My Best Friend • Bondi Festival arrow-leftarrow-rightmagnifying-glassshare-iconshopping-cart-iconstar-iconuser-icon
Close

“This simple and heartfelt show is for people who want a cathartic and participatory Saturday afternoon by the beach. Bring tissues.” – Phil Spencer, Festival Director

Inspired by the passing of his family’s long-time pet dog Winnie, My Best Friend is a performative walk in memory of departed pet dogs, orchestrated by artist Malcolm Whittaker. Through the walking ritual that used to commonly be shared between these dogs and their parents, audiences are invited to share stories of dogs lived, loved and lost. The walk acts as a playful eulogy that is at once both a bittersweet celebration and an expression of the disenfranchised grief that results from losing a pet.

“I don’t think I have ever seen a breathing thing ever look happier than Winnie when she was stood over a pressurised water sprinkler with two pine cones and a tennis ball in her mouth.” – Will Whittaker

My Best Friend was previously presented at Punctum in Castlemaine, at the Performance Space ‘Mico Parks Festival’ in Sydney, as part of Field Theory’s ‘Site is Set’ program in Melbourne, and at The Junction Arts Festival in Launceston.

Show info:
  • Pet dogs are welcome to this event.
  • This event is outdoors – you’ll need to wear appropriate footwear and warm clothing.
  • Meet at Roscoe St Mall 15 minutes prior to the event.
  • This event has no seating and requires audiences to stand.
Presented by:

Malcolm Whittaker

Address: Roscoe Street Mall, Bondi Beach NSW 2026, Australia

Rotating Icon

Stay in the loop

Subscribe for updates from Bondi Festival!

    Bondi Festival acknowledges the Bidjigal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal people, who traditionally occupied the Sydney Coast, and we pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders both past and present.