Part 2...

A Festival and C.A.T.S

An interview with Dr. Joan Pope by Rachael Hains-Wesson

Brian and I had this idea in 1964 that it would be really nice to do something for children. So, I wrote to the Festival of Perth which had been running since 1953. It was more for adults and there wasn’t anything really for children and that’s why I thought – I’d write to them, saying:
bq. "Hey, wouldn’t it be a great idea if you had a Festival for Children at the same time as the Perth Festival?"

This idea was perfect and important. For instance, the venues weren’t being used in the day time such as the Winthrop Hall, the Old Dolphin or the Sunken Garden at The University of Western Australia:

I wrote an eleven page letter, and I received a very short one back saying, "this is
an imaginative idea but this is impracticable.“ But, that didn’t stop Joan. “We did it anyway”.

Second, Joan and Brian were creative individuals who could bounce off each other and with the help of others they quickly designed a two week program where Brian arranged the music. With assistance from a multitude of arts and drama people, they created a Festival that catered for children which ran from Monday to Friday from 9am – 1pm during the school holidays.

A plan to produce the first Children’s Festival at the Dalkeith Hall in Perth in 1964 was underw…