Melville Storylines is a buffet of free and paid events featuring local talent front-and-centre.

Presented by the City of Melville, the program is an invitation to discover that we all have a story to tell. Seesaw Mag’s here to help you navigate your way through Melville Storylines’ diverse array of performances, workshops, book launches, conversations and more.

Special events

Ngala Bidi Wongi Boodjar – Our Paths Talking Country
@ Goolagatup Heathcote, 29 October – 6 November

This exhibition of artworks created by Noongar elders and their families is the beginning of a beautiful reconnection with Melville’s Aboriginal placenames.

It comes after months of community consultation and cultural mapping in partnership with the Community Arts Network and Moodjar Consultancy, based on the idea that every Noongar placename is a sentence often describing a place’s meaning.

You can catch the exhibition when it officially opens on Saturday 29 October! More info

Pardēs by Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa
Online until 31 October

Perth poet Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa lends her voice to the festival lineup with a commissioned poem musing over the Punjabi influences which have coloured her childhood growing up in Leeming.

Taking its title from the Sanskrit word meaning “foreign country”, it’s a poem peppered with spicy cultural references in the characteristic flavour which saw her take home the title of Best Newcomer at the 2020 Performing Arts WA Awards for her theatre debut of Fully Sikh.

Fans will be glad to know her witty commentary has not gone anywhere with this narrated poem, available for listening on the Melville Storylines website all month! More info

Books

Phoenix Rising – From Terror Victim to Burn Survivor
@ Civic Square Library, 6 October

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the history-defining 2002 Bali Bombings, which claimed the lives of 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Two decades on, the wounds still run deep, as survivor Antony Svilicich reveals in his new book. Join the new author as he shares the details of how he escaped the ruins of the Sari Club and survived burns to 60 per cent of his body. Determined to reclaim his narrative, Svilicich’s story is one marked by hope, courage and resilience. More info

The Castaways of Harewood Hall
@ Bull Creek Library, 27 October

Lovers of crime and mischief can expect to be indulged by this free evening book launch with West Australian author Karen Herbert as she shares her latest novel.

A year after her novel writing debut, Herbert returns with a light-hearted contagion story exploring the shenanigans that can abound within the walls of a cosy retirement home. Described by Books + Publishing as “gentle intrigue”, it’s a softer divergence from her initial thriller The River Mouth.

More info

Music & Visual Art

Walkies Map Making with Amy Perejuan-Capone
@ Mandoon Helena House, 8 October

If tactile adventure is your preferred entertainment, Amy Perejuan-Capone has the perfect pair of workshops for you!

Channelling her love of place-specific subjects and things, the WA artist turns her fixation to all things pup-related in two hands-on activity sessions designed to be accessible, friendly and welcoming. How far do your dog walking adventures take you through your neighbourhood? Dive into the fun of mapmaking to find out, or try your hand at crafting a slab of clay into a portrait of your dog. All are welcomed!

Two sessions available 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM; 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.

Stories in Song with David Milroy + Lucky Oceans
@ Willagee Backyard, 21 October

What better way to share a story than through gentle crooning under a sky full of stars?

Acclaimed Yindjibarndi and Palku playwright David Milroy joins forces with the Grammy Award-winning steel pedal guitarist Lucky Oceans for a night filled with songs, personal stories and conversation.

For $25 a ticket, the duo will unpack the idea of stories in song in a one-night-only special they promise will uplift and warm hearts through the twilight hours.

The exclusive location is revealed only to ticket holders, so jump online to book if a night cloaked by stars sounds like your cup of tea! More info