The western suburbs’ contemporary arts festival is back.
The 10th biennial Big West Festival will be taking over venues, cultural sites and suburban streets from November 20.
Festival director Marcia Ferguson says a key theme for this year’s multi-artform festival is housing.
“There are questions around housing coming from gentrification and people moving out of the area from rising costs – but also things like the role of domestic violence in breaking down families,” she said.
Organisers have even been building a relocatable house that will be used as this year’s festival hub and later turned into emergency housing.
“We want the festival to be full of beautiful and gorgeous and funny and moving art but also to leave a legacy,” she said.
A number of the artworks being created for the festival will explore the housing theme, including a theatre work created for the opening weekend and directed by Jessica Wilson.
Dwelling will use animated projection, physical performance and special effects to explore women’s homelessness. Children and guitarists are being sought to take part in the performance.
The full Big West program will be released on October 7. Anyone interested in volunteering should phone 9689 4800 or email amber@bigwest.com.au.
