Calling all budding young artists! It’s time to sharpen those pencils, brush up on your painting skills or get digital as Cambridgeshire-based rewilding charity Creating Nature’s Corridors has teamed up with Huntingdon Racecourse to launch an art competition for children aged 14-19 years old.
Working with a medium of their choice – from an intricate pencil drawing to a painted masterpiece or a digitally generated visual or even a colourful, textured collage - entrants are required to embrace their creative skills to design a thought-provoking and visually striking mural.
The brief for the mural installation is to create a piece of art inspired by nature, which draws attention to the impact of the planet-friendly work that Creating Nature’s Corridor’s and Huntingdon Racecourse have undertaken, via the extensive planting of trees and hedges within the racecourse site.
Over the last two years, Creating Nature’s Corridors has initiated numerous planting projects on this site with the support of an army of volunteers and supporter businesses delivering:
- Planting of 13,000 + trees and hedges
- Establishing 1.5km of new hedgerow
- Creation of a 350-tree wet woodland space – Ollie’s Wood - in memory of former Samuel Pepys (St Neots) pupil Ollie Oldham, who tragically passed away in 2022 following a courageous battle with a rare blood disorder
The winning piece of art will be displayed on one of the walls at the racecourse and will be visible to visitors for many years to come, highlighting both Creating Nature’s Corridors and Huntingdon Racecourse’s commitment to leaving a legacy connected to improving the local landscape for future generations to enjoy. The winner will also receive a £50 gift voucher to spend on Amazon to stock up on further art supplies!
The judging panel for the competition comprises:
Daniel Craggs - Huntingdon Racecourse General Manager
Catherine Harness - Local artist and art teacher
Alice Ryan - Editor of Velvet Magazine (media partner for the competition)
Annie Nurse - Artisan Creative Managing Director
Emma Bennett - Artist and editor of The City Art Books series
Martin Salisbury - Professor of Illustration, Cambridge School of Art
Entries can be made via email – please take a photo of your painting/collage/picture if a digital file doesn’t exist – send to [email protected] before midnight on 9th January 2026. The winner will be announced on 6th February 2026.
All entrants must state their age, name, email address, school/college and parent/guardian’s consent (if under 18 years old). Parent/guardian’s name/contact number must also be supplied.
