Create to Advocate 08
Visualise, Imagine, Create, Explore a world where poverty is history…
Create to Advocate 08 was yet another wonderful success, with more than 60 artworks hung in Parliament House and various Politicians attending the exhibition opening including the Minister and Shadow Minister for the arts.
Some of the artworks are now for sale. Click here to view a catalogue of the works.
Congratulations and thank you to all of the artists! Create to Advocate 08 was the best Create to Advocate Exhibition so far. It was a moving and highly successful exhibition.
Create to Advocate 08 was the third annual Create to Advocate exhibition at Parliament House, Canberra. A selection of 60 artworks from artists from all around Australia were displayed in a public exhibition for the month of October. Painting, photography, drawing, graphic design, textiles, sculpture and even quilts formed a very engaging and popular exhibition. The originality and quality of the works was impressive! Artists were invited to reflect on the themes of the Millennium Development Goals and were to express a vision of world without poverty. The exhibition represented a variety of artists including emerging artists, professionals, and students. Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett, and Shadow Minister Steven Ciobo opened the exhibition, marking the first day of Anti-Poverty Week. Around 16 MPs attended the Official Opening, & 23 artists travelled from around Australia to see the exhibition and meet their MPs.
The People's Choice Winners for Create to Advocate 08 were:
First Prize: Terry Hunter, VIC, 'Feed My Lambs.'
Second Prize: Kim Neil, NSW, 'A Mother's Anguish'.
Students First Prize: Kirri Bowser, NSW, 'Sitting, Wishing, Waiting',16 years old.
Students Second Prize: Belinda Goh, NSW, 'Living Water'13 years old,
Honorable Mentions: Rachael Peters, VIC 'Waiting For the Basics' and 'The waiting of the Voiceless', Pamela Horsley, NSW, 'On our Doorstep, and Andra Krummins, NSW, 'Guns Girl'
Artists, Voices for Justice participants and MPs mingled, and MPs had the opportunity to meet artists from their electorate. Artists had photos with their MP and a number of artists also had stories printed in their local media. Artist, Nel Potter created an amazing painting on the theme of The House of Partnership, and 50 MPs from both parties signed the canvas to show their support for a global partnership to end extreme poverty. The canvas was presented to the Prime Minister, and Mr Rudd plans to present it to the Parliament.
As a result of the Voices for Justice lobbying and events there were 28 speeches made by MPs in Parliament, including motions and questions in support of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and halving world poverty by 2015! Create to Advocate was also mentioned a number of times in the speeches. Many of the MPs were moved and impressed by the exhibition. The Hon Judi Moylan MP, Member for Pearce, said this:
"On Tuesday I had the privilege of attending an art exhibition called Create to Advocate by Micah Challenge… I commend the artists and organisers for [presenting] this exhibition to try to raise greater public awareness and particularly awareness in this place amongst those of us who have real power to help eliminate extreme poverty…Exhibiting artists presented a powerful visual portrait, etching in our memory portraits and scenes that remind us that, despite our best efforts, we are nowhere near ending extreme poverty and reminding us of the devastating impact of extreme poverty on the lives of millions of people.
I pay tribute to the artists and to all who join them in committing their time and talent to Make Poverty History and remind this place that this coming week, starting tomorrow morning at 6 am, is one where we stand up and take action on extreme poverty."
Create to Advocate 08
Art Competition and Exhibition
Parliament House, Canberra
6 October - 2 November 2008
Official Opening : Tuesday 14 October
Entries Close: 29 August 2008
In 2008, every second child in the world lives in poverty and 10 million children die each year from preventable and curable diseases. Speak out through art to make poverty history!
"What is Art? It is the response of man's creative soul to the call of the Real."
- Sir Rabindranath Tagore
Create to Advocate invites Australian artists to express a vision to end global poverty and to reflect on and speak out on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including access to clean water, reducing child mortality, achieving basic health care, empowering girls and action on climate change !
Selected artworks will be presented in a month long public exhibition at Parliament House, Canberra during October 2008. The official opening will be in Anti Poverty week and a feature of Micah Challenge's National Gathering and Lobbying Trip, Voices for Justice.
Works can be in any medium, including paint, pencil, photography, multimedia, sculpture and textiles. Artists gain the exciting chance of high profile exposure, selection for future campaign promotions and Micah Challenge Artist Awards and prizes.
Speak up for the poor through art! Speak out for justice to our government leaders and the decision makers! Create to Advocate is a creative, emotive and powerful way to engage, inform and inspire our political leaders, artists and the general public!
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
- Martin Luther King.
Micah Challenge Art Awards:
1st prize $1,000
2nd prize $500
Micah Challenge Student Art Award (Under18):
1st prize $500
2nd prize $250
To download the postcard flyer, click here.
