Gabriela Cardemil in Year 9 from The Holy Cross School in New Malden has been awarded 1st place in Britain in the image category of this year’s Columban Missionaries Media Competition, themed “Becoming a refugee is never a choice. But how we respond is.”
The annual competition of the Columban Missionaries attracted a record 349 entries across Britain and Ireland, the highest number in the nine years the Columbans have run the Schools Media Competition. Young people aged between 13 and 18 years were asked to produce a piece of writing (prose or poem) or image that explored perceptions of people seeking sanctuary, considering practical examples of welcome and solidarity.
Entries from 31 schools in England, Wales and Scotland were judged by media experts who praised the high quality of all the entries shortlisted. Judges incuded Ruth Gledhill (Assistant Editor at The Tablet), Josephine Siedlecka (Founder and Editor of Independent Catholic News – ICN), Columban Fr. Tim Mulroy ( former Columban Superior General and now based in Britain), Lexi Moulton (an art teacher involved in Columban programmes with refugees), James Trewby, and a group of 14 people with lived experiences of migration from Hope Garden in Birmingham.
Gabriela said of her first place submission, ‘Between Borders’: “A young refugee gazes beyond a border, with flags reflected in raindrops on the window and distant memories of home in her eyes, symbolising how, after the storm, we can offer hope so refugees never forget where they come from.”
Gabriela’s art teacher, Ms Rita Peneda, wrote: “I am so proud of G. for her winning piece. Her originality in detailing world flags within raindrops displays both impressive artistic skill and a deeply sensitive heart that embodies the values of kindness and solidarity we cherish at Holy Cross School.”
Further details can be found here: https://columbans.co.uk/justice-peace/17851/winners-of-columban-schools-media-competition-announced/
