Spirited Arts Competition 2025
The National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) launched the Spirited Arts competition in 2004, and it has been held annually ever since. Attracting over 25,000 entries each year, the competition sees participation from hundreds of UK schools, as well as submissions from countries as far afield as Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, and Bahrain.
The competition is a fantastic way to engage teachers and students while raising the profile of RE in schools. Many schools incorporate the competition into their RE lessons through a dedicated ‘Spirited Arts’ unit or as part of an RE/arts week.
VinE and the Animal Interfaith Alliance are thrilled to sponsor the animal theme ‘All God’s Creatures?‘ in this year’s competition. This theme enables children and young people to explore human-animal relations and to think deeply about the moral and spiritual aspects of all living beings. Building on the incredible success of our 2023 and 2024 themes, we eagerly anticipate the outstanding artwork and narratives in this year’s submissions.
Our RE Today resources on Ethical Veganism, designed for all age groups, along with the Golden Rule song (see below), will help support engagement with this theme.
All God’s Creatures?
Do animals belong to God? Are they part of a divine plan? Do animals have souls? The beauty and sheer awesomeness of non-human animals with whom we share planet Earth is celebrated in many of the world’s religions. Respect for the worth of all animals is at the heart of some non-religious worldviews too, like Ethical Veganism. Some worldviews see all living beings as interconnected, yet others emphasise the separateness and superiority of humans over other animals. Animals play a huge part in all our lives, whether we realise it or not. How humans interact with other animals and the natural world impacts on all living beings and the planet. This theme invites exploration of ideas and beliefs about non-human animals. Challenge learners to engage thoughtfully with scripture, philosophy, and scientific enquiry to write an inspiring passage to accompany stunning images.
Winning work will…
- Show originality and flare coming from deep consideration of the issues.
- Reference specific religious or non-religious worldviews, perhaps referring to specific texts, stories or traditions.
- Go beyond simply portraying animals—beautiful as they are—and encourage thoughtful reflection on issues relating to animals, as well as human attitudes and actions toward them.
The Golden Rule Song video with subtitles, score and instrumental version can be found here.
NATRE welcomes entries in any art form, including:
- Art (painting, drawing, sketching etc)
- Poetry
- Photography
- Dance
- Music
- Drama
- Sculpture
The competition runs for the academic year ending 31st July 2025.
Full details on the competition can be found on NATRE’s website here.
