An art and writing competition sponsored by a Bega Valley church is hoping to help the continuing healing process following the Black Summer bushfires.
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Pambula Baptist Church (PBC) has launched an art and writing competition this week, with the theme of "Beyond the Bushfires"
It's open to three categories of entrants - adults, children of primary school age, and young people of high school age - with cash prizes up to $600.
Judges are independent and well qualified.
At the time of the fires in 2019-20 and in the year following, with emergency funds from the wider Baptist movement, PBC, which is a small church, assisted where it could, enabling grants, planting gardens, rebuilding fencing, purchasing gift vouchers and supplying irrigation piping.
![Beyond the Bushfires: Art and writing competition to help Bega Valley heal Beyond the Bushfires: Art and writing competition to help Bega Valley heal](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/38KKizhZLpuTDCkJAjRb34b/da0c59ad-b05c-4164-a194-2d09c7cd1bfa.jpg/r0_0_1090_748_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
PBC also received a generous donation from a sister church in Western Australia, the Toodyay Church.
The initial plan to use this donation was disrupted, as the whole country shut down and was isolated due to the threat of COVID. PBC had to re-evaluate how to use the money from Toodyay Baptist Church.
Eventually, after much discussion, the idea of a Bega Valley community art and writing competition was born.
The church said creative expression was a well-accepted means of working through difficult emotions arising from distressing or traumatic events, and helping along the healing process.
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Given Toodyay Church had intended to help the Bega Valley community heal in loving and practical ways, it was felt the creative competition suited perfectly.
"Three years after the bushfires seems a long time, and much regrowth, resilience and stories of hope are out there," a church spokesperson said.
"PBC is hoping to collect some of these stories in art and written works, and bless the Bega Valley community to look hopefully toward the future."
Full details of the competition and how to enter may be found on the competition website, www.beyondthebushfires.org.au.
The closing date for entries is midnight Sunday, September 10.
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