Aotearoa Poster Competition | Kiwis Together – 2020 – Chinese Kiwis

The Aotearoa Poster competition is a national art event being held for the first time in 2020. It uses art to engage us to think about how we do, and can, behave to reflect the values that are important to us as New Zealanders.

2020 focuses on New Zealand as a culturally diverse and inclusive society with a spotlight on our Chinese communities

In choosing this theme - the project team firstly acknowledges the domestic racism here in Aotearoa New Zealand and the continuing urgent need for institutional and systemic racism suffered by Māori, tangata whenua, since settlement of tauiwi through colonisation, as a primary issue for our nation.

Migrant cultures who have settled in Aotearoa New Zealand, who are not of the dominant culture, also have a story that speaks of racism that they have and continue to encounter. The Chinese community is one such community - with this 2020 spotlight prompted by and in response to the heightened anti-Chinese sentiment and racist behaviour in New Zealand sparked by COVID19.

We invite Kiwis to join us

Check out the interesting links about the history and diversity of Chinese Kiwis, the responding to racism resources or enter the competition through our https://www.aotearoaposter.com/ website (live from 10 August 2020).

There will be posters around town and online to promote this competition. These original artworks aim to spark curiosity and conversation about our diverse cultural communities, the importance of taking a stand when we witness racist behaviour happening, and different ways we might do so while staying safe.

For example:

calling out and naming the bad behaviours in a non-confrontational way expressing or offering support to the person being targeted such as asking - Are you ok?

taking away the social support that the person behaving badly may think they have by:

• expressing or acting in positive ways that reinforce our values as a culturally diverse and inclusive society

• engaging others nearby to join in to express and reinforce these societal values.

Opens 10 August and is for all New Zealand residents aged 13 and over

The competition begins 10 August 2020 when the AotearoaPoster.com website will go live with the terms and conditions of the competition including the art brief/focus for entries. Entries close 21 September. There are three judged categories (13-17 years: 18 and over - new and emerging artist: 18 and over - Established artist) as well as a popular vote category. The winning entries will be pasted up in city streets nationwide with the winning artists each receiving a $500 cash prize and domestic travel and accommodation (as needed) to attend the prize giving event in Wellington at the end of October.

The project is jointly coordinated by Bev Hong – a Wellington-based researcher and Dunedin-based artist Bruce Mahalski. More information about the project will be available on our website https://www.aotearoaposter.com/. In the meanwhile - for further information, email info@AotearoaPoster.com

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