Photography competition victory continues for King’s Ely!

Eleven King’s Ely photography students had their images shortlisted in an international competition – two of whom proceeded to be crowned category winners.

Hundreds of photographers from across the globe entered this year’s ‘Beyond the Frame’ competition, which is organised annually by Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) and Canon to celebrate the creativity and skill of photography students aged 11-19. The theme of this year’s contest was ‘People, Places and Things’.

King’s Ely is proud to announce that Emily Freeman won the ‘age 11-15 category’ and Finnian Stroud scooped a ‘judge’s choice’ prize. King’s Ely students whose work was shortlisted are Sophie Haydn-Slater, Sixuan Meng, Hetty Hoyles, Austin Talbot, Sam Clarke, Wilfred Waters, Thomas Peters, Edward Bailey, and Eliza O’Donnell.

King’s Ely students have snapped their way to victory in ‘Beyond the Frame’ for several years running now. Last year, seven pupils were shortlisted, and Ella Martin won the ‘People’ category. Other pupils who have been successful in the competition in recent years are Freya Moss (2022), Ivana Peat (2021), Francesca Stevens (2021), Emily Parsons (2020), Paige Newell (2020), Lydia Goff (2020), and Gaia Giardinelli (2018).

Mr Antonio Longo, who has been Head of Photography at King’s Ely for nine years, said: “Beyond the Frame provides our students with a fantastic opportunity to compete against great schools and colleges worldwide. To have eleven students shortlisted this year is amazing and to have two students go on to win categories is a stunning achievement. I am committed to creating a Photography Department at King’s Ely that is a community filled with young and creative minds. My approach to teaching photography is to support young photographers with their technical and creative skills, and to encourage them to capture the world around them in a unique way, making the ordinary, extra ordinary. I am very proud of all the students and the whole department for its continued success.”

This year’s judging panel was made up of James Smith, who is Photography Course Leader at NUA; professional photographer, Ian Hippolyte; and leading photography retoucher, Emily Salmon. It was Emily who awarded Finnian a prize for his image.

Prints of all the students’ images are now on display to members of the public in the ‘Beyond the Frame Exhibition’, which is running at NUA’s East Gallery in Norwich until Saturday, April 27th. For more information, please visit: https://norwichbeyondtheframe.com/

King’s Ely is renowned for its holistic approach to education, and this is reflected in the school’s outstanding Visual and Performing Arts provision. Music, Drama and Theatre, Fine Art, Fashion and Textiles, Photography and Dance are each embedded in the culture of King’s Ely, with vast opportunities for pupils of all abilities and aspirations.

A Whole School Open Morning is being held at King’s Ely on Saturday, May 11th. To book your family’s place or to find out more about the extensive opportunities available to students, please visit: www.kingsely.org