New art competition for young Londoners launches on World Environment Day

A competition inviting young Londoners to express their feelings on the climate crisis through art launches on the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day.

Nearly 2,000 young artists between the ages of nine and 11 from 37 schools across the capital are taking part in the Young London Print Prize.

The Young London Print Prize ran for the first time during the pandemic and has quadrupled in size since. All the work is created, judged and curated by young people themselves. 

The Prize is backed by artist and songwriter Love Ssega, from Lewisham, who was the founding songwriter for the pop band, Clean Bandit.

Mr Ssega’s latest work, PANGEA, explores climate change and social justice and premieres on June 8 in the Southbank.

He said: “Young people are already ahead of us. They’re using the magic of artistic imagination to paint the greener future we need to create. Good luck to all the entrants!” 

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme and held annually on June 5, since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. 

This year’s World Environment Day is themed around preventing plastic pollution.

Every year eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans. The equivalent of one bin-lorry load every minute.

Fifty young people are taking part this year from Hawksmoor Primary School in Bentham Road, Thamesmead.

Their Year 6 teacher, Tazeem Akhtar, said: “Art offers children a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It think it’s incredibly important to develop their self-esteem and expression through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. This prize celebrates their individuality and enriches all our lives.”

This year’s winners will be announced on the full screen of the Piccadilly Lights at 12pm on October 25, before being displayed at Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair from October 26 to 29.

The deputy Mayor for culture and the creative industries, Justine Simons OBE said: “Art and culture have the power to shift perceptions, to allow us to see things in a new way, and help shine a light on the climate emergency. 

“I am delighted that on the 50th Anniversary of World Environment Day so many young Londoners will be part of this year’s Print Prize competition, using their incredible creative talents to express their response to one of today’s biggest challenges – climate change.”

Visit https://woolwichprintfair.com/young-london-print-prize If your school is interested in taking part in the Prize.

Pictured top: From left, last year’s runner up of Young London Print Prize, Deimota Pocuis, from Discovery Primary School in Thamesmead, and the winner Sara Ahmed, a Year 6 pupil from Mayflower Primary School in Tower Hamlets (Picture: Young London Print Prize)