Although unable to celebrate in person, the entries for the Junior Painter of the Year awards for 2019/2020 were remarkable.

Due to government guidelines, the annual awards ceremony for the Junior Painter contest had to be cancelled. Participants’ certificates and the winners’ prizes were posted to them. The Junior Painter contest, open to primary school children across Ireland, inspires hundreds of budding young artists to promote equality for people with disabilities in developing countries through art.

With over 900 entries received from children aged four to 13, the judges had a tremendously difficult job choosing the finalists.

Prizes were awarded by class category with two prizes for each class group.

• Junior and Senior infants
• 1^st and 2^nd class
• 3^rd and 4^th class
• 5^th and 6^th class

The overall national winner received a Samsung Galaxy tablet with S pen, and a one-year membership of ReCreate and a ReCreate Revolution workshop for their school.

The first runner-up received an engraved wooden box set of Derwent Coloursoft pencils, a year-long ReCreate membership for their school and an invitation for their class class to a workshop at ReCreate’s Warehouse in Dublin – a must see.

The second runner-up received an engraved wooden box set of Derwent Coloursoft pencils and a year-long membership to ReCreate for the their school, worth €250.

All finalists also received a certificate for participation and a small trophy plaque.

Workshops have not yet restarted with ReCreate. Once they are back up and running, the workshop prizes will be sent to schools.