The five winning artists will see their artworks displayed on lamppost banners throughout Croydon town centre starting July, bringing colour and vibrancy to the borough’s streets while celebrating the creative talents of its young people.
Each selected artist will also be awarded a £500 commission for their winning artworks, recognising their talent and contribution to our community.
I’m always in awe of the talents of Croydon’s young people, especially their ability to express profound emotions through art. Creative Croydon offers a unique platform for our borough’s youth to showcase their talents in our open-air art gallery for all town centre visitors to enjoy. This initiative not only celebrates our vibrant youth but also aims to bring more colour and positivity to our streets.
Matthew Sims, Chief Executive of Croydon BID
As co-founder of cultural blog the Croydonist, one of my passions is highlighting the diverse creativity of my hometown. I’m very excited that this year’s exhibition takes the form of a competition for young emerging Croydon artists to be able to showcase their talent across our town centre. We are also very fortunate to have an amazing panel of established local artists to select this year’s work, who have exhibited in previous years of Creative Croydon. This exhibition is a brilliant collaboration of Croydon’s arts community.
Julia Woollams, Graphic designer at 31% Wool and co-founder of the Croydonist
Creative Croydon has a history of nurturing local talent, having collaborated with esteemed artists like Gavin Kinch, Lis Watkins, Bev Jones, Divya Sharma, and Melanie Russell.
This year, a panel of judges, comprised of former Creative Croydon artists Skye Baker, Kate Marsden, Tina Crawford, Matt Bannister, and Miguel Sopena, will carefully review submissions to select the final five winners.
Talking of their experience in the Creative Croydon series, local artists and members of the judging panel, said:
Seeing your work on public display every time you walk through town definitely gives you a buzz. I really enjoyed being part of the first Creative Croydon project in 2022, and I’m excited that it is being extended to young people. This competition really stands out for me, as the winners will also be properly paid for their work, so this is a fantastic opportunity to be seen and fairly paid at the same time!
Kate Marsden, Artist
It’s really important that locally we provide artists of all ages the opportunity to showcase their work. Art gives a window to what people see and I think it’ll be exciting to see what younger people come up with for this project!
Tina Crawford, Artist
Entrants are required to submit three designs by 5pm on 12th June 2024. Winners will be notified on 21st June 2024. For further information on how to enter, please visit: https://www.31percentwool.com/enter-creative-croydon-2024
Read more about our previous Creative Croydon projects here: https://croydonbid.com/business/refresh/street-banners/
