Upcoming Events
Creative Bites
Curious about The Station? Keen to connect with creative individuals, businesses and organisations? Let’s have lunch!
Creative Bites is the new version of our beloved Station Morning Tea. Held on the first Thursday of each month, Creative Bites will be our informal lunchtime gathering that brings creatives together across artforms to connect, share practice and get to know the people making, meeting and working at The Station. Enjoy quick, engaging and fun presentations facilitated by a new creative per month, from tips and tricks to industry advice and creative inspiration. BYO lunch, light refreshments provided.
Join us for Creative Bites presented by Damian Triulcio, a practicing artist at the Art Factory. Damian will discuss his contribution to the Art Factory’s upcoming collection show at the Station Creative Workspace.
Damian is an illustrator and writer whose practice is driven by a deep interest in history and its many cultures. He meticulously researches the historical characters he develops, ensuring each illustration is grounded in accurate context and detail.
📅 First Thursday of the month
⏰ 12:30–1:30pm
🥪 BYO lunch
Let us know you’re coming! RSVP here.
The Art Factory Collection Show Opening Night
Annie Heir, work in progress, 2025.
Works is an exhibition that brings together a diverse collection of selected works created over the past twelve months by the Art Factory artists ,working across painting, assemblage, ceramics, and mixed media. Each piece reflects an individual exploration of material, form, and personal expression, shaped within the shared environment of the studio.
Together, these works offer a glimpse into the evolving practices of the artists—capturing moments of experimentation, reflection, and creative growth. The exhibition celebrates both the uniqueness of each artist’s voice and the collective energy that emerges when artists create alongside one another.
HEAPS DECENT Music Production and Graphic Design Workshops
🎧🎨 Eastern Riverina Arts is proud to partner with HEAPS DECENT to deliver FREE School Holiday Creative Workshops!
Young creatives in the Eastern Riverina are invited to explore Music Production and Graphic Design in these hands-on workshops for free these school holidays.
📍 Wagga Wagga – The Station Creative Workspace
🗓 Friday 17 April | ⏰ 2-4pm
Music Production Workshop
In this inspiring hands-on workshop participants will work with a professional music producer to write and record an original song of their own. Using Ableton Live software and a range of other tools participants explore technology and an incredible library of sound to compose their own unique work. They write and record lyrics, tap out rhythms and orchestrate big melodies. From Hip Hop to Dance (and anything in between) this medium truly resonates with people of all ages, and they do not need any musical experience or skills to engage fully.
The workshop is a great way to encourage creative communication and confidence, and inspire positivity and team building within groups. It brings together auditory and kinaesthetic learning in an exciting session.
An Intro into Graphic Design
This hands-on workshop is open to people of all ages and skill levels - no prior design experience needed. Whether you’re completely new to graphic design or already experimenting with creative ideas, this session is designed to meet you where you’re at.
With a focus on logo design, we’ll explore the full creative process, from developing ideas and sketching concepts to refining designs and preparing them for print. You’ll learn how designers think, experiment, and turn rough ideas into polished visuals. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a clearer understanding of graphic design fundamentals and the confidence to keep creating.
Or you can choose to get an introduction to graphic design, learning how to develop ideas, sketch concepts and create your own logo from start to finish.
Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
ERA Art and Design Market
Image: Quill Fine Art Creations stall at Station Launch Weekend. Photo: Jack of Hearts.
Eastern Riverina Arts is proud to present an Art and Design Market at The Station.
We’re inviting all local artists, designers, makers, and creative businesses to host a stall at this one-day market, an exciting opportunity to showcase and sell your work, connect with new audiences, and be part of a vibrant celebration of local creativity.
From original artworks and handmade design pieces to jewellery, ceramics, prints, zines, photography, textiles, and more, If you’re creating thoughtful, well-crafted work, we’d love to hear from you!
Event Details
Date: Saturday 20th June
Time: 10am – 2pm
Location: The Station, 54-58 Johnston St, Wagga Wagga
Expressions of interest
EOIs Open: Friday 13th February
EOI Deadline: Friday 24th April 5pm
Apply now through the button below.
This program is supported by Create NSW and Regional Australia Bank.
Drawing Workshop: Rocks to Canopy
Rocks to Canopy: A Drawing Workshop by Karen Walsh and Jennie Forster
Explore the raw textures and rhythms of the natural world in this hands-on drawing workshop, presented by exhibiting artists Jennifer Forster and Karen Walsh as part of their exhibition at the Ambo Gallery 'Echoes of the Bush'.
