A national charity is using artwork by two Allestree Woodlands School students to call for an end to racism.
During Black History Month, schools and workplaces across the country are preparing to don their red clothes for National Wear Red Day (October 21) – a day created by the charity Show Racism the Red Card to call for an end to racism. But for two students at Allestree Woodlands School, the day is even more special because their artwork is being used to promote the charity’s work.
Kiera Meffen, 15, designed a striking poster to promote the charity’s aims, while Ava Norris, 14, created a T-shirt design to go on their branded clothing.
Ava was announced the third-place winner of the T-shirt design competition, which was for all age groups, and Kiera the winner of the Year 7-9 Artwork Category and overall winner.
Their work will now feature in the organisation’s annual charity calendar, as well as on promotional materials they may want to send out. Keira’s winning image has already been used on the reverse of a Lionesses England Team poster supporting the charity.
The students were also invited to a glitzy award ceremony to receive their prizes, including an iPad and football tops. Special guests included Rachel Yankey, Perry Groves, Paul Davis and Monty Panesar.
Keira’s poster showed the faceless images of people believed to have been treated unfairly and sometimes even brutally because of the colour of their skin.
“I wanted to do something based on the police brutality towards black people, mainly in America,” said Kiera, who also runs a group in the school which speaks about other minority groups, raising awareness of disabilities and working to stamp out homophobia. “I did a lot of research for my poster. I already knew about George Floyd but then I looked at others and did drawings of them. Behind each is their story of how they were killed and the symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement in the centre.”
Ava said she wanted her T-shirt design to show people coming together.
“I wanted something that would involve football and anti-racism and mix them together,” she said. “I wanted lots of different races all moving the world at the same time to show equality.”
The charity’s school competition has been running for 23 years and has become the biggest equalities competition in the UK with over 25,000 entrants taking part this year.
It was the first time the school had entered the competition and followed the establishment of a diversity awareness group which is working to spread the message of equality and diversity in the school.
Head teacher Gemma Penny said: “We are very proud of all of the students in the school who entered this competition, as it truly resonates with our CORE values of Courage, Optimism, Regard and Endeavour. It was an even prouder moment for the girls, their parents and for us as a school, to have Ava and Kiera be recognised as winners in their respective categories – what an honour and a time for them that will remain with them always.”
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