Details
Date: March 2026
Location: Castlemaine
Fund: Project Grant – Regional Arts Fund
Grant amount: $25,000
Why was this project supported? The project was supported because it presented a clear and compelling idea with strong potential for community impact. Bringing together experienced creatives and solid partnerships, it created many opportunities for the community to connect through storytelling and collaboration.
What part of this project was funded? The grant was allocated to wages and fees for Producer/Co-Writer, Co-Writer/Lyricists, Director, Musical Director plus other musicians and actors.
Project
Supported through a Regional Arts Fund Project Grant and presented as part of the 2026 Castlemaine State Festival, Castlemaine the Musical exemplifies the power of locally driven storytelling. This original, all-singing, all-dancing production offered a playful and insightful reflection on the character of Castlemaine—celebrating the people, passions and tensions that shape the town.
Through humour and heart, the work recognised the contributions of volunteers across the arts, land care, emergency services and advocacy groups, highlighting both the diversity of perspectives and the shared commitment that underpins a resilient community. Castlemaine the Musical stands as a vibrant example of how regional arts practice can bring communities together, honouring what connects us even amidst difference.
The production garnered an immense community involvement—spanning actors, musicians, choir members, dancers, community group representatives, costume and prop makers, local sponsors and filmmakers. This, in turn, translated into a remarkably wide-reaching audience. It attracted not only regular theatregoers, but also many first-time attendees, particularly those new to musical theatre. Notably, audiences who might typically gravitate towards classical concerts and touring productions within the festival program were drawn to this locally created work, queuing in strong numbers for a homegrown production that exceeded expectations. This groundswell of interest points to a clear appetite for more locally developed, community-led performance of this scale and ambition. As Executive Director of Castlemaine State Festival Martin Paten said,
The impact of this project has been nothing short of extraordinary. The show was booked out weeks in advance of production and new shows needed to be added to cope with the overwhelming demand by festival audiences – there are still hundreds of people in the community clamouring for a remount and audience response has been universally positive.
Photo: Diana Domonkos
The impact in numbers:
- Employment of 60 local people including cast, crew, writers, songwriters, directors, producers, production, designers, musicians, dancers, community groups
- Created 25 professional development opportunities across the performance and production, including auditioning and rehearsals for singing and choreography, and technical training. Participants ranged from principal and choir cast members to community-based dancers and singers, as well as emerging production crew supported through mentorships.
- Attracted a total audience of 1,175 across four sold-out performances, each with a capacity of 235.
The 2026 Castlemaine State Festival was a roaring success for its 50th anniversary celebration, reaching 97% box office capacity (around 10,000 tickets sold), attracting approximately 23,000 attendees to free events, and showcasing the work of more than 1,000 local creatives. An extraordinary outcome — and a powerful testament to the strength, ambition and vibrancy of regional arts.