Royal children invited to join Colchester art competition

Are You The Next Banksy? is being launched by Littlegarth School to celebrate the King and Queen’s upcoming visit to Dedham, the birthplace of the school.

The competition, run in partnership with the Colchester Gazette and Brandler Galleries, invites children to create artwork on CDs, which will be displayed across Colchester during the Easter holiday.

Miles Boorman and Maya Krishna prepare letters to go to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to tell them about the Colchester art competition (Image: Littlegarth School)

Kathy Uttley, head of Littlegarth School, said: "With the King and Queen visiting Dedham, the birthplace of Littlegarth, it feels especially meaningful to highlight the exciting art project that we are bringing to this area.

"Are You The Next Banksy? is about confidence, creativity and giving children a public platform for their work - and inviting the Royal children to take part reflects that belief that every child’s creativity matters."

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have been formally invited to join in the competition by decorating a CD alongside thousands of young artists from across the area.

The Royal children were also invited to act as guest judges in the competition.

The finished CDs will be displayed at The Minories as well as in a number of shops and businesses across Colchester, turning the city into a temporary public gallery of children’s artwork.

A framed Banksy artwork will also be coming in Colchester as part of the wider display, aiming to create a link between world-famous street art and the next generation of artists.

One Banksy will appear in a High Street window, while a hidden Banksy CD will be placed among the other artwork on display for visitors to find. 

The competition is open to children and young people aged two to 18, with entries accepted until Wednesday, March 18.

CD artwork can be dropped off at Firstsite, Red Lion Books, the Our Colchester office, Littlegarth School, and Langham Primary School.

All entries will be displayed in public spaces across the city throughout the Easter holidays.

Full details about taking part in the competition, including artwork guidelines and drop-off locations, can be found at www.littlegarth/banksy.