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LITTERARTY EXHBITION 2026

School students and holiday organisations will create and repurpose rubbish into prize-winning artworks! The finalists will be on display in an art exhibition at the Ocean Lovers Festival in March 2026.

WHERE: Yalagang Room - Bondi Pavilion

WHEN: 16th - 22nd March 2026

There is still time to enter if you want a chance of exhibiting!

Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 are invited to participate in the 2025/26 Litterarty Waste-Art Competition for the chance to win cash and other prizes including the opportunity to have their work on display at the annual Ocean Lovers Festival.

Works are to be constructed from rubbish and repurposed into an art medium by the students, for example sculpture, 2D, assemblage, mixed media, and collage. Cash prizes on offer!

Registrations close December 15 2025.

REGISTER NOW

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2026 PRINTABLE POSTER

2026 GUIDELINES

2026 LESSON PLANS

2024/25 WINNERS

THE KILLING CYCLE

Gwen H
Picton High School – Year 10

We all know and love hammerheads, but did you know that they are at an extremely high risk of extinction? The great hammerhead shark and semi-pelagic scalloped hammerhead shark, is estimated to have experienced a steep decline of 77–97%. Targeted for its meat and fins, it is also caught by non-target fisheries as well.

These sharks are also at risk of getting caught in shark nets off the coast of beaches. Many sharks caught in these nets are actually found on the shore-side. Some species of sharks need to keep moving in order to breathe, so when they become tangled in nets and are unable
to swim, they may slowly suffocate to death, or the net chokes them to death. Either way this is never a good outcome. When there is an opportunity that a shark is rescued it is often found injured and/or stressed. I have heard that some people are trying to remove shark nets entirely, which is better for the environment because not only does the net catch sharks but also other sea creatures such as manta rays, turtles, dolphins and even whales during migration season. The government has tried different methods and technologies to try and use. Some of them have better outcomes than others but the shark nets are not efficient, and through my research, I have found that they were actually put in place to kill sharks altogether.

That way, there wouldn’t be any around the nearby beach along with the public swimming along the beach. The push for getting the shark nets removed will be a constant battle until a better technology or method is provided.

Sincerely, Gwen Hill

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Benjamin M
Mountains Christian College – Year 5

Dear Ocean,

It wasn’t so long ago that I found out about what happened to your majestic sperm whales. What we’ve done to all kinds of whales may be irreversible. Enough of them get killed by giant squids, caught in nets, wash up on shore and eat rubbish. These are great threats to ocean life and it could make such a big impact on the planet that people could be in as much trouble as whales are if we don’t take action now.

The amount of whales stolen from the ocean may never go back to what it was before humans started destroying the environment. Debris in the deep scattering layer where sperm whales feed could be mistaken for prey and incidentally ingested, leading to possible injury or death.

Ocean, I hope you are doing well with these tough changes to your environment. Especially since us humans have now littered all though your beautiful ocean. So on behalf of the people of Earth I apologise and hope to make things right with you someday.

Yours sincerely,
Benjamin Murphy

PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA

Sydney Catholic Schools – Years 2-6

Dear Ocean,

From the students of Sydney Catholic Schools—comes this united and resounding message:

"From the students of Sydney Catholic Schools, we speak as guardians of creation, answering the call of Laudato Si’ to care for our common home. Our project, Plenty of Fish in the Sea, is more than art—it is a pledge to honour and protect the oceans that sustain us all.

Through creativity and collaboration, we transformed discarded materials into vibrant marine life, echoing the words of Laudato Si’: “All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation.” This artwork stands as a symbol of hope, a reflection of nature’s beauty, and a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to preserve its wonders.

The ocean is not just a vast expanse of water; it is life itself. It carries the voices of countless creatures, the rhythm of the tides, and the balance of our planet. Yet, it is burdened by pollution and neglect. With every bottle, bag, and scrap repurposed into art, we honour the ocean and reject a throwaway culture that threatens its future.

We invite everyone who witnesses this work to reflect on their role in protecting creation. Together, as students, teachers, and communities united, we commit to fostering a culture of sustainability, where creativity becomes action, and action becomes change.

This message, rooted in the values of Laudato Si’, is a prayer for our oceans: May we hear their cries and respond with care. May we honour their beauty and ensure their future."

