Winning designs to light up Kew Wakehurst this winter

Two young artists from East Sussex will see their designs brought to life as part of this year’s Glow Wild illuminated trail at Wakehurst.

East Sussex College student Anton Timlin and Willingdon School student Iris Stringer were named the winners of the Glow Wild 2026 Lantern Design Competition, which challenged young people aged 13-19 to imagine the natural world through the theme ‘In Search of Nature’s Gifts’

The competition was delivered through a partnership between East Sussex College, Wakehurst and GTR/Southern Rail, with entries submitted by schools and colleges across the region.

Anton won the 16–19 category, while Iris was selected as the winner of the 13–15 category.

“I am very happy and really enjoyed making my sketch come to life,” said Anton.

The pair were presented with their awards by Susan Raikes, Director Kew Wakehurst, during a special prize presentation celebrating the creativity and imagination shown by this year’s entrants.

As part of their prize, Anton and Iris were given the opportunity to work alongside Wakehurst’s professional creative team to turn their original designs into large-scale illuminated lanterns.

Their finished creations will form part of this year’s Glow Wild trail, which opens at Wakehurst on 26th November and runs until 2nd January 2027.

For both young artists, seeing an idea move from an initial sketch to a full-sized illuminated installation has provided a unique opportunity to experience what it is like to work on a professional creative project.

The winning lanterns will be featured in a dedicated display celebrating this year’s competition, giving visitors the chance to see the designs that stood out from entries submitted by young creatives across the region.

Five runners-up in each age category were also recognised for their designs. They received Amazon vouchers and places on an exclusive professional lantern-making workshop at Wakehurst, giving them the chance to develop their creative skills and learn more about how illuminated installations are made.

Nigel Ryan, Creative Lead at East Sussex College, said: “The standard of work was genuinely exceptional and demonstrated just how much creative talent exists across our region. This competition has given young people the opportunity to see their ideas move beyond the sketchbook and become part of a major public event.

“For Anton and Iris, this is an incredible achievement. To have your artwork transformed into large-scale illuminated installations and seen by thousands of visitors is a fantastic opportunity for any young artist. We’re incredibly proud of everyone who entered and grateful to Wakehurst and Southern Rail for helping make this opportunity possible.”

The competition is part of East Sussex College’s wider work to give students and young people opportunities to work with professional organisations and gain experience beyond the classroom.

For Anton and Iris, the project has provided the chance to see their creative ideas become something physical and public, while for all of the entrants it offered an opportunity to respond to a real-world creative brief.

Glow Wild 2026 opens at Wakehurst on 26 November 2026, with the winning lanterns forming part of the illuminated trail throughout the winter.

Find out more about Glow Wild at Wakehurst: https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-on/glow-wild?utm_