The Irish League of Credit Unions and its 469 affiliated credit unions have launched the annual All Ireland Art Competition. The competition, which is one of the biggest competitions for children and adults alike, has been running for 31 years is open to entrants of all ages.
This year’s theme ‘Artfest’ is open to interpretation by each entrant but aims to celebrate the creativity, imagination and vibrancy of Irish people and their communities.
The competition, which attracts over 30,000 entries each year, will be run through a network of over 469 credit unions located throughout the island of Ireland and will culminate in the national final which will be held in February 2015 in Croke Park.
Speaking about the launch Mandy Johnston, ILCU Head of Communications said: “The All Ireland Credit Union Art Competition continues to celebrate the outstanding talent of people, young and old, across the country. It is so very important to allow budding artists an outlet for artist expression on a national stage. The volume of entries has been increasing year on year and so has the standard of entries. The creativity and diversity of how these artists interpret the theme every year is simply outstanding. I wish everyone who takes part, the very best of luck and we look forward to seeing all of our finalists in Croke Park next year.”
Dublin based graffiti artist VENTS undertook the artwork on behalf of the credit unions in celebration of the 31st year of the competition. VENTS has always given time to his community, especially aspiring kids who share an interest in art and was delighted to be involved in the project. VENTS honed his skills over the last five years while working under MASER who is now considered one of the finest contemporary artists in the world.
How the Competition Works
There are two categories in the 2014 national Art Competition – General and Special. Each category will have the following age groups:
• 7 years and under
• 8-10 years
• 11-13 years
• 14-17 years
• 18 years and over
The Special Category encourages participants with a physical or intellectual disability to submit entries in free expression without the restriction of the competition’s official theme (should they so wish).
Applicants can apply online by clicking here.
Local winners at credit union level in each category go forward to Regional Finals. Winning entries from regional level go through to the National Final. Prizes will be awarded at each stage and a National Awards Ceremony will be held in February 2015 and will be hosted by TV personality Marty Whelan.
All entries must be submitted to your local Credit Union. The closing date for members of St. Colman’s Credit Union are as follows:
Level Closing Date
Stage 1 Credit Union Level Friday 24th Oct 2014
Stage 2 Regional (Chapter) Level Friday 21st Nov 2014
Stage 3 National Level Friday 5th Dec 2014
Check out the promotional video here: ArtFest 2014