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.

now on show at art space

Curiosity of Arrangement: Five Friends by Design. One Vision

4 June to 6 July 2025

Curiosity of Arrangement is an invitation to observe the world through the lens of artistic composition. Each artist presents a unique relationship with structure, balance, and form, yet together, their works create a cohesive exploration of how arrangement shapes our perception. In the end, arrangement is not just about placement—it is about discovery, and the curiosity that drives us to see beyond the surface.

This exhibition is a collaborative effort by five friends who have transformed their shared artistic curiosity into a dynamic exploration of space, texture, and colour.

Five Friends by Design is artists Teresa Forster, Selina Morgan, Anne Prescott, Suzanne Short and Colleen Simmons.

Open: 4 June to 9 June, Wed to Mon, 10am to 3pm.
11 June to 6 July, Wed to Sun, 10am to 3pm.
Art Space is located at 14 Lydiard St Nth, Ballarat.

Welcome ALANA SMITH, COYHJ
Art Hub Artist-in-ResidencE

We would like to introduce Art Hub’s newest resident artist, Alana Smith, Cut Off Your Hands Jewellery. 

Alana is a Ballarat jeweller, handcrafting and making pieces that are heavily textured and oxidised, inspired by Brutalism, architecture and materials. Alana’s creations reside in the balance between beauty and destruction, working mainly in sterling silver and ethically sourced gemstones.

During her 6-month residency, Alana will turn Art Hub into a working studio and pop-up shop. A place where you can see her at work and buy her unique pieces. Alana will be working on a new collection inspired by Ballarat, as well as taking commissions.Be sure to drop by and say hello.

Launch event: Sat 7 June, 3-5pm. All welcome.

A poetic EYE: A Photographic Journey by Kylie Supski

12 June to 22 July 2025

Now on display in Unicorn Lane is The Poetic Eye is a series of photographs and poems created by Kylie reflecting on the thoughts of American photographer John Szarkowski, as outlined in his influential book, “The Photographer’s Eye.”

Kylie's works embody the essence of Szarkowski’s principles, highlighting how photographs, much like poems, do not narrate stories but rather ignite our imagination. Both mediums should not be subject to strict interpretation or explanation; instead, they should be experienced and felt.

Be sure to take close up look and discover the delightful details and the unexpected in Kylie's work.

Unicorn Lane is located just off Sturt St, Ballarat.

HUGE OUTCOMES FOR MAY!

With Craft Lab now complete, we are so pleased to report on the final outcomes. This craft and visual arts sector development program and event resulting in ore than 6,200 people crossing the threshold to the Mining Exchange over two weekends. A further 1,000 people participated in the associated events, talks and activities.

The makers and creators netted over $28,000 over four days through direct sales and engagement. We are excited to hear about ongoing commissions and collaborations which come out of the initiative and have ripple effects for months to come.

See the gallery of images from the event and stay tuned for a whole new slew of announcements.

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CREATIVE STRATEGY ACTIONS

LIVE GIGS, OPPORTUNITIES AND GRANTS

OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY