Lancashire Artist of the Year 2023 judge reveals the key ingredient she wants to see

Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) is one of the UK’s largest Adult Community Learning Providers, engaging more than 10,000 learners across the county.

Currently, LAL runs more than 2,000 courses delivered through more than 300 venues across Lancashire.

It's also currently running a series of free arts/crafts-based courses through Lancashire Libraries and is encouraging learners to enter the county council's new competition, Lancashire Artist of the Year.

The finalists and the winner's artworks will be collated and printed in our first Lancashire Artist of the Year 2024 calendar, which will be sold across the county in libraries, museums and our archives.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go towards activities to support Lancashire Care Leavers.

Sarah Haworth

Sarah Haworth, Lancashire Adult Learning's head of curriculum for health and wellbeing, horticulture, family learning, art and humanities, said: "As an independent organisation, we play a crucial role in moving society forward, reaching out and helping people everywhere within our boundaries to move on and up in their lives.

"We believe that empowering people to learn is at the heart of helping communities thrive and we exist to enable all adults in Lancashire, from all walks and stages of life, to learn something new and shape their own futures.

"Competitions like Lancashire Artist of the Year enable people from all walks of life to join in regardless of their ability.

"The inclusivity behind this competition reflects LAL’s approach to engaging adults in learning opportunities across the County.

"Reaching those adults who are the least likely to participate in education or training and supporting them onto a path which can transform destinies and lives."

After graduating in 2002, Sarah's career took various twists and turns, starting first with several years working with community arts organisations across Lancashire and Yorkshire alongside developing her own practice as a digital fine artist, and finally following a path into teaching.

She now works with adults and children across Lancashire, providing opportunities to engage in arts-based courses that develop creative skills, thinking and most importantly a love of art and design.

One thing that she has in abundance is a passion for the arts and what is depicted in them, and that is something she will be particularly looking out for during her judging duties.

"I’m passionate about being from Lancashire it’s such a beautifully diverse county both in its people and landscape and I would like to see this celebrated through the artwork submitted," Sarah said.

"There’s no end to the possibilities for how this could be depicted, but passion for people and or place is something I’m especially keen to see."

We want to see landscape paintings, sketches, collages, lino prints or even embroideries depicting your favourite Lancashire view in spring, summer, autumn or winter.

All Artworks must be landscape and no bigger than A1.

Our judging panel will pick their favourites from each season and create a shortlist. The shortlisted artworks will then go forward to an online public vote.

The artwork with the most votes will become the overall winner, featuring on the calendar cover, with the artist who created it winning the title of Lancashire Artist of the Year 2023.

Artists have until June 19 to submit their entries.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, cabinet member for community and cultural services at Lancashire County Council, said: "Lancashire Adult Learning do so much good work in our county, so it's particularly pleasing to see how closely aligned Lancashire Artist of Year is to their core values.

"We're really happy to have their support and delighted that Sarah will be lending her expertise and passion to our judging panel."

Visit www.lal.ac.uk to find out more about Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL).

To find out more about Lancashire Artist of the Year 2023, including how to enter, visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/artistoftheyear.co.uk