This year, Castlemaine’s grand dame – the Theatre Royal – is the location for the Festival Club, and is the venue for a range of free and ticketed events.
Join three outstanding literary presenters in the historic and atmospheric Castlemaine Court House for a memorable and moving part-debate, part-discussion of To Kill A Mockingbird.
The Garden Party is a much-loved festival tradition bringing together the entire community for an entertaining day awash with puppets and poetry, laughter and song, tumblers and tricks, cheeky acts and acrobats.
Charlie Siem is one of Britain’s brightest international classical violin sensations. In his 2017 Castlemaine State Festival and inaugural Australian appearance, Charlie will be accompanied by Pianist Ying Ho.
Carnatic – Indian Choir and Instrumental Orchestra
This special one-off Festival performance will fill Castlemaine’s Town Hall with all the colour and transcendental potential one might expect from a large choir and classical Indian orchestra, performing traditional works that are regarded as divine.
A thoughtfully curated program of Filipino films, assembled specifically for the 2017 Castlemaine State Festival, providing unique insight into Philippine cinema and the country’s eventful and intriguing past. (Image from film Thy Womb)
This inspired collaboration sees Slava and Leonard Grigoryan teaming up with Australian String Quartet cellist Sharon Draper and pianist and composer Luke Howard.
Bowie Bookathon is a commemoration and sharing of David Bowie’s taste in literature. To celebrate his ultimate booklist and the legendary man himself, we have set ourselves the challenge of reading as many of Bowie’s favourite reads as possible.
Bhupalam Raga (India Dawn) is a form of pentatonic northern Indian music customarily played at dawn. This uniquely exquisite welcome to the day is designed to awaken the senses with the meditative and spiritual sounds of Mohan veena (slide guitar), sitar, Indian flute and tabla.
Between 8 and 9 is an immersive contemporary performance work that includes voices, electronics and instruments. A collaboration between Melbourne’s Chamber Made Opera and artists from Chengdu’s Sichuan Conservatory of Music.
Henry Handel Richardson: Great Australian Novelist?
This incisive discussion about the novel and its fascinating author will be conducted with eminent writer and traveller Robyn Davison and writer, blogger and editor Angela Meyer.
This wonderfully ambitious concert brings together acclaimed Finnish pianist Paavali Jumppanen together with central Victoria’s own Bendigo Symphony Orchestra
Acrobat is one of Australia’s leading performance ensembles. Founded in the mid-90s, with roots in the circus form, they are revered internationally for their gritty and irreverent take on theatre.
This Australian Chamber Choir premiere celebrates the 65th anniversary in 2017 of HRH Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne, with most of the music played at her coronation in 1953.
7 @ 11 will give new insight into the work of artists already featured in this year’s Castlemaine State Festival, together with our best and brightest raconteurs, thinkers and authors.
This foot-stomping, clapping, singing and dancing Balkan gypsy brass extravaganza, comes to Castlemaine all the way from the land of the long white cloud.
Set in an Islamic culture somewhere in the timeless past, No Hands uses physical theatre, sound and video projection in an exploration of our obsession with imagined ideals...
Acclaimed Fijian-born Australian violinist, Wilma Smith, brings together an outstanding group of artists and friends to open the 2017 Castlemaine Festival in style.
Curated especially for the 2017 Castlemaine State Festival, periSCOPE is a compilation of videos and moving image works from across the Philippine archipelago
Through witty rhyme, Telia Nevile embarks on a 50-minute monologue about a pretentious but isolated word-nerd who tires of the way everyone celebrates beauty over intelligence
Award-winning hip hop choreographer Robby Graham joins the 2017 Castlemaine State Festival as one of a number of internationally respected artists and mentors working with students at the Castlemaine Secondary College.
Singing from Country brings together members of the Dja Dja Wurrung community and field naturalists with some of Australia’s finest writers to compose powerful and moving original songs for choirs.
Big Walk to Golden Mountain invites you to follow in the footsteps of thousands from Guangdong whose migratory passage from Robe in South Australia to the Victorian Goldfields.
Highly acclaimed historian and author Robyn Annear tells stories gleaned from 19th-century Australian newspapers in a relaxed, intimate and informative session.
Featuring an internationally renowned line-up that traverses The Gambia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana and Australia, the Senegambian Jazz Band channels over 8000 years of African musical traditions and paves the way for a new African jazz genre.
Ulumbarra – Gather Together is a powerful and inspirational staged theatre concert dedicated to the story and song of the Dja Dja Wurrung people of central Victoria.
With Elena Kats-Chernin. Renowned Australian classical pianists Elena Kats-Chernin and Tamara-Anna Cislowska perform in the home of Harvey Mitchell on the famous Imperial Bosendorfer piano
Viewshed takes the form of a conversation about elements of the Australian landscape, and the ways in which they may have influenced rural Australian literature.
Taking mining as a metaphor, artists (from places as geographically and culturally diverse as Yirrkala, Castlemaine, New Guinea and North Queensland) will explore themes implicit in the act of mineral exploration and exploitation.
This celebratory exhibition takes the viewer on a visual journey championing the creative energies of Yirrkala Print Space, at the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory
The Castlemaine State Festival, with the financial support of Segan family, once again presents the 2017 Dominique Segan Emerging Artist Mentorship, to help aspiring regional young people achieve their creative potential.
Have you ever felt concerned that your contribution to the world might be too small to make a difference? Join others in a playful virtual gardening exercise
Feast of the Senses is an adventurous progressive dinner held in the bush at three different locations between Guildford Vineyard & Cellar and Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park
Kaput! is the story of a clumsy ‘Mr Fixit’ who, despite his best efforts to perform the simplest of tasks, only manages to fuel the catastrophe unfolding around him.
This year’s hugely anticipated Festival launch features more than 200 local performers working with an international team of choreographers, designers and theatre specialists.
For the 2017 Castlemaine State Festival, Leeroy is creating a temporary sculptural installation, La Puerta Del Laberinto, for the exterior of the Castlemaine Art Museum.
The Little House Project is a delightful art installation created in conjunction with ceramicist Ann Ferguson, under the Festival’s ASCEND education program.
Winner of the ‘Original New Circus’ award on its debut at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2015, Perhaps Hope has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its extreme beauty and courage.
Children are Stinky has been a smash hit, ***** (that’s 5-star)-awarded phenomenon and sold out at the Melbourne, Adelaide AND Edinburgh Fringe Festivals.
