ArtCompetition

Tree-mendous prizesfor young artists

Children from schools across the Newcastleborough have attended a special awards ceremony at Keele Hall recently after impressing judges in NewcastleBorough Council's annual painting competition.

Young artists were rewarded for their impressive creative talents. Atotal of 37 winners in the council’s annual Britain in Bloom children’s painting competition picked up certificates and prizes from Newcastle Borough Mayor Gill Burnett.

Thetheme of this year’s competition, organised as part of theborough’s successful NewcastleinBloom campaign, was ‘Bloomin’ Treemendous’ in recognition of the council’s ‘PlantaBloomin’ Tree’ initiative which is creating carbon capture green spaces in urban areas to helpmitigate the effects of climate change, contributing towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

There were atotal of 608 entries from 15 primary, secondary and special educational needs schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme, including two from individuals.

The overall winner of theunder seven’s category was Clark Davis, aged five, from the Demetae Academy in Newcastle who impressed the judges with his dramatic painting of silver birch trees as the darkbackgroundreally contrasts with the colourofthe birch.

Amber Smith, from Thursfield Primary School in Harriseahead, was the main winner of the over ten’s section. The ten-year-old’s entry showed hands gifting atree to the world which linked in with the ‘PlantaBloomin’ Tree’ campaign.

Clark and Amber’s masterpieces were stars of the show at arecent exhibition held at the redevelopedBrampton Museum.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is once again competing in the small city category of Heart of England in Bloom afterestablishing an unrivalled reputation in the horticultural contest over more than 30 years. The painting competition is sponsored by The Art Studio in Newcastleand Alton Towers.