- Artist Samson Kambala and Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, announce the winners of the 13th Fourth Plinth Schools Awards at City Hall
- Prizes have been awarded across six age groups and to 29 Borough winners
Artist Samson Kambalu and Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, today announced the winners of the Fourth Plinth Schools Awards 2022 – an annual award which invites London’s schoolchildren to create artwork inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
This year’s competition saw entries from almost 2,000 students across the city, showcasing the creativity of schoolchildren in the capital. The entries included artworks tackling issues of climate change, gender equality, mental health, and the history of London.
The winning artworks will be displayed in an exhibition at London’s City Hall from 5 May to mid-June 2022.
This year’s winners are:
5-7 Years winner: Larmenier & Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hammersmith and Fulham
8-11 Years winner: Whitmore High School, Harrow
12-15 Years winner: Overton Grange School, Sutton
The Samson Kambalu Prize for Providence: Lansbury Lawrence Primary School, Tower Hamlets, Rosemary Works School, Hackney and Park School for Girls, Redbridge
There were also winners chosen for 29 London boroughs.
Since the launch of the programme in 1998, the Fourth Plinth Schools Award has reached more than 27,000 children. The annual competition invites London’s primary and secondary school children aged between 5 and 15 to create an artwork inspired by past and present Fourth Plinth commissions.
The exhibition is sponsored by Cass Art, the UK’s leading art supplied retailer and Bloomberg Philanthropies, whose Arts programme supports artists and cultural organisations, improves audience experience and facilitates dynamic collaborations to address civic issues. Alongside interactive content about the 2022 and 2024 Fourth Plinth installations, winning works from the School Awards will be available to explore through the Fourth Plinth digital guide on the free Bloomberg Connects app, available for download from Google Play or the App Store.
This year the competition was judged by Samson Kambalu, whose work ‘Antelope’ was selected for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. ‘Antelope’ will be unveiled later this year.
Samson Kambalu, judge of the 2022 Fourth Plinth Schools Award, said: “I was incredibly impressed by the standard of entries to the Fourth Plinth School Awards and would like to congratulate the winners and all those who took part. The competition highlights the huge talent that exists in schools across London, with students tackling some very important issues with great creativity. It shows that we have a very exciting future with this next generation of artists.”
Justine Simons, OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “It’s been a delight to see the inspiring artwork that talented schoolchildren across the capital have created for this year’s awards. Inspired by our world-renowned Fourth Plinth commissions, these artists of tomorrow have reflected on some of the biggest issues facing our city and have shown great creativity through their artwork.”
Notes to editors
Winners
5-7 Years winner: Larmenier & Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hammersmith and Fulham
8-11 Years winner: Whitmore High School, Harrow
12-15 Years winner: Overton Grange School, Sutton
The Samson Kambalu Prize for Providence: Lansbury Lawrence Primary School, Tower Hamlets, Rosemary Works School, Hackney and Park School for Girls, Redbridge
Fourth Plinth Schools Award
Organised by the Mayor of London in partnership with Cass Art, this annual competition is open to all primary and secondary schools in the capital for students aged between 5-15. Students are encouraged to produce their own work of art, inspired by the contemporary art commissions for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Those entering can use any medium, including drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, digital and video. Group and individual entries are welcome and there is no limit to the number that each school can put in. The artwork of the winners of the competition is not displayed on the Fourth Plinth itself. Entries are submitted to the Fourth Plinth Schools Awards website where all entries can be viewed.
The Fourth Plinth Programme
The Fourth Plinth programme is funded by the Mayor of London with support from Arts Council England. This year Bloomberg Philanthropies has become the principle sponsor and will support the next two commissions as part of their commitment to public art in global cities – make clearer, which two commissions etc. The programme invites world-class artists to make new works for the centre of the capital city. The programme was initiated in 1998 by the RSA with the support of the Cass Sculpture Foundation for the following commissions: Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger (1999), Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow (2000) and Monument by Rachel Whiteread (2001).
In 1999 responsibility for Trafalgar Square was transferred to the Mayor of London and the Fourth Plinth Programme is now led by the Mayor’s Culture Team, under the guidance of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group (FPCG). Its first commission was Marc Quinn's sculpture ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’, unveiled in September 2005. It was followed by Thomas Schütte’s ‘Model for a Hotel’ in 2007 and by Antony Gormley’s ‘One & Other’ in 2009. Yinka Shonibare MBE’s sculpture ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ was unveiled in 2010. ‘Powerless Structures, Fig 101’ by Elmgreen & Dragset followed for 2012. Katharina Fritsch’s ‘Hahn / Cock’, was launched in July 2013, with Hans Haacke’s ‘Gift Horse’ the 10th commission in 2015, ‘Really Good’ by David Shrigley the 11th commission in 2016 and the 12th commission was ‘The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist’ by Michael Rakowitz’s was unveiled in 2018.
The latest Fourth Plinth commission and 13th work in the series, ‘THE END’ by Heather Phillipson, was unveiled in July 2020 and Heather Phillipson has been nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize for her Fourth Plinth commission.
The next commission – ‘Antelope’, restages a 1914 photograph showing John Chilembwe, a Baptist preacher and a pan-Africanist, and European missionary John Chorley in Nyasaland (now Malawi). John Chilembwe has his hat on, defying the colonial rule that forbade Africans from wearing hats in front of white people. The work by Samson Kambalu will be unveiled in September 2022.
About Bloomberg Connects
Bloomberg Connects offers free digital guides to cultural organizations around the world. The app platform is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ longstanding commitment to supporting digital innovation in the arts. Bloomberg Connects makes it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices when visiting in person, or anytime from anywhere. With dynamic content exclusive to each partner organization, the app provides a range of features including video, audio, and text; expert commentary; and way-finding maps. Follow Bloomberg Connects on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates on new guide launches, exhibit highlights, and more.