This workshop welcomes all levels, with a strong focus on process over perfection, with nature as our guide. All materials included, and morning tea provided. Booking is essential, tickets are $120.
📆 Saturday 14 March | 10am-4pm
📍 The Ambo Gallery, Station Creative Workspace, 54-58 Johnston St Wagga Wagga
Work In Progress with Tania Le Petit, Rachelle Mascini, and Donna Longobardi
Ceramic artwork by Rachelle Mascini.
“These ceramic people are still figuring themselves out. Face, hair, hats - and a series that could go absolutely anywhere.”
Join us for a drink after work for our second Work in Progress Night for 2026! We will hear from contemporary jewellery artist Tania Le Petit, ceramicist Rachelle Mascini, and multidisciplinary maker Donna Longobardi.
From her early days studying Jewellery Design at Charles Sturt University to mastering the iridescent magic of anodised titanium, Tania Le Petit has pushed this lightweight industrial metal to its limits. Using hydraulic pressing, saw piercing and electric currents, she creates luminous colour, drawing inspiration from native Australian flowers and the transformative butterfly life cycle.
Based in Wagga Wagga, Rachelle Mascini studied Visual Arts (Ceramics) at the University of Newcastle and has exhibited across Australia and internationally, with work held in collections in the UK and the Netherlands. Currently, she is developing a new body of work, combining ceramics and oil painting inspired by the Murrumbidgee River.
Experimenting with the possibilities offered through photography, painting, print media and fibre art, Donna Longobardi draws inspiration from life in the Gilmore Valley, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. The shifting light, seasonal colours and rich textures of the land form the heart of her practice.
Work in Progress is a regular event in which artists and creatives are invited to show a piece of unfinished creative work (visual, performative, experimental and more), within a context of supportive critique and collaborative networking.
EXHIBITION: Echoes in the Bush Karen Walsh & Jennifer Forster
Exhibition: Echoes in the Bush
An extraordinary visual documentation of the black summer bushfires, over a six year period, by artists Karen Walsh and Jennifer Forster.
Artworks in this exhibition are a response to the raw immediacy, stillness, and complexity of the Australian bush that was deeply scared during the bush fire of 2020 in the Snowy Mountains area of Talbingo. By visiting this area every year since those devastating fires, artists Jennie and Karen have created works in situ, using the landscape not just as subject, but as collaborator, immersing in its rhythms, materials, and quiet authority.
The works in this exhibition are shaped by weather, time, and terrain: submerged paper in the creeks, charcoal from fire-blackened trees, and found objects that are used as drawing tools. The artists have been inspired to record through sketchbooks, multimedia drawings and paintings while being present in the bush, observing, listening, and making art in the moment.
This practice is as much about reverence, resilience and connection to the land and its recovery as it is about mark-making. From the reverent and haunting silence of their first trip into the fire affected area to the sounds of the recovering landscape with birdsong, wind in the trees and the hum of the bees, Jennie and Karen continue to document the area and honour the bush not just as a backdrop, but as a living system: unpredictable, powerful, and deeply textured.
Echoes in the Bush invites viewers to slow down and listen — not just to the artwork, but to the landscape behind it. It’s a journey into the heart of place, where creation and country speak in quiet harmony.
Exhibition Launch
6 March | 5:30–7:30pm
📍The Ambo Gallery, 54-58 Johnston Street, Wagga Wagga
Creative Bites at the Station
Curious about The Station? Keen to connect with creative individuals, businesses and organisations? Let’s have lunch!
Creative Bites is the new version of our beloved Station Morning Tea. Held on the first Thursday of each month, Creative Bites will be our informal lunchtime gathering that brings creatives together across artforms to connect, share practice and get to know the people making, meeting and working at The Station. Enjoy quick, engaging and fun presentations facilitated by a new creative per month, from tips and tricks to industry advice and creative inspiration. BYO lunch, light refreshments provided.
Join us for our first iteration of Creative Bites presented by Rach Viski, Founder of Minta Viski, Thursday 5th March.
Minta Viski amplifies regional Australian voices through design thinking, transforming challenges into distinctive visual solutions, designing arts experiences for public spaces, and developing visual identities.
