Party coming to a ‘laneway’ near you

LOCATED among the colour and movement of Perth's cultural and nightlife hub, the city's 'cultural centre' between William and Beaufort streets stands in stark contrast to the Northbridge strip, particularly after dark.

But there seems to be some movement happening at that end of town.

Along with the photographic exhibition, 'Earth from Above', launched on Wednesday, the area is preparing for another major event this summer, with the St Jerome Laneway Festival preparing for its inaugural Perth launch in the cultural centre on February 6 2009.

The brainchild of Jerome Borazio and Danny Rogers, the festival started in Melbourne four years ago.

It met with great success in the southern capital, and the concept went national last year, except in Perth.

"It was purely because of financial reasons; we were still in the process of building the brand last year," Mr Rogers, the St Jerome's Laneway Festival director, told Business Class.

"Because the festival is quite a boutique festival concept it is very expensive to tour, and predominantly the flight cost factor.

"We didn't manage to find the funds and the right partners to team up with at the time."

Mr Rogers said Perth was undergoing dramatic changes, and he had found support from across a range of sectors for the idea of bringing the festival to Western Australia.

The festival is locally supported by the City of Perth, the East Perth Redevelopment Authority and the Department of Culture and the Arts.

"The people in Perth were very supportive and some authorities, such as Epra, approached us first because of the strong national identity that the show has gained without being too big," Mr Rogers said.

David Chitty's Sunset Events is the Perth partner for the festival.

Although the cultural centre outdoors grounds are not considered a laneway, Mr Rogers said the small passages that lead to the cultural centre would be used, as well as the main area.

"Melbourne has very traditional laneways but when we took the festival to other cities, they don't necessary have laneways as such...it's a street party that we adapt to the specificities of each location," he said.

"This festival will demonstrate that Perth is a strong city for the arts...it has been the most supportive city for us, outside Melbourne, in terms of helping to find the location, and wanting to see it happen."