Regional youngsters urged to get creative

CBH has teamed up with well-known cultural event Scribblers Festival to deliver a creative competition and free online mentoring to young people in WA.

The initiative, Connecting Through Creativity, gives school-aged children the chance to connect with high-profile artists including Cristy Burne, James Foley, Beci Orphin and Remy Lai.

Entrants can ask the artists questions through the Scribblers Festival social media channels, and the questions will be addressed through videos posted online.

The project launched on May 6, and also includes a visual storytelling competition for entrants asked to explore the theme “connectivity” for WA youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Youngsters can enter an artwork of any medium, including 2D visual art, 3D forms, or video submissions, exploring the connectivity theme.

This could include illustration, painting and photography, videos of a performance, stop motion animation or short films, or sculpture.

Scribblers Festival director Katherine Dorrington said the competition would be run on the Scribblers and CBH social media channels for until July 19.

“We are asking young people to think about how they are staying connected during the pandemic,” she said.

“They could show how they are connecting with their family or neighbourhood in new ways, how they may be connecting with the environment or landscape, connecting with technology, or connecting with new skills.”

The online competition was launched after the physical children’s literature and arts festival, set to be held from May 6 to 10, was cancelled due to COVID-19.

CBH chief external relations officer Brianna Peake said regional WA had faced greater challenges during the pandemic, with regional travel restrictions meaning many students were not able to return to boarding school or visit family in Perth.

“We are supporting this initiative to allow our regional families access to the same creative mentoring opportunities as we go through this time of change,” she said.

“Connecting Through Creativity is an opportunity to provide regional communities with a platform and outlet to showcase their creativity, resilience and connect with a wider community,” Ms Peake said.

Each mentor has provided creative tips on the Scribblers website, a “how to” inspirational video for social media, and online videos in response to creative questions from participating young people.

There are two age categories for the event, primary (Years 1-6) and secondary (Years 7-12), with a regional and Perth-based winner in each category.

Entries close July 19.

To find out more, or enter, head to scribblersfestival.com.au.