Environmental art competition 2022. And the winners are...

Year 6 class at Beaconsfield Primary School who submitted the wonderful winning entry.

Environmental art competition 2022

Runners-up prize. Food for Thought by Rob Arnold.

The competition invited students from across the UK to explore Lyfta's immersive Beachcomber storyworld and be inspired to make their own artistic creations in response to the theme. A panel, which included Rob Arnold (the artist who appears in Beachcomber) had a very tough time deciding which of the array of amazing entries should win and we would like to applaud all the children and classes that took part in the competition.

The winning class have secured a beach trip worth £500, runners-up have won signed and framed prints of some of artist Rob Arnold's amazing work.

The winning entry

Judges commenting on the winning work (above), from Chrisan at Beaconsfield Primary School thought the piece was highly creative and well put together and was submitted with a wonderful, heartfelt, apt, and eloquent summary to explain the motivation behind the work.

"I was influenced by the environment we live in and this project is to spread awareness to everyone on how to improve the world, to teach to the next generation. This doesn't just include rules but also key involvement and togetherness for these issues. The world will be a better place if we can start now. As we know, wild animals are having a hard time due to less food, deforestation. In addition, plastic has been a major problem to many and this project has all the solutions in creating a better world. Overall, we should push ourselves out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves."

CHRISAN

BEACONSFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

"Chrisan recognises all the problems, not just the plastic. I love how she respects the wild animals and their right to be here too. She recognises that repairing this world won't be easy for us but it's important and urgent that we all pull together with love and support for our planet."

ROB ARNOLD

FEATURED IN STORYWORLD BEACHCOMBER

We also loved the fact she used lots of different waste materials in her design and that she created something innovative and different, something to really explore and spark discussion (a bit like the Easter Island Head that features in Beachcomber!).

The runners-up

Stretton St Matthew's CE Primary's contribution

This beautiful class project from Stretton St Matthew's CE Primary was based on a famous Japanese painting The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. Teacher Jade O'Gorman told us the design was initially sketched and then split into thirty squares, one for each of the children in the class. Each child painted their own square using acrylic paints and then used recycled materials over the painted design.

"We were inspired by Rob the artist collecting old plastic off of beaches, so we decided to use old plastics too. Class four were asked to bring in various packets, foil and boxes to represent the litter in the sea. Each child had a turn to add small pieces of packets to the picture over the painted design. They used different methods of scrunching, folding, cutting and gluing to create their own picture. This made the picture come alive.

The children have had lots of fun completing this project and it has really made them think about our environment and how each of us can do our part to help look after it."

JADE O'GORMAN

STRETTON ST MATTHEW'S CE PRIMARY

Bella at The Willows Primary School's entry

This work from Bella at The Willows Primary School was also selected as a runner up.

Bella used materials she collected from in and around her house and created a globe, sprouting from a beautiful flower.

"I have designed this piece of art work for Earth Day. It is a beautiful flower sprouting up from the grass and has the world on its shoulders. It is fully made out of recycled materials that I found around my house and outside."

BELLA

THE WILLOWS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Siena and Sydelle at Beaconsfield Primary School's entry

Siena and Sydelle at Beaconsfield Primary School were also chosen as runner-up for this wonderful poster. They were inspired by the work Rob is doing to protect the environment and could see and understand that we need to consider all of our actions to protect the environment, even the small things. We can all play our part.

"I have made this poster because I want everyone to be aware of what we are doing to the planet and the action we can take to cause less harm to the environment like Rob. We can recycle and reuse, not litter, use public transport and simple things like: taking short showers or switching the light off. My inspiration was by walking around town and observing and trying ways to fix the environment and do my part. Be the person to make a change."

SYDELLE

BEACONFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

We were amazed at the standard of the children's work and of all the submissions we received for the competition. Most of all we are delighted that our Beachcomber storyworld is inspiring so many children to play their role in protecting the environment.

"I was really happy to judge Lyfta's Earthday competition. It was so heart-warming to see the thoughtful and clever entries. I was struck on and how much all the students care for wildlife and the environment, and in their art encouraging others to care in the same way. It was so hard to separate them, in my eyes they're all winners. It gives me hope for the future when I think of these children growing up and influencing others"

ROB ARNOLD

FEATURED IN STORYWORLD BEACHCOMBER

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