KickstART Youth Festival returns to Perth in April!

Western Australia’s only youth-led arts festival, the Youth Week WA KickstART Festival, returns from 14 – 21 April! Featuring a variety of free in-person and online workshops, performances, talks, exhibitions, mentorships, markets and more for young people aged 12 to 26, the festival focuses on the theme of Becoming: With Others, We Dream. Dive into the festival’s program and see the full run-down here.

Market Day

WA’s only youth-orientated makers market returns to Forrest Place on April 15th! With over 40 stalls showcasing emerging artists, makers, designers, and creators. Browse through handmade goods created by local young entrepreneurs and enjoy live music sessions throughout the day from some of WA’s best local musicians. Check out what's in store here.

Event Highlights

Astrofuse (online) April 14 ASTROFUSE is a top-down pixel PC puzzle game where players navigate through a lifeless alien planet. Players journey through several landscapes as an astronaut, discovering mysterious spirits and a planetary core. The player aims to unveil the secrets of this alien world and fuse with the mysterious spirits to revitalise the world. KISS Club with pvi collective and Midland Junction Arts Centre April 19 - 20 The KISS Club asks five artists to present 10 minutes of a work in progress to an audience, providing a chance to trial a new idea and receive immediate feedback, with you, the audience gaining access to a dynamic arts experience. It can be anything, so long as it needs an audience. It books out every year, so don’t miss out! Interwoven storytelling: Journalism & Creative Writing with Molly Schmidt April 17 In this workshop, journalist and author Molly Schmidt will present on the ways her journalism career and writing practice are mutually informative and support each other. Delve into how interviewing real people can help develop your creative writing and explore how creative writing can be utilised in a career in media and news. An Evening of African Poetry and Storytelling April 20 An Evening of African Poetry and Storytelling (EAPS) is an interdisciplinary live performance show that brings together a collective of emerging African diaspora creatives. The African diaspora cast returns to delight with a crafty narrative and razor-sharp wordplay. A collection of stories carefully woven to capture the modern-day migrant experience. Audiences are encouraged to feel at home, grab an instrument and join in the fun. Youth Week WA Closing Party April 21 Youth Week WA KickstART Festival 2023 finishes off with an evening of free live music, dancing and games at the Art Gallery of WA Rooftop on Friday April 21! Headlining will be Anesu, known for their catchy & political hip hop stylings, joined by pop diva Siena Robelo, R&B queen Princess Khanya, experimental jazz hardware collective The Present and alt pop punk four-piece Foothead. Local DJ legends Sepsi and Nafta from Netwerxx will close out the night: RSVP here!

KickstART Local Perks

A selection of Perth-based small businesses are offering special discounts for KickstART attendees. Mention that you came across them through KickstART to take advantage of their special offers, including discounts on food, drink and more! See what's on offer here.

See all KickstART Festival events in our guide below.