Signed with love, respect, and determination,
Humanity

STRANGLED AND STARVED

Chase I
Whitebridge High School – Year 9

In July of 2024, I swam with 2 whale sharks. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. Swimming alongside one of the most gentle marine animals in existence, sharing its space in the wild, was truly amazing. I want other people,
especially future generations, to have the opportunity to swim with these magnificent creatures and remember it forever, just like I will. However, at the rate the world is going when it comes to pollution, there may not be any whale sharks
left to swim with.

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea and yet they are the most calm and docile. There is no real risk while swimming with them beside an accidental hit with their tail. In fact they are more scared of us and have every right to be. Whale sharks at full size are rarely killed by anything - beside humans. Their meat, fins and liver oils are wanted in some countries. They are hunted illegally around the world. But hunting isn’t the only threat for them, plastic pollution and ghost nets are also killers.

Whale sharks are filter feeders, which means they swim through water with their mouth wide, consuming plankton and other small organisms. They can process more than 6000 litres of water through their gills in one hour. This means that any plastic or other rubbish types in their way could easily get swallowed accidentally. Studies have concluded that whale sharks consume an enormous amount of plastic, up to 137 pieces an hour. That calculates to over 3200 pieces consumed in one day and over 120 million pieces consumed in a lifetime, which could be over 100 years. The whale shark's lifespan can be greatly reduced by this. The stomach could become injured or clogged leading to death from the injuries or starvation. They sometimes have to vomit up their meals to get rid of plastic but that can reduce their gut capacity and cause digestion problems. Plastic is a major threat to whale sharks.

Another threat is entanglement and bycatch. Bycatch is when a certain species is caught in commercial fishing nets and is not the intended or targeted species. Whale sharks often get caught in tuna nets and are either killed and discarded or
released but left injured. Similarly, whales, rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins and many more animals get caught in abandoned fishing nets, or ghost nets, and suffer injuries that can be fatal. Whale sharks that get caught can get cut badly and suffer injuries on their fins and tail.

The amount of whale sharks in the world is not known but estimated to be between 130,000 - 200,000, and it is decreasing from human impacts. Simple actions such as not buying single use plastics and getting involved with beach clean ups can contribute to saving not just the whale sharks but many, many other marine and non marine animals.

PLASTIC THROAT

Asher R & Jayden H
Mountains Christian College – Year 5

Dear Ocean,

We are sorry for all the rubbish we have put into your environment and will try to reduce the amount of rubbish. Many of the creatures living in you have suffered from our horrible decisions. We are trying to stop that by using paper materials instead. We are also putting more bins around our schools, cities, and many more places. Our school is trying not to use plastic items and metal/tin items. The world is trying to use better fishing items so that fishing nets don't get eaten or swallowed. As we said at the start of our letter we are so very sorry and we hope the art work we have made will be taken as a sorry gift.

From: Jayden Hodge and Asher Robilliard

RESILIENT FLIGHT

Joe B
Ashford central School – Year 7

Australian seabirds play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our ecosystem, contributing to biodiversity and the balance of marine life. These birds help regulate fish populations, control pests, and facilitate the transfer of nutrients between land and sea. To protect these vital species, it is essential to address threats such as pollution, particularly plastic waste, which can harm seabirds through ingestion and entanglement. Efforts to reduce plastic pollution and ease other environmental threats are key to preserving these birds and ensuring the continued health of our ecosystems.

I have created an enlarged metal sculpture, incorporating wire netting and chains, to emphasise the vast scale of the problem caused by human pollutants and their devastating impact on
seabirds. This artwork visually amplifies the extent of the pollution crisis, symbolising the overwhelming and destructive effects on these vulnerable creatures and their environments.

BOTTLED OCEAN

Boston P & Ned W
Whitebridge High School – Year 9

In a world of blue, pristine and wide, Where once the seal would joyously glide, A bottle floats, a dark disguise, Within its depths, a tragic prize.

A seal sips from this tainted stream, Microplastics shatter its
dream. The ocean now, a plastic jail, Its life forced to turn so frail.

What once was pure, Life in the ocean was Bright, Now is Echoes of a man-made blight. In Bottled Ocean’s silent plea, Lies a stark reminder for you and me.

WASTE CREATURES OF THE DEEP

The Myrtle and Squirtle Turtle Squads
St Brigid’s Primary School – Years 1-5

"Waste Creatures of the Deep" is a flowing curtain of marine life, made from the litter most commonly found on our school playground. This was inspired by the rubbish of our favourite iceblocks in the school canteen.

Our message to the ocean is that we live in hope. Hope, that the generation of students coming through now will be the ones to continue championing the importance of caring for country. Caring for the skies, the land, and of course, the oceans!