Arts and Culture

Council seeks to facilitate, support and advocate for cultural and creative industries within the Shire. Arts and Cultural activities contribute to local employment, community wellbeing and vitality, tourism and economic development.

We support our creative communities to enable positive social, cultural, economic, and health and wellbeing outcomes through arts and cultural programs and investment in infrastructure.

Council programs and presents cultural activity throughout the year, in a range of places across the Shire, for broad audiences and across artforms. These include one-off live music and spoken word performances, open mics and exhibitions. In addition, we have on-going programs, including our flagship festival Hide + Seek – a Shire-wide celebration of local art, performance and wellbeing taking place every two years – and MAPP Up in Lights exhibitions at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan on display all year round. We have an active public art program and encourage you to visit our permanent public artworks along with temporary projects (such as our activation of AA Mclean Reserve in Ballan).

Council also supports the development and presentation of cultural projects through participation in our programs and through the Community Grants program.

Details about events, and professional development opportunities (including those created especially for youth involvement), are advertised on this website and via our monthly e-news.

Stay in touch

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