2026 Regenesis Call Out

Theme: Exploring Our Kinship with Nature

A collaboration between

The Enlivenment Network

&

Resilient Blue Mountains

Resilient Blue Mountains

Regenesis Anthology Project

In 2026, we are continuing our collaboration with partner organisations Resilient Blue Mountains and winning prize sponsors to produce the 2026 Regenesis Anthology of short stories, poems and visual images by local Blue Mountains creatives. This year we are adding 2 more categories: original lyric + music, resulting in the 2026 Regenesis CD and showing of a 2-4 min Regenesis video.

This project reaches out to engage with young people 12 – 18 years, and adults, 18 year and over, with the video category only for 15 – 25 yr olds.

The theme for 2026 is ‘Our Kinship with Nature’. In 2025 the theme was ‘Living Sustainably’. In 2024 it was ‘Weaving Connections’, in 2023 ‘Water’ and in 2022 ‘Regenesis’.

Each year we end the project with a public event celebrating the winning entries for each category.

Through this project we seek to engage our community in exploring ideas of regenesis (regenerative enlivenment)—spreading the seeds of relationality as a new/ancient way of being, thinking and doing.

It’s the shift from extractivist competitive individualism to a relational enlivenment worldview.

– Project Leads: Barbara Lepani, David Christie, Brad Diedrich and Linda Blagg.

Eligibility: Residents of the Greater Blue Mountains Community

Nepean to Lithgow

Q&A and Information Afternoon

When: 22/03/2026

Time: 2:00 – 4:00

Where: Junction 142 at 142 Katoomba St, Katoomba

Click here and let us know if you are coming!

Submissions

Entries are free – limited to one entry per category- click the Submit button

Completed submission form + works

                                • text as word docs
                                • images as png/jpg
                                • music as mp3
                                • video as mp4
Submit Your Entry

Entry Categories: Youth (12-18 yrs) and Adults (18 yrs and over)*

• Short Story – up to 1,000 words in length

• Poetry – up to 150 words in length

• Visual Artwork – image of original work in 2D, 3D, photograph or illustration

• Lyric with music— original work, lyric in text and music in audio file mp3

• *Video–2-4 mins for 15-25 yr olds in mp4 

Submit Your Entry

Winning Entry Prizes —selected by independent assessment panels of three ‘experts’

Youth: $250 for the winner in each of the four categories for participants under 18 years of age in 2026.

Adults: $250 for the winner in each of the four categories for participants 18 years of age and over in 2026

Video: $250 for the winning entry 15-25 yr olds

Celebration of Winning Entries on Sunday 18 October 2026, 2-4.30pm

—All prize winners presenting their work

—Printed Regenesis 2026 anthology of all short-listed short stories, poetry and art images for sale

—Regenesis 2026 CD of short-listed lyric + music entries, available for sale

—Winning Regenesis 2026 Video shown at event. Other entries published on YouTube.