven Wondersthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as long as you like, exploring a colourful collection of fabric scraps, wool, yarn and natural fibres. Experiment with a range of looms—from simple sticks and cardboard to vintage wooden frames—and create anything from a small woven sample to a striking textile artwork. Take your creation home as a keepsake, or contribute it to a growing community weaving that celebrates creativity, connection and the collective spirit of the Awesome Arts Festival.
PRESENTED BY: Louise Snook
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Louise Snook – artist
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-woven-wonders
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Amazing Astro Animals - the Exhibitionthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space. Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies? Or
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space.
Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies?
Or that the first Earthlings to travel around the moon were tortoises and mealworms?
Or that the first fish in space was called a ‘mummichog’?
Learn more about intrepid animal astronauts in this free exhibition.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley and Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-amazing-astro-animals-the-exhibition
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketsthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-awesome-kids-markets-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-imagination-playground-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Kooky Finds Home - a sensory adventurethu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I often start dreaming of the sky and fly away before I remember the little details around me. Can you help me explore the space and find the delightful things, so I know where to come home?
This hub combines mindfulness, puppet-led storytelling, and nature-based sensory play. Families can join at any time and take part in a short guided sense play story session with Kooky followed by drawing a ‘map of home’ for Kooky and open-ended making. Caregivers would be co-participants for babies. The space is set-up with curated, native Australian flora to interact with. This hub is designed as a calm, gentle play space where children are invited to explore at their own pace and own way.
PRESENTED BY: Bronte Frances
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground Foyer
AGES: Under 5
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-kooky-finds-home-a-sensory-adventure
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Little Impressionsthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact. By using everyday materials in new ways, students are encouraged to think creatively about sustainability and their role in caring for the world around them.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-little-impressions
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Skills and Thrills Circus Playthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome circus skills that will wow your family and friends!
PRESENTED BY: Yip Yip Circus
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-skills-and-thrills-circus-play
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brown's Pinball Palacethu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies of antique machines but his own unique mix of Pinball and its older version, Bagatelle. The machines operate entirely by hand and are very hands-on and fun to play with. The steel balls roll through wooden twists, hitting brass bells and other obstacles, bringing joy to both children and adults.
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-uptown-browns-pinball-palace
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book Boogie - A Storytime Experiencethu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in the library has mysteriously lost its story. With only imaginative titles remaining, children are invited to fill the empty pages through drawing, writing, performance and creative play. Blending contemporary clowning, live theatre and hands-on making, Book Boogie transforms story time into a joyful, participatory experience that celebrates imagination, literacy and connection. Suitable for libraries, festivals, schools and community events, the work welcomes children of all ages and abilities, encouraging families to create together at their own pace. Premiering at Bondi Feast before seasons at Sydney Fringe Kids and the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Book Boogie has delighted thousands of young storytellers by proving that sometimes the best stories are the ones waiting to be invented.
PRESENTED BY: Curly Fernandez
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Originally created by Sabrina D’Angelo & Curly Fernandez
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
AGES: 4 – 8 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-book-boogie-a-storytime-experience
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Storyteller in Residence: Glenn Swiftthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine level of the State Library of Western Australia. Come and bask in the glorious glow of words as you listen, imagine, build and share stories inspired by some of your favourite books.
PRESENTED BY: Glenn Swift
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-storyteller-in-residence-glenn-swift
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
A Perfect Citythu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like? Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like?
Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit for everyone. From homes and parks to transport, workplaces, and places to play, every brushstroke helps create a vibrant community inspired by young people’s ideas.
As the Festival unfolds, so too does the giant artwork, growing with each session into a colourful vision of creativity, connection, and possibility. Along the way, participants will explore big questions about how communities work and how we can shape kinder, happier neighbourhoods for the future.
Come and leave your mark on a one-of-a-kind artwork that celebrates imagination and collaboration.
PRESENTED BY: Charlotte Meagher
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-a-perfect-city
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Artist in Residence | Nicholas Kirknessthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness. Inspired by
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for fishing, the water, and the rich biodiversity of Western Australia, Nicholas expresses his love of aquatic life through his creativity. Over the course of his creative development, Nicholas has amassed an impressive body of work, characterised by elaborate illustrations and ornate woodcarvings of the creatures he admires most. In a unique union of utility and art, Nicholas also crafts his own fishing lures, blending function with artistry and reflecting his hands-on relationship with his two greatest passions—creativity and the water.
You can find Nicholas at AWESOME International Arts Festival as this year’s Artist in Residence, where visitors are welcome to meet the artist, watch him work, and create some fishy art of their own.
PRESENTED BY: DADAA
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Nicholas Kirkness | Artist in Residence
Julie Barratt | DADAA Director Arts Strategy
Jemma Attwater | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Murray Willis | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Miles Bettis | DADAA Arts Worker
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Gallery
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-artist-in-residence-nicholas-kirkness
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketsthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-awesome-kids-markets-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Experts Radio Labthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The interactive performance is hosted by ‘born storyteller’, theatre-maker Alice Mary Cooper and an experienced team of performers. The interviews are shared live over a PA to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families, and curious onlookers in a specially designed listening zone. Commissioned by Imaginate for Family Encounters.
PRESENTED BY: Alice Mary Cooper & Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Alice Mary Cooper- Creator and Performer
Geraldine Heaney- Creative Collaborator
Val Reid- Designer
Gavin Mcabe- Sound Designer
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-experts-radio-lab
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Foundation Housing Cubbiesthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
For over 40 years, Foundation Housing has created safe, secure and affordable homes across WA, guided by one vision: a home for everyone. At AWESOME Festival, they’re bringing that spirit
Event Details
For over 40 years, Foundation Housing has created safe, secure and affordable homes across WA, guided by one vision: a home for everyone. At AWESOME Festival, they’re bringing that spirit to life with two hands-on activities. Make your own keychain, a small key for a big idea, that everyone deserves somewhere to belong. Then get building at the cubby-making station, where kids construct their own mini home from scratch, just like the real foundations Foundation Housing helps build every day.
PRESENTED BY: Foundation Housing
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-foundation-housing-cubbies
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-imagination-playground-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Love Makes a Family Hubthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to a growing community masterpiece that fills out over the festival. What is a family? Who’s in yours? What makes it different? Grab some glue, and help us build something that says: what unites us is our difference.
PRESENTED BY: Rainbow Families WA, Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads, Pride WA
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-love-makes-a-family-hub
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Play in Processthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave,
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave, discover, and create at their own pace. There are no instructions, no finished product, and no right or wrong way to play. Instead, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, experiment with a wide variety of open-ended materials, and help transform the space throughout the festival. Hidden surprises, collaborative artworks, and ever-changing installations ensure every visit feels a little different. Designed for children of all abilities, Play in Process celebrates creativity, exploration, and the joy of making, reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful art is found in the process, not the product.
