Community art competition
Essex County Council and Bauer Media Outdoor have joined forces to launch a new, exciting community art competition which is open to children and young people in Essex.
The competition is delivered as part of the Council’s 10 year partnership with Bauer Media Outdoor (formerly known as Clear Channel) for the installation, maintenance and advertising on the bus shelter estate across Essex.
This competition is a great opportunity for budding artists to show off their talent and celebrate the best of their community; with fantastic prizes on offer.
How to enter the Community Art Competition
We want you to be as creative as you can and think about what makes your community special to you. Your artwork could be inspired by any of the following
· 🎨 Community Helpers – Firefighters, police officers, doctors, and teachers working together.
· 🎨 Neighbourhood Scene – Houses, parks, and people enjoying activities like sports.
· 🎨 School Community – Friends, teachers, and school events.
· 🎨 Cultural Diversity – Different traditions, festivals, and cultures.
· 🎨 Community Events – Local fairs, parades, or clean-up days.
Who can enter
There are three age categories for the competition:
1. Primary School (up to 11 years of age);
2. Secondary School (11 to 16 years of age);
3. College/University (16 to 25 years of age).
Entries are individual and must be submitted no later than 31 August 2025. Schools and educational establishments are able to submit entries in bulk for ease, for example, if they choose to make entering the competition part of a class or event. Each entry must contain the necessary information per child
Once your masterpiece is complete, please send it to us via:
📧Email your entry to: travelessex@essex.gov.uk
✉️ Post your entry to: IPTU, Essex County Council,
Market Rd, Chelmsford,
CM1 1QH
A few little things to consider:
Important: Entries must be A4 portrait format!
If you email a scanned copy of your entry, please keep the original artwork safe in case you win
Be sure to include with your entry:
If sending via email; please also include your full name and ‘Community Art Competition’ in the subject
If sending via post; ensure your entry is in a sealed envelope with the above details enclosed
Remember, if you’re under 13 years old, you must provide your parents contact details as a condition of entering the competition.
Teachers: if you are sending a bundle of entries on behalf of your students, please provide your contacts details so we can contact you if one of your students win. Each piece of artwork must have the students name on the reverse side
Prizes
For the winner of each age category the following prizes will be offered:
£500 of art materials for your school or educational establishment.
Your artwork will be reproduced and posted for a year on the reverse side of our single sided digital advertising bus shelters across the county.
Your artwork will also appear on selected digital bus shelter advertising screens in Essex.
There will be a prize giving ceremony – winners will receive a certificate, have their picture taken alongside their winning artwork and receive a £100 amazon voucher
The competition judging panel
We have assembled a judging panel who choose the winning entry for each category and award the prizes. Our judging panel includes:
Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member Highways Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council
Louise Stubbings, Partnerships and Creative Director, Bauer Media Group
Kelly Grist - Head of Design, Bauer Media Group Marketing;
Sally Shaw MBE, Director of Firstsite art gallery in Colchester;
Terry Moore – Essex County Council Graphic Design Manager;
Winning entrants will be announced in Autumn 2025
