Winner of best community event in Australia at the 2021 Australian Event Symposium, Coogee Live is confirmed for 11 and 12 March 2023 and will be held along Coogee Beach in the City of Cockburn.Anticipation is high after a long wait for Coogee Live to return after the 2022 event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
A program centred around community with the primal theme ‘radiate’ interwoven throughout, the free weekend festival is jam-packed and family-friendly with activities stretching along the coast from North Coogee to Coogee Beach Reserve.
Creation, connection, culture and community is at the core of Coogee Live and this year it’ll be celebrated in a symbolic Lantern Parade on Saturday, 11 March.
The Lantern Parade, a collaboration between LightnUp Inc and Hub 6163, will begin at 6.50pm at Omeo Park.
It will be led by fire provocateurs Dangerous Delights, with Taiko On drummers, Japanese flute and didgeridoo, arriving at 7.30pm at Coogee Beach Reserve.
Starting with a magical stage show, the union of fire and drums will lead the parade of lanterns, snaking its way along Coogee Beach with the light and driving beat beckoning the crowd to follow.
Lanterns handmade by local schools and community members, are a symbol of resilience, strength, and belief in the community. They will be carried in an enchanting procession aimed to inspire belief in ourselves, each other, and the wider community. Register online for the Make Believe Lantern Art session to create your own, ready for the parade.
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said Coogee Live was a proven success with locals and visitors.
“In 2021, Coogee Live attracted 25,000 people who participated or watched over 130 performances, activities, workshops and sessions,” Mayor Howlett said.
“We’re thrilled Coogee Live has been recognised nationally by taking the title of Best Community Event and it is the community and its wholehearted participation that has made it the success it is.
“This year’s program is again designed to bring different community groups together, with activities that foster inclusiveness, connection and a sense of belonging.
“It’s important to us at the City, that Coogee Live is free for everyone because it creates an opportunity to share a common experience, which then helps strengthen connections to ourselves and each other.”
“Coogee Live really is a fantastic weekend out. We invite you to experience the best place to be!”
Saturday night will be filled with musical inspiration. Grand Delusions, a band of musicians with vision impairment and acquired brain injury from VisAbility, will perform with an ensemble from the Perth Symphony Orchestra (PSO).
Established seven years ago, Grand Delusions is the brainchild of Manny Lee who lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa. When he lost his vision, Manny fell into a depression but when he picked up a guitar again, he recognised how much music meant to him. It now lifts the spirits of all the band members and their audiences.
PSO’s mission is ‘music for everyone’ and has set out to break the rules and challenge perceptions of symphonic concerts. The orchestra plays in places and spaces not usually associated with classical concerts and at Coogee Live, the collaboration with Grand Delusions will be as elevating as it is entertaining.
Budding artists or those who are yet to discover their talents can join Pinot and Piscasso Speed Painting. Or be inspired by Phil Doncon’s unique and energetic Paint Storm, a ‘live’ painting performance with music, drama and breakdancing. Participants can then pick up a brush and add to the giant canvas at Paint Storm Community Inclusion presented by Frasers Property Australia. There are four Art Jam art workshops daily, designed by art therapists as a tool for improving mental health and making connections.
The festival is divided into ‘hubs and worlds’, each with its own theme and activities.
Attracting a mystical kind of sea life is The Great Mermaid Migration, a magical gathering of mermaids. Check the times for the Mermaid Swim Up Selfies that will delight Instagrammers young and old.
From human-sized mermaids to small speedy crabs, join Merv’s Crazy Crabs and cheer on the tiny critters as they claw their way to victory.
At the northern end of Coogee Beach at Omeo Park, the LiveLighter Omeo Hub features live performances from Creative Performing Arts and The Dirty Stopouts. The Omeo Crafted Bar is a great place for a coldie and some tunes, all with a stunning view of the ocean. Add some fun competition and test your knowledge with quiz masters Bamboozled with prizes up for grabs.
Adjacent, interactive Ocean Kitchen Garden sessions on the lawn will include How to Read Your Dog, and Journey into Nature with Australian reptiles, bird and marine life.
This stage will again host the ultimate intergenerational baking competition, The Great Cake Off where bakers team up with someone from a different generation – a granny, uncle, neighbour or friend, to bake. The winning cake is judged on taste! More stage activities will be announced soon.
Further along towards Coogee Beach Jetty, the LiveLighter Community Hub includes the Makers Market, Tiny Tina’s Tent, a place for children of all ages to chill, listen to music, and colour-in, and a Constable Carepuppet show.
There’s a chance to discover your own ancient Egyptian star sign and learn corresponding dance moves at Intro to Egyptian Astrology or move those hips in an all-ages hoola hoop class with Miss Gail Force. See the energetic Coogee Folklore Dance team will teach dances from regions of former Yugoslavia, the Mad Tatters Morris, a 500-year-old English tradition of performance in colourful tatter coats, belly dancing from Soul Sista Tribe and a vintage-style circus show from Fliptease trio Leaping Lillies.
A festival highlight is the Colours of Coogee Showcase at the LiveLighter Community Hub stage with performances from the area’s many cultural groups from Highland Dancing to Spanish Flamenco, as well as Croatian, Serbian, Russian and Chinese cultural performances.
At the Beach Zone keep an eye out for mystical mermaids, start the day learning to stand up paddleboard with Perth SUP school, join a barefoot Flamenco class, be enthralled with tall tales of pirate adventures, move to the beat of the Akwaaba African drums, and have a crack at the sandcastle competition.
Coogee Live is totally free.
For more information, visit www.coogeelive.com and follow Coogee Live on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/
