The annual competition, which opens in February each year, invites children to promote equality for people with disabilities around the world through art.
Junior Painter of the Year
The Junior Painter of the Year competition invites children to get creative to show the importance of including people with disabilities in society.
Primary school children are encouraged to get creative by drawing, colouring or painting a picture that shows their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and how the goals can help people with disabilities to achieve equality.
Teachers can use our education website Put us in the picture to provide an age-appropriate, deeper understanding of disability and inclusion. Children who complete the workshop will receive a certificate.
All children who enter will receive a certificate, with prizes awarded to the schools of the national winners. Students can win memberships to workshops and creative toolboxes from ReCreate Ireland.
The Junior Painter of the Year awards are funded by Irish Aid. Read about our work with Irish Aid.
How to enter
- Complete the Put us in the picture workshop and print off your certificate.
- Draw, paint or colour your picture based on this year’s theme. (To be announced for 2025.)
- Fill out the application form and send it to us along with your certificate and artwork. The address is Meadhbh Mlowezi, Sightsavers Ireland, 305 The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7.
Please note that we may be unable to return artwork due to the amount of entries we receive.
The competition is now closed for 2024. Entries for next year’s competition will open in early 2025. Please check back here for more information.
Read about our past winners
Junior Painter 2023: students’ ‘phenomenal’ artwork commended
Finalists in Sightsavers Ireland’s annual competition have been celebrating their prizewinning artwork at an awards ceremony in Dublin.
July 2023
Junior Painter 2022: young artists wow judges at prizegiving ceremony
Primary school children across Ireland have been celebrating after receiving awards for their artwork through the annual competition.
June 2022
Junior Painter award winners unveiled
Although unable to celebrate in person, the entries for the Junior Painter of the Year awards for 2019/2020 were remarkable.
November 2020
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