The Spirited Arts & Poetry Competition is run by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) and hundreds of schools from around the world take part. AIA and Veganism in Education (VinE) jointly sponsor an animal theme.
The theme for 2023 was “All God’s Creatures?” to encourage schools to think about our relationship with animals and to explore our new RE teaching resources. The competition closed on 31st July 2023 and over 4,000 entries were received. Judging was undertaken by NATRE, AIA and VinE and also our patron Peter Egan. The standard of the entries were amazing and judging proved to be extremely difficult.
AIA’s Barbara Gardner said: “The entries were so impressive – not just for their artistic merit and demonstration of knowledge of scriptures from a wide variety of faiths, but also because of the thought and understanding of deep ethical and philosophical questions and concern for the kind treatment of animals and, indeed, for all creation.”
To enter the competition, children were asked to consider the following:
Do animals belong to God? Are they part of a divine plan? Do animals have souls? The beauty and sheer awesomeness of non-human animals with whom we share planet Earth is celebrated in many of the world’s religions. Some worldviews see all living beings as interconnected, yet others emphasise the separateness and superiority of humans over other animals. Animals play a huge part in all our lives, whether we realise or not. How humans interact with other animals and the natural world impacts on all living beings and the planet. This theme invites exploration of ideas and beliefs about non-human animals. Great work will show originality and flare coming from deep consideration of the issues. Challenge learners to engage thoughtfully with scripture, philosophy, and scientific enquiry to write an inspiring passage to accompany stunning images. We are delighted to partner with the Animals Interfaith Alliance (AIA) and Veganism in Education (VinE) to bring you this theme.
NATRE welcomes entries in (almost!) any art form, including:
- Art (painting, drawing, sketching etc)
- Poetry
- Photography
- Dance
- Music
- Drama
- Sculpture
Full details can be read on the NATRE’s Website here.
2024 Competition Sponsored by AIA and VinE
“Why do Animals Matter?“
Following the success of the 2023 competition, VinE and AIA are already starting to plan their sponsorship of a 2024 animal theme, as we feel this is a really important and effective way to get children to consider the ethical treatment of animals and to help to build a more peaceful world. This year’s theme will be “Why do Animals Matter?”
Full details can be found on NATRE’s website here
If you could help us with sponsorship, please donate here:
Animal Interfaith Alliance 