Worn Art: the end of an era

An annual event held over the past 14 years showcasing the incredible amount of creativity found in the Kimberley through pieces of art, worn by performers in an explosion of theatre, dance, visual art and music, culminated in a beautiful finale last weekend.

Since its small beginnings to a crowd of 150 people, Worn Art has become a Broome institution and this year some 1400 lucky audience members saw its final encore over two nights.

For many, there was an overwhelming sense of pride to be a part of the Broome and wider Kimberley community, as they watched the creations – from colourful characters to weird and wonderful animals and mythical creatures, celebrate the region’s environment, culture and society. Artistic director Gwen Knox was incredibly proud of the event’s long innings. “For a small town to annually pump out such an amount of creativity – I don’t know any other town which could sustain that for 14 years,” Ms Knox said.

This year’s performance was a retrospective, not only featuring new creations by local artists but some of the best from the event over the years.

Ms Knox said while the environment had always played a huge role in the creations and entire show, a big message this year was about preserving it.

“The Kimberley is such a beautiful, rare and precious place and it inspires so many artists, it is their muse,” she said.

“It is incredibly important to so many people, and it is under threat at the moment – everyone wants a piece of it.”

Ms Knox said after 14 years it was time for the artists and everyone who had been a part of the show to have a break, but despite generous community sponsorship, funding had always been a challenge, as was finding a suitable venue.