📅 First Thursday of the month
⏰ 12:30–1:30pm
🥪 BYO lunch
Let us know you’re coming! RSVP here.
Sharing the National Collection
Fiona Hall
Gadigal Nura/Sydney
Paradisus Terrestris 1989-90
23 cut and moulded sardine tins; aluminium, tin and steel
24.5 x 11 x 1.5 cm (each approx.)
National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra
Purchased 1994
© Fiona Hall/Copyright AgencyEastern Riverina Arts is honoured to host the work of prominent Australian artist Fiona Hall through the Sharing the National Collection program. Supported by the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy ‘Revive’, this program enables the National Gallery’s extensive collection to be shared with regional galleries and cultural institutions across the country.
Fiona Hall’s extraordinary Paradisus Terrestris (1989–90) will be on display at the Station Creative Workplace in Wagga Wagga until 2028, through a long-term loan with Eastern Riverina Arts. The sculptural work transforms everyday materials into intricate organic forms, drawing on Australian historical and contemporary resonances while reflecting Hall’s sustained engagement with ecology, systems of knowledge, and Australian historical and contemporary narratives.
Nature Art Walk with Tina Dejong
Walking the wetlands of Wagga Wagga - you’ll find a wildlife web that we all depend on. You will feel the cycle of life and see a future still to be written.
We can draw that together.
Join artist Tina DeJong for a nature art excursion to Wollundry Lagoon. Coinciding with her exhibition 'Swampy Plains' at the Ambo Gallery, this program provides the opportunity to collaborate in artistic practice which will inform Tina's exhibition. During the event, Tina will also provide an artist talk.
This is a free event with all supplies provided. RSVP is essential, all ages welcome from beginner to advanced.
Location: Starting at the Ambo Gallery and walking to the Wollundry Lagoon, finishing back at the Ambo Gallery space.
Work in Progress with Annemarie Bolduc & John Riddell
Join us for a drink after work and be inspired by a behind the scenes look at works in development by Annemarie Bolduc and John Riddell. Work in Progress is a regular event in which artists and creatives are invited to show a piece of unfinished creative work (visual, performative, experimental and more), within a context of supportive critique and collaborative networking.
Speaker 1: Annemarie Bolduc
Annemarie Bolduc, also known as Snowy Foodie, is the French-Canadian creative behind Bottle and Brush Studio in Tumbarumba. A multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer, she reinvented her practice in Australia as a food photographer and writer, a contributor to a national gardening magazine, and a cultural cookbook author.
Working from home, Annemarie uses her entire garden as part of her studio. She will present print and projection samples and speak about her published projects with ABC Organic Gardener Magazine, her still-life photography created with local and home-grown produce, her blog Snowy Foodie, and the hardcover pre-sale of her cookbook Québec Kitchen Abroad.
Speaker 2: John Riddell
John Riddell is an award-winning no-budget filmmaker and documentarian. He has also taken part in writing a play, is a published photographer, exhibition curator and film festival director. He plays in a band with his pals, who all have promising musical futures long behind them. He has been to over 30 countries, and now resides in Tumbarumba with his wife, Annemarie.
John will be presenting about two upcoming film ideas he would like to get made around the region, the first is a travelling music web series, and the second a new short film idea that will be shot around Tumut, Batlow and Canberra that can hopefully be adapted into something longer form.
Exhibition: Swampy Plains by Tina Dejong
Walking the wetlands of Wagga Wagga - you’ll find a wealth of wildlife connected in a web we all depend on. You will experience yesterday’s change, survivor species and ghosts. You’ll feel the cycle of bursting life, abundant aquatic booms and even new creatures coming back, and then the times of dive bombing drying out and retraction. You can see a future still to be written. We can draw that together
Exhibition Launch:
6th of February | 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Station Morning Tea
Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a cuppa, a chat, and a chance to connect with the creative community at Station Creative Workspace. Meet the makers, catch up with fellow creatives, and share ideas over a relaxed morning tea.
It’s also the perfect time to connect with the Eastern Riverina Arts team about your arts practice or projects in the works.
The Mix
Calling artists, venues, promoters, artist managers, educators, techs and others involved in music and the arts in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding areas.
Don’t miss ‘The Mix’ hosted by MusicNSW Regional Coordinator Kayne Mills on Wiradjuri Country. Join us for a listening party and industry mixer, where you'll get the chance to connect, chat, and meet others in your local music scene. You can also learn about opportunities coming up and how MusicNSW can support you.
