Rare treat to get creative
Young artists are being asked to turn their talents to producing a painting masterpiece featuring rare breeds of animals, which will be showcased at their local shows.
The competition for schools is being sponsored by the Staffordshire Support Group of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and will be judged at the Staffordshire County Show, which will be held on May 31 and June 1.
The painting competition has been hosted by the Show for the last two years and has attracted hundreds of entries. Organisers are hoping this year will be no different and are now appealing for schools to get creative.
Jackie Biard, secretary of the Staffordshire Support Group of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said some marvellous artistic interpretations had been submitted over the last two years and as well as being popular for young painters, it also helped to highlight rare breeds of animals with the thousands of show-goers.
“Following on from two very successful competitions in 2015 and 2016, the support group and Staffordshire Agricultural Society are inviting all Year 7 and Year 8 pupils to enter this year’s competition,” she said.
“It is hoped that all entries will be displayed adjacent to the rare breeds stand in the main Bingley Hall and judging will take place on the Wednesday of the show.
“We know that the talented young people of Staffordshire will be creating some wonderful pieces and look forward to seeing the winning choices on the day.”
First, second and third in each year group will receive stationery sets donated by Banner Business Solutions, with the annual commemorative shield presented to the schools whose pupils received a first prize.
The first prize in each of the years’ groups is a family ticket, including a guide book, to visit Cotswold Park Farm, home to many rare breed farm animals - owned and run by Adam Henson, as seen on BBC’s Countryfile programme.
Mrs Biard added: “There are many activities to enjoy on the site - touching smaller animals and birds, a demonstration barn, a farm safari by tractor, a rare breeds trail, conservation area and wildlife walk. It is a marvellous prize and well worth winning.”
Each entry will consist of a single painting to be no larger than A3 in size and the subject of each entry must be a rare breed animal or animals as specified in the RBST 2016/17 Watchlist (see www.rbst.org.uk)
The competition is open to pupils in Year 7 and 8 from competing schools and all entries must show the entrant’s name, year and school on the reverse.
Notification of the number of entries from each school must be sent to jacquelinebiard@aol.com by Monday, May 15. All entries must be delivered to RBST ℅ Mrs Holly Hobson, Trade Stand Secretary, Staffordshire Agricultural Society, The Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD by midday on Wednesday, May 17.
For more information please email jacquelinebiard@aol.com or telephone (01785) 226522 or 07792 859256.
