More than 15,000 people attended Perth Film Studios Open Day across 11 and 12 September, marking the first major public event at Western Australia’s new purpose-built screen production facility.

Among the works welcoming audiences into the new studios was The Whale — Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s 10-metre-long interactive puppet installation, created to immerse audiences in the scale, movement and mystery of the ocean’s largest creatures. Combining large-scale puppetry, live performance and audience interaction, The Whale has become one of Spare Parts’ most distinctive works for festivals, public spaces and major events.

At Perth Film Studios, The Whale formed part of a wider celebration of Western Australian creativity, placing puppetry alongside screen, music, stunt performance and live entertainment. The Open Day program brought together artists, performers and organisations from across the State, with appearances from Australian screen productions, BMX Bandits-inspired stunt performances by Freestyle Now, music from Perth Symphony Orchestra, immersive activities, workshops and industry talks.

For Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, the event offered a powerful setting for The Whale and a chance to show how puppetry can sit confidently alongside other major creative disciplines, from film and television to music and live performance.

The opening of Perth Film Studios marks an important new chapter for Western Australia’s creative industries, creating new opportunities for production, collaboration and creative careers across the State.

With The Whale among the works representing WA’s arts sector across the weekend, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre was part of a milestone moment celebrating the scale, imagination and diversity of Western Australian creativity.