About Us
Royal South Street Society (RSSS)
The Royal South Street Society (RSSS) is a state-significant cultural and educational organisation delivering Victoria’s largest youth performing arts pathway.
For more than 135 years, RSSS has supported young people to build confidence, develop skills and connect with the performing arts through structured participation, expert adjudication and inclusive opportunities. Anchored in regional Victoria and connected nationally, RSSS plays a vital role in the cultural, educational and creative workforce ecosystem.
RSSS is responsible for:
setting strategic direction and long-term priorities
ensuring strong governance and financial sustainability
building partnerships and enabling investment
stewarding a lifelong performing arts pathway for young people
Between 2026 and 2029, RSSS’s work is guided by its flagship program pillars — Creative Futures and Community Foundation — which shape how the organisation invests in participation, access, leadership and long-term impact.
RSSS delivers this pathway at scale through its primary delivery platform, the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod, alongside other programs and initiatives aligned to its strategic direction.
RSSS is not a single event.
It is essential cultural and educational infrastructure that supports participation, learning and creative futures across generations.
Community
For more than 135 years, RSSS has provided a stage where generations of young people have built confidence, developed skills and discovered their creative potential.
Through its primary delivery platform, the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod, more than one million aspiring performing artists have participated in structured performance experiences supported by expert adjudication and community celebration.
Across decades, thousands of performers have shared in moments of artistic growth and cultural significance in Ballarat. Participants have appeared before and alongside notable Australians including James Scullin, Alfred Deakin, Mary Grant Bruce, Amy Castles, Joan Kirner, Denise Drysdale, Betty Pounder, David Atkins, Robert Lemke, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Anthony Callea, reflecting the longstanding national reach and influence of RSSS.
In 1962, the Society was granted ‘Royal’ status in recognition of its service to the community — a mark of its enduring contribution to Australia’s cultural and civic life. RSSS has since been honoured with numerous community service awards and has played a leadership role in the sector, including contributing to the development of national copyright protocols for eisteddfods and helping establish the Australian Eisteddfod Association.
Today, RSSS continues to serve as essential cultural and educational infrastructure, strengthening communities, supporting the regional creative workforce and sustaining Victoria’s largest youth performing arts pathway through the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod.
About the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod
The RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod is the primary delivery platform through which the Royal South Street Society provides large-scale, structured performance and participation experiences as part of its youth performing arts pathway.
Each year, the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod brings together tens of thousands of participants, families, educators and volunteers across multiple performing arts disciplines. It provides an environment where young people can perform, receive expert feedback, build confidence and take meaningful steps along their creative journey.
The RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod:
delivers high-quality, structured performance opportunities
supports learning through expert adjudication and feedback
enables broad participation and access across disciplines
serves as the most visible way the community experiences RSSS’s work
While the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod is the most recognised expression of RSSS’s activities, it sits within a broader organisational framework led by the Royal South Street Society. Strategic direction, governance, partnerships and investment are set at the organisational level by RSSS and guided by its flagship program pillars, Creative Futures and Community Foundation.
The RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod delivers at scale —
RSSS sets the strategy and sustains the pathway.
Funding
The Royal South Street Society (RSSS) is a not-for-profit organisation delivering Victoria’s largest youth performing arts pathway through its primary delivery platform, the RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod.
Participant entry fees and ticket sales contribute significantly to delivery costs, however they do not fully fund the scale, quality and accessibility of our programs. Sustaining this essential cultural and educational infrastructure relies on the partnership and investment of our broader community.
We are deeply grateful for the support of:
major sponsors and corporate partners
philanthropic foundations and trusts
local and state government
individual donors and families
alumni and community advocates
volunteers and supporters
Together, this network of partners enables RSSS to:
maintain high production standards
support equitable access and participation
invest in long-term sustainability
strengthen regional cultural and economic impact
In addition to major partnerships, many individuals, alumni, families and organisations choose to support specific sections or disciplines aligned with their passions and values.
You are warmly invited to join our community of supporters and help sustain Victoria’s largest youth performing arts pathway for future generations.
