White Night director’s swan song will be best ever

THE city’s buildings and boulevards will be centre stage for White Night Ballarat on Saturday, 21 September.

Juliana Addison, Member for Wendouree and Michaela Settle, Member for Buninyong joined David Atkins White Night Artistic Director to officially launch the program.

Mr Atkins announced their will be over 70 artworks and installations, which will showcase 22 local artists, across the city in an expanded footprint beyond Mair Street and Armstrong Street and up to Civic Hall.

“It’s my last Ballarat White Night so I am going all out to make sure no one is going to do a better one,” he said. “The legacy of the city’s built architecture will feature significantly as the screens for projections of film and light installations.

“Holding the event in winter this year for the first time, allows us to light up the city when the night begins at 7pm.

“While the width of the CBD’s streets accommodates large crowds allowing easy movement during the night.”

Three international works from the Melbourne White Night are coming to Ballarat.

A massive audio-visual installation from the Czech Republic in Civic Hall, Heliosphere, an acrobat suspended above the crowd on a helium balloon from the UK and a work from France.

The program will offer diverse curated events offering 59 exclusive works, including artwork by award-winning Wathaurung artist Aunty Marlene Gilson.

“We are going to have so much creativity, I can’t wait to see the look on my kid’s faces,” Ms Addison said.

Ms Settle said White Night Ballarat is a unique event and “David has gone all out this time using local talent.”

Over 100,000 people attended the past two Nights and Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh said council expects to see plenty of football fans after the AFL grand final joining in the festivities.

“We’re excited about the move to September, as a city we are not afraid of change, in fact we embrace it,” she said.