About MRAC.
MRAC - Your regional Arts Council.
The Maryborough Regional Arts Council Inc. or MRAC for short, presents and promotes live performing arts, visual arts and arts education for the local Maryborough community. Working closely with the Fraser Coast Regional Council, the Maryborough Art Society and the Brolga Theatre, MRAC is a volunteer based, not-for-profit organisation that exists to further the enjoyment of the arts for our members and the wider community.
Each month we host foreign and Art House films at the Brolga, showcasing a varied range of acclaimed films from around the world which would not otherwise be available to the local community.
The MRAC regularly brings exceptional musicians to Maryborough for concert performances including Jazz By The River in the relaxed atmosphere by the Mary River. As an added bonus, members receive discounted ticket pricing to all our events.
Our group of volunteers meet at 6:00 PM on the second Monday of the month, from February through to November at the Maryborough Art Gallery on Kent Street. New faces are always welcome so please feel free to pop in and say hello.
MRAC Events
Our upcoming arts experiences.Our History
In the late 1970's, a group of local classical music lovers formed Camarilla Musica and met regularly to enjoy live classical music in the Maryborough State High School auditorium.
From this beginning, the Maryborough Regional Arts Council was formed as a Branch of the Queensland Arts Council. In 1999 the MRAC became incorporated. The organisation is run by a Volunteer Committee which is elected by the membership.
The MRAC has brought to Maryborough a broad range of performers and performances across many aspects of the Visual and Performing Arts, including music, adult and children's Theatre, dance, ballet and more. They have also hosted a variety of travelling Exhibitions including photography, embroidery and the Visual Arts.
The cultural life of Maryborough and the MRAC changed quite dramatically in 2000, with the advent of the magnificent 926-seat Brolga Theatre and Convention Centre. With regular performances across many genres now coming to Maryborough, the MRAC was free to grow in different directions. In 2002, in an initiative which is currently still enjoying popularity and a strong following, the first “Foreign Film Night” was scheduled, showing The Closet, at the Maryborough Plaza Cinemas. In a move partnering with the Brolga, the screenings of Art House movies was moved to the Federation Room at the Brolga Theatre in 2010.
Other initiatives of the MRAC include Jazz by the River, usually staging at least two performances by local and metropolitan Jazz musicians per year, performing at different Riverside venues, where our public may enjoy the music and personality of the likes of Hollywood George as well as refreshments.
The MRAC established and supplied training by professional tutors for the Merry Marys Street Theatre Troupe which performed regularly at local events.
Bursaries have been provided by the MRAC for aspiring artists of all ages to attend Workshops in their chosen field at the McGregor Summer or Winter School or at the local Workshops offered by the Maryborough Art Society. They have also arranged bus tours to enable local people to attend performances and exhibitions in Brisbane and surrounding centres.
The Maryborough Regional Arts Council continues to work with other Arts bodies and provides support and experiences in all fields of the Arts to ensure that the people of Maryborough have access to quality Arts experiences.