Maroondah Festival 2026 Artists - Expressions of Interest

Overview Maroondah City Council is inviting local artists to express their interest in designing and delivering a community-engaged, creative activity for Maroondah Festival 2026. About Maroondah Festival is a free one-day festival to be held at Town Park, Croydon on Sunday 8 November 2026 from 10am to 4pm. Hosted by Maroondah City Council, this annual family-friendly festival offers live music, thrill rides, food trucks, market stalls, come and try sports, arts and cultural activities and more. With over 25,000 visitors, Maroondah Festival is one of the biggest community events in Melbourne and a key event on the Melbourne cultural calendar. Council's Arts and Cultural team will work with Artists for Kids Culture (AKC) to create an accessible and participatory space for a local artist to design and deliver a free, drop-in creative activity for families at Maroondah Festival. About Artists for Kids Culture (AKC) artsbus Artsbus is a mobile arts studio, theatre and music space, enabling Artists for Kids Culture to facilitate meaningful, thoughtful and therapeutic arts activities. AKC is a for-purpose organisation that raises funds for children across Australia to access grants for arts and cultural activities. AKC artsbus programs are designed to support children to: Build belief in their own creativity through an open-ended and encouraging studio environment Improve their wellbeing through social connection and the therapeutic benefits of the arts Be inspired to challenge themselves and build confidence through inclusive and playful artmaking The Role The successful feature artist will be selected by Maroondah City Council to enter into an agreement with Artists for Kids Culture to design a creative arts activity to be delivered at Maroondah Festival 2026. The activity will be inclusive, innovative and inviting to attract family audiences at the festival. An activity that can be undertaken at a variety of levels would work well to attract all ages. The activity will be hosted on-site, in an outdoors, undercover setting and supported by the AKC artsbus Program Manager and Council staff. The successful artist will: Design a creative activity to engage the Maroondah community, estimated to be up to 500 people accessing the activity across the day. The activity may involve several parts or options and should be appropriate for ages 5 to 15 and suitable for a drop-in festival context (based on previous events, the activity can provide space for up to twenty to twenty-five people at one time, who spend between fifteen to sixty minutes in the space doing the activity) Develop a creative activity that is participatory, innovative and celebrates community connections Consider large crowds attending the festival, ensuring the approach to the activity is simple and can be self-directed Be considerate of waste and take a modest and sustainable approach to materials required for the creative activity (up to $150 of new purchased items) Attend three 30-minute meetings (online and in-person) in the lead-up to the event, with at least one in-person meeting prior to the festival Attend the Maroondah Festival on Sunday 8 November 2026 from 9am to 5pm to deliver the creative activity, including lunchbreak, set up and pack down Co-develop a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) with Artists for Kids Culture Co-promote the activity and Festival across agreed channels Maroondah City Council will: Coordinate an agreement between the artist and Artists for Kids Culture to provide an Artist Fee of $1,541 (excluding GST) plus superannuation, which will include pre-festival preparation and attendance for activity on the day of the festival, as required and in line with NAVA rates Supply Maroondah City Council staff to support the artist and AKC artsbus at the Maroondah Festival on Sunday 8 November 2026 from 10am to 4pm Co-promote the activity, artist and Festival across agreed channels The artsbus Program Manager will: Co-design and support the creative activity Supply the artist with agreed materials and equipment within budget Co-promote the activity and artist, and check in about how the activity should be described and marketed Support connections between local community, artists and young creative kids Organise volunteers to assist with the creative activity and area Provide the AKC artsbus and set up and pack down the creative activity area and equipment on the day Co-facilitate on Festival Day, supporting the artist, activity and audiences Eligibility Feature artist selection criteria: Connection to Maroondah (work, live, study or play in the Maroondah City Council local government area) Current Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million Valid Working With Children Check Experience Quality of work Ability to deliver How to Apply Applications are due by 11.50pm Tuesday 15 September 2026. Enquiries For questions about the expression of interest or any challenges with responding to the application requirements, contact publicart@maroondah.vic.gov.au