This spring term, in the run up to the Welsh Assembly elections, young people in Wales have the opportunity to take part in a brand new photography competition launched by Oxfam.
Oxfam Cymru’s ‘Creating a Fair Wales’ photo competition invites young people aged between 11 and 18 years to take a picture and write a caption of no more than 100 words to share their opinion about what they want for Wales; what a fair Wales looks like to them.
Before they start snapping they are encouraged to learn about fairness in relation to three different issues that affect everyone living in Wales today; decent work, climate change and the refugee crisis. Oxfam Cymru has produced three bilingual educational resources to help teachers across Wales engage and inform young people on these subjects.
The photographs will be judged by a panel of three, including Wales’ brand new Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, and will be exhibited in a special event which will be attended by newly elected Assembly members. Ms Howe said:
“This competition is a fantastic opportunity for the young people of Wales to consider what matters to them. With the Well-Being of Future Generations Act in place and the Welsh Assembly elections taking place this May there’s no better time for young people to consider what they want for Wales. I look forward to seeing the photos from schools and colleges across the country.”
The judging panel also comprises Polly Seton from Wales’ Global Learning Programme Wales and former UK Press Photographer of the Year, Glenn Edwards.
All entries will feature, along with the captions, in an online gallery shared by Oxfam. The school or college of the winners will also be offered a free workshop from Oxfam Cymru and the winners will be invited to an event this summer which will include a photo exhibition, workshops for young people and an opportunity to meet newly elected AMs so they can hear from young people directly.
Carys Thomas, Head of Oxfam Cymru said:
“The ‘Creating a Fair Wales’ competition provides an opportunity for our young people here in Wales to learn and think critically about key issues affecting young people in Wales ahead of the Welsh Assembly elections in May, creatively sharing their message about what they want for Wales and what the next Welsh Government needs to prioritise.”
Deadline for receipt of applications is 9 May 2016. For more information about the competition and to download the free bilingual resources visit http://bit.ly/PhotoCompCymru