About The Competition & How to Enter
We are inviting all schools across Bedford Borough to take part in our biennial Harpur Trust Art Competition.
During the autumn and spring terms of 2025/6 we are offering FREE workshops for up to 35 state schools (on a first come first served basis) with a visiting professional artist, as well as free CPD workshops for teachers at The Higgins Bedford.
The competition will culminate in the summer of 2026 with an exhibition of selected children’s work at The Higgins, featuring at least two pieces of work from each school being hung.
There will be a special preview evening during which we will present three prizes to the winners of the schools (of up to £300), and the pupils, in the five different age groups.
The competition offers a fantastic opportunity for the children to see their artwork displayed in a professional gallery, as well as for families and friends to visit The Higgins and view it there.
Find out about the theme – Aspire: Nurture Your Potential and How to apply for a workshop
AGE CATEGORIES
The competition is open to all 4 to 18-year-olds at school within Bedford Borough, who can enter individually or through their school. Schools can enter in one or more of the following categories, but no more than 8 entries per age category should be submitted:
| Category 1 | Ages 4-7 | Reception, Years 1 & 2 |
| Category 2 | Ages 7-11 | Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 |
| Category 3 | Ages 11-14 | Years 7, 8 & 9 |
| Category 4 | Ages 14-16 | Years 10 & 11 |
| Category 5 | Ages 16-18 | Years 12 & 13 |
PRIZES
Three prizes will be awarded in each of the following age-groups: 4-7, 7-11, 11-14, 14-16 and 16-18 years
1st Prize:
£300 of vouchers for the school
£60 of vouchers for the child.
2nd Prize:
£200 of vouchers for the school
£30 of vouchers for the child.
3rd Prize:
£100 of vouchers for the school
£15 of vouchers for the child.
JUDGING
Judging will take place in March 2026 and winning schools will be notified in May 2026. Around 100 entries will be selected for display at a public exhibition at The Higgins Bedford running from the end of June to September 2026. Entries will be judged on both originality and creativity and judges will be looking for an imaginative response to the themes. Judges will also look at:
- Content – what story does the picture tell or what message does it give?
- Composition – where and how is everything placed?
- The atmosphere and mood created by the piece.
- Whether the entrant has fulfilled the requirements set out in the criteria section.
Entrants whose work is selected for the exhibition will have their work professionally framed (pupils can keep the framed work at the end of the exhibition). We will also provide them with a certificate.
CRITERIA FOR ARTWORK
- Artwork submitted must be 2D (by this we mean it should be relatively flat and suitable for framing with glass).
- Size should be either A4, A3 or A2 (this is to enable us to frame selected entries in a cost-effective way).
- Entries can be produced on paper, fabric or even on a ceramic tile.
- Work should arrive unmounted and unframed.
- Entrants can use a range of materials and techniques such as drawing (e.g. pencil, pen, crayon, pastel, etc.), painting, printmaking, collage and montage (photography can be integrated into the piece but we will not accept a standalone photographic entry).
- Each school can submit a maximum of 8 entries per age category.
SUBMITTING ARTWORK
Entries must be delivered by 27th February 2026 via post or by hand to The Harpur Trust, Princeton Court, Pilgrim Centre, Brickhill Drive, Bedford MK41 7PZ.
Each individual artwork must have the pupil’s name and school marked clearly on the back and these two forms must be printed off, filled in and submitted with the artwork.