The competition, open to all young people aged 11-25 years who are formally diagnosed with an ASD, will show that art can significantly improve the lives of those with an ASD, facilitating experiential-based learning and instilling in young people lifelong skills that significantly improve their quality of life and future prospects.
Darren Jackson, Principal of Beechwood College states, “We have seen how engaging in art and creativity programmes can transform the lives of young people who previously struggled to make themselves heard. Though there is a common misconception that creativity is beyond the reach of those with an ASD, we know that our students are not in the minority”.
The competition’s judging panel includes Brendan Stuart Burns, twice winner of the National Eisteddfod Gold Medal in Fine Art and lecturer at The University of Glamorgan; Lucinda Bredin, editor at Bonhams Magazine; Hugh Morgan OBE, Chief Executive of Autism Cymru; and Darren Jackson, Principal of Beechwood College. The judges will choose six finalists in each category of 2D art, 3D art and Digital Media art.
All 18 finalists and their guests will be invited to attend a high profile awards ceremony in Cardiff to celebrate the creativity of all contestants and announce the three final winners. In order to recognise the tremendous work that schools undertake, both the winning individuals and the school supporting the young person will receive prizes. In addition, a ‘Teacher’s Choice’ award will enable teachers across the UK to choose which of the 18 finalists they consider to have produced the most creative work.
The finalists’ work will then be rolled out into a national art tour open to the general public and hosted in prestigious galleries, first at The Old Library in Cardiff and later in London during the summer and autumn.
The competition closing date is June 10. Finalists will be announced on June 24 and the awards ceremony will take place in Cardiff on July 24. Both specialist and mainstream schools will be encouraged to take part.
