We are thrilled to announce that Global Canvas 2024 is now open for entries! We are very much looking forward to receiving everyone’s artwork and the competition commencing. Find out more about the competition and how to apply below.
Global Canvas children’s art competition is an annual international art contest run by DSWF, to encourage creativity from young people, to display thought and concern for our planet’s environment and the incredible wildlife that inhabits it.
Set up in 2004 by DSWF’s founder, wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd, each year, the competition receives thoughtful and creative entries from all over the world, with an amazing array of interpretations of the year’s theme.
A barometer measures atmospheric pressure to help us prepare for bad weather. The ‘Red List’ of threatened species measures the pressures acting on species and how many are left, which helps governments and wildlife charities prevent extinctions. That is why the ‘Red List’ of endangered species, developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is often called the barometer of life.
The Red list was developed in 1964 and has grown into a searchable database of 150,000 animals and plants that anyone can use in their work to conserve wildlife. It contains information about where and how the animals and plants live, how many are left, the threats they are under and what we are doing to save them.
Previous Global Canvas themes have included ‘Biodiversity – A Complete Web of Life’, ‘Forests of Land and Sea’, ‘It’s Our World’, ‘Our Precious Planet’, ‘Into the Wild’, ‘Habitats of the World, Endangered’, and ‘Healing Nature – A Planet on the Edge’.
Children and young people aged 16 and under.
Groups and Individuals – the competition is split into 2 categories which are judged separately.
Groups require a minimum of 2 people.
The categories will then be judged in the following age groups:
Create your artwork Any art techniques can be used to create entries; including painting, sculpture, textiles, collages and we always like to see recycled materials.
Online Entry Form Fill-in the online form for Individual or Group by Tuesday 13 February 2024. Send us your contact details, clear images and a short video of your artwork.
Winners will be Announced All artwork will then be reviewed by our judges and the winners will be announced on 25th April 2024.
Groups Groups must create a ‘display’ based on the theme to enter the competition. Find out how to create a ‘display’ for Global Canvas.
Individuals Individuals can create an artwork of any size based on the theme.
Terms and conditions.
Click the link below to create an Individual application for Global Canvas 2024.
Click the link below to create a Group application for Global Canvas 2024.
A special thank you to artist and co-founder of Michael O’Mara Books, Lesley O’Mara, for her ongoing support as a personal champion of our work.
Created by Wildlife Artist of the Year finalists – our masterclasses have been designed exclusively for Global Canvas applicants. We will be publishing upcoming masterclasses, here.
We were delighted to receive a record-breaking number of entries, and the creativity and innovation on display was truly exceptional.
After a comprehensive judging process, winners were announced at our live Awards Ceremony on the 26th April 2023.
Young wildlife artists between the ages of 15 and 19 are invited to enter the ‘Youth Exclusive’ category in our Wildlife Artist of the Year competition. Click the button to find out more.
