Adventures of the Home Run Swim Team: Awesome 2011 International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things

"The Lunchbox Project" at the State Library

Silka's lunchbox

Rein's lunchbox

lunchbox wall

After breakfast last Saturday, we started talking about what we would like to do that day. Tom suggested that we drive up to the north end of Perth and go for a hike along the beach with a picnic lunch. Well, Rein, Silka and I looked at him with very little enthusiasm for such an activity. The kids wanted to stay closer to home and I was craving a bit of a more urban experience. I hopped onto the internet to see what was happening in Perth and I came across the "Awesome 2011 International Arts Festival for Bright Young Minds" (www.awesomearts.com). The kids and I decided this was more up our alley... Tom headed off up north to the beach and we packed a picnic lunch, got on our bikes and started riding towards downtown. We had a great day. We started off by stopping at the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge where we checked out "The Lunch Box Project" (www.lunchboxproject.com.au). The kids sat down and wrote about their lunchboxes or more like what they wish their lunch boxes looked like and what magic they could do. They take all the stories and place them in a lunch box at the site and then post them on the website later. You can go in and add your story - good or bad! It was fun. We then sat by the Perth Art Gallery and ate our picnic lunch. We then headed off to the Murray Street Mall in downtown Perth where they had other activities going on. We had a great time in the "Sticky Maze" sticking newspaper to walls of packing tape. At one point one of the "guides" with big noses announced to Rein and Silka that this was the way out while pointing in a certain direction. They went that way only to find themselves at a dead end where the "guide" proceeded to tape them in and then throw newspaper strips on top of them.

Silka adding newspaper to the Sticky Maze

Master of the Sticky Maze

They also had a tent where the kids could make their own books and have them "published". They would make a copy of it and place it in the book rack for others to enjoy and then the kids would get a copy to take home. Silka made a book of Sparkle Art - Rein wasn't so interested. We went and checked out "Re)stretch" - a huge harp made out of fine shearing elastic under tension that stretched from wall to wall. You can walk into it and it will make different sounds. We then ate some gelato and then went to see "Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones" - a shadow puppet show put on by Mr. Bunk, a Montreal Canadian. It was fantastic and the kids just loved it. If he ever comes your way, you have to check it out.
This Thursday night we are going to take a picnic to the Perth Cultural Centre and watch Mia and the Migoo on the outdoor screen.