Now in its 39th year, the RSA Schools Art Award champions the extraordinary talent of Scotland’s young artists. This year, we received over 1,000 submissions from students across the country. From the Highlands and Islands to the Scottish Borders, each one showcased imagination, originality and technical skill.
After careful deliberation, our panel of judges selected 31 winning entries to be featured in this year’s exhibition. The standard was incredibly high, and we’re proud to share the creativity that’s developing in classrooms across Scotland.
Brodies Chair Iain Rutherford with Eleanor Weaver, Aleksandra Oleszkowicz and Waqar Fida Nisar.
Earlier this week, the winning students, their families and teachers were welcomed to Brodies’ Edinburgh headquarters for a special award ceremony. Speeches from Gareth Fisher PRSA and Brodies Chair Iain Rutherford opened the event, followed by a presentation of certificates to each of the winners.
Suilven Haszeldine, Dollar Academy
Suilven Haszeldine from Dollar Academy received 1st prize in the 2025 Chair's Challenge. The theme for the challenge was ‘what community means to me’ and Suilven’s work explores the juxtaposition between community and anonymity, ‘For young people particularly, it can feel like society encourages acting for personal profit over community gain. It is easy to feel like our personal actions won’t have an impact in our community, and so it might be easier to remain sitting on the fence. The sense of anonymity the newspaper offers, highlights the focal point; the fire burning away the facades – allowing us to potentially find ourselves. I feel honoured to receive this award and would like to thank my art teachers and the RSA.’
Damon Brown, Belmont Academy
1st prize in the Junior Category went to Damon Brown from Belmont Academy, ‘I've always loved birds of prey, especially after doing falconry experiences where I got to hold and fly owls and falcons. That's what inspired my art. When I found out I'd won the art prize, I couldn't believe it. I was so surprised and really happy - It was one of the best moments ever!’
Kate Parker, Albyn School
Kate Parker from Albyn School received one of our Brodies Regional Awards, which celebrate students studying at schools located outside of the central belt: ‘My artwork is a portrait of my best friend, Poppy. I wanted to capture the joy and charisma that she always has. Receiving this award was completely unexpected, and I’m incredibly grateful for the recognition. It has motivated me to develop and refine my artistic skills, and this experience has inspired me to keep challenging myself creatively while exploring new ideas. Thank you for including my work in the exhibition and supporting young artists.’
We’re delighted to share the 2025 RSA Schools Art Award exhibition, which is now live on our website. We’d like to congratulate all of this year’s winners, and extend our thanks to Brodies LLP who have supported the awards since 2016.
