Ballarat International Foto Biennale hopes to share festival with metropolitan Melbourne when restrictions permit

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale will go ahead as planned, starting on August 28, but will be open to regional residents only.

While BIFB artistic director and chief executive officer Fiona Sweet said it was disappointing all Victorians could not attend the festival, she encouraged regional guests to support the arts and enjoy world class photographic art and culture on their doorstep.

"While it has certainly been a challenging year for the arts and it's disappointing we won't be able to open to all of Victoria as we'd hoped to, I am glad we can give our regional community an exclusive first look at the 2021 biennale," Ms Sweet said.

"We are so grateful for your support and I look forward to connecting with you all very soon."

Ms Sweet said it was fortunate the festival was a long-running event, finishing on October 24, meaning metropolitan Melbourne residents may still be able to attend.

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This week, the Victorian government extended the metropolitan Melbourne lockdown until 11.59pm on September 2.

It is hoped the festival, which is held every two years, can be shared with metropolitan Melbourne residents when restrictions permit and it is safe to do so.

A BIFB spokesperson said this year's program would largely stay the same, including indoor and static exhibitions, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

However currently all 'opening weekend' events, which includes artist talks from Melbourne-based artists, are on pause and organisers will update ticket holders for these events with more information.

This year's biennale has a line-up of 260 artists across 100 Ballarat venues.

BIFB will host more than 30 exclusive and intimate events which complement the program of art - delving deeper into some of the biennale's leading exhibitions and artists.

The program features a range of indoor and outdoor exhibitions situated in the city's historic buildings, galleries, buildings, streets and laneways.

It will include exhibitions, public art, projections, artist talks, foto walks and dining experiences.

The biennale, Australia's leading photographic festival, has attracted more than 200,000 visitors to Ballarat in past years.

The festival's public and education programs comprising talks, workshops and prizes have drawn more than 30,000 people.

Ticket holders who can no longer attend this year's festival due to the lockdown will be able to reschedule tickets to a later date during the biennale, with full refunds also available.

Ms Sweet said organisers were currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries.

For more inquiries or details on rescheduling tickets, email info@ballaratfoto.org or for more information visit www.ballaratfoto.org

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