Write on Art is a national writing programme for young people (13–19 years old) devised in 2017 by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (PMC).
Young writers are invited to write 400–600 words about an artwork of their choice on Art UK's website for one of three categories. (If you are a Welsh language speaker, your submission can be in Welsh):
Creative writing – an imaginative and expressive response to an artwork
Review – a critical commentary about an artwork or installation
Essay – a critical analysis of an artwork supported by evidence
Write on Art is free to enter. The 2026 cycle of Write on Art is now open for applications and will close at 10 a.m. on 21st July 2026.
Choose one artwork from Art UK's website and submit a piece of writing about it to one of our three categories. Please choose a category based on the style of writing you would like to explore.
Each category has two subcategories: one for younger writers and one for older writers. Submit your writing to the subcategory that matches the age you are at the time of submission.
Younger writers: 13–16 years old. Write 400 words maximum
Older writers: 17–19 years old. Write 600 words maximum
Write on Art is intended for writers aged 13–19 years of age; however, university undergraduates are not eligible to submit writing to this competition. We are nevertheless keen to be inclusive and if you feel submitting a piece to Write on Art would be beneficial for you, please reach out to Claire Kirk, the Learning Manager at the Paul Mellon Centre, learning@paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
There are one million artworks from the UK's national collection to discover on Art UK. (Please note, we cannot accept entries about art that is not on Art UK.) Your writing could be a poem, shining a light on an underrepresented artist; a review of your favourite artwork in your local gallery; or an essay which reinterprets a famous historical painting.
Art History is the study of power, politics, identity and humanity and we should be doing all we can – with projects like this – to get as many young people as possible excited by art history and involved in it.
–Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize-winning artist
See our Tips for writing for ideas on how to choose an artwork and for information about the writing categories.
The prize
This year’s shortlisting committee and judges will choose twelve winning writers (four from each category). The twelve winning writers will receive a goody bag worth £100 and be invited to a Young Art Writers Workshop at the Royal College of Art, London, in October 2026.
Write on Art creative writing workshop at the RCA
At this workshop these successful writers will have the opportunity to work with a Royal College of Art tutor to develop their writing and co-create a zine featuring everyone’s work. The workshop will include writing sessions, a risograph printing workshop, opportunities to connect with other young writers and gain an insight into sharing writing through self-publishing. The zine will be printed and published on the Art UK and PMC websites.
In addition, two overall winners (one from each age range) will receive £500 for their educational establishment to spend on art-related support for their students (or £100 if the writers are homeschooled or enter as individuals).
Write on Art Access Fund
We are committed to ensuring this opportunity is open and accessible to all, and there is a budget in place for helping the shortlisted writers to attend the Young Art Writers Workshop. This might include financial support for travel and accommodation, a professional assistant or whatever support is needed to ensure you can take part in the Workshop fully and comfortably. If you are unsure whether our provision will cover your needs, we would be very happy to speak to you about it. The twelve shortlisted young writers will be consulted about any support they require upon being informed of their success. In the meantime, please contact our Learning Manager, Claire Kirk, learning@paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk if you would like to discuss this further.
