Welcome to our list of arts and cultural events happening in the NSW Central West gathered from artists, event producers, great local venues and groups across the region. Use the contact or ticketing details listed with each event.

It’s free to submit your local events.

For maps and details of museums, galleries, artist studios, historic sites, Aboriginal experiences and sites, craft shops, handmade retail outlets or public art go to the Culture Maps Central NSW menu.

Book launch: Friends: A Maxi and Friends Playful Adventure

Lithgow Library & Learning Centre 157 Main Street, Lithgow, NSW, Australia

A new children’s picture book that uses rhyme and whimsy paintings to create characters that are lovable and unique. The story teaches an important lesson about the value of true friendship.
Lithgow artist Kay Booker launches her second children’s book, ‘Friends’, a collaboration with writer Nina Nyitrai, on Saturday May 27 at Lithgow Library.

FREE

TANYA HENNESSY: SPOTLIGHT PLEASE, IT’S STEVIE LOUISE

Bathurst Library 70-78 Keppel Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Join comedian, author and social media star Tanya Hennessy for a Q&A about her children’s middle grade fiction series Stevie Louise. Hear Tanya discuss all things junior fiction, writing and inspiration for her main character Stevie Louise Mason. An exclusive live event for Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival.

Free, bookings required

ARTIST TALK & TOUR: Leanne Wicks

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery 70-78 Keppel Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Blending her lifelong passions of birding, ornithology, and knitting, Leanne Wicks
presents knitted portraits of artists associated with the artistic programs of Bathurst
Regional Art Gallery and the Cementa art festival. Each portrait merges the personality
and practice of artists with Australian birds to create a unique and whimsical knitted
installation.

CRIME AND JUSTICE

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Helen Garner and Hedley Thomas discuss their approaches to writing about crime and how they grapple with questions of justice, in conversation with Sarah Krasnostein. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local Crime and Justice

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Helen Garner, Hedley Thomas and Sarah Krasnostein explore the nature of crime.
A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.

MAT MCLACHLAN: IN CONVERSATION – THE COWRA BREAKOUT

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: The Cowra Breakout is a riveting read that brings to life the missing piece of Australia’s World War Two history- the story of the only battle of that war to be fought on Australian soil, told by bestselling historian Mat McLachlan. Mat will be In Conversation with Ex-serviceman and history buff Brett Kenworthy. An exclusive live event for Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival.

Free entry

GREAT ADAPTATIONS

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Bestselling authors Eleanor Catton, Holly Ringland and Tom Rob Smith share the ins and outs of bringing work from the page to the screen, in conversation with Benjamin Law. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local Great Adaptations

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Authors Eleanor Catton, Holly Ringland, Tom Robb Smith chat with Banjamin Law.
A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.

Free entry

AM I DOING THIS RIGHT? TANYA HENNESSY ON MULTIMEDIA SUCCESS

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Comedian, radio announcer and social media sensation Tanya Hennessy will sit down with local radio host Jac Underwood to talk all things writing and multimedia. As the best-selling author of three books, award winning radio announcer and award nominated comedian, Tanya’s success sees her in excess of 2.3 million social media followers. With a degree in Theatre Media from CSU Bathurst, hear Tanya discuss her writing and the inspiration behind her work. An exclusive live event for Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival.

Free entry

PIP WILLIAMS: THE BOOKBINDER OF JERICHO

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Author of bestselling The Dictionary of Lost Words Pip Williams introduces her sweeping new novel, The Bookbinder of Jericho, in conversation with Cassie McCullagh. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local: Pip Williams: The Bookbinder of Jericho

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Pip Willimas talks about her latest work The Bookbinder of Jericho
A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.

