FAQs

Want to know more about the Young Artists’ Summer Show? Here’s a list of frequently asked questions. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact us.

Taking part

Who can take part?

Students aged 4-19 living and attending school in the UK can enter artworks.

Homeschooled students are welcome to submit too. Homeschooling parents, guardians and teachers will need to register as teachers and add the details of their homeschool by ticking the 'School not listed/homeschool' box on the registration page.

I attend a British International school, can I submit?

The Young Artists’ Summer Show is not open to students attending British International schools. Only students who live and study in the UK can apply.

Can I participate if my school hasn’t registered?

To participate a teacher has to register your school first. Once your school is registered you can create an account and submit your artwork.

You can check if a school is registered by visiting our registered school checker page. Search for the school by name, postcode or address. If the school is listed, it is registered and you can submit. If it’s not listed, you’ll be able to download a leaflet to share with a teacher so they can register the school.

What are the prizes?

Prizes are awarded each year for inspiring artworks, as chosen by the President of the Royal Academy and are generally a gift voucher for art materials. You can also vote for your favourite artwork in our annual People’s Choice Award.

Registering a school

How do I register a school?

A school must be registered by a teacher before anyone from that school can submit.

Teachers must create an account and select their school from the list. Next, follow the instructions on the confirmation email to activate the account. Once the account is activated, the school is registered and artworks can be submitted. If you already have an account, logging in will re-register your school.

I am a teacher and I registered last year, can I use the same log in?

If you’re still at the same school then you can use the same login details from last year. You must log in to activate your account before students from your school can submit; logging in will re-register your school. If you have moved to a new school, please create a new account with your new school email.

How can I check if a school is registered?

A school must be registered by a teacher before anyone from that school can submit.

You can check if a school is registered by visiting our registered school checker page. Search for the school by name, postcode or address. If the school is listed, it is registered and you can submit. If it's not listed, you'll be able to download a leaflet to share with a teacher so they can register the school.

Submitting artworks

How should I photograph my artwork?

When you submit, we ask you to share an image of the artwork which will be seen by the judges and be shown online if the artwork is selected for the exhibition. It’s essential that you submit a good image that represents how the artwork looks in real life; this will give your artwork the best chance of being selected by the judges. We’ve written some tips to help you capture a good image.

How do I submit?

Submitting artwork is completely free and is done online. First, a teacher will need to register your school. Once the school is registered, your artwork can be submitted. If you’re 12 or under, a teacher or parent/guardian will need to enter for you; if you’re 13 or over you can submit artwork yourself. We only accept one artwork per student and will not accept late submissions under any circumstances.

What type of artwork can I submit?

We've written some guidance you can download on the kinds of artwork the judges are looking for when they review submissions. Artworks can be made of any materials and might include painting, sculpture, photography, installation, print, textile, fashion, animation or a video.

There is no theme so artworks can be of any subject. Artworks that closely or identically reproduce another artist’s work or ideas won’t be selected. Please avoid making art with known comic, book illustration or animated characters or submitting the same artwork again year on year. We also do not accept AI-generated works.

Do you have to pay to submit an artwork?

It is free to participate in the Young Artists’ Summer Show.

Can I send a submission by post?

Submissions are done online only. Please do not send any artwork to the Royal Academy.

Does the artwork need to have been created this year?

We don’t mind when you made the artwork as long as you are between 4-19 years old when you submit it. Please note that you can’t submit the same artwork again year on year.

Can I submit a collaborative artwork?

We welcome collaborative artwork entries and there is no limit to the number of students involved. The artwork can be made by more than one student, a whole class, a whole year group or even a whole school! To submit this kind of artwork, choose a student to enter for the first step and on the artwork form use the ‘alias’ field to add the details of the artists involved.

Can I submit an artwork that is part of a GCSE, A Level or BTEC exam?

We are aware that the exhibition dates clash with the examination period for GCSE, A Level and BTEC students. If you’re submitting as, or for, a student at GCSE, A Level or BTEC level, please do not submit artwork that is being assessed for exams. Any artworks that are selected for the display at the RA cannot be returned until the end of the exhibition.

How do you submit a video?

To submit a video, you need to upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo and add the sharing URL link to the submission form. To use these sites you’ll be required to agree to their terms and conditions.

