Ballarat Centre of Music & the Arts (BCMA)

🌟 Sponsor Spotlight – Thank You, Benkorp Management Services!

The Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts is proud to acknowledge the generous support of Benkorp Management Services, one of the valued sponsors helping bring our 2026 productions to life. Level 2 sponsor for our end of year prodiuction.

Since 1995, Benkorp Management Services has been dedicated to supporting churches and not-for-profit organisations with expert financial management solutions. Working with more than 1,200 organisations across Australia, their experienced team provides tailored bookkeeping, accounting and compliance services, allowing community organisations to focus on what matters most—serving others.

At BCMA, we understand the importance of having trusted professionals behind the scenes, and we're incredibly grateful to have Benkorp supporting the arts in our community.

Their sponsorship helps us continue creating opportunities for performers of all ages to learn, grow and shine on stage.

Thank you, Benkorp Management Services, for investing in local performing arts and helping make the magic happen!

To learn more about their services, visit www.benkorp.com.

💜💚 WELCOME TO THE BCMA FAMILY, BABY ELINOR!

We are so excited to celebrate the beautiful arrival of gorgeous little girl, Elinor!

Congratulations to Catherine, Lachie and big brother Leo on your precious new addition. Elinor is absolutely beautiful, and we couldn’t be happier for your growing family! 💕

We were lucky enough to meet Elinor this week when her big brother came in for Little Froggies. We’re sure we’ll see her singing, dancing and having lots of fun alongside our tiniest performers in the not too distant future! 🐸💚

Sending so much love and congratulations to Catherine, Lachie and Leo from all of us at BCMA. 💜💚

Welcome to the world, beautiful Elinor! ✨

🎤🎹🎻🥁🎸 BCMA SOIRÉES 2026 – LET THE MUSIC PLAY!

Our BCMA Private Music Students are getting ready to take the stage for our 2026 Soirée’s !
Across eight special performances, our talented students will showcase the pieces they have been working on so hard throughout the year, from Voice, Piano and Violin to Drums and Guitar!
These performances are a wonderful opportunity for our students to build confidence, share their love of music and celebrate their progress with family and friends. 🌟

🎶 SOIRÉE 1 Friday 11 September | 5:30pm – 6:30pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 2 Friday 11 September | 7:00pm – 8:30pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 3 Saturday 12 September | 2:30pm – 4:00pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 4 Saturday 12 September | 4:30pm – 6:00pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 5 Sunday 13 September | 10:00am – 11:30am
🎶 SOIRÉE 6 Sunday 13 September | 12:00pm – 1:30pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 7 Sunday 13 September | 2:00pm – 3:30pm
🎶 SOIRÉE 8 Sunday 13 September | 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Whether they are stepping onto the stage for the first time or are seasoned performers, we are incredibly proud of every student taking part. 🥰

Come along, support our performers and enjoy an amazing weekend of live music!

🎟 Tickets on sale NOW for our Soirées and Drama Show MUSICALS! https://collections.humanitix.com/2026-bcma-productions-tickets

🍫✨ POST-SHOW TESTIMONIALS!

We absolutely LOVE hearing what our families and performers thought of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Jr! 💛

Here’s one of the lovely messages we received following the show:
“Just wanted to say a huge congratulations on a fantastic production of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory! It was such a fun show, and * loved being a part of it. I can only imagine how many moving parts there were in putting on a production with over 100 kids! Thank you for all the time, energy and hard work that went into making the show such a success.”

Thank YOU for being part of the magic! Putting a production of this size together takes an enormous team effort, from our incredible students and teachers, to backstage crews, costume helpers, ASC volunteers, families and everyone working behind the scenes.
We are so incredibly proud of what our BCMA family achieved! 💛✨

🍯🐻 POST-SHOW REVIEWS ARE IN!

There’s nothing quite like hearing what our audiences thought after the curtain came down on Winnie the Pooh! ❤️

We were absolutely thrilled to receive such beautiful feedback about our wonderful young performers and the opportunity to see so many of our littlest BCMA stars take to the stage.

One audience member shared: “Congratulations for providing so many genuine performance opportunities for some of the littlest people in our community. Truly wonderful to see SO many children in the audience. No doubt the first theatre experience for some of them too!”

This is exactly WHY we do what we do! It’s not just about putting on a show – it’s about giving children the opportunity to perform, build confidence, make friends, experience live theatre and create memories they’ll carry with them for years to come.

To everyone who came along, supported our performers, brought their families and shared your lovely feedback – THANK YOU! ❤️

And to our incredible Winnie the Pooh cast, crew, teachers and volunteers… you made the magic happen! 🐻🍯🌳

We’re SUPER proud of our little theatre-makers! 🥹

🎭 BCMAERS & ALUMNI ON STAGE!

