Ballarat Creative City’s summer of EOIs

Ballarat's reputation as a creative hub is alive and well as 2025 gears up to be a big one for local artists with a suite of opportunities to develop new works within the city.  

As a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, the City of Ballarat continues to support all forms of artists, makers, creatives and producers.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the creative sector in Ballarat is crucial to our prosperity, helping develop creative capacity and better places to live and work.

“It is creative thinking that helps all sectors to bloom, and underpins a healthier, happier and wealthier city,” she said.  

The following creative concepts are currently seeking Expressions of Interest:

Artists in Residence  

The City of Ballarat is inviting Ballarat based artists from across all creative sectors and career stages to apply for the 2025 - 2026 Art Hub Residency program.  

This opportunity offers access to Art Hub, which is centrally located on Lydiard Street North with high visibility in the Arts Precinct, for a period of three or six months.

The key objectives of the Artist in Residency program are to provide artists with a physical location and time to develop work and explore new creative ideas. It also encourages connections and engagement between creative practitioners and the broader community.

Applications close 11.59pm 31 December 2024. For more information, and to apply visit the Creative City’s website here.  

Projection Masterclasses  

A series of masterclasses for eight artists in the region to develop their skills in projection art with the Centre for Projection Art.  

The participants will learn through practical workshops and will be supported to test their ideas and experiment with new emerging methods of creative projection practice.  

Applications close 11.59pm on 17 January 2025, with classes to be held in February and March 2025.  

The works will be exhibited at the end of the classes.  

For more information, and to apply visit the Creative City’s website here.   

Ballarat’s Intercultural Garden – Empty Plinth Project

Creation of a temporary 3D or sculptural artwork to be displayed at the already constructed ‘empty plinth’ in the new Intercultural Garden in Ballarat, which was opened in September 2024.  

The works should intrigue, interpret, interrupt and involve the local community, complementing the city’s rich heritage.  

The stories told on the plinth should include global contemporary issues within a local context and should be mindful of all users of the gardens, including users of City Oval, nearby residents, businesses and visitors.  

Applications close 10am on 20 January 2025, with installation required to be completed by 19 May 2025 and on display until May 2026.

For more information, and to apply please visit the Creative City’s website here.   

Seedpod

Seedpod, running for the third year, is a residency opportunity for live arts practitioners who live, work or study in Ballarat.  

Proposals are invited from artists of all stages of their careers working in any area of live arts or contemporary performance.  

The residency, with regionally based live arts company Punctum, offers the successful artist time, funding, resources and spaces to test ideas, push boundaries and understand how their work creates meaning with members of the public.  

Applications close 11.59pm 28 January 2025. For more information, and to apply visit the Creative City’s website here.  

Unicorn Lane  

Applications are now being considered for 2026, for emerging artists to showcase their works in the public gallery of Unicorn Lane, off Sturt Street, just before Lydiard Street South.  

There are nine light boxes of various dimensions to show the art, it is ideal for emerging visual artists or 3D creatives.  

For more information and to apply, visit the Creative City's website here.