We are delighted to announce that Big Art Week is back in Term 1 from 14-18 March, encouraging children to shine through their creative talents and giving them the opportunity to enter the Big Art Comp (opens 7 March 2022, with entries closing 20 March 2022) to win 1 of 4 WACOM One 13.3" Creative Pen Displays.

In 2020, we grew a creative community to support children and families through the challenges of lockdowns. The competition consisted of 2,216 children…430 schools…21,254 voters and 85,000 visitors to the online gallery that showcased each entry submitted into the Big Art Comp.

We want to grow this community even more for this year’s competition, so read on to find out all the details.

Parent Feedback Informs Latest Initiative for Children

At the end of last year, we surveyed families within our services, and they told us that art was an activity that children wanted to experience more of this year.

With regular art activities being delivered, Big Art Week extends upon this as a dedicated week in our Outside School Hours Care services, complete with art, art and (you guessed it) more art! It’s a programmed week that will guide children through various art forms, giving them practical ways to use their creativity to express their emotions.

Taking learnings from our first art competition, we’ve mixed it up a bit for this year’s Big Art Comp. We realise that children are unique and have their own ways to express themselves – whether this be visually or in writing. So, there are two categories comprising of the Big Art Comp – Artist (visual) and Expressionist (written). We want children to use their creativity to answer the question on the downloadable templates provided: ‘What does belonging mean to me?'

So, whether children prefer to use visuals or writing to tell their story, their interpretation of what belonging means to them will be their key focus. Some of the important aspects of attending OSHC lends itself to that feeling of inclusiveness, growing in self-confidence and belief, building and nurturing friendships, having fun and being happy.

Each category will have a Junior (7yo and under) and Senior (8yo – 13yo) winner, who will take home a WACOM One 13.3" Creative Pen Display to continue their creative efforts.

Partnering with Experts to Provide Insight into Art

Art is a part of every child’s life. It provides children with an outlet to express themselves, to be aware of their feelings and their experiences and to articulate these through art forms – both visual and written. The same concept applies to adults!

We’re grateful to partner with the following experts in the art space:

• Dr Gai Lindsay, Education consultant & lecturer at University of Wollongong – we’ll release Dr Lindsay’s research via our blog throughout Big Art Week and the Big Art Comp.
• Minnie Zammit, Counsellor, Creative Arts Therapist at Creative Kids Therapy – read about the various art forms used to inspire children and how parents can connect with their children through art.
• Pip Lincolne, Author, Cook and Maker – Pip will delight us with how-to creative activities to do at home. Our judges for the Big Art Comp are – Pip Lincolne, Dr Gai Lindsay and our very own team member and accomplished author, Kate Forster. Winners will be announced on 7 April 2022.

Art packs from Art Shed Online and gift vouchers from MoPA (Museum of Play and Art) have been kindly donated in the name of art to reward those throughout the competition period.

Our major winner for 2020, Pulasi, encourages everyone to enter the competition “to show their ability and talent”. For more information and Terms and Conditions about our Big Art Week and Big Art Comp, please visit https://campaustralia.com.au/big-art-comp.