Continued success for Fine Art students at Farlington

Over recent years, a number of our talented Fine Art students have celebrated victory in two prestigious competitions for young artists – the Independent Schools Association (ISA) National Art Competition, and the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) Rising Stars Competition.

On Thursday, 22nd June, the winners of the London South regional heat of the ISA National Art Competition 2023 were announced. This annual event recognises artistic talent at ISA members' schools, showcasing the fabulous artwork produced by their students. We were thrilled to learn that Farlington students had won a total of five categories at this year's regional heat, with a further two students selected as runners-up, and one highly commended. Our five winners will now go through to the national final in November. 

Last year, our young artists celebrated similar success when no fewer than 10 Farlington School students scooped prizes at the London South regional heat of the ISA National Art Competition 2022. First place was awarded to four of our students in Years 8 to 13, whilst three Farlington pupils, in Years 11 and 12, were awarded second place in their categories. A further three students, in Years 9 and 11, were highly commended for their artwork.

“It is just wonderful to see the talent and dedication of these students being recognised,” says Mrs Rosalyn Sprey, Head of Art at Farlington. “It is always fantastic to see our pupils’ exceptional artwork displayed outside of school, too.” 

In 2021, Farlington students emerged victorious at not only the regional heat of the ISA National Art Competition, but at the national final too. After triumphing at the regional heat, two Farlington students, in Years 11 and 13, went on to win first place in their categories at the national final.

The work of A-Level Fine Art students at Farlington has also been recognised by the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) in recent years. 

This month, two pieces of artwork produced by one of our Year 13 students were selected by The Arts Society West Sussex to go through to the final selection process for the RBA Rising Stars Competition, a joint venture developed by the RBA and The Arts Society. The winning entries will be exhibited as part of the annual Rising Stars Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London.

“We have had many Farlington students recognised by the RBA in the past, and I am absolutely delighted to see one of our wonderful artists selected once again this year,” says Mrs Sprey. 

In June 2022, three of our Year 13 students were selected by The Arts Society West Sussex as semi-finalists in the RBA Rising Stars Competition, which had been delayed due to the pandemic. The winning pieces submitted by the semi-finalists were exhibited at the Royal Over-Seas League in Mayfair.

In 2020, another Year 13 student at Farlington was named as one of the RBA’s ‘Star Students’ – one of just 20 A-Level students to be selected nationally, each having been first identified by their local Arts Society.

The arts are part of the fabric of Farlington, and the school’s thriving Art Department has an excellent reputation. A-Level Art students at Farlington have consistently achieved grade A* or A in recent years, and in 2020 the school was awarded the prestigious Silver Artsmark.

Many congratulations to all of these very talented students, and of course to the wonderful Mrs Sprey. We look forward to hearing the judges’ decisions at the ISA National Art Competition and the final round of the RBA Rising Stars Competition later this year.

Please find below a selection of the winning pieces.