Creating with Architecture: Photography and Poetry Workshop Announced for Ballarat Heritage Festival
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is pleased to present a new public program as part of the 2026 Ballarat Heritage Festival, inviting participants to explore the creative possibilities of architecture through photography and poetry.
Join Ballarat locals photographer Georgina Matherson and historian and poet Nadia Rhook for Creating with Architecture: A Photography and Poetry Workshop. The workshop will run on Saturday 23 May 2026 at the National Centre for Photography, which is housed in Ballarat’s historic former Union Bank building. Designed by architect Leonard Terry, the building was completed in 1864. It is a striking example of Greek Revival architecture and reminder of the colonial wealth generated by the city’s gold rush.
Creating with Architecture offers an opportunity to engage with one of Ballarat’s most significant heritage sites at a moment of transition. While the building’s interior undergoes redevelopment, participants will turn their attention to its exterior. Through a series of prompts, participants are invited to respond to the building’s visible and invisible layers: its architectural features and materials, as well as the social narratives embedded within it.
Matherson will provide practical guidance for making architectural photographs, while Rhook will introduce writing prompts influenced by the building’s and site’s history. Together, they will support participants to develop creative responses that move between image and text.
The workshop is open to people of all experience levels, from those new to photography or writing through to established practitioners. Attendees will also have the opportunity to further develop work created during the session for potential inclusion in an online exhibition hosted on the Ballarat Foto website.
Running from 10 am to 12 pm, the workshop will begin outside the National Centre for Photography on Bath Lane. In the case of poor weather, an alternative indoor space will be provided nearby.
Creating with Architecture: A Photography and Poetry Workshop reflects the Biennale’s ongoing commitment to enriching community through photography.
