School children develop creative sides for anti-bullying art competition

The Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum is calling for budding painters, story-tellers and film-makers to use art to illustrate its “Reach Out” theme.

The Monday 23 January 2023 deadline for Anti-Bullying Week’s Creative Arts Competition is fast approaching, and schools are being urged to encourage students to get in touch with their crafty side.

The theme for the competition is ‘Reach Out’, which aims to encourage children to reach out to peers struggling with bullying and adults in their lives who can support them in tackling it.

The Creative Arts competition is a big part of the annual Anti-Bullying Week initiative and allows entrants to express the chosen anti-bullying theme through many art forms.

Entries can cover everything from stories to paintings, poems, films and even short documentaries.

It has been broken down into various age categories too including Pre-school year – Primary 3, Primary 4 – 7, Year 8 – 10 and Year 11. There is also a special merit category for special educational needs entries.

Winners will be announced at a celebration event held in March, with participating schools invited to attend.

The Creative Arts Competition is just one part of Anti-Bullying Week, which is coordinated by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) and supported by Translink.

NIABF is an interagency group hosted by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) and funded by the Department of Education.

Its aim, like every year, is to create awareness of bullying, and the devastating impact it can have on children and address how to stop it.

Speaking about the Anti-Bullying Creative Arts Competition, Aoife Nic Colaim, Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator, at Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) said: “We encourage every school to join us and help in what is a collective and fun competition to create awareness of and help to end this social issue.

“Our competition has a new theme — reach out — and it’s an important one that encourages those affected by bullying and those in a position to support them to engage with each other.

“Art is a fantastic medium through which young people can comfortably convey how they feel and it acts as an excellent method for expression.

“Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.

“We all have a moral obligation to reach out to those in need and we look forward to seeing the entries for this year’s theme and how children use their creativity to combat bullying.”

Translink is a long-standing supporter of Anti-Bullying Week and will once again partner with the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum to help deliver key messages around the theme of Reach Out.

Commenting on the importance of the campaign, John Thompson, head of safety and corporate responsibility, said: Anti-Bullying Week is a great initiative which raises awareness of important issues affecting young people across Northern Ireland and we’re proud to have supported the campaign for over ten years. As Northern Ireland’s public transport provider we aim to keep people and communities better connected. Anti-Bullying Week’s theme of Reach Out reflects this aim and helps promote safe and accessible public transport for everyone.”

Bernie McNally, independent chair of the Safeguarding Board for NI said: “Sadly, bullying in all its facets is an age-old problem that blights too many of our children and young people’s lives. It can happen anywhere and can have the most devastating impact. In many ways social media sites and gaming has weaponised bullying, because now it can be done anonymously, and it doesn’t end at the school gates or at a child’s front door.

“The Safeguarding Board is delighted to join forces with the NIABF to support the Creative Arts Competition, putting a special spotlight on bullying and to help inspire children and young people and those who care for them to reach out when they need support.”

For rules and entry information, visit Creative Arts Competition - End Bullying.

NIABF was formed by Save the Children, at the request of the Department of Education, in August 2004 and formally launched in November 2005. NIABF is currently managed by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).