PRESENTED BY: Mud Buddies Perth
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-play-in-process
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Change Maker Tentthu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the Change Maker Tent is all about – helping you to use your voice to make the world better.
Join us in a welcoming space to explore an important issue facing lots of West Aussies, you’ll find the tools to speak out against poverty in WA and join in a simple but powerful way to be part of the solution.
PRESENTED BY: No Place for Poverty
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
No Place for Poverty
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-change-maker-tent
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Zine Factorythu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library. Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library.
Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a small, self-published, DIY magazine) with all materials provided. Zines can be about whatever you want, however you want – stories, art, food reviews, comics, or anything else on your mind. If it can go on a page, it can be in a zine. If you need some help, we’ll have local zine maker Sophie ready to help you out.
After you’re done, you’re welcome to photocopy your zine and donate it to our AWESOME Arts pop-up zine library.
This workshop is self-guided so you can come, stay and go as you please. All we need is you and your ideas.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 7+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-zine-factory
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Areathu01oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from upcycled materials and take home a playable masterpiece.
Led by Dutch-Australian sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij, this lively session invites all ages to explore rhythm, resonance and creativity.
From plastic bottles and straws to broken instruments, everyday objects become the building blocks for new sonic creations. Whether you build a guitar, drum, kazoo, or dream up something entirely new, every participant walks away with their own self-made instrument.
PRESENTED BY: Jacob Plooij
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jacob Plooij – violinist and sound artist
Paul Cleaver – workshop assistant
Jacob Plooij is a classically trained violinist who performs with musicians and ensembles across globe. A sound artist with a flair for blending traditional techniques with innovative ideas, Jacob is passionate about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. His vision for Upsound Instruments is rooted in collaboration and sustainability, inspiring participants to create playable musical instruments from materials that others may discard.
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Multipurpose Room
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Crash! Bang! Kaboom!thu01oct10:30 am11:30 am10:30 am - 11:30 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join Kaboom Percussion as they transform everyday objects into extraordinary musical instruments in a high-energy, interactive performance for audiences of all ages. Using a mixture of traditional instruments, recycled objects,
Event Details
Join Kaboom Percussion as they transform everyday objects into extraordinary musical instruments in a high-energy, interactive performance for audiences of all ages. Using a mixture of traditional instruments, recycled objects, and quirky homemade creations, the show celebrates creativity, rhythm, and the idea that music can be made from almost anything!
Featuring such favourites as their 30 tuned pigs (seen more than 30 million times online), 3D-printed drums, one-of-a-kind staircase marimba and more, this performance will combine familiar tunes with original beats and melodies that will have your toes tapping and your face smiling.
PRESENTED BY: Kaboom Percussion
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Performed by Carissa Soares and Joshua Webster
Written by Catherine Betts and Joshua Webster
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 minutes
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-crash-bang-kaboom
Time
Walk of the Whales by Nick Blandthu01oct11:00 am2:00 pm11:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young Frida asks the one question no one else will: “Why did you leave the sea?” Based on Nick Bland’s much-loved book and adapted by Gita Bezard, Walk of the Whales is a magical play about friendship, home, and cleaning up the mess we’ve made.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Main Theatre
AGES: 8+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOBRM
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Juveniliafri02oct9:00 am8:00 pm9:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia. Juvenilia is work produced by an
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia.
Juvenilia is work produced by an author or artist while they were a child.
This very special exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australia’s kids’ authors and illustrators like Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Ursual Dubosarsky and more.
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is handwriting stories on scrap paper or drawing pictures in pencil and then rubbing them out, today’s most prominent creators of children’s books all started as children too, dreaming about being able to publish their own story.
This unique and intimate collection is an insight into the early writing and drawing of some of the most established authors and illustrators in Australia. And, after three years of touring the eastern side of Australia, Juvenilia is finally coming to WA as part of the Awesome Festival 2026!
At the launch you will have the opportunity to meet author Aimee Chan, who gathered all the pieces for this display, and hear her talk about what this collection represents about the importance of early childhood storytelling.
PRESENTED BY: Aimee Chan
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Aimee Chan
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-juvenilia
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Madame Larkfri02oct9:30 am1:00 pm9:30 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her
Event Details
She has a musical-saw and a zeal for the many and varied voices of birds. Madame Lark offers her own vocal interpretations of the things around her… Along with her particular interest in hair, drawings, shapes and pedestrian elements of society, she gives an affectionate nod to the chatter and warblings of the air dwellers with surprisingly accurate Australian bird-calls.
PRESENTED BY: Christine Johnston & the 2026 AWESOME Festival present
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Christine Johnston
Recorded Music – Peter Nelson
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-madame-lark
Time
Touch & Gofri02oct9:45 am1:10 pm9:45 am - 1:10 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children in a playful environment shaped by two friendly dancers and a live guitarist, several rolls of masking tape, and lots of imagination. The children and their adults are invited to enter this cheerful world of pathways, stepping-stones and lines. The children become part of the performance themselves or observe from a safe distance, touching and going – just as they need to.
PRESENTED BY: Sally Chance Dance
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sally Chance Dance
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Rehearsal Room 1
AGES: Under 5 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIU
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
History Huntersfri02oct10:00 am11:00 am10:00 am - 11:00 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Our past is full of adventures and curious, larger-than-life characters. It is a rich vein of material for history hunter and award-winning author Mark Greenwood. He enjoys searching for glittering
Event Details
Our past is full of adventures and curious, larger-than-life characters. It is a rich vein of material for history hunter and award-winning author Mark Greenwood. He enjoys searching for glittering treasures, delving into baffling mysteries and solving famous cold cases. Join Mark for this AWESOME history hunting workshop. Find The Dragon’s Treasure. Explore the story of The Vanishing and The Deadly Diamond, other puzzling mysteries. Investigate The Wonder Horse and other unsolved cases. Collect clues to The Unlucky Pirate’s loot and design your own pirate flag and crystal skull.
PRESENTED BY: Mark Greenwood
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 6+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOGWD
Time
Hermitfri02oct10:00 am11:45 am10:00 am - 11:45 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house? There is sound. What happens inside? A lid opens. Is there something inside? What is inside? Who is inside? Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house?
There is sound. What happens inside?
A lid opens. Is there something inside?
What is inside? Who is inside?
Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance about a mini house. The inhabitant is not at home, but we do hear him… A funny and moving performance about being alone and coming home.
