
Calling All Young Artists of All Abilities! | Inclusive age categories, great prizes
www.rte.ie/thisisart | www.thisisart.ie
As announced by Ryan Tubridy on last night's Late Late Toy Show, RT and the Creative Ireland Programme have once again come together in partnership to create This Is Art! a celebration of visual art through the creation of an exciting new online art competition aimed at young people on the island of Ireland.
This is Art! invites young artists, aged 18 and under, individually or in groups, to create a 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.
How it works.
The competition is open to all young people of all abilities, 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, just get creative by making an original piece of visual art and uploading a photo of it online. The artwork will then be entered into the competition and reviewed by an independent panel of judges
The artwork will then be displayed in a colourful art gallery on www.rte.ie/thisisart.
Commenting, Catherine Martin, TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media since, said: One of the key objectives of the Creative Ireland Programme is to ensure that our children and young people have the opportunity to realise their full creative potential. We seek out and support creative programmes that inspire and transform them such as This Is Art! which celebrates the talent of all young people who want to express themselves through visual art. I want to thank the team in Young People's Programming at RT for creating such an imaginative platform for our children. By asking the question What Is Art? they have given our young people the freedom to create art on their own terms and let their imaginations fly.
The prizes
Grand Prix Award: Five young artists, one in each category, will be chosen to receive the inaugural This Is Art! Grand Prix Award; a specially commissioned sculpture by visual artist Vera Klute ARHA;
Commendations: 30 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 short courses in NCAD and Crawford College of Art & Design, vouchers for art materials and vouchers for digital equipment will also be awarded.
The dates
Online submissions are welcome from Friday 27th November 2020.
The closing date for entries is Friday 15th January 2021.
Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the end of January 2021.
Where did the idea come from?
In an incredibly difficult year for those who work in the arts and creative industries and in the face of ongoing restrictions and lockdowns across the island, RT 's Young People's Department and the Creative Ireland Programme sought to follow previous successful collaborations on Cruinni na n g and deliver a creative initiative that visibly celebrated art in all its forms and that would connect kids and young adults on an all-island level. This Is Art! is that initiative.
According to Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children's & Young People's Content, RT : RT , through our Young People's Department, is absolutely delighted to partner with the Creative Ireland Programme on This Is Art!, our exciting new digital art project. Art has the ability to unite people and at the same time fill our world with beauty. Right now, these two things are more important than ever. What is particularly special about this project is that all the engagement and final gallery of works will all be hosted online at rte.ie/thisisart, making the art viewable and available to all. RT and Creative Ireland are delighted to be in a position to provide this platform for all the artists out there on the island of Ireland and we cannot wait to receive your works of art!
Noah Myers (age 9) In the run up to the launch of This Is Art!, RT Young Peoples Department have been busy creating a series of short art' films which seek out answers to the question What Is Art? In these films, young artists from all over Ireland tell us about the type of work they make, what inspires them to create and what art means to them.
What some of the children have said.
Abu Baker (8): I like drawing because it makes me feel proud. It makes me feel happy that people like my creations. If you don't think your picture will come out well, then you at least try and if you just keep trying then it will turn out really good. Art is really fun!
Hannah (11) We all paint in different ways; I paint with my mouth but you can also paint with your hand or even your foot. don't worry what other people are saying, just be yourself when painting and have fun.
Noah (9) I like making messy art. It shows that I'm fun and my art can make other people feel happy.
Adam (7) There are no rules with art because you can make and do anything that you want.
Zahra (13) I find art relaxing; it helps me forget about everything else around me. No two artists are the same; everyone has their own unique little quirks.
What some of the judges have said about This Is Art!
Joe Caslin - Art is important to everybody, it's a language where you get to express your emotions or how your mind is. I think it's really important for everybody to engage in visual art.
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