As part of Nature2020, ONCA is inviting local schools and youth groups to take part in Brightopia – ONCA’s first ever youth art show, in July 2020.

About the Exhibition

A thousand years from now, Brighton has evolved into Brightopia – a place at the heart of The Living Coast (the Brighton & Lewes Downs UNESCO Biosphere), where people and nature live together in harmony. Not only that, but non-humans can communicate with humans and send messages back through time. How on earth has this happened? Fortunately for young inventors and designers living in 2020, the human and non-human residents of Brightopia can send us messages from 3020 to help us find our collective way to a future of abundant flourishing.

For our Brightopia exhibition, we are calling for artworks by children and young people aged 5 – 16, for a group exhibition at ONCA, July 8 – 26 2020. Each young person is invited to:

1. Pick a species of animal that lives in The Living Coast.
2. Draw it as it will be in future Brightopia and give it a new name.
3. From the perspective of the animal, write a message from them in 3020 to us in 2020 – with advice about what people did to ensure its survival. This message could outline how the animal has evolved over 1000 years to adapt to environmental changes, and what Brighton as a city can do now to help each of the species survive.

Artforms may include:

• Paintings & drawings
• 3D / sculpture
• Video
• Audio / soundscape

How It Works

Registration: Teachers and youth workers can register their interest using our online form by April 1.

Resources: ONCA will send Brightopia exhibition guidelines and resources for classroom activities to teachers on April 3rd.

Submission: ONCA will send everyone who has registered a link to an online form to submit images of artworks and written work. For under 16s, this should be done by a teacher, parent or guardian on behalf of the young person by Wednesday June 10.

Selection: The final selection of artworks will be made by a panel of ONCA judges. The exhibition will include digital versions of all submissions (where possible), viewable on TV screens and online. All applicants will be contacted during the week commencing June 15.

Artwork drop-off: Works should be dropped off at ONCA gallery by a teacher, parent or guardian during office hours between June 22 and June 26.

Exhibition: The exhibition will take place in the ONCA gallery July 8 – 26.

Eligibility

This exhibition is open to young people aged 5 – 16 who live or go to school in the Brighton and Hove area.

How To Register

Please fill in the online registration form by clicking the link below.

Registration Form

Other Information

Brightopia is part of Nature2020, a year-long programme of free events celebrating biodiversity in The Living Coast.

For more information about this opportunity please email us at

Image Credit: Sarah Edmonds’ craft materials and sea creatures