…’ for a near-perfect combination of movement and human voice in children’s theatre, there’s no need to look any further than Simone De Jong of the Netherlands’ exquisitely funny show Hermit..’ **** The Scotsman / Edinburgh’s children festival Imaginate
Hermit tours around the world and was staged a.o. in Egypt, China, Scotland, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Simone de Jong Company (Amsterdam 2015) creates work based on movement, music and imagination. Original, funny, sensitive. Our performances are mostly non-verbal (L.N.P.), since for a young child the spoken word is only one of hundreds of languages (Reggio Emilia). We like to connect with children and challenge them at the same time. We start from the physical and aim for the philosophical.
Our company receives structural funding from the Dutch Performing Arts Fund for 25-28.
PRESENTED BY: Simone de Jong Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Actor – Toon Kuijpers
Director: Simone de Jong
Set design: Erik Begemann
Light design: Jacques van Room
Music: Max Gramser / Miaux
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground
AGES: 2 – 7 years old
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 35 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIQ
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Spontaneous Stories with James Foleyfri02oct10:00 am1:00 pm10:00 am - 1:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join James Foley for a laugh-out-loud session where the kids are in charge. Bring your weirdest and wackiest ideas for stories, because we’ll be mashing them up into the funniest
Event Details
Join James Foley for a laugh-out-loud session where the kids are in charge. Bring your weirdest and wackiest ideas for stories, because we’ll be mashing them up into the funniest Franken-tale you’ve ever heard – which James will illustrate, live.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Education Room
AGES: 8 – 12 years
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
DURATION: 60 minutes
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNUUX
Time
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on a gentle sensory journey from land to sky to sea, finishing amongst the stars. Featuring gorgeous live music & movement, plus multisensory activities specifically designed for babies and their carers to enjoy together. Babies are accepted just as they are, and encouraged to listen, smell, touch and explore within this warm hug of a show. Snuggleplay is the supportive ‘village’ of our collective imagination, centred on connection, engagement and inclusion. This work responds to the need for early years cultural experiences that prioritise emotional safety, calm, and embodied interaction. Snuggleplay offers a unique artistic experience that sits outside conventional definitions of theatre, early childhood education or parent-and-baby classes.
Please note: This show is created only for caregivers and pre-walking babies aged 6 months to 15 months to give the safest experience for all. Please make alternative care arrangements for siblings.
PRESENTED BY: Sensorium Theatre
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Director & Concept – Michelle Hovane
Artist Provocateur & Choreographic Consultant – Alice Cummins
Musical Director & Composer – Thea Rossen
Co-Devisors: Michelle Hovane, Alice Cummins, Jacqui Otago, Thea Rossen, Kathleen Szalay
Dramaturgical consultant – Ella Hetherington
Design Co-ordination & additional dramaturgy – Francis Italiano
Set Designer – Sanjiva Margio
Costume Designer & Associate Designer (set & props) – Ellen Flatters
Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Performers: Thea Rossen, Michelle Hovane, Jacqui Otago, Kathleen Szalay, Gala Shevtsov
Production & Stage Manager – Wendi Graham
Professional Therapeutic Supervision (OT) – Annabel Poulsen
Developmental Therapist consultant – Holly Campbell
Producer & Audience Development – Lena John Gomez
Paper courtesy of Alice Cummins’ terra
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Middar Room
AGES: 0 – 2 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIT
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Stellarphant by James Foleyfri02oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space. Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no”
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space.
Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no” for a different reason, but she won’t give up. With courage, creativity and the help of some unexpected friends, she sets out to build her own spaceship and prove that anyone can reach for the stars.
Full of laughter, heart and imagination, Stellarphant takes audiences on a cosmic adventure about determination, equality and following your dreams. Based on the award-winning picture book by James Foley and adapted for the stage by Clare Testoni, this uplifting production reminds us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
• Author – James Foley
• Adaptor – Clare Testoni
• Set & Costume Designer – Fiona Bruce
• Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
• Sound Designer & Composer – Amaru Zachariassen
• Video Designer – Roly Skender
• Director – Sam Longley
• Hannah Davidson as Stellarphant
• Tegan Mulvany as The Man, Panthera Tigre, Mrs Phant, Kirkey Eucalypt
• Laura Maitland as King, Professor Arborious, The Sheep, Mr Phant, Another Man, Big Boss
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVMO
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brownfri02oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed,
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed, his contraption is built from cedar, leather and brass. Vocals & fingerpicked ukulele are amplified through old megaphones, mimicking the effect of a 78 record. A quality musical and roving act in the finest tradition of vaudeville and ragtime
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
‘Uptown’ Brown!
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-uptown-brown
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Boat of Faithfri02oct10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr Curly’s net of possibilities or be embraced by an angel. Inspired by the poetry and art of Michael Leunig.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-boat-of-faith
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Please Wait Herefri02oct10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
High-status, restrained and ridiculous, three Security Guards turn queuing and crowd control into an art form! Subverting status, passers-by are seduced, corralled, and sorted, turning the collective act of waiting
Event Details
High-status, restrained and ridiculous, three Security Guards turn queuing and crowd control into an art form! Subverting status, passers-by are seduced, corralled, and sorted, turning the collective act of waiting and cueing into a series of interactive games that get increasingly absurd.
Lines are drawn and crossed, rules are made and broken, audiences are invited, coercion into a participatory performance, uniting an audience of strangers in the spirit of play.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-please-wait-here
Time
Woven Wondersfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as long as you like, exploring a colourful collection of fabric scraps, wool, yarn and natural fibres. Experiment with a range of looms—from simple sticks and cardboard to vintage wooden frames—and create anything from a small woven sample to a striking textile artwork. Take your creation home as a keepsake, or contribute it to a growing community weaving that celebrates creativity, connection and the collective spirit of the Awesome Arts Festival.
PRESENTED BY: Louise Snook
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Louise Snook – artist
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-woven-wonders
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Amazing Astro Animals - the Exhibitionfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space. Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies? Or
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space.
Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies?
Or that the first Earthlings to travel around the moon were tortoises and mealworms?
Or that the first fish in space was called a ‘mummichog’?
Learn more about intrepid animal astronauts in this free exhibition.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley and Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-amazing-astro-animals-the-exhibition
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketsfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-awesome-kids-markets-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Imagination Playgroundfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-imagination-playground-perth
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Kooky Finds Home - a sensory adventurefri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I often start dreaming of the sky and fly away before I remember the little details around me. Can you help me explore the space and find the delightful things, so I know where to come home?
This hub combines mindfulness, puppet-led storytelling, and nature-based sensory play. Families can join at any time and take part in a short guided sense play story session with Kooky followed by drawing a ‘map of home’ for Kooky and open-ended making. Caregivers would be co-participants for babies. The space is set-up with curated, native Australian flora to interact with. This hub is designed as a calm, gentle play space where children are invited to explore at their own pace and own way.
PRESENTED BY: Bronte Frances
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground Foyer
AGES: Under 5
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-kooky-finds-home-a-sensory-adventure
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Little Impressionsfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact. By using everyday materials in new ways, students are encouraged to think creatively about sustainability and their role in caring for the world around them.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-little-impressions
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Skills and Thrills Circus Playfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome circus skills that will wow your family and friends!
