Ceremonial sauna rituals, a potluck feast and cabaret are some of the acts set to grace Fremantle this winter at the 10 Nights in Port festival. More than 15 installations which champion homegrown artists will take over the port city from August 15 to 25, including an exhibition from Nyoongar and Wadjala artists that showcase the Indigenous six seasons. Six Seasons Gathering is a collaborative project bringing together seasonal food and resources from the Walyalup Bilya area.
Multiple artists collected materials typical from a single season — including snakeskin, feathers or taxidermied specimens — to create an educational installation. Artist Turid Calgaret said the project — which launched in 2023 — had overwhelmingly received positive feedback. “People are really keen to learn more and engage with First Nations people to learn more about the culture,” she said.
Calgaret said she hoped the project would eventually become a tool in WA schools to teach kids about the Aboriginal seasons. “The kids will get to learn about what’s available during that season and what the First Nations people actually ate and what they utilised, which I think is amazing,” she said. “(It could be) another avenue in educating the wider community.
” Also expected at the festival is local drag superstar Cougar Morrison — presenting CaberGAY, which will bring together cabaret, theatre, circus and kink. A potluck event will also invite people to bring a plate and share a connecti.