The DreamBIG Children's Festival is an iconic arts festival for children and young people held every 2 years in South Australia.

The festival was originally known as Come Out Children's Festival, and started in 1974. Since then it's become an important part of South Australia's preschool and school calendar.

The festival includes:

• a poster competition, where the winning entry is used in festival materials
• an opening event involving around 2,000 children
• theatre, dance, music and circus performances
• interactive installations
• workshops
• statewide projects
• media and digital art installations
• exhibitions
• masterclasses for secondary school students
• teacher professional learning opportunities.

The festival has:

• a schools program, where students take part in events and performances through their school. The schools program is complimented with teacher resources and professional learning.
• a general public program for families, this includes the Big Family Weekend.

When and where

The next festival will be held 7 to 17 May 2025.

Events are held all around the state, including at the Adelaide Festival Centre, Elder Park and throughout Adelaide. There are also several opportunities for schools (particularly regional schools) to participate in statewide projects and to host DreamBIG artist workshops and other events at their site.

View the 2025 DreamBig website and 2025 DreamBIG schools program (PDF 4.8MB).

DreamBIG teaching and learning resource

The DreamBIG teaching and learning resource (PDF 7MB) and teaching and learning companion are produced by the Department for Education for each DreamBIG Children’s Festival. The resource can be used to maximise the learning experience of students attending the festival and  enhance arts learning in schools and preschool. The resource is designed to be used by educators at any time of year, regardless of festival attendance.

Using a learning design approach, resources are aligned with the SA Curriculum, the Australian Curriculum (version 9) and the artistic program of the festival. They contain learning sequences covering the 5 artforms aligned to the festival’s theme ‘I was, I am, I will be’.

The 2025 resources are available online and were distributed to all schools and preschools at the end of term 3 2024.  The resources feature:

• information about the 2025 DreamBIG theme ‘I was, I am, I will be’, statewide projects, professional learning, Arts education, Arts curriculum and Department for Education information and resources
• information and resources to run your own DreamBIG events
• ideas for developing learning in, through and about the Arts
• detailed learning sequences across dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts
• additional materials, playlists, resources and equipment lists for the learning sequences are available in the companion.

DreamBIG statewide projects

Each festival a range of statewide activities are on offer. In 2025 this includes the statewide 50^th anniversary celebrations featuring Birthday Parades!

View the schools program to see all the ‘in the classroom’ and statewide opportunities. A summary is also available on pages 66 to 68 of the teaching and learning resource.

DreamBIG teacher professional learning

DreamBIG Teaching and Learning Resource workshops – metropolitan and regional

Professional learning workshops based on the DreamBIG teaching and learning resource (PDF 7MB) learning sequences will be offered regionally in terms 1 and 2, and in Adelaide during the April school holidays.

Host a workshop

Nominate your school or preschool to host a workshop. The host site can request your preferred learning sequences to be presented across Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts to best suit the needs of your staff. Workshops can be delivered in the following formats:

• 2.5 hours after school, for example, in place of a staff meeting.
• a half or whole day, for example, to coincide with a pupil free day, weekend or weekday of the April school holidays.

Complete this form by 15 November 2024 to register your interest to host a workshop.

The workshops are:

• suitable for preschool, classroom and arts specialist educators as the learning sequences span preschool through to year 10
• hands-on and practical in nature
• curriculum aligned
• complementary to, but not reliant on participation in the festival
• designed for ongoing arts learning at your preschool or school.

Workshop details will be available early term 1 2025 by the Arts Ambassadors network, Department for Education and DreamBIG websites. Professional learning certificates will be provided.

For notification of the workshop program, email your name, school and contact details to education.DreamBIG@sa.gov.au.

In-festival professional learning workshops

DreamBIG and the Department for Education are presenting professional learning workshops during the festival. The hands-on, practical workshops focus on building skills that can be used in the classroom.

Workshops can be purchased individually for $15 each, or 3 workshops are available for $40. Professional learning certificates will be provided.

‌Bookings can be made on the professional learning workshops page.

Consent and entry forms

Student material submitted to DreamBIG must be accompanied with the necessary consent and/or entry form. Students and teachers participating in festival activities will be required to complete a DreamBIG media consent form. The form will be available at the beginning of the 2025 school year.

2025 DreamBIG poster competition

• 2025 entries are now closed.
• All reception to year 12 students in South Australia can enter the DreamBIG Children’s Festival poster competition.
• The competition runs in term 1 the year prior to each festival.
• Student artwork is to reflect the theme of the festival, which is announced at the start of the competition.
• The winner receives a $500 gift voucher and their artwork is professionally incorporated into the festival poster.

Become an arts ambassador

Arts ambassadors are educators in schools and preschools in South Australia who are interested in or are teaching the arts. Arts ambassadors assist in promoting DreamBIG at their site.

Arts ambassadors receive eNews each term including up-to-date information about DreamBIG, plus Arts specific professional learning and opportunities for teachers, schools and students.

Subscription to the arts ambassadors eNews is free.

To subscribe or update your contact details, email your name, school, year level(s) you teach and your role to education.DreamBIG@sa.gov.au.