PRESENTED BY: Yip Yip Circus
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-skills-and-thrills-circus-play
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Uptown Brown's Pinball Palacefri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies of antique machines but his own unique mix of Pinball and its older version, Bagatelle. The machines operate entirely by hand and are very hands-on and fun to play with. The steel balls roll through wooden twists, hitting brass bells and other obstacles, bringing joy to both children and adults.
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-uptown-browns-pinball-palace
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Book Boogie - A Storytime Experiencefri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in the library has mysteriously lost its story. With only imaginative titles remaining, children are invited to fill the empty pages through drawing, writing, performance and creative play. Blending contemporary clowning, live theatre and hands-on making, Book Boogie transforms story time into a joyful, participatory experience that celebrates imagination, literacy and connection. Suitable for libraries, festivals, schools and community events, the work welcomes children of all ages and abilities, encouraging families to create together at their own pace. Premiering at Bondi Feast before seasons at Sydney Fringe Kids and the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Book Boogie has delighted thousands of young storytellers by proving that sometimes the best stories are the ones waiting to be invented.
PRESENTED BY: Curly Fernandez
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Originally created by Sabrina D’Angelo & Curly Fernandez
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
AGES: 4 – 8 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-book-boogie-a-storytime-experience
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Storyteller in Residence: Glenn Swiftfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine level of the State Library of Western Australia. Come and bask in the glorious glow of words as you listen, imagine, build and share stories inspired by some of your favourite books.
PRESENTED BY: Glenn Swift
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-storyteller-in-residence-glenn-swift
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
A Perfect Cityfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like? Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like?
Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit for everyone. From homes and parks to transport, workplaces, and places to play, every brushstroke helps create a vibrant community inspired by young people’s ideas.
As the Festival unfolds, so too does the giant artwork, growing with each session into a colourful vision of creativity, connection, and possibility. Along the way, participants will explore big questions about how communities work and how we can shape kinder, happier neighbourhoods for the future.
Come and leave your mark on a one-of-a-kind artwork that celebrates imagination and collaboration.
PRESENTED BY: Charlotte Meagher
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-a-perfect-city
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Artist in Residence | Nicholas Kirknessfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness. Inspired by
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for fishing, the water, and the rich biodiversity of Western Australia, Nicholas expresses his love of aquatic life through his creativity. Over the course of his creative development, Nicholas has amassed an impressive body of work, characterised by elaborate illustrations and ornate woodcarvings of the creatures he admires most. In a unique union of utility and art, Nicholas also crafts his own fishing lures, blending function with artistry and reflecting his hands-on relationship with his two greatest passions—creativity and the water.
You can find Nicholas at AWESOME International Arts Festival as this year’s Artist in Residence, where visitors are welcome to meet the artist, watch him work, and create some fishy art of their own.
PRESENTED BY: DADAA
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Nicholas Kirkness | Artist in Residence
Julie Barratt | DADAA Director Arts Strategy
Jemma Attwater | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Murray Willis | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Miles Bettis | DADAA Arts Worker
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Gallery
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-artist-in-residence-nicholas-kirkness
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
AWESOME Kids Marketsfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-awesome-kids-markets-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Experts Radio Labfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The interactive performance is hosted by ‘born storyteller’, theatre-maker Alice Mary Cooper and an experienced team of performers. The interviews are shared live over a PA to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families, and curious onlookers in a specially designed listening zone. Commissioned by Imaginate for Family Encounters.
PRESENTED BY: Alice Mary Cooper & Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Alice Mary Cooper- Creator and Performer
Geraldine Heaney- Creative Collaborator
Val Reid- Designer
Gavin Mcabe- Sound Designer
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-experts-radio-lab
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Foundation Housing Cubbiesfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
For over 40 years, Foundation Housing has created safe, secure and affordable homes across WA, guided by one vision: a home for everyone. At AWESOME Festival, they’re bringing that spirit
Event Details
For over 40 years, Foundation Housing has created safe, secure and affordable homes across WA, guided by one vision: a home for everyone. At AWESOME Festival, they’re bringing that spirit to life with two hands-on activities. Make your own keychain, a small key for a big idea, that everyone deserves somewhere to belong. Then get building at the cubby-making station, where kids construct their own mini home from scratch, just like the real foundations Foundation Housing helps build every day.
PRESENTED BY: Foundation Housing
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-foundation-housing-cubbies
Time
Imagination Playgroundfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-imagination-playground-subiaco
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Love Makes a Family Hubfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to a growing community masterpiece that fills out over the festival. What is a family? Who’s in yours? What makes it different? Grab some glue, and help us build something that says: what unites us is our difference.
PRESENTED BY: Rainbow Families WA, Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads, Pride WA
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-love-makes-a-family-hub
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Play in Processfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave,
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave, discover, and create at their own pace. There are no instructions, no finished product, and no right or wrong way to play. Instead, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, experiment with a wide variety of open-ended materials, and help transform the space throughout the festival. Hidden surprises, collaborative artworks, and ever-changing installations ensure every visit feels a little different. Designed for children of all abilities, Play in Process celebrates creativity, exploration, and the joy of making, reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful art is found in the process, not the product.
PRESENTED BY: Mud Buddies Perth
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-play-in-process
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Change Maker Tentfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the Change Maker Tent is all about – helping you to use your voice to make the world better.
Join us in a welcoming space to explore an important issue facing lots of West Aussies, you’ll find the tools to speak out against poverty in WA and join in a simple but powerful way to be part of the solution.
PRESENTED BY: No Place for Poverty
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
No Place for Poverty
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-change-maker-tent
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
The Zine Factoryfri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library. Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library.
Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a small, self-published, DIY magazine) with all materials provided. Zines can be about whatever you want, however you want – stories, art, food reviews, comics, or anything else on your mind. If it can go on a page, it can be in a zine. If you need some help, we’ll have local zine maker Sophie ready to help you out.
After you’re done, you’re welcome to photocopy your zine and donate it to our AWESOME Arts pop-up zine library.
This workshop is self-guided so you can come, stay and go as you please. All we need is you and your ideas.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 7+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-zine-factory
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Areafri02oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from upcycled materials and take home a playable masterpiece.
Led by Dutch-Australian sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij, this lively session invites all ages to explore rhythm, resonance and creativity.
From plastic bottles and straws to broken instruments, everyday objects become the building blocks for new sonic creations. Whether you build a guitar, drum, kazoo, or dream up something entirely new, every participant walks away with their own self-made instrument.
