Lionel Bowen Young Creatives Award

Randwick City Library has redeveloped the biennial Lionel Bowen Young Writers’ Award into the Lionel Bowen Young Creatives Award, expanding its scope to recognise creativity across multiple disciplines.

The award invites young people to submit work in response to a given theme across three categories - Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Audio-visual - with entries divided into two age groups: 12-15 years and 16-18 years.

Named in honour of Lionel Bowen AC, former Mayor of Randwick and former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, the award recognises and supports emerging creative talent within the community.

Entries will be open from 1 June to 31 August 2026.

Theme: 24 HOURS

Each edition of the Award invites participants to respond to a set theme in their work. The 2026 theme is “24 HOURS”.

Eligibility and Prizes

Eligibility

To be eligible to enter, you must be aged between 12 and 18 at the time of entry and either reside in, attend school in, or work within the Randwick City local government area. You can find your local council here.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded across two age groups (12-15 and 16-18), with three categories in each: Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Audio-visual. Entrants may submit work across multiple categories, but only one entry per category is permitted

Prize LevelPrize per CategoryNumber of Awards
1st Prize$5006 (3 categories × 2 age groups)
2nd Prize$2506 (3 categories × 2 age groups)
3rd Prize$1006 (3 categories × 2 age groups)

*All prizes will be awarded as EFTPOS Gift Cards.

The school with the most entries will receive a School Award

  • An Awards Ceremony will be held in November, with all winning entrants invited to attend
  • An exhibition showcasing all winning works will be held in December/January
  • Winners’ names and their works will be featured on the Library website, social media channels and in the newsletter (reach: 50,000+ subscribers)
  • Winning Creative Writing entries will be published in an anthology

Key Dates

Opening date for entries: Monday 1 June 2026, 9.30am

Closing date for entries: Monday 31 August 2026, 11.59pm

An email to confirm completion of the judging process will be sent to all entrants. Shortlisted entrants will be informed by mid-October 2026 and be invited to attend the prize-giving Award Ceremony.

Award Ceremony: November 2026 (Date to be confirmed)

Winners will be announced at the prize-giving Award Ceremony in November. All shortlisted entrants will receive an invitation by email to attend the ceremony.

Exhibition: December 2026 to January 2027

An exhibition showcasing all winning works will be held.

Guidelines for the use of Generative AI tools

The Lionel Bowen Young Creatives Award recognises and celebrates original creative work by young artists, writers and filmmakers. The use of AI tools is permitted under strict guidelines when appropriately acknowledged. Entrants must review our AI eligibility guidelines before submitting their work.

If AI tools have been used in the creative process, they must be disclosed. A brief statement of how they contributed to the creation of the work must be provided at the time of entry.

Supporting workshops and activities

In support of the Lionel Bowen Young Creatives Award, the Library will present a series of creative workshops designed to inspire and support young artists in developing their skills and ideas. Explore the full program here — more workshops will be added, so please check back for updates.

Categories and How to Enter

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