When Main Street Dream

WHEN MAIN STREETS DREAM

A Night of Light, Projection and Creative Placemaking

Made possible by Visa in partnership with Mainstreet Australia.

When Main Streets Dream is a new flagship initiative from Arts North West, delivered through our Sustainable Communities Program. This August, our main streets become something to look up at, as the centres of Tamworth and Armidale fill with light, projection and creative experiences after dark.

WHEN AND WHERE

Tamworth

📅 Saturday 8 August 2026

🕘 From 6.30pm

📍 Fitzroy Street Plaza

Armidale

📅 Friday 14 August 2026

🕘 From 6.30pm

📍 Beardy Street Mall

Admission is free. Everyone welcome.

Community workshops and immersive public activations run throughout each event. Full program details will be shared closer to the dates.

WHY IT MATTERS

Our town centres are where we shop, eat, gather and meet. When Main Streets Dream invites you to see them differently. Designed as a creative placemaking project rather than a traditional arts event, it shows how creativity can strengthen our communities, support local businesses and bring people back into the heart of our towns after dark.

For one night in each town, familiar CBD spaces become places of imagination and connection. Each activation is made for its location and exists for one evening only, leaving a light environmental footprint while creating a shared experience people remember.

HOW IT WORKS

Using light, projection, temporary installations and interactive experiences, the project activates our CBDs and turns familiar streets into immersive public spaces.

Six commissioned regional creatives: Nick Hunt, Daniel Stanley, Logan Hughes, Ethan Lazinos, Daniel Elliott and Pat Harris bring expertise across projection, animation, digital media, immersive technologies and contemporary visual art. Each has responded to the character, buildings and stories of the town they are working in, so what you see in Tamworth will be different to what you see in Armidale.

A student program in Tamworth: Students from Tamworth Art Academy are working alongside Daniel Stanley and Logan Hughes to create a large-scale collaborative projection work, learning animation, digital media and projection technologies before seeing their work shown in public.

Light, projection and installation: Creative lighting, temporary inflatable installations and immersive public art transform each location for one evening.

Community workshops and activations: Workshops and public activations run throughout each event, giving people of all ages a way to take part.

SUPPORTERS

When Main Streets Dream is delivered through the Arts North West Sustainable Communities Program, which uses creativity to strengthen places, support regional artists and build thriving communities across the New England North West.

Made possible by Visa in partnership with Mainstreet Australia.

The Visa Vibe Grants Program is a national initiative proudly sponsored by Visa and delivered by Mainstreet Australia. It supports innovative, inclusive and community-focused night-time economy projects across Australia — strengthening local economies, precincts and community connection after dark. Eight projects were selected for 2026, one in every state and territory, each receiving $25,000 (excluding GST).

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