The Fremantle Carnevale is getting ready for it’s fourth year. Based around the Italian village tradition of ‘going mad’ for ten days before lent and being permision to put on a mask and poke fun at politicians, the church and anyone in authority who embodied pomposity.
‘It started in the back garden of academic Stephen Bennets,’ explains Event Director Ross Mccallum, ‘Stephen did his thesis on Italian Carnavale village traditions. He liked the idea and thought a satire ridden festival would fit in well with Fremantle’s Italian, Portugese and Brazillian communities.’
Poking fun at politicians is a big part of the Carnivale experience. Past focus has been put on former Cockburn Mayor Stephen Lee and Liberal stalwart Wilson Tuckey. Mccallum is not giving any clues on who will be the focus on the year’s events, but acknowledges Troy Buswell, Adele Carles and Jenny Maklin are all possibilities.
The Fremantle version of carnavale takes traditions from many different countries including Portugese cross dressing and German women’s day. In the German tradition men are symbolically castrated by having their ties chopped off and a woman is placed in charge of the town for the ten day celebration.
The highlight of the week is a ball in the Fremantle Town Hall on Saturday February 9 with Grace Barbe, Ensemble Formidable and Junkadelic and DJ’s. There’ll be prizes for best male, female and cross gender costume. Attending in a Carnevale costume is compulsory or you can opt for mandatory face painting on entry.
Photos by Tony Gajewski
Fremantle Carnavale has a stack of fun events between February 1 – 12. Find out all the details at
fremantlecarnevale.org
