St Mary's student wins Gratitude art competition to support NHS charities

We are delighted to share that St Mary's student Olivia H. has been selected as the winner of the Gratitude design competition by St James's Place Wealth Management.

Her striking design was created and sent by the school as part of our Wellbeing Day activities. Year 7 students contributed designs to a touring art installation, entitled Gratitude and created by global art producers, Wild in Art, focusing in particular on mental health and the support given to communities by the NHS. Free to visit, the exhibition has been curated in partnership with creative ambassador Dame Zandra Rhodes and consists of 51 sculptures, all designed by professional artists and designers from across the UK. As a continuation of the installation, budding young designers were then encouraged to create their own statues.

Olivia's tree design caught the judge's eye:

'We loved the tree design and the inspiration behind it'.

Olivia describes her inspiration:

'The tree represents that the NHS has stuck to helping us all through Covid and hasn't left our side like a tree and the swing represents that the NHS has been caring for us and didn't stop even through good and bad like how a swing goes back and forward but is strong enough so we don't fall'. 

As her prize, Olivia will receive her very own Gratitude sculpture. We can't wait to see it!

You can read more about Year 7's participation in this competition here.