PRESENTED BY: Jacob Plooij
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jacob Plooij – violinist and sound artist
Paul Cleaver – workshop assistant
Jacob Plooij is a classically trained violinist who performs with musicians and ensembles across globe. A sound artist with a flair for blending traditional techniques with innovative ideas, Jacob is passionate about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. His vision for Upsound Instruments is rooted in collaboration and sustainability, inspiring participants to create playable musical instruments from materials that others may discard.
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Multipurpose Room
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Event Details
Inspired by their much-loved dogs and cats — PomPom, Charlie and Alfie — this warm and delightful family performance invites children and grown-ups into an original story full of furry
Event Details
Inspired by their much-loved dogs and cats — PomPom, Charlie and Alfie — this warm and delightful family performance invites children and grown-ups into an original story full of furry friendships, brave moments, and joyful surprises.
Told in a narrated, story-time style and brought to life through live music, The Extraordinary Adventures of Furry Friends: Musical Story-time with Live Music is an imaginative experience where every scene is supported by sound.
The narrators and music ensemble is made up two generations of the Vanderwal and Kruger families. Authors George(8), Elizabeth(10), Henry(11) are joined by Ben Vanderwal on drums and percussion, Emma Vanderwal on cello, Helen Kruger of violin and Brian Kruger on keys. Creating a musical soundtrack for the whole audience.
Perfect for families, this performance celebrates imagination, attentive listening, and the special bond we feel with animals. Come for the story magic, the live music, and the shared fun of experiencing something made just for you.
PRESENTED BY: Australian Baroque and family
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Written by Henry Vanderwal, Elizabeth & George Brian
Live music by Emma and Ben Vanderwal, Helen and Brian Kruger.
Narrated by Henry Vanderwal
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-extraordinary-adventures-of-furry-friends
Time
Walk of the Whales by Nick Blandfri02oct11:00 am2:00 pm11:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young Frida asks the one question no one else will: “Why did you leave the sea?” Based on Nick Bland’s much-loved book and adapted by Gita Bezard, Walk of the Whales is a magical play about friendship, home, and cleaning up the mess we’ve made.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Main Theatre
AGES: 8+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOBRM
Time
Future Event Times in this Repeating Event Series
Juveniliasat03oct9:00 am8:00 pm9:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia. Juvenilia is work produced by an
Event Details
Join us for the official launch of the Juvenilia exhibition with curator and internationally award-winning author Aimee Chan at the State Library of Western Australia.
Juvenilia is work produced by an author or artist while they were a child.
This very special exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australia’s kids’ authors and illustrators like Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Ursual Dubosarsky and more.
Everyone starts somewhere. Whether it is handwriting stories on scrap paper or drawing pictures in pencil and then rubbing them out, today’s most prominent creators of children’s books all started as children too, dreaming about being able to publish their own story.
This unique and intimate collection is an insight into the early writing and drawing of some of the most established authors and illustrators in Australia. And, after three years of touring the eastern side of Australia, Juvenilia is finally coming to WA as part of the Awesome Festival 2026!
At the launch you will have the opportunity to meet author Aimee Chan, who gathered all the pieces for this display, and hear her talk about what this collection represents about the importance of early childhood storytelling.
PRESENTED BY: Aimee Chan
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Aimee Chan
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-juvenilia
Time
Touch & Gosat03oct9:45 am1:10 pm9:45 am - 1:10 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children
Event Details
Touch & Go is a dancing game devised especially for children aged two and three years. Featuring dance-theatre and minimal verbal language, Touch & Go entices, dares and entertains children in a playful environment shaped by two friendly dancers and a live guitarist, several rolls of masking tape, and lots of imagination. The children and their adults are invited to enter this cheerful world of pathways, stepping-stones and lines. The children become part of the performance themselves or observe from a safe distance, touching and going – just as they need to.
PRESENTED BY: Sally Chance Dance
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sally Chance Dance
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Rehearsal Room 1
AGES: Under 5 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIU
Time
Hermitsat03oct10:00 am11:45 am10:00 am - 11:45 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house? There is sound. What happens inside? A lid opens. Is there something inside? What is inside? Who is inside? Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance
Event Details
There is a square. Is it a house?
There is sound. What happens inside?
A lid opens. Is there something inside?
What is inside? Who is inside?
Hermit (Kluizelaar) is a visual, original performance about a mini house. The inhabitant is not at home, but we do hear him… A funny and moving performance about being alone and coming home.
…’ for a near-perfect combination of movement and human voice in children’s theatre, there’s no need to look any further than Simone De Jong of the Netherlands’ exquisitely funny show Hermit..’ **** The Scotsman / Edinburgh’s children festival Imaginate
Hermit tours around the world and was staged a.o. in Egypt, China, Scotland, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Simone de Jong Company (Amsterdam 2015) creates work based on movement, music and imagination. Original, funny, sensitive. Our performances are mostly non-verbal (L.N.P.), since for a young child the spoken word is only one of hundreds of languages (Reggio Emilia). We like to connect with children and challenge them at the same time. We start from the physical and aim for the philosophical.
Our company receives structural funding from the Dutch Performing Arts Fund for 25-28.
PRESENTED BY: Simone de Jong Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Actor – Toon Kuijpers
Director: Simone de Jong
Set design: Erik Begemann
Light design: Jacques van Room
Music: Max Gramser / Miaux
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground
AGES: 2 – 7 years old
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 35 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIQ
Time
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on
Event Details
Snuggleplay is an intimate theatre experience designed for 6-8 babies aged 6 to 15 months and their caregivers. Families are welcomed under the Story Tree, where they are invited on a gentle sensory journey from land to sky to sea, finishing amongst the stars. Featuring gorgeous live music & movement, plus multisensory activities specifically designed for babies and their carers to enjoy together. Babies are accepted just as they are, and encouraged to listen, smell, touch and explore within this warm hug of a show. Snuggleplay is the supportive ‘village’ of our collective imagination, centred on connection, engagement and inclusion. This work responds to the need for early years cultural experiences that prioritise emotional safety, calm, and embodied interaction. Snuggleplay offers a unique artistic experience that sits outside conventional definitions of theatre, early childhood education or parent-and-baby classes.
Please note: This show is created only for caregivers and pre-walking babies aged 6 months to 15 months to give the safest experience for all. Please make alternative care arrangements for siblings.
