Youth exhibition to explore identity

REGISTRATIONS for this year’s The Y Ballarat Youth Art Exhibition are open.

The 2025 theme is identity, and young people aged 12 to 25 and encouraged to explore who they are, what they believe, and how they express themselves.

All skill levels and art forms are welcome including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, mixed media, and beyond.

“It’s important for us to be as inclusive as possible here at the Y,” youth officer Lilia Haughie said.

“I want to make sure that this exhibition has the works displayed and hung with no hierarchy.”

Ms Haughie said this year’s theme is broad and will allow young people to share what they are feeling.

“Identity is something that we all navigate and it’s particularly important for young people,” she said.

“It’s all about discovering who you are, where you come from and what you stand for often when everything around you is shifting.

“Art is an incredible way of exploring identity… art gives people a voice when words sometimes fall short.”

Three awards will be presented: the Y’s choice, the artists’ choice and the people’s choice.

Artists can choose if they would like to sell their work.

“It gives them that real life art world experience of creating an artwork, registering that artwork, dropping if off into the space it will be hung and being able to attend the opening night,” Ms Haughie said.

Registrations are open until August 22 and the exhibition will begin on September 19.

To register to exhibit, head to bit.ly/44uRhw4.