Supporting the Next Generation of Talented Artists

This year’s competition introduced the Judith Fletcher Memorial Prize, awarded to Lucy Liu, a year 13 student at Maiden Erlegh school. The judges were unanimous in their decision, impressed by Lucy’s incredible technical skills across multiple media and her gift for artistic interpretation. Lucy describes her art as “a way of taking a topic you feel strongly about, and presenting it in an accessible way for others to understand.”

Looking ahead, Lucy hopes to study fine art at UCL next year. In her spare time, she works with children with special educational needs, finding it “incredibly rewarding” to help them translate their thoughts and feelings into pieces they’re proud of.

The Henley Art Society generously sponsored two additional awards, presented to Zinnia Hodge in year 12 at Henley College and Evelyn Young, also in year 12 at Shiplake College. Both artists distinguished themselves with their first year of A levels work, demonstrating originality in subject matter alongside exceptional skill in both drawing and painting.

Evelyn shares her connection to art: “being creative is how I express my emotions the best. When I’m having a stressful or overwhelming day, I find doing art a great outlet.” When considering her future in the arts, she says “I’d love to work in interior design or even set design for movies, so I can make my visions come to life.”

For Zinna, creativity is fundamental to her identity: “I’ve created art obsessively for as long as I can remember so I can’t imagine who I would be or what I would do without art. It sends me to a place where I am accepted and can be myself and It tickles my brain in a way that nothing else does. It also is a means of expressing and communicating who I am in a way that does not involve communicating directly to people which I am not so good at.”

All three winners chose to participate in a master class in oil painting led by professional artist Sue Tilbury, who taught one of last year’s winners, Freddie Hodges. Sue is enthusiastic about working with these talented young artists, helping them develop skills in this unique medium that isn’t commonly taught in schools.

Work by the ArtSpark Prize winners was on display during the Henley Arts Trail over the early May Bank holiday 2025.

Wendy Penrose, jewellery designer and chair of the Henley Arts Trail committee, explains the motivation behind the prize: “I wanted to make sure that as a community of creatives we support the next generation of up and coming artists. With many schools only having limited resources for teaching art I wanted to be able to offer the most talented young students the chance to try alternative specialist media that may not be part of their curriculum. There are so many different ways to be creative. When applying to university there’s a bewildering choice of specialist media to study but these young people are unlikely to have ever tried them before. It’s hard to know if they might have a passion for them. The ArtSpark prize gives them the chance to experiment and try something new with the advantage of being taught by a professional in that field who becomes a sort of mentor at the same time.”

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy highlighted the importance of supporting the arts in the UK with a major £270 million investment in the Arts Everywhere Fund. She noted that “Our first-class creative industries and are a key part of what makes Britain so great. The creative industries are worth £124 billion to our economy, creating jobs, opportunities and showcasing the best of Britain to the world.”

While the Henley Arts Trail and ArtSpark competition don’t receive government funding, the local community is taking matters into their own hands. With support from sponsors like Daler Rowney, The Arts Society Henley, and the individual generosity of the Fletchers, Henley is making a real difference in supporting young people locally.

Through initiatives like the ArtSpark Prize, we’re not just celebrating artistic talent – we’re investing in the creative leaders of tomorrow, ensuring they have the resources, guidance, and encouragement to flourish.