Sketch for Survival Junior international art competition 2025
A global art initiative in aid of conservation. Art competition open to anyone aged 18 and under.
Overview
Sketch for Survival Junior helps to raise vital awareness about species extinction and biodiversity loss while also raising funds for projects around the world.
The competition showcases a range of different art styles and unites the voices of young people from all around the world in support of conservation. We regularly receive entries from Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, China, South Korea, Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia & NZ, Canada, the US, Brazil, Dubai, Qatar, Turkey, Tanzania, South Africa and most countries in Europe.
We have three NEW age groups for 2025 – these are detailed below for you. Submissions open January – May.
Anyone aged 18 years and under can enter Sketch for Survival Junior;
There are three age groups: up to 11 years old, 12-16 years old & 17-18 years old;
Artworks should focus on a threatened species (please see full guidelines below regarding what you can enter);
The closing date is 31 May;
Our expert selection panel includes artists Gary Hodges and Sophie Green;
Up to 10 artworks in each age category (from all submissions) will be selected for exhibition and auction. Other selected entries will be showcased online;
School entries welcome – please see below for full details;
ALL proceeds from the auction of Sketch for Survival Junior artworks in November support our Campaign Fund.
The competition is open to anyone aged 18 years or younger.
You can live anywhere in the world.
There are three age categories:
Up to 11 years old
12-16 years old
17-18 years old
You should enter the age category based on your age at the time of submission.
For example, if you turn 12 in April:
You would enter the Up to 11 years old category if completing your artwork and submitting your entry in January; you would enter the 12-16 category if completing your artwork and submitting your entry in May.
By submitting an artwork to Sketch for Survival Junior you will be helping to make a stand against extinction – you will help us to raise awareness about threats facing wildlife and wild spaces.
Every participant will be able to download a digital Certificate of Participation.
Every participant is invited to submit a photo of themselves with their artwork – these images will be made into a supporters’ mosaic and included in our exhibition, no matter what stage of the competition you reached.
There are tangible benefits for the junior finalists:
- all the finalists’ artworks will be exhibited in London & other venues;
- seen by a wide audience;
- sold by online auction alongside our main collections;
- in addition, the winner of the 17-18 years old category will be invited to submit an artwork to our On the Brink 2026 collection, to be exhibited during our 2026 tour alongside established artists, and sold in the auction on a 50/50 basis with the artist.
Sketch for Survival Junior raises awareness about threatened species.
We use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species, as a guide to which species are considered ‘threatened’.
The main focus of your artwork can be anything in the following categories from the IUCN Red List:
Vulnerable (VU)
Endangered (EN)
Critically Endangered (CR)
or Extinct in the Wild (EW)
These global categorisations mean the species faces a high risk of extinction. To check conservation status please visit www.IUCNredlist.org and use the species search.
Your chosen species can be within its habitat or pictured on its own.
The submission form will ask you to tell us exactly what have you drawn/painted.
FOR ALL DETAILS AND APPLICATION GO TO THE COMPETITION WEBSITE – PLEASE CLICK –