FRIDAY 25 November saw the opening of the Celebrate Diversity and Culture in Cranbourne photo exhibition and the announcement of the competition winners at Balla Balla Community Centre.
The photo exhibition showcased and celebrated the diverse communities that make up the City of Casey through the eyes of those community members.
Sponsored by local businesses and hosted by the community centre, the photo exhibition brings together many facets of the Cranbourne community.
Winners of the four photographic competition categories were:
* Red Robin by Alexis Mendes in the junior category;
* Bangles by Nithiya in the intermediate category;
* Family by Buella Aravinthan in the open category; and
* Angel Wings by Kaye Coram in the senior category.
The photograph Family by Buella Aravinthan was also awarded Best in Show for overall best photograph.
The opening of the exhibition also coincided with the week of World Hello Day which aims to bring people together simply by saying hello and beginning communication with different people.
The aim of World Hello Day is to express the belief that conflicts and misunderstandings should be resolved through communication rather than violence.
At the opening of the exhibition, everyone in attendance was encouraged to ‘say hello’ and greet three new people as well as place a marker on a world map to show the cultural diversity of the group.
The photos from the competition will be used to cover all the walls of the foyer of the Balla Balla Centre, and will remain on display until after Australia Day 2017.
