Winners of our “In the Arms of Family” Art Competition – Refugee Week 2024

This year we held a competition within our school community as part of our Refugee Week celebrations, where students of all ages were encouraged to submit a piece of poetry or other artwork based on the prompt “In the Arms of Family”.

The talent displayed by students of all ages in their art, poetry, and short stories was nothing short of inspiring. Each piece reflected the theme of Refugee Week this year, ‘Family,’ creating a chosen family around our clients and speakers with lived experience and showcasing a beautiful expression of solidarity.

We were thrilled to announce the winners of the competition below. Keep an eye on our social media to check out their amazing works of art!

Winners

Primary School Poetry

• Winner: Maroun Cham Choum (Year 1)
• Runners-Up: George Mourad and Theo Stonham (Year 2, joint poem)

Primary School Artwork

• Winner: Sophie Dermody (9 years old)
• Runner-Up: Arya (Year 4)

Primary School Short Story

• Winners: Jordan Adaymy and Zachariah Abu-Ali (Year 2, joint story)
• Runners-Up: Luke Shaw and Arin Joseph (Year 2, joint story)

High School Poetry

• Winner: Diana Taouk (17 years old)
• Runner-Up: Helena Fitzegerald (Year 7)

High School Artwork

• Winner: Zoe Macedone (13 years old)
• Equal Runners-Up: Satine Gallardo Walker (16 years old), Mikayla Zammit (Year 7)

All submissions were displayed at our ‘Free Together’ event on 19th July, creating a warm and welcoming exhibit for all our guests to enjoy.

We were deeply moved by the creativity and thoughtfulness of all the participants. Their contributions not only highlighted the importance of family in the refugee experience but also demonstrated a strong sense of empathy and unity.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this competition a resounding success.

Would you like to get involved next year?

Our Schools and Community Engagement Program runs events throughout the year, where you can volunteer with our Foodbank, or host a refugee leader to speak at your school. Contact vin.gajanayake@jrs.org.au to learn more about you – or your students – can get involved and support refugees and people seeking asylum!