LIFESTYLE & CULTURE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Colourful cows to descend on capital city

Perth will welcome 40 life-size designer cows and a cheese festival in a new community event, forming part of the largest and most successful public art program in the world. In November, 40 cows will descend on Perth to feature in the CowParade Perth festival. The life-sized, fiberglass cows will be painted and styled by celebrated local artists and fashion designers, who will join the likes of Romero Britto, Kate Spade, Vivienne Westwood, Radiohead and Christian Lacroix, who have donated their time and decorated a cow for previous parades. The cows will be exhibited for six week at shopping malls, parks and iconic buildings and precincts in Perth city. Complementing theCowParade is the inaugural and highly anticipated festival of cheese, Festival Fromage which will be held at Perth Town Hall from November 11 to 14, 2016.

Capture the Bell Tower's best angle

The Bell Tower's annual photographic competition will return again this year, giving WA's non-professional photographers the chance to enter and win some fantastic prizes, including Canon DSLR cameras and a $200 voucher for Shoot Photography Workshops. For the sixth annual competition, the Bell Tower is asking people to show their photographic expression of the Bell Tower 'experience', with entries closing on September 30, 2016. Further details available at thebelltower.com.au.

WA feature film to debut at major film festival

A local West Australian's debut feature film has been selected to screen at the Venice International Film Festival (VIFF) – one of the top three international festivals in the world. Ben Young's Hounds of Love is one of the first feature films to be developed, filmed and post-produced entirely in WA. The film has attracted international recognition when it was pitched at the European Film Market in Berlin last year, and its selection for VIFF is a coup for the local film industry and a testament to WA talent.

Carnivale to kick off Rottnest's summer season

Rottnest Island Carnivale will return for another year in celebration of the island's summer season. The October 29 event will be full of free entertainment and activities for all to enjoy, including live music performances, face painters, a treasure hunt, silent disco, and an outdoor cinema screening. Special ferry tickets are available for purchase, including afternoon and late night ferries for those wishing to attend evening entertainment.

Festival of India coming to Perth

Australia's biggest showcase of Indian art and culture is coming to Perth from September 26. The 10-week Confluence Festival of India will promote tourism, migration and culture between the two countries. As part of the festival, a major art installation, the Borderless Gandhi Project, will have its world premiere in Perth on October 2. The Confluence Festival will feature at a range of venues across the city, including Elizabeth Quay, Perth Concert Hall, His Majesty's Theatre and the State Theatre Centre.