Thursday, 6 March 2025

Youth Fest 2025

Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (17:55): (1491) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Youth. The action I seek is for the minister to provide me with an update on how many organisations in the south-west benefited from the Victorian Youth Fest last year and the impact this has had on young people in my community.

The Allan Labor government is backing young Victorians to step up, take charge and bring their communities together with Youth Fest 2025. Applications for Youth Fest 2025 have just opened. Grants of up to $2000 are now available to support youth-led events that will empower young people in our community to have say in planning and shaping Youth Fest celebrations in September this year. It offers a unique opportunity for our young people to prioritise turning ideas into exciting projects with support from organisations in their region.

It was terrific when Minister Suleyman visited Warrnambool a couple of years ago to celebrate Youth Fest and she visited an exhibition called Artolescence, which was hosted by the F Project in Timor Street in Warrnambool. It gave young people a unique opportunity to launch their exhibition for the community to enjoy and appreciate their art in a public space.

To celebrate Youth Fest 2024 I had the pleasure of visiting another impressive exhibition at the F Project. This time the exhibition was actually being curated by one of the talented artists from the year before, a wonderful example of Youth Fest’s commitment to young people. Ongoing support is making all the difference. This support is particularly important in regional and rural areas where there is always an abundance of support for young people enjoying sports but often less support and opportunities for those interested in the arts.