The 2010 Qantas Spirit of Youth Australia Awards (SOYA) are now open.

Apart from the cashola bonus, and the free flights incentive (to the tune of $10k –yes please!), the real gem at the centre of the prize pool is the chance to have the opportunity to be mentored by some of the biggest names in the creative industries.

Open to various arty types, the awards have been responsible for helping to foster the careers of some of Australia’s brightest young stars, including fashion darlings Romance Was Born.  In 2009 they won the fashion award (dah) and had the opportunity to work with the Zimmerman sisters… pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

What is great about this award is that it is specifically designed to not only financially reward recipients but to present them with an opportunity that at their stage in their career is far out of reach.  By no means is the path to success paved out for them, but it does make the illusive light at the end of the tunnel burn a little brighter and appear a little closer.

In the words of 2009 winners for Visual Communications, Tin and Ed, “The mentorship has been awesome, definitely the best part of the prize for sure. …(our mentor) has been really supportive and has been giving us some great advice.” And in Kasimir Burgess’s case, winner of the 2009 award for animation and film:  “I’m happy to say that the prize has already changed my life”.

On the visual arts front, last years winner Rebecca Baumann had the amazing opportunity to be mentored by the one and only Elizabeth Ann McGregor, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.  And yes folks, she is there again as the VA mentor for this year.  Wowzers!  Rebecca has not only been able to gain valuable insights into the visual arts industry at home she has had doors open for her overseas, including a residency opportunity in Berlin.  Her work is beautiful and a well deserved winner check out her page here.

I am a huge fan of the work by Rebecca Baumann.  As a fellow colour addict, her works blend the visual and the tangible creating environments that swathed in colour are not only incredibly beautiful but are a lot of fun.  Her work Living with Your Emotions, the This Glorious Mess, both make creative use of the humble fan and the paper streamer and awaken the kid in all of us, as the streamers fly around in the breeze you cant help but remember a time when life was easy, simpler.

The truth be told, without SOYA, I might not have known about her work, well, maybe not for another few years…  imagine, Tangent fashionistas, if you didn’t know about Romance Was Born or have them in your wardrobe? Or Oh Mercy on your iPod? The fact is, that without this award these amazingly talented brands/bands and artists might not have had the same exposure as they wanted and deserved.  At least, the opportunities that they have had, being mentored by industry experts has enabled them with more professional tools to realise their creative dreams.

So if you are an arty type, I urge you to enter… (except not in the arts section as I am going for it… just jokes) and if you are more of the appreciating type then watch this space, as you could be about to witness the birth of something very exciting in the Australian creative sphere. (entries close august 9)

Sami xx

(rebecca baumann photos courtesy of the artist)