News

WA Youth Awards celebrates achievements of creative youth 21/07/10

Hon Donna Faragher with Create! Propel Youth Arts Award finalists

Candlelit tables adorned with orchids, people dressed in glamourous gowns and sharp suits, excited chatter filling the room – the nights of nights for young Western Australians had arrived!

Now in it’s twelfth year, the 2010 WA Youth Awards gala ceremony celebrated the achievements of extraordinary young Western Australians aged 12 – 26 years for their environmental, artistic, humanitarian, sport and recreation and citizenship contributions to their communities.

For the first time Propel Youth Arts WA offered a WA Youth Award in recognition of WA’s young artists and artsworkers. The Create! Propel Youth Arts Award celebrates the achievements of young people’s contribution to the community through drama, music, visual arts, writing, debating and arts management

Four outstanding young creatives where nominated:

  • Isabel Inkster Hughes
  • Ika Jumali
  • Kaitlyn Seymour and,
  • Jeremiah Wordsworth

Congratulations to Jeremiah Wordsworth who was nominated winner of the Create! Propel Youth Arts Award.

Check out their biographies below as featured on the Department for Communities website

Jeremiah Wordsworth

Jeremiah has come a long way since arriving in Australia as a refugee only five years ago. As a child in a refugee camp, he wrote and acted in a play with the American Rescue Committee, which made him realise the power that the arts could have on people’s lives. Five years ago, he approached the Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre with the idea to create the ‘Migrants Got Talent’ program, to provide activities for youth from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Since then, Jeremiah has also launched Big Dreams Entertainment – a youth-run organisation providing young people with an opportunity to showcase their artistic talents. Jeremiah has a passion for filmmaking, and was recently involved in the making of two documentaries on migrant Australia and the Liberian soccer team. Jeremiah is a determined and talented young man who gives much of his time to the community. He continues to inspire other children who have been on a similar journey, to participate fully in their new communities.

Jeremiah was also nominated WA Young Person of the Year. Read our interview here

Kaitlyn Seymour

Kaitlyn is a highly motivated 18-year-old artist from Albany who has been involved in a wide range of creative projects including the Youth Week Alleyway Stencil and the headspace Great Southern Youth Concert. In 2009 Kaitlyn singlehandedly coordinated a series of skills development workshops for emerging artists; all while completing Year 11 at Albany Senior High School. Kaitlyn sits on many panels including the YCulture Regional panel assessing youth grant applications and has been the youth member for Nine Lives Youth Art Studio board of management. Kaitlyn initiated the Brink Collective Youth Art Project, allowing young people access to the arts in Albany and across the State. Having suffered from depression, Kaitlyn offers assistance to at-risk youth and aids them in building confidence and self worth through art initiatives.

Isabel Inkster Hughes

Isabel believes that art can, and should, play a role in the development of identity and as catalyst for reflection and change. She participates actively in a wide range of creative activities encompassing literary endeavours, drama, photography and debate, and her visual media piece received a Highly Commended Award in the Chevron Environmental photography competition. Isabel has also received prominent awards in the field of debating and for her work with the United Nations Youth Association of WA.

This year she has represented Shenton College in Singapore and was recently selected to represent Australia at The Hague International Model United Nations International debate. She is one of the youngest people invited to participate in that event. Isabel is also involved in community pursuits, including various charity projects like the Book-in-a-Day challenge that raised money for PMH. Isabel’s primary goal is to help young people to be politically empowered and given a strong voice through artistic expression.

Ika Jumali

Ika believes in the power of art to make a difference. She is a proactive young member of the artistic community. Ika currently volunteers as the Artistic Coordinator of Youth Tree – an organisation that uses art, creativity and fun to encourage young people to volunteer. Ika also volunteers with Propel Youth Arts WA and recently received a $3,000 grant to coordinate an exhibition of young artists to provide exposure and promote their work. In 2009, Ika won the City of Perth Black Swan Youth Portraiture Award and was selected to exhibit in Young Originals, showcasing outstanding visual art for high school students. Ika recently launched the Debut project, which aims to address the lack of exposure for young artists and to improve their connection with the wider artist community. As a result of her academic, sporting and artistic achievements, Ika is described as an excellent role model, particularly for those from diverse cultural backgrounds.