Spirited Arts

We happily accept entries from students of all abilities and from various school types, spanning ages 3 to 19. Each school can submit up to 10 entries, so it’s essential to select your top 10.

Entry Types

Students have flexibility in creating their entries:

• Entries can be individual, in pairs, or group efforts.
• It’s also possible for entire classes, year groups, or even the entire school to collaborate on entries.
• In previous years, we’ve been delighted to receive entries from entire community groups.

he judging process, conducted by RE Today Advisers and students, occurs in August, and we announce the winners in the new academic year.

Prizes:

• We intend to award 5 prizes for each theme, totalling 25 prizes. However, we may grant more prizes for specific themes if we receive exceptional entries.
• Entries are categorised by Key Stages for judging, to have at least one winner for each Key Stage when possible.

Prize Categories:

• Individual pupil winners: £20 Amazon voucher.
• Paired winners: Each winner receives a £10 Amazon voucher.
• Group/Class/Year/School winners: Prizes are determined on a case-by-case basis but typically range from £50 to £100 in the form of a voucher or school check for selecting appropriate prizes.
• Please note: we cannot guarantee that international winners will receive a monetary prize, due to increasing restrictions on international spending and from online retailers such as Amazon.

Additional Prizes:

• Exceptional work from 14-19 students may win up to £100.
• Sometimes, we can make slightly larger awards for class or group entries.

School Prizes:

• Schools with winning entries receive prizes as well. Typically, this includes a voucher to spend with RE Today, NATRE, or a copy of a best-selling publication from RE Today.

There are various ways to organise the competition within your school. You should select your top 10 entries in the whole school to submit.

• You can opt for a single theme for your students to work on or let them choose from any of the 6 themes.
• Your 10 entries do not all have to be from the same theme.

What should each entry include?

Each entry should consist of a piece of art, which can be physical, literary, or created using technology. We welcome almost all artistic mediums. Additionally, there should be a corresponding write-up, limited to 400 words. This write-up should connect to the theme, highlight your students’ outstanding work, and provide meaningful commentary. The quality of these commentaries plays a significant role in the judging process.

How do I submit entries?

All entries must be registered through our online submission form. This process helps us gather the necessary school and student information, ensuring a smooth competition and allowing us to send out prizes and certificates.

What if the art piece is larger than A3 or a sculpture?

For larger pieces, such as those exceeding A3 size or sculptures, please provide us with high-quality photographs of the work. Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate large physical entries at our office.

How can I submit musical, dance, and drama entries?

Musical, dance, and drama entries can be submitted via email. Alternatively, you can send them on a USB or CD.

How to Send Your Entries

Once you complete the online submission form, you can print an address label with your unique reference.

Mailing Address:

Spirited Arts

National Association of Teachers of RE
Suite 5-6
1 Devon Way
Birmingham
B31 2TS

Please include your reference number on the envelope and on all pieces of artwork and their accompanying commentaries.

Attach write-ups to the corresponding artwork by stapling or glueing them to the back. This helps us match them up more efficiently.

Each work MUST be labelled with the pupil’s name, age, theme, and school details.

Email Submissions:

For digital entries like videos or music, you can send them digitally to [email protected]. To help us manage the submissions effectively, please ensure that all file names include the pupil’s name, age, and the theme they’re entering, like this:

Example: John Smith – age 7 – Where is God

Given the large volume of entries, using these specific details in file names is very helpful.

For more details and an entry checklist, you can download the full competition details

• allowing time to develop knowledge and ideas around a theme before completing the unit by creating their own entries.
• Other schools have run a RE week or day in their school that concludes with creating work for the competition.
• The competition can be used as a fun end-of-term activity or homework project.
• Use the competition as a great way to raise the profile of RE in your school! Make displays of your pupil’s work, and consider asking other members of the teaching staff, SLT or your head teacher to help do the preliminary judging when choosing your best 10 entries to send in.
• Some schools run exhibitions of all their pupil’s work and open them to parents and the wider community. Some even have attendees select the best 10 entries.