Aspiring photographer gets work shown in national exhibition

Rebecca Pritchard, a second year A Level student at Newcastle College, had one of her images featured in the Royal Academy of Arts’ Young Artists Summer Show.

Tens of thousands of entries were received from students around the UK with Rebecca’s image ‘Nature’s Movie’ selected to appear in the prestigious exhibition.

Rebecca, who is studying A Level Photography, created a cyanotype print in Keele Woods, using a white sheet as a metaphor for a cinema screen with the print being developed by nature.

Describing the process, Rebecca said: “Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique where you coat a sheet or paper in a solution of iron salts before exposing it to UV light and then wash off the solution with water to reveal a white and blue image.

“I was inspired to create the image as the grandeur of nature reveals itself like a movie and it’s all around us to enjoy and explore.”

Hearing her image had been selected as one of the 478 featured works of art out of 21,000 submissions, Rebecca said: “I was so excited to find out my work would be included in the exhibition and was invited to attend a special event with other young artists before it was opened to the public.

“I met lots of lovely people and it has definitely inspired me to continue to make art and to use nature as a subject matter.”

Now in its fifth year, The Royal Academy of Arts’ Young Artists Summer Show showcases the creativity and imagination captured in artwork made by students aged 4–19 across the UK.

The exhibition is free to enter with participating schools and colleges having to register beforehand in order to submit artwork. The project is supported by Robin Hambro, a passionate advocate for the importance of access to art, and the benefits of encouraging the arts for children and young people.

Curriculum Leader for A Level Photography, Academic and Creative Studies Amber Banks-Brumby, said: “At NSCG we encourage all of our students to seek out opportunities beyond the classroom and as such, we pre-register for this event to enable our students to submit artwork or photography if they wish. We have had student's appear in the Royal Academy Young Artists' Show in 2021, 2022 and now 2023.

“We are incredibly proud of Rebecca for taking this opportunity as being selected to appear in the exhibition is an incredible achievement. Her image, ‘Nature’s Movie’ is a well-thought out concept and she deserves every success.”

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