iArt

This year's iArt theme is "Contrast". An open theme to encourage children to consider the breadth of approaches.

This theme encourages children to think about differences and opposites in creative ways. It can be explored through visual elements, personal ideas, or storytelling. Whether it is a bold contrast of colours or a difference in mood or opinion, this theme has been set to encourage imaginative and individual responses.

Some possible ways to explore the theme:

• Contrast of light
• Contrast of opinions
• Constrast of characteristics
• Constrast of colours/patterns

There are five categories for the iArt competition:  

1. Years 1 & 2 
2. Years 3 & 4 
3. Years 5 & 6 
4. Years 7 & 8 
5. Years 9, 10 & 11 

Please note each school may enter one piece of art per each age category. The maximum number of entries one school can make is 5 if you submit one piece per age group.  

Competition rules

Please read the Competition Information for Schools before taking part in the competition: 

Entries must be submitted online via the IAPS entry form, which will be made available on this webpage in January.

Entries must be submitted by school staff using their own IAPS login details. Parents are not permitted to submit entries on behalf of a school or pupil.

Each school may submit one piece of artwork per age category.

If you have not previously used the IAPS website, you will need to register first. Use the registration section on the right-hand side of the page and complete the form, providing as much detail as possible.

Full details on eligibility and how to submit can be found in our Competition Information for Schools booklet.

A special evening of celebration brought the iArt 2025 competition to a close as the winners of the competition received their prizes, watched by their guests at London Park School, Mayfair, at the end of June. 

The evening featured a gallery displaying the children’s artwork, with winners able to admire each other’s pieces, proudly pose for photographs alongside their work, and share the moment with their guests, family and friends.

During the prizegiving ceremony, each child was personally invited to the stage to receive their prize from IAPS Art Subject Adviser Charlotte Bell, one of the judges, who took a moment to explain why each piece had been selected as a winner, offering thoughtful insights and well-deserved praise. 

Thank you to everyone who took part this year, and to Charlotte and her fellow judge, Andrea Tarsia, Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts, for their time, expertise, and support in selecting the winning entries. 

Please see the winning artwork below:

Thank you again to all the schools who participated; it was a joy to see so many young artists sharing their talent and creativity. We look forward to welcoming even more schools to the competition next year.

Please also view a short video showcasing the event:

Thank you to our 2025 sponsor – Pret-a-Portrait 

We are delighted to reveal the winners of the iart 2024 competition, open to all member schools across the UK and overseas.

The theme this year was 'Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together', a translation of the Olympic motto, and this attracted a variety of entries from the very literal to more creative interpretations, all displaying a huge amount of artistic talent.

We wish to thank Eaton Square School for hosting the prizegiving event at the end of June for the second year running at its senior campus on Piccadilly and, particularly, to our expert judge who presented prizes to the winners.

We were extremely fortunate to have Andrea Tarsia, Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Art, as our guest judge this year and thank him for his time in considering all 120 entries received across five age categories and for explaining in such detail at the prizegiving why he had chosen the winning entries.

Thank you to all the schools that submitted entries this year, to the art teachers who entered their pupils' work and, not least, to the children themselves for their creativity and hard work. 

[2024 artwork coming soon]