The Ballarat community is being invited to use creativity as a tool for reflection, conversation and change as part of this year's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign aimed at ending gender-based violence.
The annual international campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December, beginning on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and concluding on Human Rights Day, emphasising that violence against women is a human rights violation.
As part of the local campaign, a collective of Ballarat organisations is inviting community members to contribute to a collaborative art exhibition exploring the theme "Respect Is...".
Community members of all ages and artistic abilities are encouraged to create a 20cm x 20cm artwork responding to what respect means to them. Pre-cut artwork cards can be collected from Ballarat Central Library, Ballarat CASA and WRISC until 23 October.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the exhibition offers a unique opportunity for the community to come together and use art as a catalyst for conversation and change.
"This exhibition provides a meaningful opportunity for community members to reflect on what respect looks like in everyday life and to contribute to an important community conversation about preventing gender-based violence," she said.
"Art can help people express ideas and experiences that are difficult to put into words. By bringing these individual pieces together, we can create a powerful visual representation of our community's commitment to respect and a future free from violence."
The exhibition will be displayed at Ballarat Central Library during the 16 Days of Activism campaign from 25 November to 10 December, showcasing a collection of community-created artworks that together invite us to envision and help build a future where respect is lived, practiced and protected.
Artwork submissions close at 4pm on Friday 30 October.
Selected artworks will be exhibited at Ballarat Central Library as part of the campaign. Artworks will be displayed anonymously, unless the artist specifies that they would like to be identified.
Following the exhibition, artists can choose to collect their artwork or donate it to become part of a larger collaborative piece that symbolises the community's shared commitment to respect and ending gender-based violence.
In Ballarat, the City of Ballarat works alongside Women's Health Grampians, Ballarat CASA, Grampians Health, Respect Victoria, WRISC and a range of community organisations to deliver the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign and raise awareness of the actions needed to prevent gender-based violence.
Through the exhibition, organisers hope to encourage community reflection on the role respect plays in building safe communities.
