To promote Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM), this October in Australia, Living Well is holding an Online Poster/Visual Media Competition. This Competition is now a joint project with 1in6.org from the USA, as equal partners, we are committed to assisting men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences to live healthier, happier lives.
In partnership with 1in6.org, we are offering three prizes, totalling $1500 in prize money, to the artist/s who create a Poster or Visual Media which best expresses the theme:
‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced... It's not who I am.’
Art is a powerful medium that can both bear witness and support personal and social change. This competition provides an avenue for artists, art students, art educators, art therapists, anyone, to use their creativity to express and explore this complex issue.
Rationale for this theme
The statement ‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced... It is not who I am’ was made by a man attending the Living Well Service. It has been chosen as the competition theme for the way that it both acknowledges a man's experience of sexual abuse and his commitment to living a life defined by him.
Research tell us that 1 in 6 men will experience childhood sexual abuse and that on average they will take 22 years to tell someone about it, 10 years longer than women. When men do come forward, they often talk of their being limited public awareness or supportive accounts that speak to their experience.
In our work with men who have been subjected to sexual abuse our challenge is to find ways to both acknowledge the profound horror, pain and difficulties produced by sexual assault, whilst simultaneously noticing and supporting a person's struggles, ways of managing, holding on to hope, engaging with and commitment to living a full life. At Living Well and 1in6 we see our work as inspiring, hopeful, transformative, life supporting work that acknowledges that people's lives are multi-storied. We are looking to reward and promote the poster/visual media that navigates this complex terrain and best addresses the identified theme ‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced... It is not who I am.’
Visual Media can raise awareness and become inspirational
Note: Take a look at the gallery of posters we have collected. In referring to this material, we would ask that competition entrants see these resources as a record of what has already been produced, not what might be produced. In developing an entry for submission, please be aware that posters and visual media that utilise offensive or sexualised imagery will not be included in the competition.
Over the past few months we have welcomed entries in both traditional poster format and 'new visual electronic media' from anywhere in the world. There was no requirement to include or not include the text ‘Sexual abuse is something that I experienced... It is not who I am’. The intention was for the Poster/Visual Media to become an expression of this theme in ways that connects with the viewer and conveys the message.
$1500 in Prize Money
- 1st prize - $1000 (Awarded by Competition Panel)
- Runner up - $250 (Awarded by Competition Panel)
- People's choice - $250
- Competition Panel will be announced soon - watch this space.
- Submissions to be received by the 10th of October 2011
- Winners to be announced on the 26th of October 2011
Competition Panel
Accepted posters/visual media have been posted to the Competition Entries page of this site to support voting for the people's choice. It is also planned, with artists approval, for a montage of submitted posters/visual media to be developed and posted online in video format.
Entries have now closed. Thank you to everyone for your participation! But it's not over yet - we are now accepting votes for the People's Choice winner! Please take a look at the competition entries and vote for your favourites.
Thanks to http://www.competitionsforartists.com/