Turn your idea for a public activation into reality with a new City Centre Community Activation Grants program.
Applications are now open, and community members are invited to submit public activation ideas that will be engaging and vibrant in the heart of Bendigo city centre.
The City Centre Community Activation Grants program is open to individuals, businesses, or groups who live, work, or study in the Greater Bendigo region.
The City of Greater Bendigo grants are available for small one-off activities, or a series of larger activities spread over the year (six in total).
The aim is to attract more people, more often to the city centre with a variety of public activations that encourage community and visitor engagement and support local creativity and innovation.
So far this year, the City has curated and presented over 200 free activations in Hargreaves Mall for the community to enjoy, such as the popular Fiesta Street Party, school holiday program, music and family friendly fun activities.
This grant program enables the community and creatives to lead and curate their own activities.
Creative City Coordinator Maree Tonkin said this was a fantastic opportunity for the community and businesses to put forward their own ideas and be supported by the City Centre Community Activation Grants program.
"This program hopes to attract diverse ideas and community-led activities to be hosted in the city centre," Ms Tonkin said.
"Hargreaves Mall is an ideal location with the new stage and lots of space to host art making, music, dance, performances, markets, cultural celebrations, business ideas, workshops, fashion, temporary pop-up art, augmented reality, technology-based work and much more. Other city centre locations will also be considered under the activation program.
"We want to hear your big, clever and creative ideas that can be turned into vibrant and engaging activations for the public to enjoy.
"We're seeking activation proposals to take place throughout the year with a focus on school holidays and Saturdays. All temporary activations must be free for the public to attend and the content suitable for presentation in a public place.
"Priority will be given to projects that champion access and inclusion, aim to increase community engagement and participation and are representative of the broad demographic mix in Greater Bendigo.
"Our region prides itself on its vibrancy and creative reputation. To stimulate activity in the city centre, these grants complement the Hargreaves Mall Action Plan, adopted by Council in 2023, to encourage more people to visit the city centre to shop, eat and enjoy free public activations.
"The chosen projects will be selected by a panel and our Creative City staff will collaborate closely with successful applicants to facilitate planning, promotion and delivery of activations."
Selected projects must take place in Hargreaves Mall or other city centre locations before June 30, 2026.
Priority will be given to ideas that boost community engagement and participation.
Applications will close at 5pm, Monday August 4, 2025.