Musicians who’d like to share their music at the listening party can submit their work via the RSVP link below. Submissions are limited to 20 artists only.
We encourage a safe space, and ask all attendees to be respectful, kind and courteous during the listening party.
Catering will be provided.
Presented in partnership with Eastern Riverina Arts.
For access enquiries, you can contact Kayne Mills at kayne@musicnsw.com.
First Nations Student Exhibition
Join us in celebrating the creativity, culture, and vision of Wagga’s First Nation students through this special exhibition of their artworks and stories.
We warmly invite schools, students, families, and the community to come along and support students, whose work embodies both cultural pride and storytelling.
Launch:
Tuesday 9 December
11am-12:30pm
Stick around afterwards for a community BBQ!
Enjoy lunch, connect with others, and continue the celebration of talent, community, and culture.
Let’s come together to honour the voices, visions, and legacies of our First Nations students, today and for generations to come.
Station Morning Tea
Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a cuppa, a chat, and a chance to connect with the creative community at Station Creative Workspace. Meet the makers, catch up with fellow creatives, and share ideas over a relaxed morning tea.
It’s also the perfect time to connect with the Eastern Riverina Arts team about your arts practice or projects in the works.
Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property (ICIP) Roadshow with Create NSW
Join Create NSW as part of their statewide ICIP Roadshow to discuss Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)- which includes all aspects of cultural practices, traditional knowledge, resources and knowledge systems developed by Indigenous people as part of their cultural identity.
The Create NSW First Nations team is travelling around NSW to meet with First Nations artistic & cultural communities about what ICIP means for you.
First Nations community members and allies are invited to join Create NSW for a briefing on what is happening in this space locally and federally, as well as a broad ranging discussion on the ICIP issues that directly affect your communities and cultural practices.
These conversations will help shape future resources and tools, developed in collaboration with Terri Janke Company, to support the protection of ICIP in First Nations arts and cultural practice.
Bursaries are available to cover travel costs for those attending from outside Wagga Wagga within the Eastern Riverina Arts region. To express your interest in a bursary, please contact exec@easternriverinaarts.org.au or phone 02 6921 6890.
FIND OUT MORE: https://www.nsw.gov.au/.../resour.../icip-gathering-roadshow
Image credit:
Arts Northern Rivers, Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali Weaving Workshop, Evans Head, Photograph by Kate Holmes.
Voices In Colour Exhibition
Behind every work is a voice worth hearing.
Join us on Tuesday 25 November from 4:30pm at the Ambo Gallery for the launch of Voices in Colour, a powerful exhibition created by artists with lived and living experiences of mental health challenges.
Through paint, texture and expression, these artists share stories of struggle, resilience and hope - inviting us to see beyond labels and connect with the heart of our community.
Voices in Colour is free to attend and will be on display from 25 November to 2 December, however we highly encourage joining the opening night launch event, with light refreshments provided as we celebrate creativity, courage and connection.
Matter + Mind: A meditation on materials, balance & being
In this exhibition, artist Bec Cutler traces the quiet conversation between material and maker, being and becoming. Working with textiles, wood, paper and other materials, the artworks move between two and three dimensions, exploring form, balance, and transformation. At their core lies an awareness of life’s cycles—growth, decay, and return—where natural matter carries both memory and impermanence. Each piece invites reflection on how materials hold us in the present, while also reminding us of nature’s enduring rhythms. Matter + Mind is both an act of making and a meditation on how we live, create, and return to the earth.
Exhibition Launch:
Friday 31 October
5:30-7:30pm
'Cool Cactus' Paint and Sip Workshop
On October 25th, Tanya is offering a brand new theme with a twist! Tanya will take you traversing the desert with her new cool cactus-themed 'Paint and Sip' workshop – with a little surprise included!
Choose your cactus – or your camel for that matter – whatever sparks your imagination, you’re in for an afternoon of fun, laughter and 100% creativity! Whether you come solo, with friends, or as part of a group, you’ll leave with a beautiful piece of artwork to be proud of, plus that wonderful feeling of calm and creative satisfaction.
What’s included:
All materials provided (canvas, easel, apron, paints, brushes, etc.)
