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The power of two million candles will transform landmark Winthrop Hall into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound tomorrow evening (Feb 8) for UWA LUMINOUSnight , a public celebration of art and culture to launch The University of Western Australia's 2013 Centenary year.

The University's Crawley campus - often described as the world's most beautiful - will become a series of stages and backdrops for a continuous program of free music, theatre, dance, dramatic projections, street performances, fire displays, exhibits and more.

Hundreds of artists will present more than 36 separate acts, including fire juggling; classical, world, folk, pop and jazz performances; giant puppets; dance troupes; stilt walkers; 12 augmented reality projections including a giant "space ship" hovering over UWA's Reid Library; theatrical shows; contortionists; exhibitions, installations; and a grand fire show finale.

The evening starts at 6pm with the launch the 61st Perth International Arts Festival on the Matilda Bay foreshore with Beginnings : a Welcome to Country, followed by Shakespearian sonnets in Noongar by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company and a special free performance by multi award-winning Aboriginal singer-songwriter Archie Roach.

From the 45-minute Perth Festival launch, it's a short walk across Hackett Drive to UWA's LUMINOUSnight, starting at 7pm with performances by WAMi Award-winning pop band Split Seconds at the nearby University Club Amphitheatre and the UWA Jazz Club in Hackett Hall.

Dramatic light sculptures will illuminate UWA's prominent trees with giant images of faces in SPACEmakers , a realistic wonderland of "live" portraits by visual artist Craig Walsh .

The first of five 20-minute spectacular LUMINOUShall light shows starts at 8.40pm with a final projection at 11.20pm.

Ten specially imported projectors - each 10 times more powerful than an outdoor cinema - will cast a feast of animated story-telling imagery onto Winthrop Hall's landmark north façade to delight and entertain an expected audience of thousands.

Computer-driven, multi beam projections created by Illuminart Co-Director Cindi Drennan will highlight key moments and leading characters from the University's 100-year history, with stunning colour imagery of UWA's iconic peacocks and a soundtrack of narration and tracks from UWA's Centenary music CD.

CATERING

Takeway food will be available 6pm-10pm at UWA's Riley Oval and Somerville Auditorium; the University Club of Western Australia will offer a special Banquet Hall buffet dinner - or set menu in the Club Restaurant - until 10pm; and the Hackett Hall Café and Bar will serve light food to complement performances by the UWA Jazz Club (both latter venues fully licensed).

FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND PARKING

A free TransPerth shuttle bus marked LUMINOUSNIGHT UWA will run from Wellington Street Bus Station to UWA and back every 15 minutes from 5pm -8.30pm and 10pm-midnight and return from the north side of Mounts Bay Road near University Hall (formerly Currie Hall).

An overflow car park will operate on Paul Hasluck Reserve on Nedlands Park foreshore, with a regular free shuttle bus to LUMINOUSnight at UWA.

ROAD CLOSURE

Hackett Drive (adjacent to UWA) will be closed from 5.30pm-7pm for the Perth Festival launch immediately prior to LUMINOUSnight at UWA.

Media references

Madeleine King (Director UWA Centenary Celebrations)  (+61 4) 08 900 060
Michael Sinclair Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8) 6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783