Chichesters Young Artists Invited to Celebrate New Park Centre's Golden Anniversary
Published 12:16 on 9 Apr 2025
Chichesters vibrant community hub, New Park Centre, is inviting young artists aged 5-16 to take part in a special art competition celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Open to all children in Chichester, the competition explores the theme My Chichester, encouraging participants to capture what makes the city unique to them. The competition is divided into four age categories to ensure a broad range of artistic expression: Key Stage 1 (5-7 years), Key Stage 2 (7-11 years), Key Stage 3 (11-14 years), and Key Stage 4 (14-16 years).
This competition is a wonderful way to celebrate both the creativity of local children and the incredible history of New Park Centre, said Centre Manager, Allison McDonald- Hughes at the launch.
As the Centre was founded on the site of the Sussex Central School for Boys, it felt only fitting to run a competition especially for the children of Chichester. We look forward to seeing their artistic interpretations of what makes this city special - whether its a favourite landmark like the Cathedral or the canal, a beloved family member, a favourite pastime like skating at the park, or a cherished memory. We cant wait to see Chichester through their eyes.
All submissions will be judged by two highly respected figures in the art world: Iolanda Martinho, co-founder of August+Co, a London-based gallery celebrating fine craftsmanship, textiles, and furniture; and Candida Stevens, founder of Candida Stevens Gallery, which showcases thought-provoking contemporary British art in Chichester and London.
Winning and runner-up artworks will be displayed at New Park Centre and featured in the Chichester Art Trail. Additionally, each selected piece will be transformed into a postcard to help raise funds for the Centre. Winners will also enjoy a private viewing at the Centres Picture Palace cinema.
We are truly grateful to our esteemed judges, added Allison. Their expertise ensures an exciting and inspiring selection process. We also want to say a huge thank you to our sponsor, Bond-a-Frame Chichester, for supporting this art competition. Their generosity ensures that the winning entries will be beautifully showcased in bespoke frames, making each piece truly stand out. We appreciate both the Judges and Bond-a-Frames, support in celebrating creativity and talent!
Allison added: We cant wait to see the incredible creations from young artists across the city. We hope families and schools will get involved to help us mark this special milestone.
Submissions are due by Tuesday April 22, with the exhibition launching on Saturday 17th May. For more details, visit newparkcentre.org.uk.