Free entry

STATE OF THE ART

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Eleanor Catton, Richard Flanagan, Tracey Lien and Colson Whitehead discuss the state of the novel today and the future of fiction, in conversation with ABC RN’s Kate Evans. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

REAL SELVES

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Chloé Hayden, Sasha Kutabah Sarago and Grace Tame talk about breaking down barriers to allow women and girls to show their real selves in conversation with Hannah Diviney. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

GREAT FESTIVAL READ

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Readers are invited to read the book prior to the Festival and participate in the Great Festival Read session at BMEC to hear a panel discussion and author talk. An exclusive live event for Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local: Barrie Cassidy & Friends: State of the Nation

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Barrie Cassidy and Friends talk about the State of the Nation over the past year.
A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.

Free entry
Recurring

Hart of Women: Artists in the Gallery

GANG GANG Gallery, Lithgow 206 Main Street, Lithgow, NSW, Australia

As part of our upcoming exhibition ‘HART of WOMEN’, each artist will be spending a day in the gallery.
We invite you to join them to chat about their work and get to know the artist behind the art.

FIFTY SHADES OF TEAL

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: MP Helen Haines, Simon Holmes à Court and Margot Saville examine the ascension of independent candidates and how they might shape our politics, in conversation with Barrie Cassidy. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local: Fifty Shades of Teal

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.
Last year saw Teal candidates spectacularly oust Liberal Party stalwarts from once safe seats and upend the electoral rulebook. Hear from a panel with different perspectives as they consider the role of issues like climate action and political integrity in the independent candidates’ victories, what their ascension reveals about the country’s mood for change, and how they might shape our politics into the future.
Independent MP and The Indi Way contributor Helen Haines, The Big Teal author Simon Holmes à Court and The Teal Revolution: Inside the Movement Changing Australian Politics author Margot Saville speak with Barrie Cassidy.

Free entry

RECKONING, NOT RECONCILIATION

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: With the campaign for a First Nations Voice to Parliament in full swing, leading First Nations thinkers Stan Grant and Teela Reid ask whether we are entering a new era for Australian democracy. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

SWF Live & Local: Reckoning, Not Reconciliation

Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Reconciliation - Stan Grant and Teela Reid ask are we entering a new era of democracy?
A SWF Live & Local event live-streamed to Orange Regional Gallery Theatre, hosted by Orange City Library.

Free entry

AFTERNOON DELIGHT WITH SOPHIE HANSEN AND ANNIE HERRON

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: Enjoy an afternoon demonstration of cooking and drawing with daughter/mother team Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron, authors of Around the Kitchen Table. Listen to Sophie chatting about writing cookbooks and enjoy tasting some sweet treats and doing simple and fun drawing exercises with Annie. An exclusive live event for Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival.

Free entry

THE VOICE TO PARLIAMENT: ALL THE DETAIL YOU NEED

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre 105 William Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Bathurst Writers' & Readers' Festival: What will a Voice to Parliament actually mean? Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and legendary journalist Kerry O’Brien have worked together to write an accessible and engaging guide to this question. Whether you want to understand more about the Voice or would like some clear answers to share in conversations with others, this is a great opportunity to join an inspiring discussion of what our shared future can be. A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

Free entry

 

The What’s On calendar covers arts and heritage events happening across the NSW Central West in the local government areas of Bathurst Region, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Event listings are sourced or supplied from local venues and arts organisations. Many events listed here have been originally shared by the organisers on social media. Whilst all care is taken – and accuracy is our priority – we can take no responsibility for date changes or the content of contributed information. Contact the event organisers listed for more details or to book tickets.

The best way to include your event is to use our SUBMIT HERE form (under the What’s On menu at the top of each page). These listings will be manually approved by the Arts OutWest team before publication.  Please allow a couple of days for listings to be published. If you have submitted an event and want to make changes just email us at artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

Featured events‘ are those submitted directly online by presenters.

Event promotors are asked to only include their own original images / images that they have permission to use / copyright free stock images. For more information see our fact sheet on Using Images For Promoting Events (if you can’t see this link look under ‘Opportunities’ then ‘Resources’).