Elly Mackay
14 September 2021: A twelve-month study grant towards a Faculty of Arts and Design (FAD) degree plus $500 in cash is just one of the prizes available to Year 11 and 12 students as part of this year’s UC Creative Competition.
The competition, run in partnership with Adobe, is an opportunity for college students from the ACT and NSW to showcase their skills in several creative disciplines including writing, design, digital media, and designing for the built environment.
Executive Dean of FAD Professor Jason Bainbridge said joining the competition would benefit any senior high school student who is considering a career in the creative industries.
“For high school students wanting to explore a job in the creative industries, this competition is a great pathway to explore those options,” he said.
“A career in the arts can take you to so many places across different sectors – and our faculty produces job-ready graduates with great starting salaries.
“It really is the place to be for those considering a career in any of the creative industries.”
Other prizes in the competition include three full semester study grants, cash prizes, Adobe subscriptions and merchandise, and a mentoring session with Adobe experts.
Submissions can include new creative work, or a previous project – which includes school assignments.
Bachelor of Film Production student James Hiscutt began his University of Canberra journey after winning the 2019 competition. He was a major prize winner, and started his studies with FAD in 2021.
“My submission was a short documentary on the overpopulation of sea urchins on Montague Island, which I shot during underwater training I was taking through my college’s outdoor education class,” Mr Hiscutt said.
“After winning the competition, I took a gap year to refine my skills and enter as many film competitions as I could, to build my reputation. Funnily enough, I am now studying in that exact field.”
Mr Hiscutt said that while he was apprehensive about returning to study after a year off, he is now glad he made the decision to turn to tertiary education.
“I was definitely very unsure about going back to a school structure, but once I started I was so happy to be at UC. I met plenty of people, and I can see how committed the film production school and the faculty is,” he said.
“They really want to make sure all students have the opportunity to produce the best possible product they can.”
For those looking for inspiration for this year’s competition, a gallery of the 2020 entries is available on the UC Creative Competition website.
To enter, participants can submit their work via the online submission form. Submissions close 27 September and winners will be announced on 10 November.
