Shoreham art exhibition explores how children were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

Shoreham and Southwick Rotary Club organised the art competition for children aged four to 11 and received 113 entries from six schools, Shoreham Beach, Swiss Gardens, St Nicolas and St Mary, Glebe and Herons Dale primary schools and Eastbrook Primary Academy.

All entries were independently judged by three local artists and prizes of art materials were presented to the winners by club president Kevin Boram. Letters of thanks were also sent to every child who took part. The children’s creations are now on display at the Shoreham Centre until June 11, as part of the Adur Art Trail.

Kevin said: “There is everything here from humour to sadness. The children have had a rotten time, so it is nice to celebrate and for them to really express their feelings on it. It is useful for us to see how they reflect on it and how it has affected them. To see a child connect like that, it gives you their perspective.”

Rotarian Hattie Cox, who mounted the exhibition, highlighted some of the entries, like the second-prize winner from a nine-year-old Shoreham Beach Primary School pupil where a green person represents the artist as a superhero trying to stop a Covid wrecking ball from smashing things they want to do, and the second-prize winner from a seven-year-old Swiss Gardens Primary School pupil celebrating the new baby in her family. Hattie said: “The work that has gone into them, there is so much detail and a lot of energy.”Among the collages and 3D pieces was a ball of rubber bands by a year-three pupil at Shoreham Beach. This came with the message 'the coronavirus has bounced around but now we have bounced back'.

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