4 January 2019

Planting the seeds for change

Perth Festival is inspiring schoolchildren, communities and festival goers to make a positive and lasting impact on the environment through the Seeds of Change and Boodja Djena: Ground Beneath Our Feet programs.

The 66th Perth Festival this year opens with the awe-inspiring Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak, returning to once again transform King’s Park into a nocturnal wonderland over four nights from 8-11 February 2019.

Boorna Waanginy sees visitors immersed in a 1.5km walk through a kaleidoscopic stream of 3D projections, animation, sound and lighting effects celebrating Western Australia’s unique environment and indigenous culture. Boorna Waanginy culminates in a major light installation of more than 2,400 ‘seedpod’ paper lanterns representing endangered native species, handmade by thousands of schoolchildren who pledged to protect the native species they studied through the Seeds of Change program.

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Tansy and Dominique from Spearwood Alternative School with paper lanterns for Seeds of Change.

The unique Boodja Djena: Ground Beneath Our Feet project encourages people to take local action by working with councils, schools, workplaces, community centres and neighbours to enact positive change. Ideas include planting native gardens, clearing littered sites, weeding infested bushland and creating a vibrant biodiverse verge.

Lotterywest CEO Susan Hunt congratulated Perth Festival on their forward thinking to create lasting change for our environment.

“Bringing programs like these together as part of the Perth Festival cleverly connects the arts with the environment, educating and inspiring our youth and community,” Ms Hunt said.

“With the entire community engaged and doing small things to make difference, together we can see big results.”

By playing Lotterywest games you’re contributing to what makes Western Australian a great place to live, and thanks to you, Lotterywest has provided Perth Festival with more than $122 million since 1992 to run programs just like this.

Lotterywest is State Government owned and operated where all profits from the sale of Lotterywest games go to supporting the community, cultural events, the arts, the community sector, our heritage and environment, and many more projects to support the community of Western Australia.

Read more about Boorna Waanginy and the Seeds of Change and Boodja Djena: Ground Beneath Our Feet programs.

Tile image: Kiara and Allegra from Penrhos College with the reusable shopping bags they made to raise money for Perth Zoo's turtle breeding program.

Kiara and Allegra from Penrhos College with the reusable shopping bags they made to raise money for Perth Zoo's turtle breeding program. Kiara and Allegra from Penrhos College with the reusable shopping bags they made to raise money for Perth Zoo's turtle breeding program.