Drawing attention to climate change: Grantham Climate Art Prize murals revealed

One of four 2023 Grantham Climate Art Prize murals

Let's make a Greener Future mural painted by Street Art Strategy and designed by Samuel Webb age 11

Four murals, designed by young people, have been revealed this month as part of the Grantham Climate Art Prize competition ahead of COP28

Murals of three winnings designs are located in West Norwood in London, Glasgow and Coventry while a fourth Highly Commended mural is situated in Nine Elms, close to the newly revamped Battersea Power station. The competition, sponsored by Octopus Energy, asked young people to depict a greener, cleaner, cooler future world inspired by the Grantham Institute’s 9 things you can do about climate change.

The Nine Elms mural is based on a design by Aaryan Prabhaker, 12, and draws attention to the importance of eating less meat and dairy and more plant-based food to help reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Nine Elms mural designed by Aaryan age 12 This vibrant mural sits alongside an outdoor exhibition with young people’s designs illustrating each of the 9 things you can do about climate change, all of which has been sponsored by developer Ballymore.

Panel #3 Cut back on flying is illustrated with a shortlisted design by Imperial College graduate Latifatul Azizah, painted with acrylic paint on canvas.

Exhibition panel by Latifatul Azizah

Latifatul, who has just gained an MSc in Environmental Technology, described the image saying: “Imagine you are inside a train and the train announces ‘This is a future train to a better climate. The next destination is Net Zero.’ The painting I wanted to share is the journey to net zero. On the way we can see a beautiful wind farm as the epitome of greener and cleaner power generation. I chose the train because it is better for the climate than flying.”

Meanwhile, Octopus Energy has unveiled billboards across London, including on the public transport network, showing winners and runner up designs including those of:

- Samuel Webb, 11, from Sutton in Surrey who drew the winning design for the 11 – 14 age group. He says: “My drawing features a kingfisher escaping pollution by flying to a greener happier future away from plastic bottles in oily water, smoke and factories to a greener world with clean water, a forest and a wind farm.” It’s been transformed into a mural in Binley Road, Coventry, by Street Art Strategy.

one of the billboards

- Janet Aloa, 17, from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, created the winning design for the 15 – 18 age group entitled Use Your Voice. She says: “Climate activism is accessible to anyone who cares enough about the planet and humanity’s future on it. I wanted to capture the importance of collective voices uniting to combat climate change, to inspire viewers to take action themselves.” It’s been turned into a mural in Orford Court, Elmcourt Road, West Norwood, South London, by artist Michelle Meola.

West Norwood mural designed by Janet age 17 — painted by Michelle Meola

- Ria Hoondle, 19, from Barking in East London who submitted the winning artwork for the 19 – 25 age called “Team Green”. She says: “Team Green are working their hardest to rectify damage caused to our environment. They embody the importance of preservation of our planet’s natural beauty.” The design has been painted as a mural in Cresswell Lane, Glasgow by artists Gl?bel Brothers.