Calling all creatives!
As part of SEXtember, Tharunka and Health Promotions Unit are collaborating on a design and writing competition that allows students to have their work published on the International Student Health Hub or the SEXtember Website.
Students are asked to create an engaging piece of digital art, personal essay or creative writing piece about sexual health, intimacy and relationships (platonic or sexual) that reflects on this year's SEXtember theme Pleasure, Love and Respect and engages the reader to learn with you.
Artwork should be accompanied by a 250-500 word description of the piece, which also offers information that prompts viewers to learn more, be it a statistic or a piece of health information.
Stories can be about navigating your first sexual experience, receiving sexual health testing and/or treatment, advocating and enforcing boundaries, addressing stigma or misinformation etc.
Key Dates
- Entries Open Thurs 4 August 2022
- Entries Close Fri 30 September 2022
- Winners announced Wed 5 October 2022
Prizes
- $200 Winner
- $100 Runner Up
- Finalist will have their work published on the SEXtember Website
- Winners and Finalists work will be submitted to the International Student Health Hub and may be published
Important Information
- Submissions should address the key themes of SEXtember while being informative, engaging and relatable.
- Any health evidence or advice written about must be evidence-based and consistent with state-wide sexual and reproductive health messaging.
- Students are encouraged to engage with the International Student Health Hub for relevant information.
- Digital art must be submitted in JPG or Png format and be one of the following dimensions 2160 x 2700 px or 2160x2160
- Written work must be submitted as a PDF
- All submissions must be saved in the following format
[Student Name]_[Insert Submission Type, Artwork, Essay or Creative Writing]_Tharunka Writing Competition
How to enter
Follow the link below to submit your work and complete the entry form
SEXtember 2022 Themes
SEXtember 2022 is running from Monday 19 September 2022 – Friday 30 September 2022. This is week 2 to week 3 of Trimester 3 of the UNSW timetable. There will be plenty of activations happening throughout welcome week, including a headline launch event for SEXtember.
After surveying the student community and taking on feedback from our first planning session, we have confirmed this year’s theme for SEXtember 2022 @UNSW is Pleasure, Love & Respect.
Pleasure
Everyone, no matter where they come from, how they identify, or the bodies they reside in deserves to experience safe, consensual pleasure with themselves and others without shame, stigma or exclusion.
Love
Love comes in many forms romantic, platonic, familial, sexual, and with the self. We celebrate and encourage all kinds of love and aim to foster a community of people with the skills and knowledge to engage in healthy relationships of all kinds, especially with themselves.
Respect
Living beings in all forms must be treated with respect and maintain their dignity. Respect can be shown in many ways, from respecting people's cultures, beliefs, boundaries, and environment. We believe that respect is the foundation we need to engage in all forms of healthy pleasure and love. However, respect should be given freely and does not come at the cost of our own safety or dignity.