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Festival of PerthPerth. Wntefl Australia. will celebrate Us Tenth Anniversary Festival of the Arts between 1st January and I7lh February. 1962. The Festival Is conducted by a Committee which lias very strong links with the University of Western Australia—In fact, in the linal analysis the I diversity U the sponsurlnK body despite the fact that the Festival of Perth Committee runs on’ autonomous Hoes.It i-s interfiling to note that the University of Western Australia is the only University in the Commonwealth which conducts a Festival of this nature and on such a scale The Sydney University has its Film Festival and other Universities, mostly through their student bodies, run smaller Festivals, but nowhere else in Australia or. for that matter, probably in the British Commonwealth, will there he found a University which conducts an undertaking of this nature.The first Festival took place in the summer of 1953. Perth is singularly endowed with superb weather in its summer months, and during January and February rain is a rarity. People there lake full advantage of the gifts of nature and urrnnge tbeir lives mostly out-of-doors. Famous Western Australian beaches are thronged by the multitudes both during the daytime and at night. Beer gardens in suburban hotels arc full to capacity and outdoor theatre and outdoor music arc exceptionally popular The University itself has two magnificent open-air ■ theatres, one known as the Sunken Garden which is a gem and u great attraction to tourists. and the other known as the Somerville Auditorium which is set in a magnificent cathedral of Norfolk pines.Originally the Festival util--ised these two theatres only,1 and the Sunken Garden has become the famous place in which producers and actors use their ingenuity when presenting play* in the open. In the Auditorium symphony concerts and( films hhvc been presented.. With the phenomenul growth-of the Festival over the last-ten years the University still; provides the setting for major actiyities. but the Festival has now spread far and wide and.' has invaded the City of Perth as well. The Festival of Perth has become a cultural Mecca in what is normally known as the Silly Season as far as the Arts arc toncsrncd (conventional theatre and conventional celebrity concerts usually occurring mostly during the winter months).The organisers of the Festival are prodd of the fact that the uniqueness both of thg Perth climate and the open-ait theatres has made a powerful impact on the cultural life of the Western Australian community and. indeed, in the Commonwealth. . More aod more visitors come to Perth to combine a holiday with attendance* at the Festival. From an attendance of a few thousands at the first two Festivals the number have now grown to a point where a very substantial section of the community becomes involved. It is quite an experience to witness a play for which the stage is a green velvety carpet of grass and the ceiling is a deep blue sky-or to listen to a symphony concert or watch an opera under the stars.For the coming Festival of Perth, tremendous effort it being put into the presentation, bv the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Ttust In conjunction with the Festival Committee, in the Somerville Auditorium, of Verdi's opera “La Ttaviata and it is hoped that this will become the most popular single attraction in the Festival. The celebrated Uruguayan soprano. Ana Raquel Salre. distinguished singers from all over the Commonwealth, the full West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the production of Stefan Haag, should provide one of the principal magnets in the IW2 Festival.The programme of the Festival is both rich and varied. It caters for practically every taste. Musk will range from jazz to symphony coocerts, from a solo recital by the distinguished Chinese - American pianist Fou Ts’ong to Chamber music by Jiri Tancibudek and the Glickmnn____String Trio. Mr.Fou Ts'ong will com* fromNcw *lt;■*• «»» coP-kcUTMbr H, INI Nilof ihc symphony concert'. John Hopkins, will come from London.The University Literary Society will present an evening devoted to Australian poetry, which has become very popular with Perth audiences.Flight nations will be represented in the International Film Festival which forms part ol the Festival of Penh, the films coming from:—• The United States oi America (SHADOWS”);India (THE WORLD Ol APU);• Sweden (THE VIRGIN SPRING);■ France/Japan (HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR);- Italy r'L’AVVENTURA);• U.S.S.R. (THE QUEEN OF SPADES’—opera);• France (' LUNCH ON THE GRASS’);• Germany (“ARENT WE WONDERFUL?).Art will play a prominent part. too. The Festival organ-jiers have provided for special art prizes of 150 guineas for paintings in any medium, thus breaking away from the conventional arrangement of giving pride of place to oils only.Composers throughout Australasia have been invited to participate in a competition for a fanfare, for which the Committee has offered a prize of £.25.Children throughout the State arc involved in the Festival by way of an exhibition of paintings and drawing* *pn the theme Our Stale: WHat I like in |t. The Committee hopes that up to 1,000 paintings and drawings will be hung in the Western Australia^ 'Gallery as u result of thifCon* . petition. . rjic distinguished Australian .painter, Dpnald Friend, who now resides in Ceylon, is sending a collection | of his paintings especially foe the Festival. Other exhibitions include furniture of Norwegian and Danish design, and a magnificent display of books arranged bv The British Council.In arama, apart from tnc visit by the Old Vk with Miss Vivien Leigh (incidentally, the Old Vic's hrst flight on 1st January will mark the official opening of the Festival) there will be two exciting productions in the Sunken Garden. Miss Leigh, by Ihc way. has kindly agreed to open Donald Friend’s cxhiibtion oh 8th January. Last but not' teasf, (fee very distinguished British M-ress. Dame Sybil Thorodikc. will present a scries 6f four recitals diving theApart from children's participation in the Festival as mentioned above, in iu. efforts to embrace the entire cotnrauiyjy in the Festival the Commtttdc has marked another milestone by arranginK a specflU Children's Film Festival within the Festival. The vehkle for this purpose will be a series of i. Arthur Rank Alms which till be screened throughout 4be Festival (which, happily, coincides with the school holidays). The children are being enrolled in a Junior Festival Club. to give them a form of identity within the Festival.Penh people arc proud of their Festival and this interest reflects in a very substantial and ever-increasing coverage given by the local press as well as by newspapers in other States. The man in the street is aware of the Festival ■ because something is provided for him, and on the Perth.Esplanade just at the foot of the city, flanked by the Swan River. there will be lunch-hour concerts by a Military Band.The Festival will have it* grand finale in the open air again, in the Supreme Court Gardens, one of the landmarks on the edge of the River, in the City of Perth, and a night of pageantry and music U planned. Perth people and visitors will be asked to come in fancy costume and to dance and revel to the continuous playing of jazz bands.The Festival b made possible by the very generous contributions, in money and in
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Beverley Times
Beverley, Western Australia, AU
Fri, Dec 22, 1961
Page 9
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AU 09 Sep 2023
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