Step-by-step guidance in a relaxed, supportive environment
A fruit platter
A surprise twist to the theme that’ll make this session extra special!
Duration: Approximately 2–3 hours
Location: The Station Creative Workspace
Date & Time: October 25th at 4:00 PM
Cost: $75 per person
Bookings: Seats are limited—reserve your spot early to avoid missing out!
Check Tanya’s website for further details on all workshops: www.paintandsipwithtanya.com.au
Saturday Morning Storytelling
Associate Professor Sam Bowker will tell stories old and new from the legends that have inspired Green Beetle
The Green Beetle company tells stories long forgotten, which have not yet been told. In this intimate spoken word performance, we will hear a selection of the ancient and invented tales that have inspired us.
25 October - FREE - 11am to 12 noon - all ages over 8 years
Shadow Puppet Workshop
Bring your imagination and let a new shadow puppet take flight! In this guided hands-on craft workshop Associate Professor Sam Bowker will share how he creates shadow puppets, and you will be able to take home a simple articulated puppet of your own design. Materials provided.
Saturday 18 October 11am to 12 noon - all ages over 8 years, all welcome to participate in this creative craft session. Maximum 12 people, $10 each.
Social Queen Market
Find your newest wardrobe additions at the upcoming Social Queen Markets at the Station’s outdoor Event Space!
A local markets filled with second hand or brand new high end clothing and accessories. From dresses to handbags to shoes and designer brands; there’s something for any queen at Social Queen Markets.
Connecting to Nature : Pathways to Art Workshop
Join Elaine Camlin from Unique State for an immersive sensory-based walk around the Wolloundry Lagoon, where participants will be invited to not only see their surrounds but to sense them. Following the walk, everyone will respond to their connection with nature, place, and experiences through a creative art workshop.
The workshop embraces playful approaches to art-making and intergenerational collaboration, inviting families and young people to explore and create together. Elaine is an experienced artist and registered art therapist who actively welcomes and creates space for our diverse communities, through neurodivergent affirming practice. This workshop has been supported by Eastern Riverina Arts Creative Commissions Project and is hosted at The Station Creative Workspace.
Event date: Saturday 11 October, 2025
Time: 11am - 2pm
$20pp - Includes: materials, tuition, light lunch
Wear: old clothes and comfortable closed in shoes suitable for walking.
Public Lecture - Myth and Legend in Shadow Theatre
Once upon a time, as the stars came out, intricate shadows danced to ancient music. In this public lecture Associate Professor Sam Bowker will survey the global histories of shadow theatre, including the stories that inspired the exhibition 'Myths of the Green Beetle'. We will see rare puppets, learn the stories they once shared, and see how artists past and present have made shadows dance to new tunes.
Saturday 4 October 6-7pm evening $10 admission
Myths of the Green Beetle
When words are forgotten, their shadows will dance.
Inspired by the Egyptian medieval traditions of khayal al-zill shadow theatre, this exhibition brings together drawings, linoprints and shadow puppets created by Dr Sam Bowker for the Green Beetle Company.
Together, these tell stories long forgotten, which have not yet been told.
Exhibition Launch:
3 October
5:30-7:30pm
Includes a performance by Melinda Bowker and Harold Gretton
Public Lecture Saturday 4 October, 6:00-7:00pm: Myth and Legend in Shadow Theatre, $10 admission.
Shadow Puppet Workshop Saturday 18 October 11:00am-12:00noon: all ages over 8 years, all welcome to participate in this creative craft session. Maximum 12 people, $10 each.
Experimental New Storytelling Saturday 25 October 11:00am-12:00noon: FREE EVENT all ages over 8 years, Sam Bowker will tell stories old and new from the legends that have inspired Green Beetle.
Brush Lettering Workshop
Join Alena Tsarkova from YaMogu for an inspiring 3.5-hour brush lettering workshop, and dive into the world of brush lettering with the latest Staedtler Pigment Arts Markers (markers sponsored by Staedtler). Whether you’re a complete beginner or an enthusiast looking to enhance your skills, this workshop is a perfect way to unlock your creativity, improve fine motor skills, and learn a relaxing, meditative art form.
Wiradjuri Art Commission Unveiling & Station Morning Tea
Aunty Fay Clayton Moseley is a proud Wiradyuri woman, Elder, and nationally recognised artist whose life and work embody resilience, cultural strength, and deep connection to Country. Join us for morning tea and the unveiling of her art commission down here at Station Creative Workspace. This is also a casual opportunity to chat to the Eastern Riverina Arts team about your project ideas or arts practice.
