Work ahead for artists to join in White Night in Ballarat

Wadawurrung artist Deanne Gilson has been involved in two White Nights before, one in Ballarat and one in Melbourne.

She said it was a great way to get her name out there as an artist, but said it was a lot of work to get the project off the ground.

"For younger Ballarat people it's huge and massive, you have to start somewhere and those sorts of jobs got me places," she said.

"It's a lot of work for one night of fun, if you've got a full time day job, you might not have time to commit."

The state government announced on Tuesday November 21, White Night will return to Ballarat in June 2024.

Dr Gilson said it was difficult to convert her paintings into films which would then be projected.

She said she worked with a team for more than six weeks

Despite the challenge she said it was an exciting event and she was glad she took part.

Dr Gilson said it was important to keep exposing Ballarat residents to art events like White Night.

"There are artists in Ballarat that are world-class but the community doesn't really support the arts," she said.

"Our community doesn't buy art and rarely goes to exhibitions."

Ballarat Arts Foundation chair Paula Nicholson said this was a great opportunity to showcase Ballarat to the rest of the state.

"It highlights the importance of our city as a great venue for these types of events," she said.

"It enhances our reputation and makes people reconsider what we can achieve as a city."

City of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson said the event on June 1 will be a great way to start winter tourism in the region.

"We've really embraced the winter festival," he said.

"We are shrugging off the label of being cold, [instead] just dress appropriately and come out and participate."

Cr Hudson said over the next seven months businesses can start thinking about how to embrace and be involved in the event.

"I think with enough notice now we are seven months out from the event, businesses can really think creatively about the opportunity to open to engage people to come in," he said.

"But also, if they're not a business that opens, is there something that they can do that even themes their business for people that will be out wandering the streets of Ballarat taking in all of their projections."