Our pick of the best UK Art Competitions for kids and young people in 2021-2022. Open to children of all ages up to seventeen…
Most of our UK Art Competitions are for artists eighteen and over so I’m excited to start an alternative version for children and youths. Get in touch if you know of any more UK art contests for juniors and I’ll add the best ones here.
Seeing my childhood cartoon of Goofy cracking a joke win Mickey Mouse comic’s weekly competition was about as big a thrill as a creative kid could get. I hope this list leads to similar creative landmarks, good luck everyone!
Inviting young creative minds globally to showcase their design talents with categories for Enviromental Design, Film Making and Graphic Design.
| Close: | 15th September 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | 3D ENVIRONMENT DESIGN: Plan and design what your city would look like in 100 years from now. MOVIE MAKING: Show your perspective of what you believe is needed in our world today. GRAPHIC DESIGN: Illustrate how nature is connected with us. |
| Ages: | 9–12 (Level 1) and 13–18 (Level 2) |
| Enter: | vracademi.com |
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A new photographic competition from Rail Camera Club with a category for those aged 18 and younger for images with a railway connection.
| Close: | 1st November 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Entries are invited to illustrate the “THE RAILWAY SEEN” using images with a railway connection that have been taken since 1 January 2019. |
| Ages: | Category One: 18 years of age and under, UK based |
| Enter: | youngrailphotographeroftheyear.co.uk |
Monthly competitions for young photographers (aged 12 to 19) to compete to be Young Photographer of the Year and win Sony digital imaging equipment!
| Close: | 31st December 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Monthly competitions with a changing theme running from 1 June to 31 December, 2021. Photographers can enter up to three images per month. Judges will select a shortlist of 10 images per month, including one winner, Monthly winners compete to be Youth Photographer of the Year. |
| Ages: | 12 – 19 year olds |
| Enter: | worldphoto.org |
Awaiting Entry
Global competition that invites children under the age of 15 to let their imaginations run wild by designing cars of the future.
| Close: | January 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Design a car of the future. |
| Ages: | Children under the age of 15 |
| Enter: | toyota.co.uk/dreamcar-2021 |
The RHS Photographic Competition inspires young and old alike to get outdoors and record how enriching and inspiring gardens and plants can be.
| Close: | February 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Photographs depicting something plant, garden or wildlife related that interests you |
| Ages: | 10 and under, 11-17 years old, 18+ in adults category |
| Enter: | rhs.org.uk |
Annual group art contest for children 16 and under encouraging collaboration and creativity around wildlife and the environment.
| Close: | February 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | 2021’s theme was “Healing Nature – A Planet on the Edge” Each group’s entry should fill a wall space 180cm x 180cm with a table 180cm x 60cm in front. Be as creative as you can, using anything from paint, sculpture or sewing to recycled art, to create your own mini-exhibition! Make sure that you use some form of recycled materials in the final piece. 2019’s winners. |
| Ages: | 16 and under. The competition is group entry: art groups, classes, year groups, groups of friends or a whole school! (16-22 year olds can enter the Human Impact category of Wildlife Artist of the Year). |
| Enter: | davidshepherd.org |
Create an artwork based on a feature on the historic Trafalgar Way route (Falmouth to London) prizes in three age categories: 7-11, 12-16 and 17-adult.
| Close: | April 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Take a stunning photograph or create a two-dimensional artwork (including digital art) of a scene along The Trafalgar Way (size range: A6 to A1) |
| Ages: | 7-11, 12-16, 17 to adult |
| Enter: | thetrafalgarway.org |
A free, open submission exhibition from the Royal Academy for young artists aged 5 – 19 years studying in the UK and British schools overseas.
| Close: | April 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | First, a teacher needs to register your school. Once the school is registered, your artworks can be submitted. If you’re 12 or under, a teacher or parent/guardian will need to enter for you; if you’re 13 or over you can submit artworks yourself. Each student can submit up to three artworks of any type and there is no theme. When you enter, we’ll ask for images of your artwork plus some information about the piece such as title, size, and a little text about the artwork and why you made it. |
| Ages: | Students aged 5-19 studying in the UK or attending a British school overseas |
| Enter: | royalacademy.org.uk |
Art Competition for disabled children 7-21 years old. Prizes include up to £600 for entrants and £3,000 for their school/college Art Department.
| Close: | April 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | All entrants for the competition must have a disability of some kind. The subject for all categories are: CORONA, MY HAPPY PLACE, COMMUNITY, HOW THE WORLD SEES ME or PLASTIC. Groups: 2D Art/Painter, Photographer, 3D Sculpture, Digital Art, Performing Arts |
| Ages: | Child 7–15, Youth 16–21 years old |
| Enter: | uniqueartawards.uk |
The Art Gemini Prize promotes international contemporary art for emerging and established artists and is free to enter for artists 17 and under.
| Close: | May 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Any kind of 2D and 3D art (excluding installation and video) |
| Ages: | 17 years and under |
| Enter: | artgeminiprize.com |
International art prize for school pupils aged 6-16 for original work related to ocean conservation. Hosted by the Taiwan Institute of Sustainable Energy.
| Close: | May 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Express your interest in oceans and climate change through painting. Participants can use watercolor, crayons, printmaking, ink painting, colored pens, or any combination of these on paper. Sketches, collage, and 3D artwork are not accepted. Awards will be announced in mid-May. |
| Ages: | 6–16 year olds (all nationalities) |
| Enter: | painting.taise.org.tw |
Ten under 16 finalists will be selected for an exhibition at the Doncaster based gallery this summer on the theme “Black & White Visual Arts Photography”.
