New Shepparton Arts Festival general manager Belinda Burrows is making the move to Shepparton for the role.
Photo by
Hailey Wight
After 30 years, the Shepparton Arts Festival is looking to shake things up.
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New general manager Belinda Burrows wants the festival to become more creative, quirky and community-driven as it enters its next chapter.
“We want everyone to feel like the festival is theirs,” Ms Burrows said.
“We aim to give back to the wider community.”
She said that meant moving beyond the festival’s traditional focus and experimenting with new ideas.
“Rinse and repeat events is not my style,” Ms Burrows said.
“We are adding a bit of quirkiness to it.”
The festival is also looking to build its presence beyond its annual March program.
“Most people think we are just Converge — we are more than that,” Ms Burrows said.
“We are a year-round festival now.”
Crowd dancing at Converge on the Goulburn 2026, a community festival featuring live music, dancing and food.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
One of its first moves will be taking part in the PayPal Australian Fashion Festival’s new Shepparton Fashion Series from October 3 to 11.
The festival is producing events including Runway on Maude, bringing local designers, retailers and creatives together as part of the 20-event series.
“It will be a fashion showcase. Local designers and retailers are all getting involved,” Ms Burrows said.
“There’s been a huge interest.
“It’s a big win for everyone.”
Ms Burrows said future plans included light shows, films and technology-focused events, alongside popular festival favourites such as Opera in the Orchard.
She also wants to bring more schools and nursing homes into festival campaigns and create more opportunities for multicultural and First Nations communities.
“We want to make events accessible, attract more young people and different demographics,” she said.
“Going forward, we want to walk alongside First Nations peoples and make sure they are part of this as well.
“I want to make everybody feel involved.”
For Ms Burrows, the value of the festival extends beyond the events themselves.
“Arts and culture is like glue to this community,” she said.
“Because it’s not just good music or art, it’s genuine love and happiness that these events bring.”
That broader vision comes as the festival enters a new management structure, with its major roles split for the first time to give greater focus to both creative direction and business operations.
Ms Burrows said she saw the role as an “opportunity I can’t pass up” and is in the process of moving to Shepparton permanently from regional NSW.
She has also recently been joined by Georgina Loughnan, the festival’s new creative director.
Together, the pair want to build on the festival’s 30-year history while giving it a strong future.
“We want to cement it for another 30 years,” Ms Burrows said.
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