Stage is set as vision becomes reality | Explore Koroit

The Koroit community's very own permanent stage will be the centrepiece of all the action on the Village Green.

The stage was first used for a concert to celebrate the Great Victorian Bike Ride coming to town in November, and then the Koroit Carols event in December.

But this Saturday will be the very first time it will be used for the Koroit Irish Festival.

The stage has been funded and created with a partnership between Bega, the Koroit Irish Festival, Moyne Shire Council and the state government.

The collaboration between these bodies meant an idea found its way to becoming a reality.

One of the key drivers of the project, Koroit Irish Festival committee member Peter McDonald, takes up the story.

"The Irish festival committee had discussed the idea of a stage on the Koroit Village Green for a few years and even floated some draft ideas with the shire," Mr McDonald says.

"During the pack-up on the green after the 2021 event, a small group in the committee decided to have a concerted effort to implement this project.

"We engaged with the local community, including local schools and groups to obtain their support in writing, and developed a submission that could be shared with potential project partners.

"Some detailed draft stage designs were drawn up to support the project vision.

"The project theme was "a stage for the community built by the community".

That brains trust from the committee included Mr McDonald, as well as Jarrod Gleeson and Neale Dobson.

Not only are they passionate Koroit Irish Festival members, the latter two are also respected and experienced local builders.

This was the next step in an idea becoming reality, with a detailed scope discovering building a stage was a practical mission.

While the festival was committed to the project, it needed some financial partners to make it a viable venture.

A number of committee members were also employees at the Bega plant in Koroit.

Through this connection, they knew the passion Bega and its executive chairman Barry Irvin had for projects driven by the community, with a whole-of-community benefit.

A stage project sub-committee presented their idea for a permanent stage to Mr Irvin, who quickly liked what he heard.

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"A major part of the presentation was focused on the community project work the committee and a wider support group have been involved with over the past 10 plus years," Mr McDonald says.

"This initiative was started by Leon Carey and Barry Brody, with a focus on helping people and communities in need."

After the presentation, Bega was on board, setting in place a multi-year financial commitment to support the festival with a focus on community projects.

This commitment from Bega fast-tracked other funding opportunities.

The Koroit Irish Festival was able to contribute both financially and by in-kind labour and planning.

These significant pledges from one of the town's biggest volunteer groups and Koroit's biggest business provided leverage for Moyne Shire to successfully lobby the state government for funding through its Outdoor Activation project.

With funding in place, the construction of the stage began in late May 2022 and was completed by September, with local contractors used.

A spokesperson for Bega says the result is a win for all involved.

"The stage looks amazing and well done to everyone involved," the spokesperson says.

It will be a proud moment for all involved when a packed crowd at the Village Green sits back and watches some of the best Irish-Australian talent in the country strut their stuff on the new stage.

"The project represents a great example of local community-driven collaboration and persistence to achieve a common goal," Mr McDonald says.

For more information, visit www.koroitirishfestival.com.au/home.