About Moorambilla Voices

Since 2006, Moorambilla Voices has brought together more than 42,500 students from over 140 schools, aged between 8 and 18 from 21 local government areas across regional New South Wales as part of our annual program unique to regional Australia. One third of our work is supported by government funding, the remainder – made up of grants and donations is crucial in supporting our extensive annual program of development workshops in schools, residency camps, skills development tours and cultural immersions.

Each year over 2,500 children are involved in the program as part of the regional skills development workshops. From these workshops around 330 candidates are chosen each year and offered subsidised places. Parents are charged $770 pa in fees for a child to participate, but the actual cost is approx. $2,900. In a normal year, the children selected participate in the two annual residency camps in the beautiful small country town of Baradine and perform in the annual gala performances in Dubbo.  Candidates are chosen on merit for additional special projects, including intensives, touring, and recording. 

Moorambilla Voices is a strong voice for cultural competency. Respect for, and commitment to working with Indigenous people and culture is in our DNA. Young people living in regional and remote areas experience unique structural, economic, and social factors that result in lower educational attainment, poorer mental health outcomes and an increased risk of suicide. Ongoing research strongly supports the benefits that singing and involvement in the arts has for mental health and wellbeing. Each participating child’s yearly journey includes development workshops in schools, cultural immersion, residency camps and concludes with participation in an annual gala showcase of new Australian work, performing to family and community. Our program allows for multiple connection points throughout the year to support participants artistic capacity , mental resilience, and positive peer connection.

After their experiences in the Moorambilla Voices program, many of the participants become part of a broader artistic family that allows them to recognise and celebrate their cultural identity, and their connection to community and place through the landscape , language, and worldviews of remote and rural Australia – further contributing to the conversation about Australia’s cultural identity ,inclusion and respect. Many subsequently take on leadership roles in their chosen fields.

Our nationally unique program of cross-art form activities inspires and challenges the participants, artists, and communities to engage with the cultural places and spirit of regional and remote Australia through:  

• Moorambilla Voices (Girls and Boys ensembles – primary school age)
• MAXed OUT (high school age)
• Moorambilla Touring/Recording Ensemble

Ambitious programming is achieved with minimal core resources and limited operational support. The small and dedicated team, led by award-winning Artistic Director Michelle Leonard OAM is supported by an active Board and staff. All share the focus ,drive and commitment to “ Moorambilla magic” and the power of the arts as a catalyst for change. We do this by embedding high expectations supported by organisational resilience and robust planning to achieve the impressive program that has resulted in national and international recognition.