Great Yarmouth student wins art competition with creative Herring design for Herring Trail

A Great Yarmouth student's creativity and talent have been recognised with a win in the annual East Coast College and Arts Festival competition. Alex, a year 8 student from Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, designed a herring for a trail that included forty numbered herrings located in shops and community spaces around the town for the public to find and collect. 

The competition was part of the 2023 Great Yarmouth Arts Festival, which features a 'Herring Trail' in the town centre. Great Yarmouth's fame and fortune were based on the herring, and millions were exported around the world. The Herring Trail incorporated over twenty 90cm tall Herring wood carvings made and decorated by students at the two Great Yarmouth colleges, along with 32 3ft herring designs created by local college students and children. 

Alex's winning voucher was presented by Mat Dale from Creative at East Coast College, who said,

"I was really impressed with all the submissions from the school, but Alex's stood out due to the quality of both the original idea and production of the final painted fish. Alex has a great future as an artist and animator and is very welcome to join us at the college in a few years' time." 

Mrs Durrant, the academy’s curriculum leader for Art, said

"Great Yarmouth has a wealth of talent in its young artists, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase their creativity in the Herring Trail competition. We hope to continue to display their work publicly for years to come, and we are excited about the possibility of featuring their artwork in prominent locations such as the Marina Centre and the newly built public library."  

The Herring Trail has reignited memories of the town's once-mighty herring fishing fleet and celebrates the role of the herring in the town's history. It showcases the creativity and talent of Great Yarmouth's students and highlights the importance of arts and culture in the community. Congratulations to Alex on this well-deserved recognition of their artistic abilities.