New art competition launched for schools

The National Archives’ Education Service today launches its first national art competition for school students in Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. Participants are invited to create a piece of art inspired by any single document from our collection relating to the themes equity, freedom or belonging.

Entries must be received by 14 January 2022 and will be judged by arts educators Lynn Pomfret and Gilroy Brown as well as acclaimed artist Sarah Dickinson. There will be three winning students from each Key Stage, who will receive a £30 Amazon gift card and a ‘goody bag’ from The National Archives’ Shop.

Clare Horrie, Education Web Manager at The National Archives, said: “This is the first time we’ve launched an art competition of this scale and we’re excited to see how the students interpret our documents to create an authentic piece of work. Entries can be either 2D or 3D and participants may use a variety of mediums so I would encourage any students who are interested to take part.”

The competition is supported by The National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) and winners will be announced on our website in January.

For more information on the judging criteria and how to apply, please visit the competition page. This page also suggests resources and documents relating to each theme which may spark inspiration.