Devon museum offers art competition for young creatives

The Box, located in Plymouth, is offering young people the chance to have their work displayed alongside a national touring exhibition.

The competition, organised by the museum, gives participants the opportunity to win a £150 voucher to spend at The Box and have their work showcased alongside renowned artists like Salvador Dalí and Man Ray.

In partnership with Arts University Plymouth, The Box has launched its annual Children and Young People’s Art Competition. 

This year’s theme is inspired by Surrealism, a 20th-century art movement that explored the creative potential of the mind and challenged perceptions of reality. 

The competition is open to anyone aged up to 25 years old living in Devon and Cornwall.

The title for this year’s competition is 'Surreal Estates,' and entrants are encouraged to use surrealist techniques such as collage, photomontage, or echo poems to explore the landscapes around them.

The competition has three categories: primary school, secondary school, and 18–25 years. Submissions can be in any medium, including short films (up to 30 seconds). 

To participate, entrants must email a high-quality photograph of their artwork or their film to theboxcompetition@plymouth.gov.uk.

Files should be labelled with the entrant’s initials, date, and category. 

For example, Joe Bloggs submitting an entry on 24 February for the young person’s category would use the label: JB240225YP (use P for primary school or S for secondary school).

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on 4 April 2025.

“We really hope as many children and young people as possible from across the region will take part this year,” said Tony Davey, Engagement Officer at The Box.

“They can take inspiration from so many places – home, school, college, university, work, the beach, the countryside or more. We have some really talented young artists here in the South West and have received some fantastic entries since we started running this competition a couple of years ago. We can’t wait to see what everyone submits this time around.”

The winners and selected entries will be displayed at The Box during the ‘Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes’ exhibition, running from 24 May to 7 September 2025. 

This major event celebrates the centenary of Surrealism, featuring dreamlike and imaginative works by British and international artists.