Creative Activism Workshop 2: Wise Fools! Undressed and re-dressed for success!

Why

Calling all costume and prop-making enthusiasts! Have you been fantasising about wearing inflatable frog costumes? Got nothing to wear to the next fossil fuel hardliners’ (aka Woodside) AGM?

Need a very hungry caterpillar costume to wear to a community protest for the rollout of the next data centre coming to a suburb near you?

Co-create & generate costumes and props to look the part!

Artivists and wise fools need stunning costumes for their antics for future planned acts of whimsical creativity.

Come along for an afternoon of fun and creativity as we get down to designing sensational wearable items and dedicate time to body movement.

Our focus for this second workshop is on costumes and props for the "Land Farces" event, 3-6 October in the PCEC exclusive zones.

We are committed to crafting unique costumes, masks and props primarily using recycled materials with an emphasis on eco-friendly resources including cardboard and repurposed fabrics and materials.

Presenters

Sally Knowles (aka “Jeanne Luc Badasse”) has teamed up with Commedia dell’Arte guru “Cruelina” and her alter ego “Il Capitano” to run this year’s series, with invited guests Lucy Pezzali (Madame Oilive Slickery) and Kristen Morrissey (“Eye of Sauron”).

Don’t miss the chance to learn from Salmiyah Fiedorowicz who will ensure costumed activists can embody their costumes/characters and move no matter how absurd the choreography and hostile the landscape.

Salmiyah’s career as a contemporary dancer-choreographer, performer and community artist, has spanned from 1975 to today, in France, Africa, Indonesia and Australia. In Australia she has taught Commedia, Circus Skills and movements to students at Murdoch University in the ‘Children’s Theatre’ unit (2005-2017). Recently, she choreographed and led the event: “Secrets of Carnevale” at the Buffalo Club in November 2025; and trained and led the Harlequina Flashmob “Stayin’ alive & keepin’ to 1.5” and walkabouts, for the Fringe performance: “Fossil Fool Crime Walk”. Finally, Salmiyah participated in the dance performance “Cercles” (PIAF), directed by Boris Charmatz (February 2026); and, “Ocean Odyssey”, installation for Sculptures by the Sea, Cottesloe, directed by Dr. Subodh Kerkar (March 2026).

Sally has, with Stephen Bennetts, recently co-created the FRINGE Fossil Fool Crime Walk for Fremantle Carnevale. She ran last year’s Creative Activism series with invited guests and specialises in artivism and creative stagecraft. She has co-ordinated street theatre for Fremantle Carnevale events including adaptations of Köln’s Weiberfastnacht castration ritual by the ‘Revolting Women of Fremantle’ (2011-2013). As a community-based ‘artivist’, Sally has gained a reputation for value-adding to activist events by introducing Carnival mask, costume and dance practices and theatrical character creation. She has recently learned large-scale puppet-making and collaborated to produce large-scale puppets for events in response to the global climate crisis.

Sally has also convened Extinction Rebellion WA’s ‘Red Rebels’ since 2020, a silent climate activist performance group , and she runs costume, mask and puppet making workshops. Alongside her stock character “Scarlequina” (a mischievous harlequin figure), she has created numerous other characters for carnival-inspired protest actions.

Workshop outline 'Sights To Behold"

For this second hands-on workshop, we will continue to work on the project we brainstormed during workshop 1 (for the "Land Farces" event, 3 - 6 October) and support the creative development of each project - from the concept creation, technical production, finishing, delivery and performance as opportunities to expose the illegitimate, undemocratic nature of existing institutions who are seeking to restrict our right to protest and requiring us to take direct action on weapons and war.

To stimulate ideas and creative development, we will cover:

• Costumes and props nuts’n bolts for activist street theatre
• Puppets for mockery of political figures and guerilla-style actions
• Commedia and clowning for tactical frivolity
• Costuming for performance art & stunning street theatre spectacles
• Comedy as a disruptor for social change and direct action
• Using humour and dress to mobilise against and challenge power
• Commedia movement

What to being and/or wear

• Bring your team members, a friend and of course, your great ideas!
• Pack your materials for making costumes, props, puppets, effigies, signs/banners, street theatre scripts.
• Bring water, snacks.
• Wear comfortable clothing/shoes for movement etc.

Workshop outcomes

You will leave with:

• a bundle of costume and prop-making ideas;
• a creative team and plenty of inspiration with which to connect with a community of like-minded changemakers who will encourage and empower you;
• a priority plan for our artivist actions for 2026 and beyond;
• a swag of political strategies with which to strategise the key issues for 2026;
• practical tips and ideas for future creative actions;
• a toolkit of creative strategies to get our message out to the public;
• a network of other passionate artivists.

For more information, contact Sally Knowles, [email protected].

Photo credit: Miles Tweedie Photography.

For updates check the Facebook event.

Contact

Carnevale Of The People's Republic Of Fremantle
Sally Knowles · [email protected].
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