Young drawers win awards

A variety of winners have been announced for the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre’s ‘My Friends’ Children’s Week drawing competition in October.

In a partnership with Delacombe Primary School, Lumen Christi Primary School and Phoenix P-12 Community College, over 280 students from Prep to grade 2 took part.

After a tough year of remote learning, art teacher from Phoenix P-12 Community College Julie-Anne Firns said both teachers and students really enjoyed being part of the activity.

“The prep to year 2 students were so engaged in drawing about what friendship means to them, we talked about our school values

of respect, responsibility, integrity, co-operation and excellence after reading My Friend Fred,” she said.

“So, this competition helped to reinforce our values … We would love to participate in further activities like this.”

To start, during Children’s Week participants read the children’s book My Friend Fred and were then encouraged to express it’s themes of friendship and acceptance through their art.

Each student drew a piece of art that signified what friendship meant to them with staff from Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and members of the Delacombe Chairs Forum.

Two winners from each class, 34 students all up, were announced as top young artists, with each receiving a $25 gift voucher from Collins Booksellers.

At the finishing line, the Neighbourhood Centre’s community engagement officer Emily Macdonald said the event was a huge success.

“It was a great activity within the schools for teachers to start discussions with their student’s about friendship and explore how to be a good friend,” she said.

“At Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre we were thrilled with the children’s creative and thoughtful artworks.

“Staff and visitors to the centre are now getting to enjoy the colourful display of the winning artworks on our walls, while anyone can jump onto our Facebook page or YouTube to view a video of the winner’s artworks online. “

The winning artworks are currently displayed at the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre’s Ballarat South Community Hub, 11 Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol.