Nine-year-old beats 500 opponents to win art competition

By Will Brook

A young girl has triumphed over stiff competition to win a prestigious art competition.

Nine-year-old Angel, who attends Foxfield Primary School in Woolwich, won the Young London Print Prize over entries from 500 other young artists from schools spanning Woolwich, Thamesmead, Plumstead and Kidbrooke.

The competition, launched in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, showcases work created and judged by young people, and is aimed at boosting youngsters’ involvement in art at a grassroots level.

The competition was judged by A-level students studying at Woolwich Polytechnic, Thomas Tallis and Welling schools.

Art teaching in schools is said to be under pressure, with an eight per cent drop in Government spending per pupil across England from 2009 to 2018, and arts courses excluded from the English Baccalaureate.

But children who take part in arts activities at school are three times more likely to get a degree, twice as likely to volunteer and 20 per cent more likely to vote as young adults, according to research by Cultural Learning Alliance.

Cllr Adel Khaireh, cabinet member for culture, communities and equalities at Greenwich council, said: “The contemporary art world currently doesn’t reflect the diversity of young people in London. To address this at a professional level, there has to be meaningful opportunities at a grassroots level.

“So I’m delighted to see the Young London Print Prize champion young artists from a multitude of backgrounds and gives them the chance to create extraordinary art.”

The competition was a collaboration between the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and Boldface, a multi-media production company which works with young people to produce podcasts, art exhibitions and film.

The prize was funded by Peabody and the Arts Council.

Pictured top: Angel, who attends Foxfield Primary School in Woolwich, won the Young London Print Prize over entries from 500 other young artists