By Winners of Creative Connections competition announced
The winners of the Creative Connections competition which aimed to tackle loneliness and isolation have been announced to the public.
The competition opened in March and encouraged young people in North East Lincolnshire to share their views on loneliness and isolation through the means of creative writing, art or photography.
Attracting close to 150 entries, the Creative Connections competition received submissions in the form of poetry, artwork and even a dance performance.
The winners were Kerry, 19, Grace, 15, Beth, 17, Sara, 16, and Anya, 17.
Runners-up were Logan, 18, Albert, 19, Jeger, 18, Tomas, 16, Mephaka, 17, and Krista, 15.
Around 65 of the top entries will be featured in an anthology which will be published with the help of Hammond House.
The winning artwork to be used as the anthology’s front cover.
Councillor Ian Lindley, portfolio holder for children, education and skills at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We have been blown away by all of the entries – we have some phenomenal creative talent in our area, and we’re hoping to use as many of the entries as possible in some way or another.
“As well as working with Hammond House on the creation of a published anthology, we’re also looking at putting some of the song lyric entries to music, and publishing a really impressive dance routine.
“The aim of the competition was to encourage young people to share their experiences of loneliness and isolation, and the importance of connection through creative writing. These are things that have been brought to the fore over the past year.
“Connecting with people, sharing experiences and looking after your mental health are incredibly important, so I’m really pleased that the competition has highlighted this and given our talented young people an opportunity to share their perspectives.”
Pippa Curtin, Voice and influence co-ordinator at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We were really impressed with the entries, not just the quantity but especially the quality.
“Being creative is not only great for our mental health and emotional well-being but it clearly gives young people a voice in a way they feel comfortable with.
“We are excited to see the anthology ready for publishing and are planning a launch this summer to celebrate the great work and share this to help others feel more connected and reduce loneliness and isolation.”
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