Winners of ‘My Perfect South Australia for People with Disabilities Would Be…’
21/03/2011
It is with enormous pride and pleasure that Kelly Vincent, MLC announces the winners of Dignity for Disability’s 2011 arts competition: ‘My perfect South Australia for People with Disabilities Would Be…’
Prizes of five hundred dollars each will be awarded to two winners per each of the competition’s categories: visual arts and word arts.
THE WINNERS ARE:
WORD ARTS
ZOE MILLER
JENNIFER WATERS
VISUAL ARTS
ANDREW BECK
ROD FLIGHT
‘We received many entries – more, in fact than I was expecting!’ said Kelly Vincent, ‘and it was not easy to pick the winners, but in the end, these were the stand-outs.’
‘Jennifer Waters, who is a family carer to her grandchild with Autism, shows that she is able to think beyond her own personal experiences in her essay. She emphasises the importance of early intervention, education, and teaching children to live with their disabilities from the moment they are born.’
Miss Vincent said she was deeply moved by the poem entered by eleven-year-old family carer, Zoe Miller.
‘Zoe’s entry simultaneously demonstrates the simplicity with which children and young people view the world, and a wisdom beyond her years.’
The visual art entries were of an equally high standard.
‘To me, Andrew Beck’s painting, Hope emphasises the importance of unity, not just for the disability sector, but for the human race; it emphasises acceptance. It is a truly beautiful piece. Rod Flight’s painting, I Am, depicting a man in a wheelchair looking out to the sea in the company of his dog, reminded Miss Vincent that: ‘even though we have some long and onerous battles to fight, our disabilities do not have to stop us from enjoying the simple things which can sometimes help “make it all worthwhile”.’
Miss Vincent thanks and congratulates each of the winners, and looks forward to presenting their awards at her celebration of one year in Parliament on April 10th 2011.
