About
First Lights is a series of place-responsive drone light, sound and storytelling experiences presented by the Fremantle Biennale.
Grounded in collaboration with Traditional Owners, cultural custodians, artists and communities, First Lights transforms stories of place into immersive experiences across the night sky. Combining drone technology, sound, narration and movement, each project is shaped by the Country on which it is created.
First Lights premiered as part of the Fremantle Biennale’s CROSSING 21 program with Moombaki, a choreographed drone light and sound work reimagining the first stories of Whadjuk Nyoongar Country across the Derbarl Yerrigan (river) and wardan (ocean). Since then, First Lights has travelled across Western Australia, Australia and internationally — including Aotearoa and Papua New Guinea — creating large-scale public experiences in collaboration with local artists, communities and cultural custodians.
At its core, First Lights seeks to listen to place, honour continuing cultures, and explore how new technologies can support the sharing of ancient knowledge and living stories with contemporary audiences.
First Lights is presented by Fremantle Biennale in partnership with Stellar Lights.
Tom Mùller
CEO & Artistic Director
Tom is an established multi-disciplinary artist with an active international practice spanning the realms of site-responsive and temporal projects. His work has been included in major exhibitions and institutions including The National at Carriageworks, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Adelaide Biennial, Biennale de la Chaux-de-Fonds, and the upcoming Northern Alps Triennale in Japan. He has been the recipient of multiple Australia Council grants, the inaugural winner of the Qantas Contemporary Art prize, and a mid-career fellowship from the Department of Culture and the Arts. In 2009, he was awarded the Basel international residency program through the Christoph Merian Stiftung. Tom was mentored by the Russian-American conceptual artist Ilya Kabakov in New York, and studied Anthroposophy at Emerson College in London. Tom previously sat on the board of the National Association for the Visual Arts as an elected artist representative. Tom co-founded the Fremantle Biennale in 2017 and devised First Lights in 2020.
Katherine Wilkinson
Executive Producer
Katherine is an executive producer and curator working across socially engaged, site-responsive, live and visual contemporary art practices. Prior to her role as Program Director for the Fremantle Biennale, Katherine was the Curator at DADAA, a Creative Producer with Perth Festival (Witness Stand, 2021; Five Short Blasts, 2019) and the Special Projects and Revealed Coordinator at Fremantle Arts Centre. Her most recent projects centre place, water and care. Previously Katherine has worked on independent and collaborative projects, and held positions with institutions including; Artsource, International Art Space, the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, the Perth Public Art Foundation, the City of Melville, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Venice Biennale. Katherine works, lives and swims on the lands and waters of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people.
Ilona McGuire
Associate Artist
Ilona McGuire is a multidisciplinary artist of Noongar and Kungarakan lineage. She is deeply fascinated by the social impacts of the Australian colony on Indigenous peoples and whoever calls Australia home. To encourage understanding of the humanity of the dehumanised, Ilona observes our shared histories through the intergenerational stories of her family. In an attempt to recover, reenergise and reimagine conversation that might encourage some and inform others, whilst some will remain indifferent. Ilona continues to explore mixed-medium installation, ephemeral work, performance and social practice as reclamation of space and time for joy and celebration as resistance to colonial anguish.
Following her light show, Moombaki at the Fremantle Biennale’s 2021 festival CROSSING 21, Ilona was awarded the Schenberg Art Fellowship for Hatched (PICA) in her BA Fine Art graduating year. Going on to exhibit at Stala Contemporary, Fremantle Arts Centre, The National 4: Australian Art Now (2023), John Curtin Gallery, Cool Change Contemporary and creating a sequel light show for Moombaki, Kooranup for the 2023 Fremantle Biennale festival SIGNALS 23. Ilona’s work now features in collections such as Janet Holmes à Court’s and the John Curtin Gallery.
Robert Lednor
Technical Director
Rob is Global Umanned Systems (GUS) lead RPAS Instructor and Chief Pilot. Robert was formerly a consulting exploration geologist, working across Western Australia. In 2012 he founded GUS and has planned, managed and undertaken complex RPAS projects for large multinationals in locations such as Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and Kazakhstan. This has involved engagement with numerous stakeholders (including regulators) to facilitate the required permissions to conduct these operations in various “country-firsts”. He has led the GUS team that has worked with WA organisations such as Surf Life Saving, Department of Transport, Main Roads, Southern Ports and Department of Water to develop their organisational capacity to utilise RPAS to deliver measurable benefits. Most recently, Rob led the technical team that facilitated the Moombaki drone light show at Fremantle Biennale’s Crossing 21 Festival, and now leads Stellar Lights, GUS’s drone light show division.
