Bright sights in the night

WHITE Night lit up Ballarat for the first time in five years last weekend.

A record-breaking 65,000-plus people filled the CBD’s streets on Saturday between 6pm and midnight for the free community event which saw artworks and animations projected onto buildings and shipping containers.

Also part of the program were interactive installations – inside and outside – three live music stages, and a White Night Bites food zone on Doveton Street.

Lazers beamed from the Old Post Office tower could be seen across the district, while many of the city’s central cafes and restaurants were heaving, having opened late to be part of the action.

“We promised a serendipitous adventure and we delivered that plus more,” said White Night Ballarat artistic director Andrew Walsh.

“It was wonderful to experience this event with the local community who embraced the diversity and scale of the program.”

Walsh said about 95 per cent of the art displayed had been created by local people, including Spencer Harrison, Brigid Corcoran, Zlatko Balazic, Melinda Muscat, Donna Saunders, Deborah Klein, Jenna Oldaker, the late Josh Muir, and more.

Saunders said it was “awesome” to have the opportunity to share her paintings in such a large, unique way on Camp Street, while Klein said seeing her work projected on Eureka House and Cobb’s Corner was “a thrill.”

“This was a celebration of Ballarat’s creative core, highlighting the region’s artistic flair and thirst for energetic and dazzling events and live entertainment,” Walsh said.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Des Hudson said the event was a major coup for the region.

“The program was amazing and tapped into our local creative engine room of talented artists, musicians and culinary masters,” he said.

“What a delight to see some of our most interesting and historic buildings become the backdrop for the contemporary lighting landscape.

“We are proud to have had more than 65,000 people turn out for White Night, providing our local businesses with an important and well needed economic boost to our visitor economy.”