School Arts competition hope to find Northamptonshire’s finest young artists

Following the success of the inaugural Northamptonshire School Arts competition last year, the University’s Fine Arts department are again beginning their search for the county’s brightest young artistic talent.

The competition, which is open to sixth form pupils across the county, has seven categories and this year there is over £4,000 of prize money up for grabs.

The categories are:

• The Ocee Prize for Drawing (figurative, observational, analytical and experimental work)
• The Vice Chancellor’s Prize for Fine Art (painting, sculpture and printmaking)
• The Paradise Prize for Digital and New Media (including photography, film and computer manipulated imagery)
• The Video Inn Production Prize for Film (short narrative films, documentaries, music videos)
• The Commercial Arts/ Northampton College Prize for Graphic Design and Illustration (including posters, packaging etc)
• The Cordwainers’ Prize for Footwear and Accessories (fantasy footwear, or designs inspired by a favourite celebrity)
• The School of The Arts prize for the most accomplished work in the exhibition

Event organiser Dr Ralph Darbyshire, Subject Leader for Fine Art at the University of Northampton, commented: “This annual competition is intended to reinforce the School of The Arts at The University of Northampton as being a natural haven, or bolt-hole for creative energy in and around Northamptonshire. Schools are our essential partners and collaborators and we want to illustrate our support and commitment to those pupils and teachers who find ways to demonstrate their artistic passions in circumstances that can at times be anything but ideal or conducive.”

“After the outstanding work we saw last year in the fields of Drawing, Fine Art and Photography, we have expanded our remit to include Film, Footwear & Accessories, Graphic Design and Illustration. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Ocee Design, Paradise Computing, Video Inn Production Ltd, The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers and Northampton College, we will be awarding prizes from a total prize fund of over £4,000 across seven categories. I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s entries!”

Selected artists will have their work displayed in an exhibition at Avenue Campus, between 4-17 December. Winners will be announced at a special prize giving ceremony and exhibition preview, on 3 December between 6-8pm.

Budding artists do not have long to get their entries in; the competition closes 24 November 2015. Contact Suzanne Stenning, Gallery Officer on 01604 893050 for more information.

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Pictured: One of last year’s winners, Miranda May of Wellingborough School, receiving her first prize from Alastair Gough.