As part of the Leeds 400 celebrations, we’re excited to announce the return of the Leeds 400 Art Competition
There are two categories:
- Under 16s
- Ages 16 and over
A panel of judges will select six winners from each category. The 12 winning artworks will be displayed in a pop-up exhibition at the Leeds Corn Exchange from Monday 13 July, marking 400 years since Leeds received its charter.
Each winner will also receive a £50 cash prize.
Competition Categories
Under 16s: How would you like Leeds to be in 400 years?
What could Leeds look like in the future?
What would your dream city look like? What technology might we have in the future? What will plants and animals look like? What will people be doing for fun? What transport will people use?
We’re looking for imaginative artwork from children and young people aged 15 and under
The deadline for entries is Sunday 31 May
AI-generated artwork: We want to celebrate individual creativity and original artistic work, so artwork created using AI tools or image generators cannot be accepted as part of this competition.
Ages 16 and Over: Prospects of Leeds
The theme for this category is “Prospects of Leeds.”
A prospect is simply a view of a place, often from an elevated viewpoint.
What’s your favourite view of Leeds?
- A city skyline
- A local park
- The view from your street or garden
- A hilltop landscape
- A meaningful corner of your community
Your artwork can capture any Leeds location, as long as it has a Leeds postcode. It does not need to be the city centre.
The deadline for entries is Sunday 31 May
Here are some historical prospects from the Thorseby Society that you might take inspiration from:
While the prospects above are there to serve as inspiration, it is not necessary for your artwork to replicate any of the styles above.
Click here to read more about historical prospects of Leeds.
Prospects of Leeds Research Guide from Leeds Central Library
Thank you to the Thoresby Society for providing the images above.
In Memory of Janet Douglas
This category is inspired by the late Janet Douglas. Janet Douglas was a prominent member of Leeds Civic Trust and volunteered on our Heritage and Culture Panel, who deliberate over future blue plaques. Janet was an academic and historian who led lively historical talks. She is greatly missed by us all. After her death, Janet’s daughter donated a beautiful prospect of Leeds from Janet’s collection to Leeds Civic Trust, which inspired this category in our Leeds 400 Art Competition.
How to Enter
Please email:
- A scan or digital image of your artwork (Need help scanning your image please see the information below)
- A 1–4 sentence description explaining your piece
Send entries to:
office@leedscivictrust.org.uk
Email subject line:
Art Competition Entry – (your name) – (Under 16s / Over 16s)
If you are entering the Under 16s category, please also include your age.
Before submitting your entry please read full terms and conditions below
Term and Conditions:
We can only accept entries to the competition sent in via an email attachment. We cannot accept physical artworks.
Artwork Guidelines
We welcome all styles of artwork, including:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Collage
- Photography
- Digital illustration (not using AI tools)
You can work in any style, from realistic to abstract.
By entering the competition, you give us permission to reproduce your artwork online, in our publications and in merchandise to promote the work of Leeds Civic Trust. Please be aware that we may reproduce your name on our promotional materials as the artist behind your artwork. If you do not want your name published alongside your artwork, please use a pseudonym.
AI-generated artwork: We want to celebrate individual creativity and original artistic work, so artwork created using AI tools or image generators cannot be accepted as part of this competition.
The deadline for entries is Sunday 31 May. We cannot consider artwork submitted after this date.
How to Scan
If you do not have a scanner or do not know how to scan, please don’t worry!
Scans are taken by placing your artwork on a glass screen in a scanner. The scanner creates a copy of the artwork and converts it to a digital file. This is similar to creating a photocopy, but instead of creating more paper copies of your original document, scanning creates a digital file of your document. If you do not have a scanner or do not know how to scan, please don’t worry! This should not be a barrier to you entering the competition. Please take your artwork along to your local library, and the librarians will be more than happy to assist you in creating a scan of your artwork to send in.
Click here to find your local library
Exhibition & Winners
The 12 winning artworks will be exhibited at the Leeds Corn Exchange from 13–17 July. All winning entries will be professionally reproduced and printed onto display boards for exhibition. These will be shown on easels on the lower floor of the Leeds Corn Exchange throughout the exhibition period.
Winners will also be invited to an evening awards ceremony on Thursday 16 July to receive their £50 prize.
We also hope to feature additional entries online and across our social media platforms.
The judges for the Leeds 400 Art Competition are:
- Hannah Beard – Senior Landscape Architect at Urban Wilderness, Leeds Civic Trust Trustee
- Jane Bhoyroo – Principal Keeper at Leeds Art Gallery
- Georgina Maud – Arts & Development at Rushbond PLC, Leeds Civic Trust corporate member
- Clifford Stead – Artist, local historian and tour guide, Leeds Civic Trust Trustee
- Jodie Stott – Head of Heritage, Engagement and Partnerships at Leeds Civic Trust
- Sienna – Children’s Mayor of Leeds (Under 16s category judge only)
Timeline
- Competition launch – Tuesday 31 March
- Deadline for entries – Sunday 31 May
- Week of judging – w/c 8 June
- Exhibition at Leeds Corn Exchange – Monday 13 – Friday 17 July
- Awards Ceremony – Thursday 16 July
We can’t wait to see your entries! Please make sure you’ve checked the entry checklist and read all the terms and conditions carefully before submitting your work.
Entry checklist
- Is the email subject ‘Art Competition Entry – (your name) (Under 16s / Over 16s)’?
- Have you attached a scan of your artwork?
- Have you included 1-4 sentences explaining what your artwork shows?
- If you are under 16 please state your age
How to Enter
Please email:
- A scan or digital image of your artwork (Need help scanning your image please see the information below)
- A 1–4 sentence description explaining your piece
Send entries to:
office@leedscivictrust.org.uk
Email subject line:
Art Competition Entry – (your name) – (Under 16s / Over 16s)
If you are entering the Under 16s category, please also include your age.
If you have any questions, please email office@leedscivictrust.org.uk or call 0113 243 9594.
