This October, Western Australia will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2011). Leaders from more than 50 countries will meet to discuss global and Commonwealth issues such as international peace and security, health, the environment and democracy.
Over 4,000 visitors are expected in Perth for CHOGM 2011, including Presidents and Prime Ministers, their foreign ministers, key business people, journalists, and community and youth leaders.
The WA Government is supporting the Australian Government CHOGM 2011 Taskforce with the provision of key services including event security, health and emergency services and traffic management. The State Government is also planning a number of artistic, cultural and sporting events to coincide with CHOGM 2011.
An eight-day $2.45million arts and culture festival will be staged from 23 to 30 October to coincide with CHOGM. The Department of Culture and the Arts has contracted Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) to present the Commonwealth Festival, Perth 2011, which is supported by $1.45million from Lotterywest and $1million from the State Government. PIAF has retained its former artistic director, Shelagh Magadza, to program the festival.
The Festival will provide impressive free family activities for the WA community, and will also showcase Perth to visiting CHOGM delegates and media.
From 26 to 29 October, the Perth Cultural Centre will become the ‘Peoples Space’. The general public will be invited to participate in Commonwealth-themed events and activities, such as concerts, displays, exhibitions and speeches.
Programming for the Festival is still in development but it is hoped to include:
- a major street theatre event
- an Indigenous program comprising several landmark Indigenous art exhibitions and activities
- events built on the participation of the community - representing and celebrating WA’s diversity, particularly with communities linked to Commonwealth countries
- a film festival involving free outdoor city screenings of films from Commonwealth countries, and an online short film project
- a photography project involving an open air exhibition of award-winning photographs in the Cultural Centre
- a world music closing concert on Sunday 30 October with headline acts from Australia and the Commonwealth.
CHOGM 2011 will be preceded by a number of parallel events including the Commonwealth Business Forum, Commonwealth Youth Forum and Commonwealth People’s Forum.
For more information on CHOGM visit the CHOGM 2011 website or the State Government’s CHOGM page.
Visit the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia's website for more information about the Schools CHOGM Program.
