Create! Art for Autism finalists announced

The finalists of national art competition Create! Art for Autism have been announced. The competition, which is designed to illustrate the creativity and artistic flair of young people with an autistic spectrum condition (ASC), had entries from more than 550 young artists from across the country. Now in its second year, Create! Art for Autism was open to all young people aged 11-25 years with a formal diagnosis of an ASC. The finalists in the four categories are: 2D Art

• Hani Warrich, 20, Seashell Trust, Royal College Manchester

• David Greenberg, 16, Inscape House School
• Rebecca Tom, 19, Caldicot School
• Duncan McDougall, 16, The Abbey
• Natasha, 20
• Carrie Francis, 21, Swansea Metropolitan University

3D Art

• Katie Woodfield, 16, Alderman Knight School
• Priscilla Jones, 18, Ysgol Y Bont
• Sion Griffiths, 17, Ysgol Y Bont
• Alexander Wright, 17, Coleg Morgannwg
• Patrick Pearce, 16, Sunnydown School
• Anthony Ford, 18, Ysgol Y Bont

Digital Art

• Lewis Davies, 16, Risca Community Comprehensive
• Luke Tuckwell, 18, Broomhayes School
• Michael Gregory, 18, Take Part Community Art Workshop
• Thomas Rule, 17, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School
• Christian Booth, 16, The Abbey
• Oliver Coatsworth, 11, Evergreen Primary School

Poetry

• Samuel Godber, 14, Pershore High School
• Leigh Bamford, 17, Neath Port Talbot College
• Barnaby Harrison, 12, Stanbridge Earls School
• John Foley, 15, Broadfield Specialist School
• Daniel Evans-Jones, 18, Beechwood College
• Alexander Philip Nickisson, 15, Woodhey High School

The judging panel, which includes actress Jane Asher and TV presenter Gabby Roslin, will now convene to decide the winners. A fifth category, the People’s Choice, will be open for voting from June 13, in partnership with the Times Educational Supplement, with votes closing at midnight on Sunday, July 1.

To vote, visit: www.createartforautism.co.uk.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on July 6 at Beechwood College, a further education college for young people with an ASC, near Cardiff, which organised the competition. The finalists’ artwork will then be rolled out into a national art tour across four major UK cities: Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and London.

Darren Jackson, principal of Beechwood College, said: “It’s amazing to see that, just one year on from the first Create! Art for Autism competition, we’ve already received over 550 entries – a significant increase from last year’s 350 entries. I was astounded by the quality and individuality of last year’s artwork and this year we’ve seen many more fantastic entries across all four categories. “We have seen at Beechwood College how art and creativity can transform the lives of our students, helping them to communicate with the world around them and I’m delighted to see such strong support for this competition. Young people with autism have a huge amount of creative flair and it’s vital that we recognise and celebrate their abilities.”

LDT Editor

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