20 August
Exhibition
20th to 30th of august 2026
10 Nights in Port
1
O
Nights
In Port
WALYALUP FREMANTLE FESTIVAL
Hero artwork created by
Ten nights, one port city
10 Nights in Port | Walyalup Fremantle Festival is an annual celebration of arts, music, performance and community. For ten nights, the port city hosts a vibrant program of events and entertainment for all ages. Known by several names throughout its long history, 10 Nights in Port is widely recognised as one of Australia’s oldest recorded festivals, reflecting the evolving story of Fremantle and its people.
THIS WINTER
Events
Daily between Aug 20-30
Exhibition
In our hands, we hold
Driven by artists whose practices centre on weaving as the physical object, by using traditional methods or materials and artists who explore weaving as an intangible idea and metaphor, these portals, baskets, and vessels are shaped by the subjectivity and truth-telling of the artists. Knowledge shared and moments of coming together, In our hands, we hold makes space for the ancient, embodied and contemporary stories and practices that become interwoven. Foregrounding the work of First Nations women, the exhibition extends to artists who share a relationship to ancestral stories and recent family histories. Objects and presented practices speak to generosity and understandings of time that are constantly in flux and motion, referring to artist knowledges and processes, ways of understanding the world and shaping our place in it. The exhibition brings together new work by artists Lorraine Connelly-Northey (Waradgerie), Sharyn Egan (Whadjuk Nyoongar), Brett Nannup (Noongar artist with ancestral ties to the Binjareb and Wilman peoples), James Nguyen and Clare Peake, as well as works by Mabel Juli (Gija), Chantal Fraser, Beverly Thompson (Yamatji) and Katie West (Yindjibarndi).
Daily between Aug 20-30
Exhibition
Nullians
Nullians is a satirical exhibition by Noongar artist Kamsani Bin Salleh that examines the ideologies underpinning Australia as an extraction colony. Through comic-style illustrations, Bin Salleh explores complex histories of colonisation, identity and power with humour, wit and disarming simplicity. The exhibition centres on the Nullians—formless, expressive characters whose name references the colonial fiction of “land belonging to no one.” These figures are simultaneously no one and everyone: the artist and the observer, the First Nations person and the settler, the coloniser and the colonised, the status quo and those pushed to its margins. Through their conversations, they invite audiences to question inherited narratives and consider the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Originally created out of necessity to articulate the artist’s perspective, the Nullians first appeared as drawings on discarded paper, receipts and tissues before finding an audience through social media. These self-published works have since gained national recognition, with selections exhibited alongside Australia’s leading political cartoonists at the Museum of Australian Democracy. Using humour as a vehicle for difficult conversations, Nullians navigates subjects ranging from everyday microaggressions to genocide, weaving together historical events and contemporary popular culture. The result is a body of work that makes challenging ideas accessible while prompting reflection on Australia’s past and present.
Daily between Aug 22-28
Storytelling
Chin Wagon | Map of Memories
Every place is shaped by the stories people leave behind. Join celebrated storyteller Andrea Gibbs as she sets up her Chin Wagon in locations across Walyalup, inviting locals and visitors alike to share their memories of Fremantle—whether they’re funny, heartfelt, unexpected or deeply personal. These conversations will become part of the Map of Memories, a growing digital archive celebrating the people, places and moments that make this port city so unique. Together, they create a living portrait of Walyalup, woven from the voices of its community.
29 August
Workshop
Devising with Myth & Folklore Workshop
Who Is It For? This workshop is open to people of all ages. We recommend anyone under the age of 16 attends with an older family member. If you are interested in storytelling, myth and folklore, live performance, or are even just a little curious about the arts, then this workshop is for you! What’s It All About? This workshop explores ways of taking a story off the page and finding ways to present it live. Participants will work with two stories: La Voladora (Flying Woman) from Chilean folklore and Yedua from Jewish mythology. It includes playing with the voice and body, understanding narrative structure, and ways for developing confidence with performing! The session will look a little like this: Fun Icebreaker and Improvisation Activities Breaking Down a Text Finding and interpreting the meaning or essence of a story Identifying key themes, ideas, and literary devices Physicalization of Humans, Creatures, and Concepts Gentle warming up of the body through games and ensemble activities Playing with Voice and Body to create character including gesture and repetition Putting Words on Stage Stagecraft – strong and weak positions on stage, composition of space Staging key moments through tableaux (frozen images) What do I need to bring? Participants should come in comfortable clothes and bring water bottles. Paper and pens will be provided.
10 NIGHTS IN PORT 2025
Moments from the port
