Six local schools have been selected to take part in a new arts and augmented reality competition, Sunshine Arts Fest.
Caloundra State High, Pacific Lutheran College, Kawana Waters State College, Montessori International College, St Andrew’s Anglican College and Sunshine Coast Grammar were the schools selected by independent judges, after 18 high schools applied.
The submissions included the schools’ interpretation of the competition’s annual theme ‘Let the Sunshine In’, and examples of previous work that would inspire their installations.
Participating schools will benefit from workshops hosted by festival art ambassador, Sarah Sculley, before installing their artworks at Sunshine Plaza in June.
The overall winner will be selected in July, with the People’s Choice Award being determined based on votes from the public. The winning schools will claim their share in the $5000 prize pool.
Sunshine Arts Fest was launched by Sunshine Plaza to showcase the creativity of local high school students, while providing the opportunity for the public to interact with their artworks using AR on their mobile phones.
The plaza has partnered with headspace Maroochydore on the initiative to raise awareness of the importance of youth mental health and wellbeing, donating $1 for every online vote (up to $5000) to support local youth art programs.
Centre manager Michael Manwaring said students showed real zest for the competition.
“The calibre and number of submissions were exceptionally high, demonstrating a real appetite for this type of competition amongst schools in the Sunshine Coast region,” he said.
“We know augmented reality will play an important role in shaping the careers of the future and we are therefore excited to not only showcase what the brightest creative minds in our local schools can do, but also to create an opportunity for the broader community to experience this emerging technology for themselves.
“Congratulations to the six successful schools. We look forward to seeing your installations revealed at Sunshine Plaza in June this year, and to those who were unsuccessful, thank you for taking the time to apply and we encourage you to try again in the future.”
Sunshine Arts Fest judge Hayley Jenkin said more good things were to come.
“The response to Sunshine Arts Fest has been really positive with many of the applications exceeding the judges’ expectations.
“We encourage students and teachers to make the most of the workshops and to think creatively about the materials they use, to consider recycling and impact on the environment and to ensure the installation does not only look amazing but also uses AR as a tool to tell their story.
“We feel very confident that the six schools selected will deliver a diverse spectrum of engaging installations and look forward to seeing what they create.”
St Andrew’s Anglican College head of creative industries Ben Hedstrom said the school’s students relished being involved.
“We’re delighted to be selected as participants in Sunshine Arts Fest in 2023,” he said.
“The students are looking forward to the opportunity to work with a professional artist to create artworks that expand their creative thinking, storytelling and visual communication skills using a diverse range of media.
“The virtual reality component of the process will provide insights for students into the value of emerging technologies to create audience engagement and interactive experiences.
“The displays will also highlight our region’s creative spirit and encourage the community to interact with artworks and see first-hand, the value of the creative industries in education.”
It’s estimated that 250,000 new jobs will be created by digitisation by 2025, via the The Australian Government’s Digital Economy Strategy 2030.
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