RT I Creative Ireland Programme
With a Prizefund of over 10,000, the This Is Art! Competition is Back!
CALLING YOUNG ARTISTS OF ALL ABILITIES
www.rte.ie/thisisart
Almost 10,000 entries were received last year for the first This Is Art! national competition. Now, RT and the Creative Ireland Programme are once again calling on young artists to submit their work.
Celebrating visual art made by young people, This Is Art! invites young artists of all abilities, aged 18 and under, individually or in groups, to create an original piece of art that will be showcased in an online art gallery for generations to come. In so doing, the competition will promote artistic practice among young people and encourage and support creativity, originality and self-expression.
Tania Banotti, Director, The Creative Ireland Programme, says: The Creative Ireland programme wants to enable the creative potential of every young person in the country. We're excited to support RT 's This is Art!. Winners will be announced on 11th June for Cruinni na n g - Ireland's national day of free creative fun for young people.
Dee Forbes, Director General, RT , says: When we launched the first This is Art! Competition last year, the volume of entries was truly phenomenal. Even more phenomenal however was the quality of the work submitted. The level of creativity, engagement and inventiveness was remarkable, as was the technical skill and proficiency of entrants across all categories. For RT , as the provider of Ireland's only dedicated television and online services for children, This is Art! allows us to provide an important outlet for the young artists of the future.
How it works
The competition is open to all young people of all abilities, aged 18 and under, residing on the island of Ireland and is inclusive of all visual art disciplines.
There are 5 categories:
Age 7 and under
Age 8 - 11
Age 12 - 15
Age 16 18
Group category
To enter as an individual or a group is simple.
CREATE a piece of original visual art.
SNAP or Scan a digital version of it.
UPLOAD your entry, along with a short artist statement, to rte.ie/thisisart.
All eligible artwork will then be reviewed by an independent panel of judges and exhibited in our This Is Art! online gallery.
Selected works will feature on billboards across the country and on social media.
The Theme
The theme of this year's competition is This Is Extraordinary'.
The Prizes
A prize fund of more than 10,000 will be awarded across the different categories for further education and art related vouchers.
Grand Prix Award: One artist in each category will be chosen to receive the This Is Art! Grand Prix Award; a specially commissioned trophy handmade by visual artist Shane Keeling and presenter of the RT series This Is Art Club!
Commendations: Selected works across all categories will receive Commendation Certificates along with prize vouchers for art materials and a professional review of their work;
Group Bursaries: Three Group Bursaries, valued at 2,000 per group, will be awarded through which professional artists will facilitate an art experience for your school or group;
Other: Prizes of bursaries towards art courses, vouchers for art materials and picture framing vouchers will also be awarded.
The Dates
Opening date for entries is Friday 1st April 2022.
The closing date for entries is Sunday 1st May 2022.
Winners will be announced on Cruinni na n g, 11th June 2022.
The Judges
Annie Fletcher Director of IMMA, Irish Museum of Modern Art
Tadhg Crowley - Senior Curator, The Glucksman
Aideen Barry - Visual Artist
Amanda Coogan - Visual Artist
Will Sliney - Illustrator
This Is Art 2021!
Almost 10,000 entries were received last year and are available to view in the online gallery rte.ie/thisisart
The winning entries and selected artworks were also showcased on billboards all over Ireland in association with Local Authorities.
What This Is Art! 2021 winners have said.
Hannah, Cobh - I was shocked when I won the competition and really appreciated the judges comments, it validated my artistic ability. I felt more confident after winning the competition to create different and more daring work. I really enjoyed the bursary portfolio course, not only did it help me complete a portfolio but also I discovered new mediums and methods of creating art. My grandad was delighted when I won, it made me happy that something I created could inspire such a reaction.
Mary, Dungarvan - During Covid times when everything seemed to come to a standstill, the This Is Art!' competition was a huge encouragement for me and a refreshing expression of creativity. I had entered the competition without expectations. I only wanted to draw. So, to have been a winner among so many outstanding entries was an overwhelming excitement and a great thanks towards the judges. For my prize I joined the Crawford College of Art & Design on their Art Portfolio Preparation Course. It was a thrill to have joined so many amazing artists that inspired me each week with their individuality, imagination and expression of the world through the artistic lens. It was this experience and the wonderful people I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from along the way that has motivated me to continue my artistic journey in the coming years and I couldn't be more grateful and excited.
Ard Scoil na nD ise - We were so thrilled and it was a very exciting time. It was wonderful to have so many kids involved in this project and to win was just wonderful - we're still punching ourselves!
Towers Development Group - Thank you This Is Art! for the opportunity, the boys were blown away by the group prize and so overjoyed that they won, it has meant so much to the boys and us as a project.
What some of the judges have said about This Is Art!
Tadhg
More from RTE
13/03/2026
RT has announced today that Rick O'Shea is the new presenter of Arena RT Radio 1's flagship weeknight arts and culture programme. Rick has been pres...
13/03/2026
Lights! Camera! Action! The 98th Oscars set to air live as RT backs the Irish n...
12/03/2026
The Late Late Show Show St Patrick's Day special
Dancing with the Stars f...
11/03/2026
TELL US YOUR (SHORT) STORIES
The 2026 RT Short Story Competition is now open for entries
Recognising and rewarding the best new Irish fiction writing for...
11/03/2026
RT 's The Traitors Ireland is among the nominees for the 2026 Celtic Media Festival Torc Awards for Excellence, announced today....
