Ballarat Craft + Design Week 2026 - Preview Event

Name: Ballarat Craft + Design Week 2026 - Preview Event
Start: 2026-05-01
Location: Ballarat Mining Exchange, 16 Lydiard St N, 12 Lydiard St N

May

Date

1 May (Friday)

Time

Fri, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Venue

Ballarat Mining Exchange, 16 Lydiard St N, 12 Lydiard St N

Ballarat Central VIC, Australia

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📝 Useful Information

The Ballarat Craft + Design Week 2026 is a brand-new festival celebrating collaboration between makers, designers, and cultural industries. The main event, featuring the core exhibition Bound, is scheduled for 1–10 May 2026 at the historic Ballarat Mining Exchange in Ballarat Central.

While a full program "drops soon," several key activities and affiliated events have been announced:

For further updates and the full program release, you can check the Creative Ballarat website.

Would you like more details on a specific workshop or information on how to submit your own work for the community project?

Core Exhibition: Bound

Program Highlights

Key Dates for Participants

•Location: Ballarat Mining Exchange, 12 Lydiard St North, Ballarat Central.

•Details: A large-scale exhibition featuring five immersive 'rooms' that explore themes of textile, memory, and restorative practices through sound, light, and touch.

•Collaborations: Includes works by artists such as Spencer Harrison & Nick Doran Adams (glass and nostalgia), Minna Graham & Bernadette Aitken (clay and cloth), and Jude Ng & Dearne Mills (sustainable fashion).

•Cost: Free entry.

•Community Art Project: "Why Are You Here?"

•Artists: Robyn Barnett, Sylvia Aguirre, and Diana Paez.

•Venue: The Unicorn Collection, 131 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central.

•Description: A community-led installation weaving together film, sound, and textiles to explore belonging.

•Workshops & Open Studios:

•Wootten Open Studio: Leathercraft demonstrations in Delacombe on 2 May and 9 May from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

•Rare Trades Centre: Various workshops including Sew Your Own Underbust Corset (1–3 May) and Hard Carved Letters in Stone (2 May).

•Ballarat Printmakers Exhibition: Located at Ross Creek Gallery on weekends throughout the event.

•Affiliated Event Registrations: 30 March 2026.

•Community Artwork Contributions: 31 March 2026.

Updated at 23 Mar 2026