Creatives in the Ranges have a new go-to spot to create, play and explore their craft.
The new Creative Ranges Hub opened in Woodend on August 13, offering a spot for young musicians, artists, performers and the like to hang out and jam.
Creative Ranges Foundation chief executive Shaun Evans said the hub is open for everyone.
“Its a gym for your mind and soul,” he said.
“It’s open for all creative artists so that’s performing artists, visual artists, literary artists and anybody that is a keen amateur.
“The whole goal is to have the facilities with a cadre of experienced mentors and professionals, whether it’s in music, film, photography, design, or 3D or coding, so that we’re here to link people together to create a little community of people that can support each other’s growth.”
Mr Evans said the idea came about from his time as music director at Braemar College, and wanting to create a space for young people to connect with their craft, with the hub offering multiple spaces for people to create in.
The foundation is also gearing up for the Spring Youth Festival, which will see young creatives from primary years up until 26 perform across Woodend.
“We ran the Macedon Ranges Music Festival’s youth stage since 2016 and we’ve always talked about having an event at the other end of the year to sort of balance it out and give more performance opportunities for the kids throughout the year,” he said.
Throughout the town, performers will be stationed across multiple locations across High Street in Woodend on a rotating basis.
“It’s a really fun and inclusive festival that is also a bit interactive because the public plays a big role in this,” he said.
Mr Evans said all performers will have a vessel, with the public purchasing tokens to deposit into the vessels, with the most tokens received gaining a prize.
“We thought this is a great way to activate the youth cohort in our region,” he said.
The Spring Youth Festival will take place on Saturday, October 4 from 10am to 5pm, with presentations from 6pm, all over High Street in Woodend.
The Creative Ranges Hub is located at 43 Urquhart Street, Woodend, and is open from 10am to 6pm every day.
Details: https://creativeranges.org/
