Youthful creativity rewarded

Electric Blues: Sofie Sawka took out the Visual Arts category. Photos: SUPPLIED

YOUNG artistic talent has been recognised at the City of Greater Bendigo’s 2024 RAW Arts Awards presentation event.

Held at The Capital, the event showcased the work of young people in the region aged up to 25 years.

The Literary Award was won by Phillipa Pearce for Dreams, the Performing Arts honour went to Liam Duivenvoorden, Coen Gould took out the Short Film category for Hunted, and Sofie Sawka won the Visual Arts award for Electric Blues.

Mayor Andrea Metcalf said the awards evening and exhibition was an opportunity for young talent in the region to display their work.

“The RAW Arts Awards is such a special event in the calendar and a chance for young people to present their work to a wider audience, and gain the recognition they deserve,” Cr Metcalf said.

“I am so proud that the RAW Awards program is a stepping stone for many flourishing creatives who continue to pursue further studies in their chosen arts field.

The 2024 RAW Arts Awards winners with their prizes

“The extraordinary quality of creative work and the ingenuity just blows me away and as a cultural region we are so lucky to have these young aspiring creatives right here in Greater Bendigo.”

A winner and a high commendation were recognised in each category.

Highly commended entrants were Kayla Barnfield in the Literary Award category, Emma Gleeson for Performing Arts, Kayla Barnfield in the Short Film space, and Keira Long for Visual Arts.The Ambedo prize, offered in partnership with Yo Bendigo, is given for work that captures the experience of being a young person in Greater Bendigo in 2024, and the winner of that is to be announced this week.

Ambedo is a free quarterly magazine designed, produced and edited for young people.

Winners in each category receive a $1000 cash prize and the highly commended entries a $250 cash prize. The winner of the Ambedo prize receives $500.

The awards evening was accompanied by an exhibition of participants’ work, and was staged at Dudley House for several days after the official event.

This year’s awards attracted 76 applicants.