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#VISITBALLARAT
UNESCO Creative City
Welcome to Ballarat. A UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art.
Ballarat is a city with a history forged in gold.
But while the hunt for metallic riches reached legendary status long ago, the spirit of these lands is much, much older.
That same spirit lives on in our people of today.
A creative energy borne out of soil, metal and fire.
A continuing growth of knowledge and skill, a can and will do attitude, a sense of pride and craftsmanship.
A rebellious nature born to challenge the status quo. Creativity that pushes the boundaries.
A depth, a richness, an indefinable character that comes from being, Made of: Ballarat.
What does it mean to be a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art?
UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art celebrates the experience of making, and the telling of stories through art.
Ballarat as a City of Craft is about celebrating the experience of making, and celebrating the experienced maker. It’s about transforming something functional into something beautiful, and it’s inclusive of everyone – from those trying something for the first time, right through to the professional.
Ballarat as a City of Folk Art, is about the use of art to tell stories.
Folk Art is rooted in the culture of Ballarat and today we revel in the re-telling of the past by re-interpreting skills of the old.
Both concepts tap into the notion of Ballarat as the home of the rebellious. We are a city which tells the traditional stories of craft and the role they play in our modern narrative, but our crafts are also used to question the status quo.
Stories
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Across Victoria’s Midwest, we acknowledge that we travel across the ancient landscapes of many First Peoples communities.
These lands have been nurtured and cared for over tens of thousands of years and we respect the work of Traditional Custodians for their ongoing care and protection.
We recognise the past injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country. As our knowledge grows, we hope that we can learn from their resilience and creativity that has guided them for over 60,000 years.
As we invite people to visit and explore Victoria’s Midwest, we ask that alongside us, you also grow to respect the stories, living culture and connection to Country of the Ancestors and Elders of our First Peoples.