Artwork by two Witchford schoolchildren will feature in the prestigious Royal Academy Young Artists’ Summer Show in London.
Pupils at The Rackham C of E Primary School submitted their work along with more than 21,500 students aged 4-19 from across the UK.
A panel of artists and arts professionals select those to be displayed at The Royal Academy of Art.
Seven-year-old Winston Arnold’s acrylic painting Our Saviour represents his Christian faith. Winston loves to paint, draw and model with clay at home and was very excited when he heard his painting had been accepted for both the online exhibition and to be displayed to the public on site.
He said: “When my dad told me, I started running around the house screaming madly!”
The Rugby Match: England Vs Scotland is six-year-old Wren Senior’s representation of rugby action on the field. Using poster paints, she mixed a very muddy brown then created the scene using a sponge.
She said: “I love playing rugby for Ely Tigers. My favourite way to paint is crazy and it makes me feel happy.”
Wren’s work will join approximately 500 other curated pieces to be displayed in the Royal Academy online exhibition.
Now in its sixth year, the RA Young Artists’ Summer Show is a free, open submission exhibition for pupils studying in the UK.
Once their school has registered, students can submit just one piece of artwork along with a short description.
Twenty eight pupils from The Rackham Primary School in Witchford submitted work in forms including still life, portraits, textiles, mixed media and collage. The Rackham After School Club also entered with a collaboratively created quilt.
Stephanie Deery, assistant headteacher and art lead, said: “Creating opportunities for the children to see that they are already ‘real artists’ is hugely important.
“Wren and Winston have really impressed us with their unique pieces of work. They had very different ideas and inspiration which shows that art can be about anything.
“We hope their success will inspire even more children to give it a try next year.”
Headteacher Georgina Turner added: “It has been a source of great pride to witness the enthusiasm and artistic talent that is abundant throughout The Rackham student population.
“Joining this competition has enabled our pupils to broaden their understanding of potential careers within the creative industry. Congratulations to everyone who took part!”
The exhibition will open at the Royal Academy of Art in London on Tuesday, 16 July, and will also be available to explore online at youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk.
All entries submitted by The Rackham pupils will also be displayed in the school hall.
“Submitting work at this level is such a brave thing to do,” said Mrs Deery. “We are super proud of all our children who submitted work for putting themselves out there and giving it a go!”