We love seeing our BCMA family continue to take their performing arts journey beyond the walls of BCMA, and we’re so excited to support this fantastic production!

You Can’t Tell Anyone is coming to the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute from 20–23 August and features an incredible line-up of BCMAers and alumni:

⭐ Gemma Every
⭐ Atticus Benjsson
⭐ Clementine Sawyer
⭐ Karli Drew
⭐ Alexander Morley
⭐ Hayley Every (stage manager)

You Can’t Tell Anyone is a philosophical thriller exploring the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Set at a party at the end of school, a simple game of Paranoia begins to spiral, bringing long-held tensions to the surface and leaving everyone questioning who they can trust.
No one is safe… not even the audience! 👀

We are incredibly proud to see our BCMAers and alumni taking on challenging roles, creating theatre and continuing to do what they love. Break a leg, everyone! 🎭❤️

📅 20–23 August 2026
📍 Ballaarat Mechanics Institute
🎟️ Tickets & more information:

https://bnt.org.au/past-productions/you-cant-tell-anyone

Go and show our BCMA family some love!

🎭✨ Four musicals down... and the excitement is only just beginning!

What an incredible year it has already been at BCMA! From Mary Poppins Jr., Hadestown: Teen Edition, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the adorable Winnie the Pooh Kids, our students have amazed audiences time and time again with their talent, dedication and passion. But we're not finished yet...

BCMA's End of Year Production – Stepsisters Lament is now in full swing! This is shaping up to be one of our biggest and most entertaining productions yet, and we can't wait to share it with you the BCMA twist on the Cinderella story of her Stepsisters.

Featuring all students from our Musical Theatre, Dance classes, Vocal Gym, Dance Gym and Preschool classes, this spectacular show will celebrate the incredible achievements of our performers throughout 2026.

📍 Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts
🗓 Saturday 5 December
🕐 1:00 pm & 6:00 pm
🎟 Tickets go on sale Monday 2 November at 9:00 am.

And before that... the excitement continues with auditions taking place during the last week of August for our students wanting to be considered for featured roles.

🍯🐻 SHOW DAY IS HERE! 🐻🍯

It's finally time to journey to the Hundred Acre Wood! 🌳✨

A huge CHOOKAS to all of our wonderful Junior Musical Theatre students who have worked so hard to bring Winnie the Pooh to life. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you!

From our adorable Honey Bees and lovable woodland friends to Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and our fabulous Narrators, you've shown such enthusiasm, teamwork and dedication throughout rehearsals. Today is your chance to step on stage, have fun, and share your hard work with your family and friends.

Remember to smile, enjoy every moment, and make some magical memories together. We know you're going to be absolutely wonderful! 💛

🍯 Today's Performance
🕒 Saturday 15 August – 3:00pm

🌟 Tomorrow's Performance
🕚 Sunday 16 August – 11:00am

As we celebrate 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh, we can't wait to share this charming story of friendship, kindness and adventure with our audiences.

🎟 There are still a limited number of tickets available if you haven't booked yet:
https://collections.humanitix.com/2026-bcma-productions-tickets

Chookas everyone! We can't wait to watch you shine on stage. 💛🐝🍯

🎩🍫 SHOW DAY IS HERE!

It's finally time to step inside the most extraordinary chocolate factory in the world! 🍬✨

A huge CHOOKAS to all of our incredible Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Jr. cast! We are so proud of every one of you and all the hard work, dedication and imagination you've poured into bringing this magical story to life.

From Charlie Bucket and his loving family to the mysterious W***y Wonka, the unforgettable Golden Ticket winners, the mischievous Oompa Loompas and every wonderful character in between, you've embraced every rehearsal with enthusiasm, teamwork and heart. Today is your chance to step into Wonka's world, have fun, and share your amazing talents with family and friends.

Remember to smile, trust your rehearsals, enjoy every magical moment, and create memories you'll treasure forever. We know you're going to be absolutely golden! 💛🍫

🍬 Today's Performances
🕥 Saturday 15 August – 10:30am
🕕 Saturday 15 August – 6:00pm Standing room available

🌟 Tomorrow's Performance
🕜 Sunday 16 August – 1:30pm Standing room available
We can't wait to welcome audiences into Wonka's incredible factory for
a sweet adventure filled with imagination, laughter and unforgettable music.
🎟 There are still a limited number of tickets available if you haven't booked yet:
https://collections.humanitix.com/2026-bcma-productions-tickets
Chookas everyone! We can't wait to watch you shine and make a little bit of pure imagination come to life.