Forty and Thriving: Camp Creative faces a bright future

Published on 01 December 2025

While most of us are winding down for summer holidays, something extraordinary is happening right under our noses. Each January, Bellingen quietly transforms into a hive of creativity as hundreds of visitors arrive, not for beaches or resorts, but for the joy of learning, making and sharing.

I’m referring, of course, to Camp Creative, which in 2026 turns 40. More than a festival, it’s a week-long immersion in the arts, offering nearly 100 courses across music, visual arts, writing, performance, craft and even outdoor skills.

But it’s not just about skills. Creativity thrives in community and Camp Creative delivers that in spades. Participants join a vibrant network of like-minded people, forging friendships and connections that last well beyond the week. Some of the participants have been returning to Bellingen for decades. Others even moved here.

Naturally, turning 40 brings challenges as well as opportunities. Ticketed events everywhere are grappling with rising costs, shifting leisure habits and competition for attention. For Camp Creative, staying vibrant in its fifth decade calls for curiosity and a willingness to reimagine what creativity looks like for new generations.

If renewal is the challenge, then I think Camp Creative is in good hands. Look around as you’re sipping coffee on Hyde Street this January: behind every guitar case, sketchbook and clay-stained apron is someone embracing creativity. Collectively, they will shape the event’s future, while continuing to make Bellingen the beating heart of the arts on the Mid North Coast.