White Night launches this weekend, lighting up Ballarat in the most spectacular way and signalling in winter.
White Night returns to the Central Highlands of Victoria, transforming the streets and venues of Ballarat’s historic town centre through the power of projection, luminescence, music and interactive works. The UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art will be illuminated in an all-encompassing radiant display on Saturday 1 June 2024, between the hours of 6pm and midnight.
The dusk till dawn program was last in Ballarat in 2019, painting the town with powerful imagery and neon lights in a celebration of the city’s rich creative craftsmanship, generating a whopping $2.8 million in economic impact and wowing 40,000 visitors to the region. This year’s program aims to bolster even more business, boasting almost 40 projections, over 100 artists and performers (many of whom are from Ballarat and surrounds), a delicious selection of hospitality offers and family-friendly entertainment.
Installations
Beam
Prepare to feel like you’re pulling a Mission Impossible break-in as high-powered lasers crisscross the Ballarat skyline, enveloping the city in a sci-fi spectacle. With four connecting towers located at the train station, post office, Townhall and St Andrews, the Accolade.art Genius Laser Technology will have streetwalkers looking skyward at the beam’s brilliance.
The Nuts
Designed by Jacinta Weyers, constructed by Inflatable Events and mind-moulded by Accolade.art, The Nuts are a lovable series of giant, charismatic, inflatable gumnuts. The cute children’s story-inspired vibrant-coloured creatures will pop up on Doveton and Sturt Streets, chattering nonsensical nutty noises inspired by the Australian bush.
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A Fortunate Series of Events
A collaborative effort between Human Designs (Zlatko Balazic and John McKess) and Melinda Muscat, A Fortunate Series of Events is an immersive sensory experience built through Sound Station and LightStation instrument bedding on a stunning portrait artwork.
Transdimensional Biotech
Within the Art Gallery of Ballarat, screens send you into the world of generative artificial intelligence meeting art. Transdimensional Biotech blends the boundaries between the biological and the technological in a captivating exploration of the art experience.
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VOICES
Set within the walls of the Civic Hall, VOICES is a multifaceted choral installation work that captures the stories of young Australians from diverse backgrounds. This unique wandering offering places the stories of members of the Australian national children’s choir Gondwana Voices onto the screen, where they sing their own story-led compositions.
Projections
Australian Sense
Over at Arts Academy you will find Australian Sense, a work by mixed media artist Brigid Corcoran. With the tag “Australia hits all your senses”, the colourful piece draws you into the serene Australian scene with the visual cues becoming a full sensory experience.
Decorated Women
A show stopping piece, Decorated Women by Melbourne artist Deborah Klein is enchanting. Klein infuses an ethereal quality into her work with the tattooed and mother-masked women. The juxtaposition of the boldly coloured moth wings on the black and white backdrop leans into the notion of “looking over the overlooked”, making for a powerful statement.
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Still Here
Still Here is a special addition to the White Night collection. From the late Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji artist Josh Muir, Still Here is a testament to the power of artistic expression, enticing onlookers to reflect and be inspired. With themes of cultural identity and colonisation, Muir’s work enriches the cultural landscape.
Slow Curtain
The Armstrong Creek Car Park will transport viewers into a labyrinth of urban and natural landscapes in Lisa Walker’s video projection Slow Curtain. Within this immersive experience, reflective light bounces between ever-present bodies of water, casting shimmering mirrors that move harmoniously through the passage of time.
Ordinary life on a curious planet
The corner of Old Library and Camp Street calls White Night participants in with Donna Saunders statement Ordinary life on a curious plane. Inspired by family, work, contemporary events and community connections, this vibrant palette is a stunning inclusion on the walking trail.
Music
Across two stages, White Night Ballarat brings the entertainment. Join JAZZPARTY, Tek Tek Ensemble, The Rechords, Troy Firebrace, Parvyn, The Counterfeit, James Ellis and the Jealous Guys and more for a night of infectious rhythms and boisterous beats, complimenting the heightened visuals of the evening. Local artists Yacht Club DJs, Sami and Lashes will also set the tone for the evening entertainment.
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White Night Bites
Moving from the activation of the streets to the scrumptious eats, White Night Bites will fill your appetites with a range of culinary delights and award-winning eateries. Across Armstrong and Doveton streets, the eats are serious business and ready to curb your snack sorrows.
White Night Ballarat takes place on Saturday 1 June from 6pm – midnight.
For more information on the White Night Ballarat program and to map out your time in the city head to https://whitenight.com.au/ballarat/
