2 November 2021 09:43

The RAD's new dance-inspired art competition for Wandsworth primary schools

Updated 18 March 2022

The competition winners were announced at the official opening of our new global headquarters on 10 March. Visit our competition page to read more.

To celebrate the opening of our brand-new global headquarters in Spring 2022, we are today announcing a new art competition open to primary schools across the borough.

Entrants will be asked to submit a drawing or painting inspired by dance and how it makes them feel. Schools from Wandsworth are invited to enter for a chance to have their entry displayed in the new building.

Designed to inspire children to engage with the borough’s historic and deep-rooted connection to the world of dance, schools will be invited to submit digital images of their students’ work for a chance to win the top prize - a personalised dance workshop at the RAD for the whole class, along with a special tour of the new headquarters, and other goodies.

A judging panel consisting of RAD President, Dame Darcey Bussell, Artistic Director, Gerard Charles, and former dancer with English National Ballet, Shevelle Dynott, will select the winning work and runners-up.

The winners will be announced in January 2022, and the winning work unveiled later on in the year.

Looking forward to the competition, Dame Darcey Bussell said:

“Dance is connected to every art form, and at this exciting moment in the RAD’s history we wanted to launch our first ever art competition created especially for schoolchildren across the borough. The panel of judges are so looking forward to what our young budding artists are inspired to create.”  

Artistic director, Gerard Charles, Royal Academy of Dance also commented:

“We are delighted to launch the very first borough-wide RAD art competition, inviting pupils across Wandsworth to get creative, inspired by the feeling they have when they dance or when they see dance, in any form.  Wandsworth is a large and diverse borough, and it is important that we understand what dance means to them. Our youngest residents could be the dancers, choreographers, teachers and artistic directors of the future”

Engaging with the community

We are committed to making our new headquarters a home for dance, for all. Our community engagement plan seeks to make programmes, projects and facilities physically and financially accessible to the local community, young and old, and a new 193-seat theatre will enable the organisation to share a wide range of dance performances locally.

For further information, and to download an application pack, visit our competition page.