The Commonwealth Festival Perth 2011 is a Western Australian Government funded initiative, staged alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), featuring events showcasing the diversity of Western Australia and also celebrating the people and cultures of the Commonwealth.
The eight-day festival was held 23 to 30 October 2011 in Perth, Western Australia. A key feature of the Festival was the People's Space, which was located in the Perth Cultural Centre. The People's Space featured an outdoor biodiversity exhibition, an outdoor exhibition of the Royal Commonwealth Society Photographic Awards, a community stage with performances by many Perth bands including the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, a free film program, a Speaker's Corner and the event Eating the Archives.
The Festival began with an Opening Celebration, on 23 October 2011 in Stirling Gardens. The free concert featured Melbourne-based physical theatre group Strange Fruit and Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain.
The Festival concluded with the Festival Finale, a free concert in Sir James Mitchell Park. The concert featured The Bombay Royale, afro-soul singer Ringo Madlingozi and Capercaillie. Dan Sultan was scheduled to play but was cancelled due to the grounding of the Qantas fleet. The Village Vibes Marimbas replaced Dan Sultan.
Key supporters of the festival are the Department of Culture and the Arts and Lotterywest.
History
The Commonwealth Festival was announced on 15 March 2011 in a joint statement by Premier Colin Barnett and Minister for Culture and the Arts John Day. The Festival program was launched on 7 September 2011.