09/03/2026
A powerful new national initiative supporting people living with dementia launch...
06/03/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear the very sad news of the death of our friend and colleague, John McHugh. John was an exceptionally talented creative leader who s...
06/03/2026
First exclusive look at RT 's promo as Ireland prepare to take on Czechia
Every Moment, Every Generation
https://youtu.be/2ijo96EadLU
36 years after Geor...
05/03/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
RT Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2...
03/03/2026
RT is proud to support a rich and diverse programme of arts and cultural events taking place across Ireland throughout March 2026. This month brings a remarkab...
03/03/2026
RT Media Sales has announced Spry Finance has renewed it's sponsorship of M...
27/02/2026
One of Ireland's favourite lifestyle shows Home of the Year, returns for its 12th series and will be proudly sponsored by SIRO. The brand-new series will ai...
27/02/2026
Our Farm: A GIY Story lands on RT One and RT Player from March 3
From walled garden to community farm, new six-part series captures the unfiltered realities...
27/02/2026
Note: English version included below the Irish language version.
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026 ar RT
A Ghaeilge mo cheol th '
T feachtas athnuaite i n...
26/02/2026
There were two big wins for RT KIDS shows at the 17th Kidscreen Awards in San Diego this week with Maddie Triggs and BeddyByes both taking home gongs.
The K...
26/02/2026
RT has confirmed that it has today received payment from the GAA for its 50% share of GAAGO.
RT confirmed in February 2025 that it had agreed in principle wi...
26/02/2026
RT Statement regarding the broadcast of Republic of Ireland vs Israel Nations League fixture
If the match goes ahead and that is a decision for the FAI as ...
24/02/2026
Katharine Wolinska appointed to lead Partnerships
RT Commercial has announced ...
23/02/2026
Audience peak of over a million on RT 2 as Ireland beat England in the Six Natio...
20/02/2026
Other Voices returns to RT this Spring with performances from Dermot Kennedy, A...
17/02/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
Classic Irish Album
And the winning album is
T...
17/02/2026
RT has today announced that as part of its public-service remit, it will expand...
16/02/2026
RT News & Current Affairs has today announced the new appointments of journalis...
13/02/2026
New RT series tells stranger-than-fiction stories of Irish con artists
Swindlers airs Wednesday 18 February, 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
Swindlers, a...
11/02/2026
The intergalactic children's show starring Adam King will premiere on 14 February on RT 2, RT KIDSjr and RT Player
The Late Late Toy Show star Adam King...
09/02/2026
RT Investigates rapid rise in waiting list for the Central Mental Hospital
am...
06/02/2026
The Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano Cortina officially get underway this evening (Friday 6 February) with the Opening Ceremony live on RT Player and RT News ch...
04/02/2026
Following the passing of our friend and colleague Hugh Wallace, and with the full support of his family, RT will proceed with the broadcast of the new series o...
29/01/2026
RT has today announced that Annette Malone has been appointed to the role of Chief People Officer, RT following a public competition.
As Chief People Officer...
27/01/2026
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to support a dynamic programme of cultural events taking place across Ireland this February. From visual art, film, music, ...
26/01/2026
RT is today publishing a statistical summary of the Register of External Activities for the third quarter of 2025.
The RT Register of External Activities com...
24/01/2026
RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of t...
23/01/2026
Find out where Sare and Suze are now on RT One and RT Player Thursday 29 January at 10.15pm
Hit drama SisterS, created by, written by and starring real-life ...
23/01/2026
RT is delighted to announce that the RT and F s ireann / Screen Ireland supported short film Retirement Plan has been nominated for Best Animated Short at th...
22/01/2026
Thursday 29 January 9:35pm on RT 2 and RT Player
The dating show returns with something old, something new and a dater you may already know
Thursday evenings...
21/01/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Jackie Fox as its new Washington Correspondent. Jackie is a multimedia journalist with RT News and has repor...
19/01/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
Irish Album of the Year 2025 - Shortlist Announce...
15/01/2026
RT is tonight announcing that Mari Hurley has decided to leave her role as RT 's Chief Financial Officer to take up a new position outside RT . Mari will r...
14/01/2026
The first stamp of An Post's 2026 Stamp Programme, marking 100 Years of Broadcasting, was unveiled at the GPO by Patrick O'Donovan TD, Minister for Cult...
14/01/2026
It's official! Beverley Callard has landed in Carrigstown. The beloved actor, known for her unforgettable roles and iconic screen presence, is joining the c...
13/01/2026
Live broadcasts from RT 2FM Breakfast with Carl, Roz & Aisling, RT Radio 1 Tod...
12/01/2026
For the first time in the nine-year history of Dancing with the Stars, the first...
09/01/2026
RT Player has 157 million streams, up 10% year-on-year
An increase on 2024, RT...
09/01/2026
RT 2FM has today announced the highly anticipated list of 2FM Rising Artists for 2026, kicking off 2FM Rising week for the eighth year on The Tracy Clifford Sh...
09/01/2026
RT to Host the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards
Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2026 | Gradaim RTS 2026 | R...
08/01/2026
Tonight, on RT Prime Time at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
Tonight, Prime T...
08/01/2026
The Late Late Show celebrates the very best of traditional Irish music with its first-ever full special dedicated entirely to the tradition
Lisa Canny | Kevin...
08/01/2026
It will be murder on the dancefloor when Dancing with the Stars returns this S...
05/01/2026
As the clock struck midnight and 2026 was born, so was an exciting range of new ...
RT I Creative Ireland Programme
