Our pick of the best UK Art Competitions for kids and young people in 2021. 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!
Show your love for the nature of the Cairngorms National Park for a chance to win some fantastic wildlife watching prizes.
| Close: | 23rd May 2021 enter now! |
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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 |
Eight winning entrants’ designs will feature on “Heroes Stamps” which the Royal Mail will issue in 2022 to celebrate the heroes of the pandemic.
| Close: | 28th May 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Children entering the competition are asked to design an image of their hero or heroes from the coronavirus pandemic. We will select winning designs on the basis of how well they satisfy the competition’s theme of “Honouring the heroes of the pandemic… on a stamp”. This includes the extent to which they are clearly of one or more heroes of the pandemic; are attractive and of immediate visual appeal; will replicate clearly on a stamp so richer colours and clear design are preferred. Each entry must be hand drawn by a child, must be completely the child’s own original work and must not copy any other work. |
| Ages: | All children aged 4-14 from across the UK (except residents of the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) can enter the competition through their school, or independently from a school with permission from an adult. |
| Enter: | stampcompetition.ichild.co.uk |
Create your own masterpiece inspired by an artwork on the Hidden Gallery website for a chance to win £150 and L’émouchet dual tips pen sets.
| Close: | 31st May 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Choose an artwork from the Hidden Gallery website that and create your own artwork inspired by your choice. It can be a drawing, painting, sculpture or any other medium you like. |
| Ages: | Three age groups: 0-8, 9-13, 14-17. |
| Enter: | hiddengallery.co.uk |
The GeoSquad comic from National Geographic Kids want you to design a city-saving robot vehicle of the future!
| Close: | 31st May 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Design a city-saving robot vehicle of the future! Your vehicle must be able to: Collect and recycle trash into something useful. Detect and fix structural damage. Clean and sanitise any hazardous spills. It must also be autonomous (self-driving), and be powered by a clean energy source! |
| Ages: | 16 and under |
| Enter: | natgeokids.com |
Ready to be a part of an exciting space mission? ESA and Paxi are calling on space-inspired kids to help launch ESA’s exciting new mission to Jupiter!
| Close: | 1st June 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Help the European Space Agency create an illustration to decorate the huge Ariane V rocket that will launch the spacecraft on its long journey towards planet Jupiter. Submit a drawing inspired by the JUICE mission and by planet Jupiter and its gigantic moons. |
| Ages: | Kids up to 12 years old (living in Europe) |
| Enter: | esa.int |
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Enter your favourite artwork to this annual art competition open to students from UK secondary schools in two age categories.
| Close: | 4th June 2021 enter now! |
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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: | 4th June 2021 enter now! |
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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 |
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: | 14th June 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | The 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest theme WATER RISING challenges 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: | 30th June 2021 enter now! |
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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: | 30th June 2021 enter now! |
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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 |
What do YOU think urban living will be like in 30 years? Send in your designs for the towns of tomorrow and you could win a top prize!
| Close: | 30th June 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Use your imagination to design a city of the future that’s green, hi-tech and fun to live in! What will housing, transport, play areas and entertainment be like in 30 years time? What will power our cities? What materials will our homes and buildings be made from? And what kind of technology will we be using? |
| Ages: | 16 and under |
| Enter: | natgeokids.com |
More than 35,000 species are threatened with extinction, submit your animal or wildlife art for exhibition & auction to help raise funds & awareness.
| Close: | 30th June 2021 enter now! |
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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 cover image on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre’s 2021 Annual Report.
| Close: | 30th June 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Create an A4 sized colour or black & white image to go on the front page of the annual report. The image can be colour or black and white. It should be STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) but think outside the box. The image should be 2717 x 3543 pixels. Around 23 x 30cm at 300dpi. |
| Ages: | Secondary-aged pupils across Scotland. |
| Enter: | sserc.org.uk |
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 2021 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of art inspired by nature, 2021 themes to be announced. |
| Ages: | Under 8s, 8-12, and 13-18. |
| Enter: | rspb.org.uk |
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 |
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.
