Competition: ENTER THE FOURTH PLINTH SCHOOLS AWARDS

Sat atop the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London has seen an inspiring array of commissions, from a bright blue cockerel and a ship in a bottle, to a skeletal horse and now a giant ‘thumbs-up’ by artist David Shrigley with the fitting title ‘Really Good’. 

It all began back in 1994 when Prue Leith, then chair of the Royal Society of Arts, wrote a letter to the Evening Standard suggesting that something should be done about the empty plinth. Five years later, after much public debate, it hosted the first artwork, ‘Ecce Homo’ by Mark Wallinger, commissioned and established by Cass Sculpture Foundation.

Every year the Mayor of London invites London’s primary and secondary schoolchildren to create artworks inspired by the commissions for the Fourth Plinth. Teachers can submit their students’ work as individuals or groups, and designs can be made in any medium, including drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, digital and video. There are three age categories; 5-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-15 years.

 

The winners have their work reproduced in two dimensions for an exhibition at City Hall in London, and are invited to an awards ceremony where they receive prizes from Cass Art. 

Image credits:

Really Good by Davis Shrigley, Photo by Gaultier Deblonde.

Previous winning artworks by school children.

Mark wallinger and Munira Mirza with at an awards ceremony.