You must have permission to use any music in your video or we’ll be unable to exhibit it. Read more about copyright on the Artquest website.

Can I edit or delete an artwork submission?

You can edit or delete an artwork submission when you’re logged in to your account, where you’ll see an edit and delete option against each submission. If you want to delete an artwork after the submission deadline, please contact us.

Selection and exhibition

How are the artworks judged?

All of the artworks are viewed and judged by a panel of artists and art professionals who decide which artworks will be shown online and which will also be shown onsite at the Royal Academy. There are two panels of judges, one to review primary student artworks and one to review secondary student artworks.

A good image of the artwork is very important and could influence the way that the artwork is viewed by the judges. Read through our ‘How to photograph your artwork’ document for some helpful tips and tricks.

The RA recognises the resources gap between fee-paying and state schools and the impact this has on support for students’ creativity. We ask judges to be mindful of this when making their selections and encourage them to consider representing a fair balance of state and fee-paying students in the exhibition whilst also ensuring representation of work made by young artists across the breadth of the UK.

Everyone who submits artwork will hear the outcome of the judges’ selection by the end of May.

When will I find out if my artwork has been chosen for the exhibition?

Everyone who submits artwork will hear the outcome of the judges’ selection by the end of May.

What happens if my artwork is marked as ‘Unsuccessful this time’?

If the artwork is marked as 'Unsuccessful this time' it has not been selected for the exhibition. We receive a large number of applications each year and we love seeing each and every artwork that is submitted. Making the final selection is always incredibly difficult for the judges.

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us and we hope you’ll continue to submit again in the future.

What happens if my artwork is marked as ‘Accepted — online exhibition’?

If the artwork is marked as ‘Accepted — online exhibition’, it will be displayed online on our website.

We’ll ask you to confirm the details you provided in the submission are correct because those details will be shown on our website.

We must have a good quality image of the artwork to show online and we may contact you if we need a better image. We highly recommend reading our photography guidelines, which you can find when you log in to your account.

What happens if my artwork is marked as ‘Accepted — online exhibition and display at the RA’?

If the artwork is marked as ‘Accepted — online exhibition and display at the RA’, it will be shown both online on our website and onsite at the Royal Academy.

We’ll email you to tell you more about showing your work onsite at the Royal Academy. We’ll ask you to frame your artwork if it’s a work on paper or another 2D medium, and you’ll have to deliver the artwork to us either by post, courier or in person. You’ll need to confirm the details provided in the submission are correct because these details will appear in our catalogue and on our website.

We must have a good quality image of the artwork to show online and in the catalogue. We may contact you if we need a better image. We highly recommend reading our photography guidelines, which you can find when you log in to your account.

If my artwork is selected for the display at the RA, how do I arrange for the artwork to be delivered?

If the artwork is chosen for display at the RA, we will contact you to provide further details about the next steps. Works selected to be shown at the RA must be framed if it’s a work on paper or another 2D medium. Please do not frame your artwork with glass as it’s at very high risk of breaking. We will also share details of how to post, courier or deliver your work by hand to the Royal Academy.

Do I get my artwork back again after the display at the RA has finished?

If your artwork has been selected for display at the RA, you will be asked to come collect your work once the display has closed. We’ll have designated days for in-person collection and artists based far away from the Royal Academy will have their works couriered back to them. You must collect your work within one month of the exhibition closing otherwise it will be discarded.

If it’s selected, how long will my artwork be on display for?

All artworks in our online exhibition of the Young Artists’ Summer Show will be available to view in perpetuity. Artworks selected to be displayed at the RA are displayed for the duration of the exhibition which is one month.

Troubleshooting

I haven’t received my account activation email.

Start by checking your junk mail. If it’s not there, request a new email. If this doesn’t work and you’re a teacher, please check with your school IT department as it may be a firewall issue. Otherwise, contact us.

I am having problems submitting my artwork image.

Double check your files are 5MB or less and are one of the following formats: JPG or PNG. If you want to submit a file that is not a JPG or PNG, you can use a file converter website to change your file so it will upload.

General questions

Are the artworks for sale?

The RA does not sell artworks from the Young Artists’ Summer Show and does not broker contact between prospective buyers and participating artists.

May we have a logo and/or a press release to use in our newsletters or on social media?

Download a copy of our logo. For press and media enquiries, please contact us.