Textile art by Racheldaisy Dodd, 2024. Image by Carli Wilson, Still Smith Studio.
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Welcome to our creative city
Ballarat is working to become the city of the sustainable and resilient practitioner, and we’re supporting all forms of artist, maker, creative and producer. Whether you are seeking to develop a fine arts practice and devote yourself to being a professional practising artist, or wanting to grow your creative business, the City of Ballarat wants to see you succeed. Designated a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts & Folk Art we’re steadily working towards economic resilience through support of the micro and artisanal.
Here you’ll be able to find opportunities for makers, creatives and artists alike. We’re working to create a clearinghouse of opportunities - expressions of interest, open jobs and other briefs - and support networks you can call on. You can also find out what kind of happenings are going on around town, perfect for the local creative. We profile our growing community of artists, makers, performers and producers, building a better city for all.
Ballarat’s heart of creativity
Over two years the City of Ballarat was focused on the development of it’s Creative City Strategy. This strategy is one that embraces the energies of makers, crafters, artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and problem solvers, linking them closer to the engine room of the city’s heart.
We know that a creative city is one that can wear the changes in economic forces, delivers new ideas, drives businesses to grow and delivers greater community cohesion and wellbeing. The creative sector in Ballarat is crucial to our prosperity, helping create better people and better places to live and work. It is creative thinking that helps all sectors to blossom, and underpins a healthier, happier and wealthier city. The City of Ballarat is dedicated to embedding creativity within its very fabric.
Current Projects & News
Craft Lab is becoming Ballarat Craft & Design Week
Image: Jeweller Alana Smith taken By Sunflower Imaging
Arthur Creative artists and staff. Photo by Creative Ballarat.
Image: Jelly Swarm by Marina Booth
Ballarat craft & Design Week 2026
What happened to Craft Lab?
Ballarat Craft and Design Week (BCDW) takes the five years of achievements of Craft Lab and is extending it. We move beyond sector support alone, and into worlds of collaboration, engagement and installation. The sector is widened and the new program calls for designers, manufacturers, product makers, as well as artists and artisans. Instead of single practitioners, BCDW is calling for eligible collaborations between artists, makers, manufacturers, producers and more.
Artist-in-residence
aLANA sMITH, COYHJ
Until late November 2025
Inspired by Brutalist architecture. Alans creates heavily textured jewellery that captures the eroding and roughness of decaying concrete.
As Artist-in-Residence, Alan has turned Art Hub into a studio and pop-up shop. See her at work, buy a new creation or commission your own customised piece for a special occasion.
You’ll find Alana in Art Hub until the end of November. Open Thursday to Saturday at 10 Lydiard St Nth, Central Ballarat.
Up close and… arthur creative photo collective
15 August to 19 October 2025 Unicorn Lane
Eight talented photographers from Melba's Arthur Creative program are showcasing their work in Up Close and... as part of the prestigious Ballarat International Foto Biennale. This marks a significant milestone for the photographers who have developed their craft over years in the established in the Melba's Arthur Creative arts-based workshops.
‘Up Close and…’ is an exhibition of locations and moments captured in Ballarat, often overlooked as part of everyday living.
Unicorn Lane is located just off Sturt St, Ballarat. Works can be viewed 24/7.
MARINA BOOTH: LOVE OF THE SEA
27 October to 10 December
Unicorn Lane
Inspired by her childhood spent in a small costal town in South Australia, Marina has created a series she describes as ‘cartoon realism with somewhat of a whimsical dark undertone.’
Marina has created her works in a variety of mediums including wood burnings, acrylic paintings and epoxy resin.
Unicorn Lane can be viewed 24/7 daily.
Located just off Sturt Street, near the corner of Lydiard St, Ballarat.
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FIND PLACES TO GO
There are heaps of tiny galleries, small studios, workspaces and hiding places for our creative community. Have a little scout of our open studios and micro-enterprises.
FIND WHAT’S ON
Looking for a great night out? A local experience? Check out Ballarat In the Know, designed by locals for locals.
Or do you have an event, exhibition or show you want to promote?
‘Cut Off Your Hands’ jewellery - Alana Smith - pic by Tony Evans (2023)
Weaver Ana Peditis at work - pic by Tony Evans (2023)
Activating the city streets. Artist Kelsie White takes over Mackenzie Street