Ulumbarra Foundation | Call for local visionaries to secure a creative and sustainable future for local performing arts groups
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17 Apr Call for local visionaries to secure a creative and sustainable future for local performing arts groups

Posted at 16:18h in Uncategorized by

Photo: Carolyn Stanford, Mayor Andrea Metcalf and guest Michael McKern

On the 17th April, the Ulumbarra Foundation marked the 10th anniversary of the iconic Ulumbarra Theatre with a gathering of local performing arts leaders, community supporters, and dignitaries to celebrate a decade of creativity, inclusion and regional growth in the performing arts.

Chair of the Ulumbarra Foundation, Carolyn Stanford, who addressed guests alongside Mayor Metcalf, said Bendigo’s wonderful theatres and audiences deserve a creative and sustainable local performing arts scene.

“The Ulumbarra Theatre was built 10 years ago because Bendigo dared to think big and work together,” Ms Stanford said. “Those same values underpin our aspiration for Greater Bendigo to be regional Australia’s most vibrant performing arts community.”

Today, recognising the funding challenges and untapped potential of local performing arts groups, the Foundation announced the launch of its landmark Future 50 campaign.

“We are looking for 50 visionary locals and businesses to join us in building dynamic new partnerships and ensuring a bright future for performing arts in Bendigo,” Ms Stanford said. “You don’t need to go to Melbourne to be amazed by live theatre—or to leave Bendigo to succeed on the stage. By daring to dream together, we can continue to showcase our community’s talent right here at home.

The Ulumbarra Foundation was founded in 2016 with the help of the Founding 50—50 visionary locals who came together to support Bendigo’s arts community. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Foundation has since helped local performing arts organisations grow, enabled hundreds of regional students to experience live theatre, mentored aspiring performers, and introduced new and diverse audiences to the performing arts.

The event also celebrated the latest recipients of the Foundation’s Power-up grants, which are making the performing arts more accessible and inclusive for all. Grants were awarded to:

  • CreateA (below, left: John Willis and Kate Stone from CreateA) for its first full stage production, Burnout Ballet, at The Engine Room in 2025, expanding opportunities for artists with disability, and
  • Uncertain Curtain Theatre (below, right: Sarah-Jane Fawcett from Uncertain Curtain) to present WYRD SISTERS, based on Terry Pratchett’s novel, fostering a creative space for the neurodivergent community.

“These groups are shining examples of the creativity, joy, and inclusivity that the performing arts can bring to our region,” Ms Stanford said.

Local residents, businesses, and arts lovers are invited to join the Foundation’s Future 50 campaign and help realise a new chapter for the performing arts in Bendigo.

More on the 10th anniversary event and launch in the Bendigo Advertiser here.

For more information about supporting the Future 50 campaign or the Ulumbarra Foundation’s grant programs, click here  or contact us by email.