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In the National Interest (by Gemma Varone)

11 May 2012

More than 75 women from the WA media industry gathered at the spectacular State Theatre Centre to learn more about arts in WA and to enjoy the world premiere of Aiden Fennessy’s play about the Balibo Five, National Interest.

The May 8 event was the first Women in Media night to include a play as well as the trademark drinks and nibbles and the chance to meet with other women in the industry.

Arts writer and Women in Media committee member Victoria Laurie introduced the evening and made a plea for more journalists to report on the vibrant arts community in Perth and for the state and federal governments to increase funding to WA arts.

“A capital city without creativity is a dead one,” Laurie said.

She said theatre in WA received far less government funding than cities in the eastern states.

Laurie introduced Black Swan State Theatre Company artistic director Kate Cherry who explained that she had commissioned playwright Aidan Fennessy to tell the story of the five journalists killed in East Timor from the perspective of the journalists’ families.

“I was very moved by what happened at Balibo,” Cherry said. “Two of my collaborators in...