Perth Festival’s most dynamic creative artists unpack the hard topics at Summit

Join some of the most compelling creative minds at this year’s Perth Festival for the debut of Summit at The Embassy. Expect thought-provoking storytelling in the heart of the city on Sat 22 Feb, when five sessions of panels and performances unpack the most important cultural topics of our time. This Pay What You Can event welcomes audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the five Summit sessions throughout the day and into the night, with the following sessions on offer:

Joy as Resistance | 1.30pm, 75 mins

Delving into the ways communities harness joy as a tool for survival, solidarity and transformation. Join visual arts curator Michelle Broun as she leads a discussion on creating joy in moments of protest and resistance. From grassroots organising to intergenerational solidarity, this session celebrates the resilience and creativity that fuels movements for change.

Reflect on this connection alongside actor, photographer and podcaster Crispian Chan, playwriter and theatre maker Barbara Hostalek, photographer Cole Baxter and Festival Director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts Natalie Hennedige.

Repatriation and Rebellious Objects | 3.15pm, 75 mins

Exploring the ways in which objects themselves have survived and rebelled against colonial histories. Hosted by writer, author and columnist Sisonke Msimang, this conversation explores how cultural objects transcend their physicality to embody resilience and identity. Michelle Broun returns to the Summit stage with anthropologist and researcher Laibor Kalanga Moko and ceramicist Shupiwe Chongwe, to discuss the dynamic role objects play in resisting erasure and preserving culture. Crisis,

Restoration, Contradictions | 5pm, 75 mins

Breaking down the urgent realities of river care, with a focus on the impacts of climate change on water ways like the Derbarl Yerrigan.

Dive deep into the practice of care for our rivers in the face of escalating environmental crisis. This session also reflects on how communities can breathe life into meaningful action for the benefit of future generations. Speakers to be announced soon.

Money Where Your Mouth Is | 6.45pm, 75 mins

Exploring food sustainability and the deeply powerful ways in which communities relate to food. An evening focusing on the intersection of art, culture and food practices, starting with Boorloo Contem porary project Killa: Pindan To Plate.

The curatorial team of Killa (Chad Creighton and Emilia Galatis) are joined by food journalist Max Veen huyzen and Perth Festival producer Katherine Wilkinson, as the conversation stretches from saltwater food traditions in the West Kimberley to other diverse cultural traditions from across the world.

HEAVY CROSS | 9.15pm, 45 mins

A performance lecture exploring queer histories and politics. Closing out the night at Summit, join creatives Tristan Meecham, Artistic Director of All The Queens Men, and Willoh Weiland, artist, writer and curator. Part manifesto, part performance lecture, part dance floor; the session celebrates queer histories of surviving, thriving, and loving against the odds, to dance through the despair.

Perth Festival Artistic Director Anna Reece says that the inaugural Summit will be an unmissable event for anyone curious about the deeper power of storytelling.

Summit is where ideas collide, perspectives shift, and urgent conversations take centre stage. It’s a day to challenge the status quo, to ask the big questions, and to engage with the thinkers, creators, and agitators shaping our world. In a time of noise and division, Summit is a space for real dialogue, deep listening, and bold ideas that matter. I can’t wait to see the sparks fly at this year’s Perth Festival.

The City of Perth has made Summit at The Embassy possible as our City Events Partner for both
Summit and The Embassy.

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Season Details

Venue: The Embassy
Date: 22 Feb 2025

For more information click Here