Paint and Sip with Tanya
We’re excited to announce that one of our resident artists, Tanya from Paint and Sip with Tanya, is now running regular creative workshops in the exhibition space at The Staton.
Join us on Saturday, 27th September for a relaxed and inspiring afternoon of painting, sipping, and connecting. This special country-inspired session will guide you step-by-step as you create your own country-styled artwork.
Whether you’re an experienced painter or picking up a brush for the very first time, Tanya’s workshops are designed to be fun, social, and beginner-friendly. All materials are provided—just bring along your favourite drink and a willingness to get creative!
✨ Spaces are limited—book your spot today to secure your easel! ✨
Work in Progress with Elaine Camlin, Gabrielle Tozer & Virginia Anderson
Hosted in partnership with The Art Factory, the next 'Work in Progress' event will be held on the 26th September. Our three presenters discussing their upcoming projects will be Elaine Camlin, Pathways to Art, Gabrielle Tozer, Your Creative Reset: Where inspiration meets action and Virginia Anderson, Starborn.
Master of Ceremonies and Speaker: Damian Triulcio
Damian is an illustrator and writer who is interested in history and its cultures. He has just finished a run of early childhood focused workshops presenting 3D printing to new audiences. This was created from Damian’s solo exhibition On Track in October 2025. Damian’s limited Radio Drama- Nemisis; The Jaded Millennium was released in July 2021. He also featured dossier’s and original artworks at the annual Halfway Print Festival. He is exhibiting in Momentum an Inclusive Arts Network & ArtRageUs Group Exhibition in October.
Speaker 1: Elaine Camlin - Connecting to Nature: Pathways to Art
Elaine Camlin from Unique State shares her WIP developing an immersive sensory-based walk around the Wolloundry Lagoon, where participants will be invited to not only see their surroundings but to sense them. The workshop embraces playful approaches to artmaking and intergenerational collaboration, inviting families and young people to explore and create together.
Speaker 2: Gabrielle Tozer - Your Creative Reset
Join award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer as she unpacks the wins, struggles and breakthroughs from launching Your Creative Reset, a dynamic and immersive workshop designed to reignite participants’ mindset and artistic processes. Plus, reflections on how mentorship from a renowned writing coach fueled both the program’s creation and her own creative momentum.
Speaker 3: Virginia Anderson - Starborn: We Are All Made of Stardust
Mojo SenseScape Productions invites you into a world where imagination and inclusion unite. Our latest sensory story, We Are All Made of Stardust, is a luminous journey through the cosmos—an immersive experience designed to awaken wonder through sound, light, touch, and scent. Created for individuals with sensory and communication differences, this performance places accessibility at its heart, offering every participant the chance to feel the beauty of our shared connection to the universe.
Creative Cultural Tourism
Regional creatives are sitting on a cultural tourism goldmine, but how do we unlock it? This workshop explores how artists, councils, and organisations can collaborate to create meaningful, market-ready experiences.
Designed for cultural organisations ready to move beyond the basics of cultural tourism and delve into advanced strategies for engagement, collaboration, and sustainable growth.
This full-day event combines in-depth discussions, hands-on activities, advanced resource sharing, and targeted networking opportunities. Participants will learn how to strategically leverage their unique attributes - including their people, history, traditions, arts, and culture - to create compelling, participatory experiences that resonate deeply with cultural tourists.
Come ready to workshop ideas, refine your offer, and shape the future of cultural tourism in our region.
This workshop is a part of the Eastern Riverina Arts Creative Industries Bootcamp.
About Creative Plus Business
Creative Plus Business is a national social enterprise dedicated to helping creative practitioners and arts professionals develop their entrepreneurial skills.
They help creative cohorts to learn new skills and implement practical approaches to small business, strategic planning, financial literacy, marketing strategy, wellbeing and more.
Since 2016, they’ve helped over 15,000 individual practitioners and creative organisations to finesse their entrepreneurial abilities, overcome challenges, improve their commercial capacity, survive and thrive.
Creative Industries Panel - Wearing Many Hats
Creatives in regional and rural Australia often juggle a rich mix of roles, from artist to administrator, teacher to technician, maker to mentor. This panel celebrates the diverse ways creatives show up for their communities, sustain their practices, and stay adaptable in a shifting industry landscape.
