Congratulations to Horizons participant, musician, Anabelle van Wyk who received the Orange City Council Young Citizen of the Year award at the Australia Day awards over the weekend.
The Young Citizen of the Year was presented to Anabelle van Wyk for her contribution to the arts and passion for encouraging young people in the region to participate in the performing arts.
About Anabelle and her award:
Anabelle is being nominated for her contribution to the arts as she has exhibited a passion to encourage young regionally based creatives to pursue a future in the performing arts. She has demonstrated how important it is to her that younger children should be encouraged to participate in cultural opportunities and to help them succeed, regardless of their location or circumstances, and that the arts should be equally accessible to all. In Anabelle’s spare time she has been helping a neurodiverse young student learn how to play a musical instrument.
She has also been part of her school’s Intergen Wontama program, making monthly visits to the aged-care facility where she and other students would offer musical activities to the residents. For the past three years, Anabelle has also been volunteering at her school’s junior band.
This year she has been one of four young artists from the Central West receiving mentorship through the Horizons youth career launchpad. Through participating in this program she has also been advocating for young creative people living in regional areas to participate as much as possible in the performing arts and to take every available opportunity. With her own extensive participation in the arts, she is an exemplary role model.
Congratulations!
Horizons is a youth career launchpad project of the NSW Regional Arts Network funded by the NSW Government.