"Roots and Routes"

Art Contest

For young artists aged 5-16

Calling all young artists!

As part of this year’s Clevedon Litfest, we’re partnering up with Clevedon's own creative space Nicky's Atelier to invite children and teens to design a special image inspired by our summer theme: Roots and Routes.

We want to see your creativity come alive!
Explore what Roots and Routes mean to you—whether that’s nature, family, history, journeys, or identity.

Competition Categories

Entries will be judged in three age groups:

  • Ages 5–7
  • Ages 8–11
  • Ages 12–16

Prizes

One winner in each category will receive a voucher worth £30 for Nicky's Atelier. 

One runner up in each category will receive vouchers worth a total of £10 from Books on the Hill and Stationery House.

An overall winning design may be featured on the front cover of our Roots & Routes Summer Festival programme, and selected entries will be showcased in a public exhibition during the festival*.

How to Enter

Ask a parent or guardian to email your design to competitions@clevedonlitfest.org.uk, with the subject line ‘Art Contest’, including your name, age, and contact details.

Submit your entry by April 30th

See below for full terms and conditions.

 

Art contest - website poster (details repeated in text)

Let your imagination grow and your creativity travel!

Theme Ideas & Inspiration:

Roots (Nature & Belonging)

Think about:

  • Plants, trees, forests, flowers, and wildlife
  • Where you feel at home
  • The natural world around Clevedon or beyond
  • Growth, connection, and the environment
  • Your family history or cultural heritage
  • Stories passed down through generations

You can focus on roots, routes, or combine both in your artwork.

Routes (Journeys & Transformation)

You might explore:

  • Journeys you’ve taken or dream of taking
  • Maps, roads, rivers, or pathways
  • How things have changed from the past or how you think they might change in the future
  • The ways we transport things like food, fuel or people
  • Journeys made by other people like immigrants, explorers or pilgrims

Artwork Guidelines

Artwork should be original and created by the entrant

You can use any 2D medium – such as drawing, painting, collage, photography, or mixed media – so long as you can send us your entry as a digital image. Digitally created art is accepted, but please no generative AI.

Give your art piece a title and use that for the file name – don’t include your own name in the image or the file name.

Bright, bold designs encouraged—think about how it might look on a festival programme cover!

How important is the theme? – It's there for inspiration. It will be used as a criteria for judging, especially in the 12-16 age group, but it isn't the only criteria and creativity and skill will be more important, especially in the younger age groups.

FAQs

Is there an entry fee – no! It’s free to enter.

Should my image include the words ‘Roots and Routes’ – no. You can include words in your artwork, but it should not be the main focus.

I painted my image, should I post it? – no, take a photo and submit that. We may ask to see the original later, though, so keep it safe!

Can I submit a 3D sculpture? – no. You can submit a photograph of a sculpture, but your entry will be judged as a photograph. We’d love to see it though!

I am 13+ and have my own email address, can I submit my image myself – yes.

Terms and Conditions of Entry

  1. The Clevedon LitFest ‘Roots and Routes’ Art Contest is open to anyone who is resident in the UK and is aged 5-16 years.
  2. Each entrant may submit up to 2 pieces of artwork.
  3. Entries must be submitted by a parent or guardian.
  4. Entries must be submitted as 2D image files in a common image file format (e.g. .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .pdf, .tif, .bmp), please no .raw or moving image files.
  5. Entries must be received before 23:59 on the closing date of the competition. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered.
  6. Do not use offensive, discriminatory language ,or language promoting hate speech or violence in your artwork. Doing so will lead to disqualification.
  7. Your name, or any other identifying marks, should not be added to your artwork or the file name.
  8. The artwork must be your own, original work. Any entry created with the aid of any AI application will be disqualified.
  9. No changes will be permitted once work has been submitted.
  10. These competitions are not open to any person affiliated with Clevedon Litfest, partner organisations or their immediate relatives.
  11. Entries not following these rules will be disqualified.
  12. The judges’ decision is final and no feedback will be given.
  13. Keep your own copy of the work as entries cannot be returned.
  14. Copyright is retained by the artist.
  15. Prize winners will be notified by email by 31th May 2026, and Clevedon Litfest retains the right to publish prize winning entries online or in print. We will only publish the name of the artist with a parent’s permission.
  16. There is no cash alternative to the prizes offered.
  17. Clevedon LitFest reserves the right to publish video footage, screenshot images and/or photos of the artwork of all entrants on its website and social media platform accounts. You must inform us if you wish to opt out of this. We will only publish the name of the artist with a parent’s permission.
  18. Clevedon Litfest reserves the right to use the submitted images in advertisements and promotional materials online or in print.
  19. If Clevedon Litfest’s summer 2026 festival does not proceed due to unforeseen circumstances, winners will still be drawn and announce and prizes issued.
  20. One of the winners may be selected to feature on the cover of our 2026 festival programme, but Clevedon Litfest reserves the right not to use any of the submitted artwork for this purpose.
  21. Any data you provide will be kept for the duration of the competition and for 3 months after and will be used only to administer the competition.
  22. *exhibition may be online, in print, live, or a combination.