Art brings people together

AS the curtain rose at the first Geelong Short Play Festival, it revealed the tremendous talent of some of our most gifted playwrights and actors.

This inaugural festival captivated audiences with the original work of six gifted local playwrights, chosen from 36 submissions by theatre professionals.

Each play was performed in under 15 minutes, with minimal sets but maximum imagination.

They were proof that you don’t need a Broadway budget to move an audience; just a great story and the courage to tell it.

I was excited to watch as five talented local theatre groups brought these plays to life during the festival’s opening night last Friday, before returning on Saturday evening to present the Audience Choice award to Belle Donald.

Her play, Hydrangeas and Lilies, was chosen by audiences from the six plays across three separate performances.

A big congratulations to all the night’s winners:

Best script – playwright Kim Rance for The Duffle Bag

Best Actor – Emma Langridge portraying Sally in The Prodigal Daughter, and

Best Production – director Paul Watson for The Duffle Bag.

As I watched the plays, I realised the festival wasn’t just a celebration of our performing arts talent, it also shone a spotlight on something bigger – Geelong’s creative spirit.

In recent years, our city’s creative and cultural sector has thrived. Between 2020 and 2024, jobs in creative and cultural industries grew by more than 50 per cent – a sign that the arts are flourishing.

From emerging artists and independent theatre groups to large-scale festivals like last month’s ROAM Geelong, which attracted 16,000 people, our region’s cultural landscape is more vibrant than ever.

A Clever and Creative city needs art. Art has the power to delight, inspire and challenge us. It can unite and divide us. It’s a mirror that reflects who we are and the society we live in.

It can offer an escape from the everyday or push us to question the very values that guide our everyday lives.

And, importantly, it brings people together to share experiences that shape the cultural identity of our community.

That’s why the City of Greater Geelong continues to champion the arts in all their forms: through grants, youth programs and partnerships.

But one cannot understate the impact of grassroots events like the Geelong Short Play Festival, which showcased the extraordinary storytelling talent in our own backyard.

Events like this don’t happen without passionate people behind them and I applaud the Geelong Writers Group for their initiative in launching this festival.

I also thank Jaymah Press and Geelong Arts Centre for their support in making it possible.

I want Geelong to be known for its art – of all kinds – and it was clear that everyone at last weekend’s festival shared that ambition.

As I watched this festival come to life, I couldn’t help but think: “This is what a creative city looks like”.

It’s not just about buildings or infrastructure – it’s about stories, ideas and the people brave enough to bring them to the stage.

I hope that the Geelong Short Play Festival becomes a new tradition on our performing arts calendar, giving life to the many local stories still waiting to be told.