Our 2025 Supporters
Gold Crown Supporters
ACU – Australian Catholic University
City of Ballarat
Cochrane, Andrew
Creative Victoria
Energetiks
Freemasons Foundation Victoria
Ingenia Lifestyle
Power FM & 3BA
Silver Crown Supporters
Ballarat Mechanics Institute
Bernie’s Music Land
Isabella Foundation
SBN – School Broadcasting Network
The Sporting Globe Ballarat
UFS Healthcare
Bronze Crown Supporters
Astec Equipment Services
Beechworth Bakery
Central Highlands Water
Clamp, Petera Estate
Clark, Norma Memorial Fund
Countpro Pty Ltd
Country Kitchens / Good 4 You Meals
Couture Costume Dancewear
Henkell Family Fund @ Australian Community
Opening Nights Dance & Calisthenics Supplies
Scholarship Supporters / Arts Partners
Australian Ballet School
Australian Classical Grand Prix
Ballarat Dance Awards
Bourne, Sally / Jacobs, Vicky / Langton, Melissa / Walker, Susan-Ann / Van de Zandt, Queenie
Hoffa Studios
Kelly Akers Full Time Dance
Melbourne Opera
MOPAC – Ministry of Performing Arts College
SCIMM. Dance
Spectrum Global Arts
Sydney Dance Company
Tanya Pearson Academy
The Tap Project
Victorian Dance Festival
Victorian Opera
WAAPA – Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Western Ballet Project
Champion Supporters
Aunty Jacks/Hop Temple/Grainery Lane/Roys Group
BJT Legal
Central Victorian Investments (CVI)
Clarke, Janette Trust Fund
Coltman Family
Flying Horse Entertainment Venue
Lions Club of Ballarat
Lovell, Andrew
Matthews, Robert
Newington Physiotherapy
Optiform
The Pancake Kitchen
Robertson Smith, Frank - Scholarship Fund
Rotary Club of Wendouree Breakfast
Victorian Flair
Young, K&A Trust
Encore Supporters
Ascet Digital
Ballaarat Solo Competitions
Ballarat Jazz Club
BLOC Music Theatre Inc
Branch, Lorayne
Brown, Andrea and Justin
Buninyong/Mt Helen Lions Club
Caine Real Estate
Cash’s Awards and Promotion Solutions
Clifton Old Collegians
Craigs Hotel
Field Air
Fishwick Family
Fox, Julie and Barclay, Helen
Hecho En Mexico
Indian Motorcycle Ballarat
Kay, Chris
Kingston Calisthenics
Manton, Jesse & Buxton Real Estate
Minogue & Co Real Estate
M&L McLean Cleaning Services
Mortgage Choice
Mr V & Co Barbershop
The Piano Bar
Pentland Calisthenics College
Reus Flower Co
Rotary Club of Ballarat East
Sovereign Press
The Buninyong Hotel
Williams Family
Spotlight Supporters
ANATS Victorian Chapter
Anonymous
Antoine, Robyn - in honour of
Aria Calisthenics Club
ASCA – Australian Society of Calisthenics
Ballarat Arts Foundation
Ballarat Ballet Guild
Ballarat Carols by Candlelight
Ballarat National Theatre
Ballarat Vocal Studio
BCIVIL Recruitment
BCMA – Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts
Blaiklock, Bronwyn
Blue Financial
Brown, Erin
Byrne, TE Memorial Fund
Carpenter Family
Carwen Calisthenics
Chew, Dr Richard
Ciotti, Gayle & Just, Rhonda
Clasch Design
Cole, Dr Anthony
CommDance – Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing
Coward Lemke School of Music
Dance School of Distinction
Darrell Lea Chocolate Experience Store
Eaton, Lindsay & Karen
Eureka Music Studios
Findon Calisthenics
Frank Ford Travel
Gay, Tim & Liz
Gardner, Chris
Gilchrist, Deborah
Gordon, Adam Lindsay Memorial Trust
Harrington, Ron & Dawn
Homeground Café & Bakery
Hooper, WS Trust
Jayde Calisthenics College
James, Margery Trust
Johno & Jono
Kaval, Loretta
Keats, Ivy Memorial Fund
Leroy Mac Designs
Macedon Ranges Calisthenics College
Morrison, Elsie Trust Fund
McInnes, Brian
McMahon, Nicholas
Monk, Lillian Trust
Morgan, Monica Trust
Morgan, Mr & Mrs R
Morrell, William Memorial Fund
Neil, Jamie & Karen (JK Neil Gas Services)
Nerrina Progress Association
Oaktree Dental
O’Hehir, Veronica
One Life Health Group
Reed Family
Rotary Club of Ballarat South
Ryan, Tim
Ryans IGA
Soroptimist International
Stapp, Anita
Surf Coast Calisthenics
The Cleaners Room
The Shine Centre
Tunstall Square Calisthenics
Vawdrey, Sallyanne Memorial Fund
Zonta Club of Ballarat
Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
The Royal South Street Society is a Child Safe organisation.
We are committed to child safety; we have zero tolerance for child abuse along with a commitment to children’s best interests and keeping them safe. We actively work to listen to and empower children who perform at our Eisteddfod.
For further information contact Royal South Street Society Child Safety Officer on 5332 1054.
All children have the right to feel safe and to be safe all of the time.