Brock Preston
Sound Producer
Brock Preston is the founder of Elite Lighting, with over 17 years of experience in the events industry across Australia and the Middle East. He specialises in translating creative visions — from full-scale touring musicals to corporate galas and boutique productions — into innovative, solutions-focused lighting outcomes.
His practice is grounded in collaboration, working closely with clients and teams to realise ideas in ways that are both technically precise and creatively impactful. At Elite Lighting, Brock focuses on supporting his team while positioning the company as a leading production lighting provider on Australia’s west coast.
Driven by continuous learning and technical excellence, he is committed to delivering lighting solutions that elevate each event and leave a lasting impression.
Laura Beilby
Producer
Odetta Davison
Producer
Anaïs Bellini
Producer
Read the First Lights 2021–2026 Impact Report to explore the project’s journey across Western Australia, Australia and internationally, including key collaborations, community impact and audience reach.
First Lights is a program and series of events presented by the Fremantle Biennale. The Fremantle Biennale is committed to on-going learning and adaptability around access, cultural diversity and inclusion to ensure that everyone feels invited to and can participate in our events.
The Fremantle Biennale offers different access and assistive services across our events. See the drop-down Access menu on each project page and look out for the below icons to learn more of what is on offer.
Auslan Interpreting
Auslan interpreting is provided at a number of our talks, performances and events. Look for the Auslan symbol displayed on the event page.
Audio Described Tours
A number of Audio Described tours and events will be held during the Fremantle Biennale. These tours will provide live verbal descriptions of actions, performances, objects, scenery and other visual elements.
Open Captioning
Open captioning will be available across a number of Fremantle Biennale digital events. Open captioning allows people who are hard of hearing or Deaf to read accurate text displays of a performance or event on a screen. Check the event pages for more information.
Tactile Tours
A number of Tactile tours will be held across Fremante Biennale events. These tours allow people who are blind or have low vision to experience a event through touch, sound and conversation.
100 eye
No music or dialogue, or all dialogue is open captioned.
75 eye
No music or sounds. Access to spoken word provided by open caption and/or script.
50 eye
May have music or sounds in the background. Open caption, scripts and descriptions are provided.
VENUE ACCESSIBILITY
Wheelchair accessible
This indicates that the venue/location is accessible for people with limited mobility, including wheelchairs. If this symbol is not listed on an event, access may be limited, so please contact us for more information.
Assistive access
This symbol indicates that assistance from a Companion is likely necessary for wheelchair users to navigate a space.
Please see the Access information on each First Lights projects page for more information.
The Fremantle Biennale’s First Lights program has sought to embed First Nation and cross-cultural collaboration as we consider what a site-responsive and place-sensitive festival should aim to contribute to its people. We ask, what meaningful legacy and impact can the Fremantle Biennale offer communities and place?
Listening to place, hearing Country and acknowledging the past to enable truthful futures, are guiding principles for all our projects, including First Lights.
The Fremantle Biennale engages with First Nation stories and ways of knowing in an effort to contribute to the cultural and environmental wellbeing of the places we work with. All our work is informed by protocols for respectful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge and material.
As a collective organism made up of artists, writers, partners, board members, advisors and curators, the Fremantle Biennale is shaped through exchange and collaboration; driven by a desire to create a space where diverse voices are heard.
The Fremantle Biennale is a not-for-profit charity, which delivers the First Lights project and events across Western Australia and Australia through the generosity of our funders, partners and donors. We’re incredibly grateful for all contributions, which help us create extraordinary arts and cultural experiences across Western Australia and beyond.
All donations to the Fremantle Biennale Inc (FBI) Donation Fund are tax deductible.
BENEFACTORS
For individuals able to give more, the Fremantle Biennale benefactor program offers special benefits to those donating. If you would like to become a benefactor, please email tom@fremantlebiennale.com.au to discuss opportunities.
For general enquiries, contact tom@fremantlebiennale.com.au
OFFICE
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Fremantle WA 6160
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