NATRE celebrates World Vegan Day with announcement of Animal-Themed competition winners

We are delighted to announce this year's entries to the Spirited Arts competition on the theme "Why Do Animals Matter?" We are grateful to the Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA) and Veganism in Education (VinE) for sponsoring the theme for the second year running.

This year's judging held an extra special touch, we were very pleased that the founders of AIA and VinE alongside the Patron, the esteemed academic Dr Richard Ryder, joined our team to take part in the judging process.

Michelle St John Founder and Director of VinE and Barbara Gardner, founder and Chief Executive of the AIA and shared their experience:

'We had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful RE Team and Angela Hill, the visionary behind RE Today's pioneering resources on ethical veganism as a worldview. These resources were commissioned by VinE and supported by the AIA. Angela's work inspired the animal theme and supported school engagement, enriching the children's interpretations and bringing thoughtful, compassionate approaches to their artwork.

Selecting winners from thousands of entries proved immensely challenging, as each submission showcased exceptional creativity and insight worthy of recognition. We are especially grateful to our Patron, Dr Richard Ryder, for undertaking the difficult task of selecting the theme's winners and runners-up. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved – teachers, students, NATRE, and the RE Today team – for making this year’s theme a resounding success! We can't wait to judge the entries to next year's animal theme!'

Dr Richard Ryder, President of AIA and Patron of VinE commented:

"I have very much enjoyed helping in the judging of the Spirited Arts competition, and I thought the children showed high levels of creativity and concern for the animals.

"I believe, as a psychologist, that most children are concerned and interested in members of other species. This is not just a children's interest, but one that can and should last throughout life. In my childhood, however, adults too often tried to stop this interest as being "sissy". Far from it: such interests and compassion are the foundation for a moral community of all painient beings".

View winners of 'Why do animals matter' - 2024 theme here

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Thank you to all the teachers and pupils who have taken part this year and we hope to receive more submissions for our Spirited Arts 2025 competition. Watch this space for the announcement of the new themes!