If you are interested in ordering hardcopies of the postcard flyer or in joining the artists email list, contact C2A@micahchallenge.org.au
Create to Advocate 07
Last year 52 artworks from artists all over Australia were displayed in the month long exhibition in June at Parliament House. Painting, photography, drawing, animation, multi-media, sculpture, and even textiles formed an amazing, colourful and moving exhibition.
The exhibition represented artists of all kinds including professional artists, high school students, and emerging artists! Sixteen Parliamentarians attended the official opening, representing the support of the three main political parties. MPs and the public described the exhibition as "really powerful.. excellent.. moving.. fantastic!.." One MP even commented that she was so moved by the stories behind the art that she cried during one of the artist speeches.
MPs from both parties presented the finalists with the Micah Challenge Artist Awards and prizes. A number of artists were photographed with their local MP and some were even profiled in stories about their artwork in their local media.
Create to Advocate contributed to motivating MPs to make speeches in Parliament, asking Australia to do more of it's fair share to address global poverty. The exhibition was also referred to on Hansard and inspired an article in one of Australia's major newspapers, by Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, urging our governments to do more to achieve the Millennium Development Goals!
Click here to view the online gallery of the artworks from the exhibition last year.
Background
In 2000, for the first time in history, all members of the United Nations, including Australia made a commitment and an action plan to halve world poverty by 2015. Yet today around the world, one billion people still live in extreme poverty.
2007 marked the half-way point to this goal, so in 2008 it's time for governments to deliver on their promises, and make the lives of one billion people better! Let's use our creativity, encourage our leaders and raise our voices in support of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Artwork Themes
The themes for Create to Advocate 08 artworks are the Millennium Development Goals:
The goals, which all have a target date of 2015, are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
Click here for more information on the goals.
How artworks explore the theme of the Millennium Development Goals and Making Poverty History is up to your imagination! You could reflect on:
• The need for fair trade, effective aid and debt cancellation and help for poor countries to keep their governments accountable
• the issues of climate change and water in developing countries
• biblical passages & scriptures on poverty
• stories of campaigners and prophets who have changed the world
• inspiring quotes and speeches on justice and poverty
• stories of poor communities and how they have been empowered and changed through their own advocacy and the calls of Micah Challenge and MPH
• broader themes connected to poverty: powerlessness, wealth, consumerism of the west, slavery..
For more input on the issues use the great resources at:
• www.micahchallenge.org.au and www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
• Stir - Art 4 Aid : www.stir.org.au , issues
• What Can one Person Do? DVD.
Volunteer with Create to Advocate
We are looking for a reliable and enthusiastic volunteer to help organise and administrate Create to Advocate. If you are passionate about art and justice, click here for a job description.
Local Create to Advocate 08 Exhibitions & Competitions
Voice for the Voiceless
Presented by Churches of Christ Social Justice Network, Churches of Christ Theological Network & Micah Challenge.
Click here for more information. Click here to download a flyer.
Chapel on Station Gallery, Box Hill, Melbourne
Churches of Christ Theological College, Mulgrave
31 July - 30 August 2008
Launch: 31 July, 7pm
Woven Realities
Nell Potter, a Melbourne artist with a passion for justice presents 'Woven Realities', an inspiring exhibition in response to the MDGs. 20% of all profits from the sale of the artworks will be donated to Micah challenge. Click here to download a flyer.
ARTiculate gallery space, 2 Vision Drv, Burwood East
Gallery open by appointment Mon-Friday during August by calling (03) 9886 3700 or on Sunday's 9am-1pm & 4-8pm.
Organising your own Create to Advocate exhibition
Make it happen locally! Join with churches, shools and other groups in your area and run a local Create to Advocate Art Exhibition. Find a venue, exhibit your artworks and invite your local Member of Parliament to attend.
We've compiled a number of resources to help you with this:
Create to Advocate Running Guide (PDF)
Sample MP Invitation (DOC)
Sample School Invitation (DOC)
Sample Media Release (DOC)
Sample Artist Entry Form (PDF)
Poster (PDF - Note this file is 5MB)
More on Create to Advocate 07
The speeches of four of the artists who described the stories and inspiration behind their artwork were so powerful and moving that one MP, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja commented that she cried during their speeches.
The honesty and conviction of the artists and the real life stories and responses behind the artworks was a testament to the quality of the artworks and the artists' engagement in justice and with the poor.
The MPs who opened the Exhibition spoke about the power of art to speak to communities and our leaders and were impressed by the concern, creativity and action of the artists and so many people from around the country; and in their own electorates, in the Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge campaigns.
Contact
Jane McGeough
C2A@micahchallenge.org.au
(03) 9877-7444