International Arts Festival Perth

South African artist William Kentridge in a swirling costume as part of his Refuse the Hour show. "Visionaries, mavericks and dreamers — it's through the lens of their imaginations that we get to see, understand and re-imagine our world, " Ms Martin said.

Highlights of next year's festival include Belvoir Theatre director Simon Stone's take on Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck, and "kamikaze cabaret" diva Meow Meow's version of The Little Mermaid.

South African artist William Kentridge will stage Refuse The Hour, involving chamber opera, dance and live music, while UK band The Tiger Lillies will perform an anarchic version of Hamlet.

The realities of life for young Muslim women is explored through boxing in Common Wealth theatre group's No Guts, No Heart, No Glory, which will be performed in a city gymnasium, while renowned jazz musician Wynton Marsalis will perform Swing Symphony.

The festival's contemporary music venue, the Festival Gardens, has been moved from Northbridge to the yet-to-be-completed Elizabeth Quay, and the line-up includes Icelandic contemporary composer Johann Johannson, Swedish Grammy-Award winner Jose Gonzalez, UK rapper Little Simz and Australian singer-songwriter Kev Carmody.

The Perth Writers Festival includes renowned atheist Richard Dawkins, UK author and journalist Simon Winchester, Still Alice author Lisa Genova and Canadian writer Patrick deWitt.

The 64th Perth International Arts Festival kicks off on February 11 and runs until March 6.

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, theatre, opera-and-musical-theatre, music, books-literature, film-movies, perth-6000