November 3rd 2023, marked the awards ceremony for the Black History Month Creative Writing and Visual Arts Competition organised by Lowestoft Town Council.
This year's event, the largest in the three years of the Council's celebration of Black History Month, received an impressive 740 submissions from young talents in Lowestoft.
The Visual Arts Competition showcased incredible collages, scratch art, and clay sculptures portraying important inspirational figures like Muhammed Ali, Ruby Bridges, and Beyonce. The creative styles of Ruth Asawa and Augusta Savage served as inspiration for these masterpieces.
Judges were thrilled by the quantity and quality of submissions and awarded the Visual Arts Shield to REAch2 school Phoenix St Peter’s for their diverse art styles and impressive whole school display.
Expressing her joy at the awards, Cllr Sonia Barker, Mayor of Lowestoft, remarked, "It was wonderful to have such a great response to our Black History Month competition this year and such a high quality of entries. Thank you to everyone who took part, from the students to the teachers and parents. Congratulations to all the winners!"
Mrs. Terri Freeman, Deputy Head of Phoenix St Peter’s, shared her excitement on receiving the Visual Arts Award, saying, "We are thrilled to receive the first-ever Visual Arts School Award on behalf of the remarkable artists at Phoenix St Peter Academy. This acknowledgement extends beyond artistic talent—it reflects the values embedded in our school and resonates across our academy trust. At Phoenix St Peter, our commitment to inclusion and diversity is a living principle helped by our shared definition: 'realising the greatness in our differences.'"
