Fresh new creative talent takes centre stage at The Burton at Bideford as the Annual Schools Exhibition opens its doors

Bursting with vibrancy, colour and creativity, the Burton at Bideford Annual Schools Exhibition opens its doors on Saturday 25 February for another year celebrating the talents of our next generation of artists.

Featuring work by young people aged 5 to 18 years who attend local primary and secondary schools, the exhibition is a firm favourite that never fails to delight and impress. It’s an opportunity for aspiring artists to showcase their talents as well as receive recognition and support, and gain valuable experience in the arts. With generous sponsorship from The North Devon Arts Society, the exhibition encourages young artists to strive for excellence with the opportunity to win prizes for the most innovative and original artwork.

Prizes include art materials for individual artists as well as cash prizes for school art departments – a welcome addition to government funding.

The Annual Schools Exhibition at The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum plays a crucial role in shaping the future of culture by nurturing and encouraging the young artists of tomorrow. 

Mary-Lu Hick, the Chair of The Arts Society North Devon, comments, “We are delighted to again support this year’s Annual Schools exhibition. Entries are always of an extremely high standard, and this year is certainly no different. We are also excited to receive entries from pre-school children for the second year in a row. We hope the local community will be as impressed as we have been and would encourage everyone to visit The Burton and be amazed at what our young artists have been up to!”

The Annual Schools exhibition is open daily from Saturday 25 February to Friday 24 March. This year’s annual awards ceremony takes place at the gallery on Thursday 9 March at 3pm.

The exhibition is funded by The North Devon Arts Society (TASND), the independent local branch of The Arts Society. The Arts Society exists to encourage and promote an interest in all forms of art across the generations. With grants from central office, The North Devon Arts Society is able to support The Burton through the Annual Schools exhibition as well as through regular self-funding workshops which are open to all. The Society meets once a month between October and May for illustrated talks by accredited lecturers on individual artists or some aspect of the arts, and they warmly welcome new members. You can find out more by visiting www.tasnorthdevon.org.uk