​Visit NSW Parliament House before 16 September to see the finalist artworks from Reconciliation NSW's latest Schools Reconciliation Challenge.
Each year, the Schools Reconciliation Challenge encourages school students to share their vision for reconciliation in Australia and to explore particular themes. The theme for the 2021 Challenge, 'Under one Sky: Today, Tomorrow and Forever', asked students to explore First Nations astrology - a long-standing and innovative scientific knowledge that has been integrated with current scientific practices. The artworks created reflect the students' understanding of the significance of First Nations knowledges and reconciliation more broadly.
In 2021, despite the hurdles presented by a global pandemic, 495 art and writing entries were received by Reconciliation NSW as part of the Challenge. From these, 45 entries - spread across 28 different schools - became the finalists and will hang proudly on the Parliament's Reconciliation Wall until 16 September 2022.
"We are so thrilled to have these amazing artworks showcased on the Reconciliation Wall this year. The 2021 theme highlights the contributions to science and technology made by First Nations communities for 60,000 years. We hope that this will inspire young people to think about the past contributions made to technology and how these have been developed now and into the future," says Reconciliation NSW Co-Chair, Joshua Gilbert (Worimi).
The exhibition is being hosted at the Parliament by the President of the Legislative Council, Matthew Mason-Cox.
"It is truly an honour to have the creativity of NSW students displayed on our Reconciliation Wall in this way, delivering an important connection to the theme of reconciliation. The theme of 'Under one Sky' has been interpreted in a wonderful range of ways, and the finalists should all be congratulated. I encourage vistors to attend Parliament House on weekdays between 9am and 5pm to see the exhibition before it closes," Mr Mason-Cox says.
Learn more about the Challenge on the Reconciliation NSW website. If you can't make it into Parliament House to see the students' works, visit our online gallery here.
