LivingEdge School Arts Competition 2017
PUBLISHED: 20:21 03 April 2017 | UPDATED: 18:18 04 April 2017

Atia Raja, winner of the under 18 category with Geoffrey Key
Archant
The 17th Living Edge Schools Art Competition saw an extraordinary and varied array of entries, the sheer talent of every entrant making the judges’ task quite a challenge.

he annual Schools Art Competition attracts entries from talented young artists from across the region and this year, as in previous years, the job of judging who should be named winner in each section was incredibly tough.
In 2017 the sheer variety of submissions, from ceramic to mixed media to pencil drawings to paint made the judges’ task even more challenging, leading us to marvel at the breadth and depth of skill already present in the contestants at such a young age.
The judges – Geoffrey Key, one of the UK’s most collected living artists; Hilary Dean and Anna Halliwell from sponsors Jones Homes; Trevor & Susan Walker, of art suppliers Fred Aldous and kind suppliers of prizes for the winners and each entrant; our Chair, Martin Heaps, owner of Collect Art in Lymm; and I - prowled amongst the entries, debating the merits of each and exclaiming at the quality of the selection.
In the 14 and Under category we were hugely impressed by the talent of our winner Max Cooper, from Cheadle Hulme School, whose painting ‘Boy with the Pearl Headphones’, was inspired by the famous Vermeer oil. The judges all agreed that this young man is one to watch. Max won the same category last year aged just ten – leaving us to wonder what he might bring forward in the future! The judges were also impressed by our two Highly Commended artists in this age group, Jed Bailey, from Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, who showed superb draughtsmanship in his pencil drawing of Manchester buildings, and Jack Bridgford.

In the 16 and Under category we were blown away by our winner Alice Hackney, from Withington School for Girls. Her portrait was deemed to be truly superb and we can’t wait to see how this young artist develops. Highly Commended in this category were Beth Lomas, of Cheadle Hulme School, whose painting of a full English breakfast delighted the judges, and Luke Merrill, from The Manchester Grammar School, whose pencil portrait demonstrated superb observation and drawing skills.
Finally, the Under 18 category was the perfect summary of where we can expect our younger entrants to go; assured, sophisticated work encompassing a variety of media that challenged and absorbed in equal measure.
In this category the quality of the entrants was so universally high that not one entry received a vote from every judge, with opinion divided across multiple entries. The winner, Atia Raja from Manchester High School for Girls, gave us a very assured portrait of a young girl, while our two Highly Commended entrants, Ciara Darcy from St. Bede’s College and Megan Jones from Cheadle Hulme School both demonstrated considerable drawing talent.
It may be that some of these talented young people pursue a future in art and for others that it may remain no more than a hobby; whichever path they choose, we both envy their skill and wish them luck for their future.
2017 Living Edge School Arts Competition
Ciara Darcy, highly commended in the under 18 category
Beth Lomas, highly commended in the under 16 category
Jed Bailey, highly commended in the under 14 category
Alice Hackney, winner of the under 16 category with Geoffrey Key
Geoffrey Key with Max Cooper, winner of the under 14 category
Grannie Sue Hill with Charlie Coates, Kate Bennett and Tanya Bennett
Tony Crookes, Joan Crookes, Laura Scott, Alison Scott and Charlotte Scott
Tony Crookes, Joan Crookes, Laura Scott, Alison Scott and Charlotte Scott
Suzanne and Lara Culter
Jo, Will, Freddie and Chris Dobbs
Gill, Jed and Keith Bailey
Beverley, Jennifer and John Finch
Libby and Emma Colbert
Libby and Emma Colbert
Elizabeth, Jack and Tom Bridgford
Kim Noble, Linda Chase and Claire Cooper, from Living Edge
Katie Davies, Beech Hall School
Jaya Sharma, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Misha Notley, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Tessa Grimshaw, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Lara Coulter, Alderley Edge School for Girls
Olivia Hughes, Alderley Edge School for Girls
Rowdah Charbak, Alderley Edge School for Girls
Jed Bailey, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Alex Mollard, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Katie Thornton-West, Beech Hall School
Jennifer Finch, Bridgewater School
Kate Purchase, Bridgewater School
Amelia Camilleri, Bridgewater School
Beth Lomas, Cheadle Hulme School
Max Cooper, Cheadle Hulme School
Megan Jones, Cheadle Hulme School
Isabella Wong, Cransley School
Sofi Water, Cransley School
Jack Bridgeford, The Manchester Grammar School
James Evans, The Kings School Chester
Shruti Kanan, The Kings School Chester
Laura Scott, The Kings School Chester
Evie Hancox, The Kings School Macclesfield
Matthew Sherratt, The Kings School Macclesfield
Kat Bennett, The Kings School Macclesfield
May Nassar, Lady Barn House School
Luke Merrill, The Manchester Grammar School
Atia Raja, Manchester High School for Girls
Francesca Hyder, Manchester High School for Girls
Amy McGuiness, St. Bedes College
Ciara Darcy, St. Bedes College
Emilia Heywood-Leigh, Stockport Grammar School
Libby Colbert, Stockport Grammar School
Will Dodds, The Manchester Grammar School
Alice Hacking, Withington Girls School
Molly Dow, Withington Girls School
Our winners
14 & Under
Winner
Max Cooper, Cheadle Hulme School
Highly Commended:
Jed Bailey, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Jack Bridgeford, The Manchester Grammar School
16 & Under
Winner
Alice Hackney, Withington Girls School
Highly Commended
Beth Lomas, Cheadle Hulme School
Luke Merrill, The Manchester Grammar School
18 & Under
Winner
Atia Raja, Manchester High School for Girls
Highly Commended
Megan Jones, Cheadle Hulme School
Ciara Darcy, St. Bede’s College
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