The Mental Health Ireland Art & Photography Competition invites young people to explore and express their creative talents while encouraging students, teachers and parents to open up the mental health dialogue and encourage mental health championing.
2020 has been a turbulent time for many of our young people. They have faced new challenges and continued to grow up in a reality very different to the one they were prepared for at the start of the year.
With this in mind, the theme of our 2020/21 Art and Photography competition is ‘Reflecting on How I’ve Grown’ – in the face of the uncertainties and challenges of the year.
This might be the learning of a new skill, the ways in which they gave back to others and their community, the drawing on courage and strength they never knew they had, how they may have matured and coped with new stresses.
This is a celebration of our young people, and we want to give them the space to reflect on what they’ve learnt and how they’ve grown during these tough times.
This year, we are inviting students to express themselves in their chosen form and are opening up the Art category to include graphic design, cartoons and comic strips, paintings and drawings.
The competition is open to all Secondary Schools, Special Education and Youthreach students.
THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 19th
The entries are judged by a panel of experts in the following categories:
- Junior Cycle: 1st – 3rd Year in Post Primary School
- Senior Cycle: 4th – 6th Year in Post Primary School
- Special Education
- Youthreach
The Prizes in each Art and Photography categories are:
- First Place: €300 One4All Gift Card
- Judge’s Choice: €200 One4All Gift Card
- Second Place: €150 One4All Gift Card
- Third Place: €75 One4All Gift Card
- Highly Commended: €40 One4All Gift Card
National winners in all four categories in both Art and Photography will feature in Mental Health Ireland’s calendar alongside four additional Judge’s Choice entries. The winning pieces will also be publicly exhibited in 2021.
As a partner piece to this year’s Art & Photography Competition we are hosting online Five Ways to Wellbeing workshops for Parents, Guardians and Teachers of secondary school students. The aim is to improve mental health literacy, open up the mental health dialogue a little further, encourage mental health championing, and to support self-care in supporters of young people.
Dates
Regional Judging
December 2020
National Judging
January 2021
Winners Announcement
February 2021
Awards Ceremony
March 2021
Here are the steps you need to follow to enter your student’s work.
- Teachers will be required to fill in our online entry form below. Please fill the below form ON THE DAY YOU ARE POSTING THE ENTRIES to Mental Health Ireland. It is very important that the number of entries entered is the same as those in the envelope!
- Create one online entry for all of your Art entries in your selected category and one online entry for Photography in your selected category. If you are submitting for Junior and Senior cycle you will need to create two online entries, please.
- When you fill in the form below you will receive a confirmation email.
- You MUST PRINT your confirmation email and include it with your postal entry to Mental Health Ireland in order for us to able to process your application.
Please read the Guidelines for Entry carefully in advance of briefing your students.
We wish all teachers and students the best of luck and hope you enjoy exploring the theme ‘Reflecting on how I’ve Grown’.
- The theme is ‘Reflecting on how I’ve Grown’. The art piece can be a painting, drawing, comic strip, cartoon, or graphic design.
- Entries must be in LANDSCAPE on A4 size white paper.
- The following information must be included on the reverse side of each submission: Student’s name & School Roll Number Essential
Student’s age,
School/ Youthreach name,
Teacher’s name
school address. - Each entrant agrees to their details (first name and age) being used in promotional material for Mental Health Ireland.
- Closing date for entries is Thursday, 12th November 2020.
- All entries should be sent to:
Art Competition (list category)
Mental Health Ireland,
1- 4 Adelaide Road,
Glasthule,
Co Dublin
7. Teachers must complete the below online entry form in advance of posting the entries to Mental Health Ireland.
8. The competition is open to all students attending post-primary schools, special education and Youthreach.
9. All entries must be individual entries – group work will not be accepted.
10. Only one entry allowed per student.
11. Entries for the competition will automatically become the property of Mental Health Ireland and may be returned on request.
12. There is no entry fee.
13. Judging will be carried out by representatives of Mental Health Ireland and our decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into in this regard.
- The theme is ‘Reflecting on how I’ve Grown’.
- All entries must be submitted in hardcopy on photographic paper, LANDSCAPE, no larger than 10” x 8”print
- The following information must be included on the reverse side of each print: Student’s name and School Roll Number Essential
Student’s age,
School/ Youthreach name,
Teacher’s name
School address. - All entries should be sent to:
Photography Competition (list category)
Mental Health Ireland,
1-4 Adelaide Road,
Glasthule,
Co Dublin - Each entrant agrees to their details (name and age) being used in promotional material for Mental Health Ireland.
- The competition is open to all students attending Post-Primary Schools.
- All entries must be individual entries – group work will not be accepted.
- Only one entry allowed per student.
- Entries for the competition will automatically become the property of Mental Health Ireland and may be returned on request.
- If the photograph features any recognisable person or people, written permission must be obtained from them (or their parents if under 16) for the image to be considered. Written permission must be included acknowledging that this image is now the property of Mental Health Ireland and may be used on our website and social media channels.
- There is no entry fee.
- Judging will be carried out by representatives of Mental Health Ireland and our decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into in this regard.