Edgeborough wins Rising Star Award – recognition for nurturing talent
Edgeborough is delighted to have won ‘Rising Star’ at this year’s Independent Schools of the Year Awards. This award honours the particular success of an individual, nominated by their school for outstanding, personal achievement. We are absolutely thrilled that Alfie Griffiths, an exceptionally talented artist, has won ‘Rising Star 2021’at the young age of 13.
Alfie is immensely passionate about art with a wealth of experience for somebody of such a young age. His achievements started at a tender age 9, where he won a local art competition at Farnham Maltings with large beetle collages. Aged 10, Alfie was awarded an internal Art Scholarship at Edgeborough, which allowed him the flexibility and expertise to support his tremendous talent alongside his other sporting and academic interests.
One of his greatest achievements was at age 11 when Alfie had 2 artworks selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (1000 artworks were chosen from 14,000 entries), and to date he is the youngest ever exhibitor at this show. In addition, age 11, Alfie had 2 pieces accepted for the first Young Royal Academy Summer Show (YASS). One was accepted in the online gallery and one in the onsite exhibition at the Royal Academy
This year, aged 13, Alfie entered a painting into the Jackson Painting Prize, making it to the shortlist (42 chosen from just over 8,600 entries).
This award is hugely significant as it is the second year in a row that Edgeborough’s talent has been recognised under the ‘Rising Star’ category. In 2020, Cai Thomas, Edgeborough’s head chorister, was nominated as a finalist. This award is also testament to Edgeborough and its passionate staff who pride themselves on finding and nurturing talent in every individual, giving them the opportunity to explore new activities and developing their passions.
Dan Thornburn, Edgeborough’s Headmaster, comments:
‘It is absolutely wonderful news and very well deserved that Alfie has won this award. It was clear he would be a star and the whole Edgeborough community, particularly the Head of Art, Clare Lock, have been delighted to support him on his journey.
One of the loveliest qualities about Alfie is that he is very humble about his talent – he would often turn up to school with a painting in the back of the car – pupils and staff would be speechless at the artwork he created.
It has been such a pleasure to see Alfie grow at Edgeborough over the last 6 years. He starts this year with an art scholarship to Bryanston where I know they will continue to nurture his outstanding talent.’
