THE countdown to next year's Caldecott Festival has begun with the launching of an art challenge.

Until the festival itself on February 28, 2021 the organisers of the Caldecott Festival will host an event every month, with July's event being the 1000 Little Artists Challenge.

The Little Artists Challenge is a project – supported by Shropshire Council’s Covid-19 emergency arts grants fund – to team up 1,000 local children and the professional artist, Sarah Evans, to encourage creativity and to produce a large scale community art piece, inspired by nature, for a display in Whitchurch Civic Centre and other surrounding towns and villages.

Sarah is aiming to produce a multiple, patchwork style, canvas creation using the images inspired by the theme of the ‘natural world’.

The project was launched on Monday, July 6, with entries being accepted until July 17.

Completed pictures should be sent to Sarah at silknstuff@hotmail.com