Celebrating Compassion Week kicks off on Sunday, with more than 60 events across the city spanning arts events, health and wellbeing, seminars, tours and walks, most of which are free.

Compassionate Ballarat's Dr Mary Hollick said she hoped the week's events and resources would remind people to come out and act "from the heart".

"Some of the events are unsung, because they happen all the time unannounced, like the free haircuts and food provision across the city," she said.

"We've got templates and systems that cause people to behave in a certain way - to meet their KPIs - and that's often in conflict with what's in their heart."

People can undertake Art and Empathy tours at Art Gallery of Ballarat, join the 'Sunday Sweep' rubbish clean up or Share a Meal in the Social Enterprise Kitchen. The week will finish with 'A Concert for Compassion', featuring Lior, the Inscape Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dr Rick Chew, Sharon Turley and Joshua Rowe.

Compassionate Ballarat's Dr Lynne Reeder said in today's "overly competitive world", people are looking for opportunities to do good and act with empathy towards others.

"We've had a lot of uptake, not only from Ballarat, but people from Daylesford, Melbourne and Canberra," she said. "Over 60 events, and the concert is the only thing with a cost. We wanted to make it accessible."

Full details at compassionateballarat.com.au