Calling all creative youth! If singing, making art or music helps you to work through challenging times like COVID-19, CatholicCare Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains invites you to showcase your talents in its Creative Youth Competition.
Springwood Drop-In Centre Coordinator Ms Celia Vagg said the competition aimed to encourage freedom amid COVID-19 restrictions and creativity during challenging times.
‘We want to support the strengths, resilience and capability of young people,’ Celia said. ‘We want to see how they use creative outlets when their external world feels tough or challenging.’
The free initiative invites young people to submit a work of art of their choice (video, song, poem, art, etc.), for the chance to win a gift voucher to spend at a local retailer of their choice.
Age categories include:
10-12 years
13-15 years
16-18 years
($200 for first place, $100 for second and $50 for third in each age group).
‘After the devastating effects of the recent bushfires as well as the current impact of COVID-19, the initiative not only supports our community, but specifically our youth who have been exposed to a number of erratic events,’ Celia said.
Celia said CatholicCare offered a range of free and confidential services to support young people experiencing anxiety, particularly when faced with unpredictable circumstances.
For example, the Cool Kids and Chilled programs helps children and teenagers with anxiety.
‘Providing both strategies and opportunity for young people to practise their creativity paves the way for them to better understand how they can channel their emotions through activities that make them feel relaxed or calm,’ Celia said. ‘Boredom invents creativity, and when young people are given the freedom to exercise this, they may uncover a talent they never knew they had.’
To enter the Creative Youth Competition, contact [email protected] for an entry form. To make an appointment with one of CatholicCare’s professional counsellors, contact [email protected] or phone (02) 8843 2500.
