Calling all creative minds as college seeks 'Young Artist of the Year'

WARRINGTON & Vale Royal College’s highly anticipated Young Artist of the Year competition has returned, promising to be bigger than ever!

Students in years 10 and 11 from Warrington and its neighbouring areas are invited to flaunt their artistic talents by presenting their finest creations, all for the chance to win professional art and graphic design equipment.
Submissions will take centre stage at an eclectic exhibition hosted at the Warrington campus. The talented participants, along with their families and friends, will have the exclusive opportunity to admire their work during this event. The exhibition will culminate in an awards ceremony, hosted by the college’s Curriculum Director of Creative Arts, Ben Brady, and Graphic Design subject leader, Ellie Strowger.
The competition features two categories: Creative and Digital Artist of the Year. The college aims to honour outstanding talents in both areas, with judges eagerly anticipating a diverse array of submissions from photography, fine art, fashion, textiles, and more. Participants are also challenged to provide an artist statement alongside their creation, elaborating on their inspiration, techniques, and materials used.

Last Year’s Young Artist award presentation

Last year, the competition saw an unprecedented amount of interest, with over 80 entries from 14 different schools around Warrington and Cheshire. The exhibition and award presentation were attended by over 100 guests, including teachers from Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Golborne High School, Middlewich High School, Sir Thomas Boteler C of E High School and St Chad’s Catholic &Church of England Academy, to name but a few.
Current Level 3 Art & Design student and Digital Artist of the Year winner 2023 was former Hope Academy pupil Tom Welsby, who impressed the judges with an incredible composition of a well-known scene from American Psycho. Tom, who is flourishing on his course, looks back fondly on the competition, saying, “It was my mum who encouraged me to enter Young Artist of the Year. She knew I wanted to create the piece for a while and thought it was the perfect opportunity to do it. Even if I hadn’t had won, entering was such a good experience and the exhibition was great. I really liked having my work displayed in a professional setting. It solidified that this was the right college for me.”

Time is of the essence as the submission deadline for this year’s competition swiftly approaches. Artists keen on seizing the opportunity must submit their work on or before Friday 1st March 2024.
To find out more about this exciting art & design competition and how to enter, please visit wvr.ac.uk/youngartist