In 2016, a short documentary “Then I Came by Boat” won a major prize at the Just Art competition run by the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria, Australia. It also nabbed the Media prize for the open age category.

The theme of that year’s competition was ‘Asylum Seekers: Stories of Humanity.’ Two major prizes were awarded, plus an audience award and twelve category awards. The Society did a fantastic job in getting the message out to Victorian school children for the school-aged competition categories; there were hundreds of wonderful submissions from these passionate kids advocating for the rights of asylum seekers.

Documentary film maker Marlena Forward said, “Many thanks to the people of St Vincent de Paul Society for giving Tri’s story a new platform.”

This year, noting that 40% of people experiencing homelessness in Victoria are under 25 years of age, “Vinnies Victoria” is putting the spotlight on youth poverty.

“Youth Poverty: Stories of Humanity”

Getting involved in Just Art is as simple as creating an artwork that responds to the theme and posting it on social media with hashtag #VinniesJustArt

This year, there will be no state-wide competition and exhibition in Victoria. Their focus is on getting the message out into the community where particpants (especially Vincentians) live. Find out more at http://justart.svdp-vic.org.au/