PRESENTED BY: Sensorium Theatre
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Director & Concept – Michelle Hovane
Artist Provocateur & Choreographic Consultant – Alice Cummins
Musical Director & Composer – Thea Rossen
Co-Devisors: Michelle Hovane, Alice Cummins, Jacqui Otago, Thea Rossen, Kathleen Szalay
Dramaturgical consultant – Ella Hetherington
Design Co-ordination & additional dramaturgy – Francis Italiano
Set Designer – Sanjiva Margio
Costume Designer & Associate Designer (set & props) – Ellen Flatters
Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Performers: Thea Rossen, Michelle Hovane, Jacqui Otago, Kathleen Szalay, Gala Shevtsov
Production & Stage Manager – Wendi Graham
Professional Therapeutic Supervision (OT) – Annabel Poulsen
Developmental Therapist consultant – Holly Campbell
Producer & Audience Development – Lena John Gomez
Paper courtesy of Alice Cummins’ terra
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Middar Room
AGES: 0 – 2 yo
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOEIT
Time
Stellarphant by James Foleysat03oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space. Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no”
Event Details
Stella the elephant has one big dream: to become an astronaut. The only problem is that Space Command says elephants can’t go to space.
Every time Stella applies, she’s told “no” for a different reason, but she won’t give up. With courage, creativity and the help of some unexpected friends, she sets out to build her own spaceship and prove that anyone can reach for the stars.
Full of laughter, heart and imagination, Stellarphant takes audiences on a cosmic adventure about determination, equality and following your dreams. Based on the award-winning picture book by James Foley and adapted for the stage by Clare Testoni, this uplifting production reminds us that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
• Author – James Foley
• Adaptor – Clare Testoni
• Set & Costume Designer – Fiona Bruce
• Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
• Sound Designer & Composer – Amaru Zachariassen
• Video Designer – Roly Skender
• Director – Sam Longley
• Hannah Davidson as Stellarphant
• Tegan Mulvany as The Man, Panthera Tigre, Mrs Phant, Kirkey Eucalypt
• Laura Maitland as King, Professor Arborious, The Sheep, Mr Phant, Another Man, Big Boss
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
PERFORMANCE DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DNVMO
Time
Uptown Brownsat03oct10:00 am2:00 pm10:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed,
Event Details
Uptown Brown is a singing gentleman-adventurer performing a program of primitive 1920’s-1930’s jazz and blues on a self-invented one-man band. A wily mix of connivance and stuff from the shed, his contraption is built from cedar, leather and brass. Vocals & fingerpicked ukulele are amplified through old megaphones, mimicking the effect of a 78 record. A quality musical and roving act in the finest tradition of vaudeville and ragtime
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
‘Uptown’ Brown!
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 45 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-uptown-brown
Time
Boat of Faithsat03oct10:00 am2:20 pm10:00 am - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr
Event Details
Take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith, with Mr Curly at the helm. Ask the “direction finding duck” for directions, get caught in Mr Curly’s net of possibilities or be embraced by an angel. Inspired by the poetry and art of Michael Leunig.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-boat-of-faith
Time
Woven Wonderssat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as
Event Details
Woven Wonders is a relaxed, hands-on weaving space where festival-goers of all ages can discover the joy of creating with textiles. Drop in for a few minutes or stay as long as you like, exploring a colourful collection of fabric scraps, wool, yarn and natural fibres. Experiment with a range of looms—from simple sticks and cardboard to vintage wooden frames—and create anything from a small woven sample to a striking textile artwork. Take your creation home as a keepsake, or contribute it to a growing community weaving that celebrates creativity, connection and the collective spirit of the Awesome Arts Festival.
PRESENTED BY: Louise Snook
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Louise Snook – artist
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-woven-wonders
Time
Amazing Astro Animals - the Exhibitionsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space. Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies? Or
Event Details
James Foley’s brand-new non-fiction book, Amazing Astro Animals, tells the incredible true stories of animals who have been to space.
Did you know the very first astronauts were fruit flies?
Or that the first Earthlings to travel around the moon were tortoises and mealworms?
Or that the first fish in space was called a ‘mummichog’?
Learn more about intrepid animal astronauts in this free exhibition.
PRESENTED BY: James Foley and Fremantle Press
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
James Foley – local award-winning children’s author and illustrator
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-amazing-astro-animals-the-exhibition
Time
AWESOME Kids Marketssat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-awesome-kids-markets-perth
Time
Imagination Playgroundsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-imagination-playground-perth
Time
Kooky Finds Home - a sensory adventuresat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I
Event Details
Kaya! Welcome, my name is Kooky! Do you know what animal I am? That ‘s right! I am a Kookaburra! I would love to set up a home, but I often start dreaming of the sky and fly away before I remember the little details around me. Can you help me explore the space and find the delightful things, so I know where to come home?
This hub combines mindfulness, puppet-led storytelling, and nature-based sensory play. Families can join at any time and take part in a short guided sense play story session with Kooky followed by drawing a ‘map of home’ for Kooky and open-ended making. Caregivers would be co-participants for babies. The space is set-up with curated, native Australian flora to interact with. This hub is designed as a calm, gentle play space where children are invited to explore at their own pace and own way.
PRESENTED BY: Bronte Frances
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Studio Underground Foyer
AGES: Under 5
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-kooky-finds-home-a-sensory-adventure
Time
Little Impressionssat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest
Event Details
This year’s theme, ‘How can I make a difference?’, invites students across Western Australia to explore recycled art and to consider how sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact. By using everyday materials in new ways, students are encouraged to think creatively about sustainability and their role in caring for the world around them.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Foyer
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-little-impressions
Time
Skills and Thrills Circus Playsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome
Event Details
Have you ever dreamed of dazzling a crowd as a circus superstar? The fantastic Yip Yip Circus is back at the Festival, ready to teach you jaw-dropping tricks and awesome circus skills that will wow your family and friends!
PRESENTED BY: Yip Yip Circus
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-skills-and-thrills-circus-play
Time
Uptown Brown's Pinball Palacesat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies
Event Details
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21, ‘Uptown’ Brown! used his creative skills to build pinball machines to entertain his two young children. Although they look old-fashioned, they are not copies of antique machines but his own unique mix of Pinball and its older version, Bagatelle. The machines operate entirely by hand and are very hands-on and fun to play with. The steel balls roll through wooden twists, hitting brass bells and other obstacles, bringing joy to both children and adults.
PRESENTED BY: Uptown Brown
MAIN VENUE: State Theatre Centre of WA
ROOM: Courtyard
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-uptown-browns-pinball-palace
Time
Book Boogie - A Storytime Experiencesat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in
Event Details
Book Boogie is an immersive storytelling experience where children and families become the authors of their own adventures. Guided by two playful clown librarians, audiences discover that every book in the library has mysteriously lost its story. With only imaginative titles remaining, children are invited to fill the empty pages through drawing, writing, performance and creative play. Blending contemporary clowning, live theatre and hands-on making, Book Boogie transforms story time into a joyful, participatory experience that celebrates imagination, literacy and connection. Suitable for libraries, festivals, schools and community events, the work welcomes children of all ages and abilities, encouraging families to create together at their own pace. Premiering at Bondi Feast before seasons at Sydney Fringe Kids and the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, Book Boogie has delighted thousands of young storytellers by proving that sometimes the best stories are the ones waiting to be invented.
