Re:ACTIVATE – Calling Aspiring Artists

Re:ACTIVATE – Calling Aspiring Artists

Re:ACTIVATE 2021 winners with their installed artworks from left: Te Ao Rangimarie Davis, Tama-nui-te-rā 2021, aged 8, Te Pā o Rākaihautū School. Sienna Oshannessey and Agatha Weston,  Remembering our roots 2021, aged 16 from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School.

Invitation to Young Artists to Present Public Art in Hagley Park

SCAPE Public Art is inviting aspiring artists aged 18 and under to submit their ideas for an artwork to be produced for a public space during SCAPE season 2022, 5 November 2022 – 29 January 2023.

Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists is designed to nurture, grow and promote the creative arts by mentoring and giving opportunities to talented young artists. It is an annual competition and exhibition open to youth aged between 5 and 18 in Canterbury. Participating students will respond to a brief and submit designs for the chance to have their artworks produced for public display.

“SCAPE Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists is now in its seventh year, we are proud to be involved and can’t wait to see where the young people’s imaginations take them and what designs they come up with in response to this year’s theme” Helen Trappitt, director of Lewis Bradford Consulting Engineers.

This is an opportunity for young artists to explore the creative process and come up with a design for an artwork that shows their unique perspective on the theme. There are two categories open for entry this year: Re:ACTIVATE Sculpture and Re:ACTIVATE Mural. Re:ACTIVATE Sculpture is a competition for individual students to develop an idea for sculptural artworks, which the winners will get to create under the guidance of SCAPE Public Art’s expert industry partners. Re:ACTIVATE Mural supported by Resene is a competition for groups of between four to eight students, who will work together alongside a local mural artist to create a design for a mural that will be displayed on billboards in Hagley Park.
Re:ACTIVATE 2021 winners from left: Sienna Oshannessey, Te Ao Rangimarie Davis, and Agatha Weston.

Next Steps 

Read through the brief and start exploring design concepts based on the theme and sub-themes.

The theme of this year’s SCAPE Public Art Season is Sweat Equity, and there are several sub-themes that participants might like to explore. In considering their artwork, students may think about labour and the body: the work done by a person or people in their family, the idea of working hard to succeed, and what the impact of a life of hard work might be. Other themes include illusion and virtuality: how a lot of our modern lives are lived online, and what information about us may be out there without us even knowing it; or obsolescence: exploring the boundary between the digital and physical world, and how social media, online gaming and the virtual space is no longer just a tool for entertainment but a space we inhabit.
Sarah Ackerley is the new Education and Community Engagement Manager at SCAPE Public Art. With a background in Fine Arts and education, she will be sharing her expertise with schools and students. Sarah is available for outreach visits to your school to discuss the themes and work on design concepts with students. Click here to book a session or email sarah@scapepublicart.org.nz
Bookings will be open soon for the upcoming SCAPE education programme, 17 October – 2 December 2022. This year’s programme includes art-making activities inspired by some of our legacy works as well as sessions working with our community-engaged artist, Dr Jo Burzynska. Keep an eye on your inbox for more information! This popular education programme is a unique opportunity for students to learn more about the SCAPE season artworks and take part in creative educational workshops.
Entries for Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists open on 29 July and close on 5 September. Find the full brief and details for entry here: Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists 2022.