Kids art award judge announced

IN 2013 Margie Balazic founded the Ballarat Children’s Art Award – a community and voluntary annual event.

Ms Balazic said the aim of the event is to recognise the unique abilities of Ballarat children and provide opportunities and to bring the community together and provide exciting opportunities with enormous encouragement.

She made the annual event possible through an initial impact grant from the City of Ballarat and since 2014 Ms Balazic and Katherine Henderson have co-managed award.

“This reaches the lives of so many families, allowing all students to achieve and brings the community together, while providing opportunities for our amazing children,” Ms Balazic said.

“Each year the art award receives thousands of entries, and it increases by about 25 per cent annually. Entry is free and open to all secondary, primary and kindergarten school students within the wider region of the city of Ballarat. This year’s theme was ‘What is your story? What shapes your past?’”

This year’s judge is Simon Carroll, a performer and self-published children’s author, who works with and entertains young people on a regular basis.

Carroll loves the way a single story or piece of visual or performance art has the power to provide opportunities for self expression, escapism, education, entertainment, fun, adventure, pride, community and cultural development and so much more, for any number of people, all at the same time.

“I think this award is about promoting participation in arts in general and will really just be a person with an opinion, judging of art works shouldn’t in anyway define the artists. You don’t need to be a mini Picasso or Van Gough, it’s all about showcasing Ballarat’s young talents,” Carroll said.

“My creative journey started with movement through judo, I have played and coached on and off since I was seven. It has a lovely philosophy called ‘Jita Kyoei’ a translation I love is ‘you and I shining together’ this is something I try hard to live by.

“I have performed as a storyteller at a range of events including The Village Festival – both Fitzroy Gardens and Castlemaine, Daylesford’s Words in Winter, the Newstead Short Story Tattoo, Heritage Weekend and Backyard Tasters.

“I have recently performed in theatre shows in Ballarat and have also performed in professional Children’s theatre in Melbourne over the last few years.”