| Close: | May 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Enter up to 2 photographs on the theme “Black and White Visual Arts Photography”. £10 exhibition fee if longlisted. |
| Ages: | Under 16s worldwide. |
| Enter: | d31artgallery.com |
Show your love for the nature of the Cairngorms National Park for a chance to win some fantastic wildlife watching prizes. 2020 winner above.
| Close: | May 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Draw, paint or model a piece of artwork showing your favourite wildlife found in the Cairngorms National Park. |
| Ages: | Open to all primary school aged children (UK) |
| Enter: | cairngormsnaturebigweekend.com |
Enter your favourite artwork to this annual art competition open to students from UK secondary schools in two age categories.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Enter an image of your favourite piece of artwork you’ve created. |
| Ages: | Secondary students in year 7 & 8 and year 9, 10 & 11. |
| Enter: | barton.ac.uk |
The Thalassaemia Society asks entrants to create an image of what comes to mind when you think of blood or DNA or thalassaemia.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Create an image of what comes to mind when you think of blood or DNA or thalassaemia. |
| Ages: | 3 to 5 years, 6 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years, 13 to 16 years, 17+ |
| Enter: | boureki.com |
Design a National Book Token for the chance to win book tokens for all your class, six weekly winners will be chosen throughout May and June.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Download the book token template on their website, print it out, create your artwork then upload to website. |
| Ages: | Children aged between 4 and 18 (UK & Ireland) |
| Enter: | nationalbooktokens.com |
The 10th annual (US based) competition invites 11-18 year olds from around the world to submit a creative response on the theme ‘Water Rising’.
| Close: | June 2022 eawaiting entry |
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| Rules: | The 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest theme was WATER RISING challenged students to explore and understand their connection to water, and to creatively communicate the need to protect this vital resource and life-sustaining relationship. What are the stories we need to tell about water to sustain and conserve it for current and future generations of life on Earth? Submissions are accepted in: Visual Art, Creative Writing. Film, Interactive & Multimedia, Performing Arts: Music & Dance, Poetry & Spoken Word. |
| Ages: | Junior 11-14, Senior 15–18 years old |
| Enter: | bowseat.org |
Annual national writing competition sponsored by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre to encourage an interest in art history among young people.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Choose an artwork from the Art UK website that interests or intrigues you. Write about it in a way that would persuade people to share your interest and enthusiasm. (400 or 600 words depending on age category) |
| Ages: | 15-18 year olds |
| Enter: | artuk.org |
Two holiday vouchers worth £1,000 each are up for grabs, to enter have fun and get creative with paper.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Have fun with paper and be creative! Once you have your drawing, painting, poem, space helmet or princess tiara… whatever you’ve made from paper – photograph your creation and submit on the website. Must be a resident of England, Scotland or Wales. |
| Ages: | All ages, entry must be submitted by someone over 18. |
| Enter: | hp-papers.eu |
More than 35,000 species are threatened with extinction, submit your animal or wildlife art for exhibition & auction to help raise funds & awareness.
| Close: | June 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Original signed two-dimensional A4 or A3 size work in either of two categories – Wildlife: The main focus should be an endangered species. Depict one or several animals from the IUCN red list. Wild Spaces: Your image should depict an at risk landscape/seascape or a species of plant. For example, a wood or forest, a coral reef, mountain range, coastline, wetland – any wild space threatened by environmental factors such as global warming or human activity. Or specific species of threatened plant/flower/tree/coral on the red list. |
| Ages: | UK & International artists age 16 and younger. |
| Enter: | explorersagainstextinction.co.uk |
Create a painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, photograph or performance inspired by one of the artworks in the Fleming Collection.
| Close: | July 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Create a painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, photograph or even performance that draws from one of the hundreds of artworks in the collection. To find inspiration, search the collection online and discover artworks from the 17th Century to the present day. Winners announced in early August. |
| Ages: | Under 11s, 11-16, 16-18 year olds (UK residents) |
| Enter: | flemingcollection.com |
Annual exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth on the theme of ‘Love’. 2021’s exhibition will be held online with only winner’s works displayed at the gallery.
| Close: | July 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | The theme for the 2021 Tabernacle Art Competition is ‘Love’. Any 2D work allowed, including photography. Max size with frame: 36 x 48 inches (914 x 1219 mm). £3 entry fee for under 18s, purchase in advance here. For UK & International artists. Winners must be able to get their work to the museum between 5–18 Aug. |
| Ages: | 11 and under, 12 – 17 |
| Enter: | moma.cymru |
Create a piece of art inspired by nature and let your imagination run WILD in this kids art competition from the RSPB and the Cameron Bespolka Trust.
| Close: | August 2022 awaiting entry |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of art inspired by nature, 2022 themes to be announced. |
| Ages: | Under 8s, 8-12, and 13-18. |
| Enter: | rspb.org.uk |
The British Interplanetary Society are running a creative children’s competition to inspire the next generation of space explorers.
| Close: | Closed for 2021 opens Summmer 2022 |
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| Rules: | 4-6 YEARS OLD: ARTWORK: Create a piece of artwork of women in space. Develop your own ideas of what ‘Women in Space’ means to you and express it in a creative way. 7-10 YEARS OLD: VIDEO: Create a celebration video of women in space, to be shown during WSW2021. Celebrate a specific ‘woman in space’ who can be a role model to others 11-16 YEARS OLD: WRITING: Write a Wikipedia entry for a woman in space who doesn’t already have one. The aim is to highlight the less well-known inspirational women in the space industry. |
| Ages: | There are three separate categories (suggested age ranges below in brackets) although each competition is open to all ages between 4-16. You can only enter one of the three categories: Artwork (ages 4-6), Video (ages 7-10) and Writing (ages 11-16). |
| Enter: | bis-space.com |
The End!
That’s it for now but stay tuned for further kids art competitions in 2021 and beyond as more prizes and contests are announced.