We'll explore how “multi-hat” work drives innovation, builds networks, and reveals unexpected career pathways, all while navigating burnout, boundaries, and the business side of art.
Panellists
Claire Harris
Claire Harris is the Manager of the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre. She has twenty-five years experience across the arts and creative industries, including working with Australian Theatre for Young People, Outback Theatre for Young People, Eastern Riverina Arts, The Cad Factory, The Wired Lab and Live Performance Australia. Claire founded Create Hub Riverina in Wagga Wagga and currently sits on the board of NAPACA (NSW Performing Arts Centres Association).
Vickie Burkinshaw
Vickie Burkinshaw is a respected community leader in Wagga Wagga. As owner of The Curious Rabbit, she developed a much-loved gallery, café and cultural hub. She is President of both the Friends of the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and the Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre, where she continues to champion creativity, culture and community wellbeing. In recognition of her leadership, Vickie has received accolades including the 2022 Transgrid Leadership Award and the 2025 Wagga Wagga Local Woman of the Year.
Vanessa Keenan
Vanessa Keenan is the Managing Director of Acorn Creative Group, bringing over 20 years of experience in arts management and community engagement. She has a strong background in project management with a history of successful, award-winning projects and is a practicing artist.
Moderator
Chris Roe
Chris roe is a storyteller, artist and TV producer based in Wagga Wagga. With three decades of experience in broadcast media Chris left Sydney with his young family in 2022 to launch the popular Region Riverina digital news platform and has recently returned to a senior production role with SBS/NITV. Working remotely from the Station Creative Workspace, Chris juggles daily TV deadlines along with writing, his art practice and a small business making unusual props and toys. Fittingly, Chris has collected hats since he was 5 years old and maintains a large and varied collection.
Strategic Thinking + Project Design
Develop strategic and flexible project planning skills that can strengthen and future-proof your organisation, group, or project in this two day workshop.
Part 1: Strategic Thinking – The Why
This session will help participants uncover the deeper purpose behind their work. You’ll reflect on the gap or need your project addresses, who it’s for, why it matters, and how it connects with people’s lives. You’ll build clarity around your mission and the communities/audiences you aim to engage.
Part 2: Project Design – The How
Building on this strategic foundation, the second session will explore how to design adaptable, opportunity-ready projects. You’ll learn how to scale your idea to suit different contexts (e.g., $5k, $25k, or $100k versions) and how to pitch well-considered, implementation-ready initiatives that align with your long-term goals and vision.
This workshop is a part of the Eastern Riverina Arts Creative Industries Bootcamp.
Your Creative Reset
Ready to reignite your creativity? Join award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer for an immersive workshop that’s like a creative retreat without packing a suitcase.
Your Creative Reset is for aspiring, emerging and professional creatives of all disciplines aged 18+ who are ready to level up their artistic practice.
This isn’t your typical how-to workshop.
We’ll get to the heart of what makes you tick creatively and build a personalised toolkit that suits your season of life, whatever that may be.
Think strategies for taming your inner critic, development of deeper insights into your process, navigating burnout, habit formation to conquer procrastination and simple tips to infuse creative magic into every day.
Gabrielle delivers all this with an approach that is equal parts inspiring and supportive, making it the perfect space to grow artistically while connecting with fellow creatives.
About Gabrielle Tozer:
Gabrielle Tozer is an award-winning author based in regional New South Wales. Her latest works include The Unexpected Mess of it All, which won the 2025 ACT Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction, and beloved picture book Before We Met (illustrated by the award-winning Sophie Beer).
Over the years, Gabrielle has received honours including the State Library of Victoria’s Gold Inky Award for her debut novel, The Intern, and appeared on the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Notable List for Older Readers for Remind Me How This Ends.
She loves sharing her passion for creativity and has worked as a mentor for the Regional Arts Network's Horizon program, Regional Arts Australia's Regional Scribes program and the ABC’s Heywire initiative.
Gabrielle is currently working on three new books for HarperCollins.
With over 20 years of media, publishing and mentoring experience, Gabrielle brings her blend of industry expertise and unique ability to nurture creativity to the workshop, making her the perfect guide for your creative reset.
This workshop is a part of the Eastern Riverina Arts Creative Industries Bootcamp.