Six White Lodge prize winners show work at the Young Art 2026 Exhibition

Head of Art Clare Quamina recently accompanied six White Lodge students to Christie’s auction house in St James’s to view their artwork in the Young Art Exhibition.

She writes, ‘On Tuesday 21 April Year 9 students Chien-Ning, Myles, Eliana, Alba and Ryleigh and Year 11 student Ayuka attended the Private View of the Young Art Exhibition at Christie’s, where their artworks were chosen to be shown. Many of our students were awarded a Highly Commended and Commended certificate. It was a wonderful evening, and we were delighted that Lead Teacher of Geography Mrs Susi Sutherland and Academic & Pastoral Principal Mr David Gajadharsingh could also join us to celebrate with our talented artists and see their work on the walls. Parents and Guardians also attended. The theme this year was ‘Here and Now.’ 

Young Art is an annual charity exhibition of children’s paintings, drawings and prints which raises funds for research into childhood cancers. Over 5,400 young people aged from 4 to 18 from 59 schools enter the competition every year. The pictures are judged by a panel of leading contemporary artists and this year 626 were selected to be exhibited. Over the last 35 years Young Art has raised more than £1.4 million towards vital research into childhood cancers and clinical trials at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and given thousands of schoolchildren the unique opportunity to have their work judged by professional artists and the experience of seeing their picture exhibited at art galleries around London. 

The worlds of Art and Science coming together to find a cure for children with cancer. – Young Art

‘Reimagining of Girl with a Pearl Earring’ – Myles
and Chien-Ling next to her artwork.

‘The two shoes represent the two different lives of a ballerina’s life. It also represents where I am now and where I aspire to be in the future. That reveals my then and now.’ -Alba

‘Based on ‘Birth of Venus’ by Botticelli and ‘We Are Making a New World’ by Paul Nash. I’ve fused the images together keeping the essence of the Botticelli yet changing the left figure of what is the ‘now.’ The ‘new world’ reference is that of what is here and now.’ – Ryleigh

Ayuka’s entry into the printmaking competition

‘I have answered the saying ‘Here and Now’ by updating the old guitarist by Pablo Picasso into a busker in London’ -Eliana

The students with Susi, Clare and David

Catja Christensen is the Marketing and Communications Executive at The Royal Ballet School and joined the School in 2025. She enjoys interviewing students, staff and guest artists for news stories and crafting eye-catching newsletters.