John Lewis and Art Battle Manchester launch competition for young artists

John Lewis Cheadle and Art Battle Manchester have announced the launch of ‘My Happy Place’, an art competition for young creatives to showcase their talents and compete for some top prizes.

The competition is taking place as Stockport celebrates a year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. In the spirit of Town of Culture’s ‘A year of art for everyone’ message, the event will celebrate the town’s young artists, talent and provide them with an opportunity to celebrate and showcase their work.

Lucky winners, who will be judged by established local artists, will have their pieces displayed at the John Lewis Cheadle store. In addition to having their work displayed in a place visited by thousands each week, each artist will be awarded top prizes. The Happy Place exhibition is expected to give insights into the places that are most revered in the eyes of Stockport’s young people.

John Macaulay, Co-Founder of Art Battle MCR, said:

“We love showcasing local artists and bringing art outside the gallery, and My Happy Place does both these things. We’re proper excited to see the world through the eyes of local young people.”

Craig Neil, Head of Branch John Lewis Cheadle, added:

“We’re delighted to be supporting young artists in our community, and we can’t wait to see what My Happy Place means to them.”

Artists aged 5-18 years are encouraged to show their special place, wherever that may be, and what it means to them. Submissions are encouraged from different genres of art, including but not limited to painting, mosaics, tapestry, illustrations, digital media, photography. The only limitation is the ability to hang artwork on the walls.

Entries must include an image of the artwork which should have been created in the last 12 months and a short paragraph telling the story of piece. The judging panel is made up of established local artists including painters Lucy Burgess and Kate O’Brien, street artist Oskar With A K and recent Art Battle winner Lauren Carroll.

Art Battle Manchester, who have been providing a platform for local artists for the last 10 years, will be the official delivery partner for MY HAPPY PLACE.

The deadline for entries is 29th February 2024, with full details of how to enter available from the Art Battle Manchester website.