2018 sees the 100^th anniversary of the WW1 armistice.  To mark the occasion, we are running a multi-media art competition aimed at secondary school students in years 7-10, which will culminate in a 3 week exhibition of the finalists’ work in the newly refurbished St Albans Town Hall, Museum and Gallery.  The exhibition will conclude on 10^th November 2018, the Saturday before the Armistice Day centenary.

The aim of the competition is to encourage students to deepen their understanding of the social and political landscape of the present day, by studying the impact of past events on their immediate community as well as in the wider context of the world.  They may wish to investigate their own family history, their school’s involvement in the war, the history of the city in which they live, look at a particular section of the community, or take a broader view of the conflict as a whole.

This will provide an opportunity to engage with local and national museums and archives, historical societies and other resources, with the aim of encouraging the development of independent research and presentation skills, essential for effective and successful learning during secondary school and beyond.

The competition is open to all students, regardless of experience or ability, who wish to participate from the 20 secondary schools in the St. Albans District, and we anticipate around 600 entries.

Entries will be accepted in any creative medium, and students may work alone or in groups.  Prizes will be awarded for the best 3 in each of the following categories, with an additional prize for the school that has shown the most overall support for its students:

• 2 Dimensional: Paintings, drawings, photography, collage, maps, posters, technical drawings etc.

• 3 Dimensional: Sculpture, pottery, needlework, modelling, cookery, gardening, metalwork, woodwork, 3D printing, etc.

• Digital: Video, photography, social media, podcast, vlog, audio recording, video game, website, etc.

• Literary: Poetry, short stories, school newspapers, graphic novels, blog, etc.

• Performance: Music, dance, spoken word, theatre, etc.

While this competition is based upon a historical event, the broad categories are designed to encompass all curriculum subject areas and beyond, so that students who have an interest in any subject, be it sports, cookery, needlework, engineering, ICT or Science can be as expressive and creative with the resources at their disposal as those who might prefer the traditional arts and humanities subjects.  Entries will be judged on originality and expression of the chosen subject and medium, as well as the level of research shown.