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Arts & Culture
It may not seem likely from the outside, but stepping inside the ground floor of 20 Kalinda Drive, the site of the former City Beach High School, visitors are immediately whisked away to a little piece of Japan. With tatami mats, shoji screens, Japanese dolls, and sake barrels on view, it is easy to believe that the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre office is actually located somewhere in downtown Kobe rather than coastal Perth.
Established in 1992 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the thriving Sister-State relationship between Hyogo Prefecture and Western Australia, the Cultural Centre is fully funded by Hyogo Prefectural Government in an aim to promote awareness of the Sister State relationship, act as a bridge of communication between Hyogo and WA, and support Japanese language and culture education in WA.
Now is a good opportunity to catch an event or two at the Perth International Arts Festival (Perth Festival) before it comes to a close in April.
The Festival is something of an institution in Perth, and is acknowledged for being one of the longest running annual arts festivals in the Southern Hemisphere. I remember attending events in its infancy, and it has continued to grow in popularity over the years.
One of my favourite activities during the summer is to pack a picnic dinner and catch an outdoor movie at the Lotterywest Festival Films, which is a part of the Festival of Perth.
This section of Perth Walkabout is dedicated to places that have an arts and cultural focus, including places where the community can appreciate the beauty of different art forms, take advantage of roving arts exhibitions that visit Perth, and learn a hundred and one fascinating facts and more.
To paraphrase Kermit the Frog, it’s not that easy being geeky. But if you’re new to Perth... or you’ve just developed an interest in speculative fiction or anime or tabletop games that your friends don’t quite get, never fear – there are places for you.
Specialist Shopping in the CBD
These shops are easily accessible in the city so you can live long and prosper (and pick up some cool stuff) today!
If you’re looking for science fiction and fantasy books, it’s hard to go past White Dwarf Books and Fantastic Planet.
If you are looking to feed your mind or nourish your soul, the State Library of Western Australia has more on offer than just books.
Situated at the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge, the library is home to over half a million books, but dig deeper and there’s even more treasures to find.
The Western Australian Museum is set in the heart of the Perth Cultural Precinct and is well worth a visit. It has an amazing range of collections to view covering archaeology, ecology and anthropology amongst many other interesting themes. The themes also change frequently to include visiting exhibits from other locations.
Whether you are a lover of all things historical or prefer the contemporary in life, a place to visit in Perth that will satisfy both fancies is the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
Situated in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge, this cutting-edge contemporary arts institute is housed in an iconic heritage building dating back to the late 1800s. That’s a pretty interesting mix.
PICA is in good company and has as its neighbours the State Library of Western Australia, the Western Australia Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. For visitors to Perth wanting to tap into some Australian art and culture, this area of Northbridge is definitely a great place to start.
