A B.C. charity is inviting young people to speak up about worldwide injustice and what a better future would look like in a province-wide art contest.
The ChARTing Change Art Contest is a creative outlet for youth to “chart the change” they want to see in the world and is hosted by Access to Media Education Society (AMES), a charity and program primarily focusing on supporting young people affected by various forms of oppression.
Youth ages 14 to 18 in B.C. can submit any form of art including TikTok videos, music, visual art, poetry or spoken word that exposes or questions exclusionary practices as well as drawing attention to social and environmental injustices.
Deblekha Guin, executive director at AMES, said the contest is a way to keep students connected while maintaining dialogue since they could no longer hold workshops at schools due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Life in the pandemic where racial injustices and inequities that have been laid so bare is just like a living workshop,” said Guin.
“We are trying to encourage people to get creative and feel free to articulate their concerns and hopes for the future.”
When asked why art was chosen as the form of the contest, she said that youth build their “visioning and future” through art and change and ideas “germinate” from the visions.
“It’s a great opportunity for young people to turn the channel and imagine themselves as future leaders and the visions they have in changing the world to a better and inclusive place.”
Youth entering the contest have a chance to win prizes including an iPhone 11, iPad Air and Airpods.
Those who submit their work before Feb. 28 will also be entered into a draw for a $50 Etsy gift card.
Submission deadline for artwork is May 1 and will be displayed on AMES' contest page.
For more information, visit ChartingChange.AccessToMedia.org.
