Violence Prevention Grey Bruce has launched a creative contest for youth in Grey and Bruce counties. The ‘Art for Change’ contest invites students in grades seven to twelve to create visual art or 60-second videos that raise awareness about healthy and unhealthy relationships. The contest will culminate with a gala event in February to showcase the submissions and announce the winners.

According to Violence Prevention Grey Bruce Coordinator Jon Farmer, no one is born knowing how to have a healthy relationship and we all need to talk about it. “We learn how to have relationships through experience and conversations with friends, family, and peers. Young people are at a higher risk of experiencing relationship violence and they’re more likely to listen to their peers so we’re launching this contest to encourage those conversations and amplify teen voices”, Farmer said.

Students in grades seven and eight can submit visual art and graphic design. Students in grades nine to twelve can submit visual art, graphic design, or 60 second videos. Three winners from each category will receive cash prizes and all submissions will be considered for distribution through Violence Prevention Grey Bruce’s social media channels with the hope that the public will share them widely.

“We wanted to provide the maximum amount of creative freedom with this contest. The format requirements are designed for easy sharing on social media platforms so that the messages can spread as far as possible. We’re excited to see what people come up with and we expect to see anything from animations to poetry, music, rants, or montages”, Farmer added.
Violence Prevention Grey Bruce will also host three video making workshops at locations yet to be confirmed across Grey Bruce so that youth without the tools to make videos have an opportunity to participate. The contest, workshops, and gala are made possible thanks to grant funding from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce. Full contest details are posted on the Violence Prevention Grey Bruce website: www.vbgb.ca.

Violence Prevention Grey Bruce is the Violence Against Women Community Coordinating Committee for the twin counties. The committee brings together organizations working in gendered violence prevention and response from across Grey and Bruce to improve collaboration and raise public awareness about associated issues. Their subcommittees currently include domestic and sexual violence, elder abuse, anti-human trafficking, protocols, and awareness raising.