Lessons in Journey of Shared Stories
If you want to understand the hearts and minds of our Catholic school students, start by finding a copy of the latest Shared Stories anthology. It teaches us more each year about the power of self-expression, and this year is especially insightful for its choice of theme.
In Victoria, 25 Catholic schools contributed creative writing and fine artwork to the book which is now in its 12th year of publication. Star of the Sea College in Brighton launched the latest anthology on Monday 27 November to 900 guests. It's the fourth year that CCI has proudly given financial support to such an inspiring and collaborative initiative. Not only does CCI's assistance celebrate ideas that drive education in our community, it also plays a practical role in supporting a legacy of shared artistic projects, thereby making a difference in the Catholic community in more ways than one.
The Shared Stories theme of a 'Journey' resulted in an exceptionally strong output of creative talent that shined a light on the art of language in lives. Students explored their own journeys and those of others through poetry and prose, and visual mediums such as painting, photography, and sculpture. There are so many thoughtful responses to the issues young students face today in the collection, but among the many unique contributions, Editor and Creator Peter Farrar noted one that stands apart for being 'a journey like no other…'
Jana Papantoniou, Year 12 student at Star of Sea College, is the 2017 Winner of the CCI Art Award for three works that helped her to touch on issues less visible…'I wish to communicate the hidden struggle of a collective youth.' In her work 'Concealment' she layers innocence and the playful act of dress-up with the states of anxiety and depression. Her personal journey as an artist marks struggle and triumph, and above all growth and the ability to communicate.
Hannah Gehrig, Year 12 Star of the Sea College student, explored the issue of superficiality around body image in a visual piece that reflects on the unrealistic beauty standards in society. A Year 7 Whitefriars College student, Evan O'Connor, describes in a written piece a journey that crosses our continent and culminates in a symbolic journey towards self-identity, while Athena Kavadias from Year 7 at Lavalla Catholic College comments on issues around trust and friendship during school life, in a poetic form.
The first anthology was published in 2006, and Peter Farrar continues to guide the project in developing affirmative experiences that exchange ideas among young Catholics. The outcome may be considered one way of building bridges to join cultural and social groups, however the publication is an impressive collection of artistic material in its own right.
"We have a lot of students who have been published across three or four years of these anthologies, and so there were two aspects to this theme," Peter explains.
"The 'Journey' is about their own journey as writers and artists over a period of time. One student created a powerful piece about her grandfather and it was very moving. This was a journey of reflection and memory, in and of itself. The 'other' journey is often that of students looking back at their own path over many years."
Minh-Hoa Nguyen, Year 10, from Catholic Regional College, North Keilor whose artwork provides the front cover for this year's book was inspired by the abstract idea of two worlds explored through the journey of humankind. "I was inspired by the concept of the ocean meeting the galaxy…"
Presumably, the sky is no longer the limit for these future artists and writers who find inspiration through their individual and often challenging emotional journeys.
"We're all wayfaring travellers…" says Cody Munro, Year 10, from Catholic Regional College in Melton, in his poem The Aussie Man.