PRESENTED BY: Curly Fernandez
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Originally created by Sabrina D’Angelo & Curly Fernandez
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
AGES: 4 – 8 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-book-boogie-a-storytime-experience
Time
Storyteller in Residence: Glenn Swiftsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine
Event Details
Storyteller and host extraordinaire Glenn Swift invites you to The Story Hub: a warm, welcoming space for stories, books, rhymes and literary events at The Story Place on the mezzanine level of the State Library of Western Australia. Come and bask in the glorious glow of words as you listen, imagine, build and share stories inspired by some of your favourite books.
PRESENTED BY: Glenn Swift
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Story Place
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-storyteller-in-residence-glenn-swift
Time
A Perfect Citysat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like? Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit
Event Details
What would your perfect city look like?
Join artist Charlotte Meagher in this collaborative visual art experience where children and families work together to imagine, design and build a city fit for everyone. From homes and parks to transport, workplaces, and places to play, every brushstroke helps create a vibrant community inspired by young people’s ideas.
As the Festival unfolds, so too does the giant artwork, growing with each session into a colourful vision of creativity, connection, and possibility. Along the way, participants will explore big questions about how communities work and how we can shape kinder, happier neighbourhoods for the future.
Come and leave your mark on a one-of-a-kind artwork that celebrates imagination and collaboration.
PRESENTED BY: Charlotte Meagher
MAIN VENUE: WA Museum Boola Bardip
ROOM: Woodside Learning Studio
AGES: 5+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/perth/2026-a-perfect-city
Time
Artist in Residence | Nicholas Kirknesssat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness. Inspired by
Event Details
Returning to AWESOME International Arts Festival in 2026, DADAA is pleased to introduce another of the extraordinarily talented artists participating in its art studio and mentoring programs: Nicholas Kirkness.
Inspired by a lifelong passion for fishing, the water, and the rich biodiversity of Western Australia, Nicholas expresses his love of aquatic life through his creativity. Over the course of his creative development, Nicholas has amassed an impressive body of work, characterised by elaborate illustrations and ornate woodcarvings of the creatures he admires most. In a unique union of utility and art, Nicholas also crafts his own fishing lures, blending function with artistry and reflecting his hands-on relationship with his two greatest passions—creativity and the water.
You can find Nicholas at AWESOME International Arts Festival as this year’s Artist in Residence, where visitors are welcome to meet the artist, watch him work, and create some fishy art of their own.
PRESENTED BY: DADAA
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Nicholas Kirkness | Artist in Residence
Julie Barratt | DADAA Director Arts Strategy
Jemma Attwater | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Murray Willis | DADAA Arts Coordinator / Arts Worker
Miles Bettis | DADAA Arts Worker
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Gallery
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-artist-in-residence-nicholas-kirkness
Time
AWESOME Kids Marketssat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale
Event Details
The AWESOME Kids’ Markets are back! The next generation of local young creatives and entrepreneurs have been busy creating a vast array of homemade creations which they’ll have on sale throughout the Festival. Come along and check out all the glorious goods on offer.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-awesome-kids-markets-subiaco
Time
Experts Radio Labsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The
Event Details
Set within a fun, colourful, 80’s-style radio studio, Experts Radio Lab is a drop-in performance where young people are interviewed as the expert on a topic of their choice. The interactive performance is hosted by ‘born storyteller’, theatre-maker Alice Mary Cooper and an experienced team of performers. The interviews are shared live over a PA to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families, and curious onlookers in a specially designed listening zone. Commissioned by Imaginate for Family Encounters.
PRESENTED BY: Alice Mary Cooper & Company
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Alice Mary Cooper- Creator and Performer
Geraldine Heaney- Creative Collaborator
Val Reid- Designer
Gavin Mcabe- Sound Designer
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-experts-radio-lab
Time
Imagination Playgroundsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes,
Event Details
Using giant Imagination Playground blocks, children can build a new world every day of the Festival. This interactive activity is comprised of a wide variety of loose parts including cubes, bricks, cylinders, cogs and curves for children to move and transform a play space including imaginary houses, skyscrapers, ships or even animals. Imagination Playground is child-centred and encourages self-expression through play.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-imagination-playground-subiaco
Time
Love Makes a Family Hubsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to
Event Details
Every family looks different, and we want to celebrate yours! Join Lex Randolph in our artist-led collage hub and create an artwork of your own family, then add it to a growing community masterpiece that fills out over the festival. What is a family? Who’s in yours? What makes it different? Grab some glue, and help us build something that says: what unites us is our difference.
PRESENTED BY: Rainbow Families WA, Playgroups with Pride WA, Gay Dads, Pride WA
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-love-makes-a-family-hub
Time
Play in Processsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave,
Event Details
Step into a magical world where art, nature, and imagination come together. Mud Buddies: Play in Process is an immersive sensory play experience that invites children to paint, build, weave, discover, and create at their own pace. There are no instructions, no finished product, and no right or wrong way to play. Instead, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, experiment with a wide variety of open-ended materials, and help transform the space throughout the festival. Hidden surprises, collaborative artworks, and ever-changing installations ensure every visit feels a little different. Designed for children of all abilities, Play in Process celebrates creativity, exploration, and the joy of making, reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful art is found in the process, not the product.
PRESENTED BY: Mud Buddies Perth
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-play-in-process
Time
The Change Maker Tentsat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the
Event Details
Kids’ Voices Matter! You have big ideas, kind hearts and strong voices. When you speak up about what’s fair, what’s kind, or what needs fixing, grown-ups listen. That’s what the Change Maker Tent is all about – helping you to use your voice to make the world better.
Join us in a welcoming space to explore an important issue facing lots of West Aussies, you’ll find the tools to speak out against poverty in WA and join in a simple but powerful way to be part of the solution.
PRESENTED BY: No Place for Poverty
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
No Place for Poverty
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-change-maker-tent
Time
The Zine Factorysat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library. Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a
Event Details
Clock in at the Zine Factory! You’re invited to our drop-in, artist facilitated zine making workshop and pop-up library.
Join us in learning how to make your very own zine (a small, self-published, DIY magazine) with all materials provided. Zines can be about whatever you want, however you want – stories, art, food reviews, comics, or anything else on your mind. If it can go on a page, it can be in a zine. If you need some help, we’ll have local zine maker Sophie ready to help you out.
After you’re done, you’re welcome to photocopy your zine and donate it to our AWESOME Arts pop-up zine library.
This workshop is self-guided so you can come, stay and go as you please. All we need is you and your ideas.
PRESENTED BY: Sophie Minissale
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Sophie Minissale
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Studio
AGES: 7+
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-the-zine-factory
Time
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Areasat03oct10:00 am3:00 pm10:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from
Event Details
Turn waste into wonder! Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll craft a one-of-a-kind musical instrument from upcycled materials and take home a playable masterpiece.
