Students in grades seven to twelve and adults with intellectual and cognitive disabilities only have a few more weeks to enter the Art for Change contest being run by Violence Prevention Grey Bruce. Participants can enter visual art, graphic design, or short videos that raise awareness about healthy and unhealthy relationships through www.vpgb.ca until June 30.

The contest is funded in part by the Community Foundation Grey Bruce and is offering cash prizes to the top three submissions in category. The top prizes are $100 each. Originally intended to wrap up this spring, organizers extended the deadline when the pandemic hit.

“We were planning an awards event and art showcase to share and celebrate the entries”, said Violence Prevention Grey Bruce coordinator Jon Farmer. “When the lockdown came we decided to push the deadline because we knew we couldn’t host the event and we figured that the contest would be a great home project for students looking for creative outlets right now”.

According to Farmer, young people and people with intellectual disabilities are at higher risk of experiencing unhealthy relationships. The contest was created to inspire conversations about healthy relationships and invite students to express and amplify their ideas through art.

“We need to talk about relationships so that young people know that it’s okay to set boundaries and expect to be treated well. But young people don’t need more adults telling them what to think so we’re hoping that amplifying their own ideas will raise awareness more effectively,” Farmer added.

Winners will be announced in July and an awards showcase will take place in the fall if possible. Full contest details are available under the initiatives page at www.vpgb.ca.