Led by Dutch-Australian sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij, this lively session invites all ages to explore rhythm, resonance and creativity.
From plastic bottles and straws to broken instruments, everyday objects become the building blocks for new sonic creations. Whether you build a guitar, drum, kazoo, or dream up something entirely new, every participant walks away with their own self-made instrument.
PRESENTED BY: Jacob Plooij
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Jacob Plooij – violinist and sound artist
Paul Cleaver – workshop assistant
Jacob Plooij is a classically trained violinist who performs with musicians and ensembles across globe. A sound artist with a flair for blending traditional techniques with innovative ideas, Jacob is passionate about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. His vision for Upsound Instruments is rooted in collaboration and sustainability, inspiring participants to create playable musical instruments from materials that others may discard.
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Multipurpose Room
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: Open all day
Time
Indian Rhythmssat03oct10:30 am11:30 am10:30 am - 11:30 am(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
What happens when one musician becomes an entire band? Join composer and multi-instrumentalist Pavan Kumar for an interactive live looping experience where every beat, melody and harmony is created in
Event Details
What happens when one musician becomes an entire band? Join composer and multi-instrumentalist Pavan Kumar for an interactive live looping experience where every beat, melody and harmony is created in the moment. Starting with a single musical idea, Pavan builds rich, layered soundscapes using a keyboard and looping technology, revealing the magic of how music is made. Along the way, audiences will discover rhythms from around the world, hear unexpected sounds come to life, and even help shape the performance. Perfect for curious minds of all ages, this playful and immersive concert invites everyone to listen, imagine and experience the joy of creating music together—one loop at a time.
PRESENTED BY: Pavan Kumar Hari
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Pavan Kumar Hari
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Amphitheatre
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-indian-rhythms
Time
Clay Meelyu with Dr Holly Bradleysat03oct11:00 am12:00 pm11:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Join acclaimed Western Australian author and conservation biologist Dr Holly Bradley for a special Story Time featuring her beautiful picture book, Milly Meelyu. When Milly Meelyu’s family home is destroyed, the
Event Details
Join acclaimed Western Australian author and conservation biologist Dr Holly Bradley for a special Story Time featuring her beautiful picture book, Milly Meelyu.
When Milly Meelyu’s family home is destroyed, the little lizard must help find a new one, discovering along the way the importance of caring for the places we all call home.
Created in collaboration with Badimia Elder Darryl Fogarty and beautifully illustrated by Corinne Fogarty, Milly Meelyu is a dual-language picture book in English and Badimia that celebrates nature, conservation and guardianship.
Following the reading, Holly will share the inspiration behind the book and her work as a conservation biologist before answering questions from young readers. Participants can then join a workshop to learn about camouflage and make their own Meelyu creations to take home.
Perfect for children aged 3–8 and their families.
PRESENTED BY: Dr Holly Bradley
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Presented by Holly Bradley, story by Holly Bradley and Darryl Fogarty, illustrated by Corinne Fogarty
MAIN VENUE: State Library of WA
ROOM: Education Room
AGES: 3+
TICKETS: $10.00 per person
DURATION: 60 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOGVZ
Time
Walk of the Whales by Nick Blandsat03oct11:00 am2:00 pm11:00 am - 2:00 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young
Event Details
Whales leave the ocean and wander into Seaside, squeezing onto trains and taking over the swimming pool. At first, everyone is amazed. Then the mess starts. Amid the confusion, young Frida asks the one question no one else will: “Why did you leave the sea?” Based on Nick Bland’s much-loved book and adapted by Gita Bezard, Walk of the Whales is a magical play about friendship, home, and cleaning up the mess we’ve made.
PRESENTED BY: Barking Gecko Arts
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Barking Gecko Arts
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Main Theatre
AGES: 8+
TICKETS: $10 per person
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://www.trybooking.com/DOBRM
Time
Walken Story Timesat03oct11:30 am12:30 pm11:30 am - 12:30 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Gather in the Love Makes a Family Hub for a very special story time with author Manuao TeAotonga as he shares his beautiful picture book, Walken. A gentle celebration of love,
Event Details
Gather in the Love Makes a Family Hub for a very special story time with author Manuao TeAotonga as he shares his beautiful picture book, Walken.
A gentle celebration of love, identity and belonging, Walken explores the many different ways families are made with warmth, honesty and joy. Through storytelling and conversation, Manuao invites children and their grown-ups to celebrate kindness, connection and the importance of every child seeing their family reflected in the stories they read.
A heartfelt event for families of all kinds.
PRESENTED BY: Manuao TeAotonga
ARTISTS AND CREATORS:
Manuao TeAotonga
MAIN VENUE: Subiaco Arts Centre
ROOM: Front Lawn
AGES: 0 – 5 years
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 55 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/subiaco/2026-walken-story-time
Time
The Zebrassat03oct12:00 pm2:20 pm12:00 pm - 2:20 pm(GMT+08:00)
Event Details
Funky, fashionable and funny, The Zebras know how to get a party started. With their own groovy dance tracks, they create a sense of play and connection across age, culture
Event Details
Funky, fashionable and funny, The Zebras know how to get a party started. With their own groovy dance tracks, they create a sense of play and connection across age, culture and gender. Think bold stripes, wild dance moves and animals with serious style. They’re bringing the disco back to the streets, one hoof at a time.
PRESENTED BY: Born in a Taxi
MAIN VENUE: Yagan Square
ROOM: Yagan Square Mall
AGES: All ages
TICKETS: Free
DURATION: 40 mins
BOOK NOW: https://barkinggecko.com.au/awesome-festival/yagan-square/2026-the-zebras
Time
Event Details
Event Details
An evening of purpose and elegance
Step into the stunning BelleVue Ballroom at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre for a night that blends elegance with impact. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be immersed in an atmosphere of sophistication — think sparkling chandeliers, beautifully styled tables, and a room filled with people who share your commitment to making a difference.
Settle in for a stunning three-course dinner crafted to impress, paired with premium wines from Ampersand Estates and craft beers from Gage Roads Brew Co. served directly to your table throughout the evening.
Between courses, enjoy live music and entertainment that will keep the energy high and the dance floor calling. The evening also features both silent and live auctions with exclusive items and experiences you won’t find anywhere else — all with every dollar raised going directly toward brain cancer research and improved diagnosis and treatment initiatives.
Whether you’re catching up with friends, hosting clients, or joining for the first time, the Grey Matter Gala is a night where generosity meets celebration — and every guest plays a part in funding real progress.
Time
Location
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
21 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth WA 6000
November 2026
December 2026
January 2027
February 2027
March 2027
April 2027
May 2027
June 2027
July 2027
August 2027