FOUR Penarth students have been chosen among the finalists of Beechwood College’s national art competition – organised to showcase the creativity of young people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Beechwood College in Sully is one of the UK’s leading specialist residential colleges for students with an ASD.

The competition, called Create! Art for Autism, was open to all young people aged 11-25 years formally diagnosed with an ASD. It seeks to dispel the myth that they cannot be creative and shows that art can significantly improve the lives of those with an ASD.

More than 350 entries were received from 52 different schools from all over the UK, and as far away as India and Croatia.

The Penarth students all attend Ashgrove School and have been shortlisted in the 3D Art and Digital Art categories. The talented teenagers are 15-year-old Alex Evans; Ryan Higgs, 14; and 13-year-old Sam Chick (Digital Art); while 16-year-old Stefan Fitzgerald has been shortlisted in the 3D Art category.

The competition follows recent research highlighting a strong link between artistic creativity and people with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The judges have chosen six finalists in each category of 2D art, 3D art and Digital Media art, and all have been invited with their guests to attend an awards ceremony at Beechwood College on July 24, alongside specialists in the field.

The awards ceremony will celebrate the creativity of all contestants, before the three overall winners are announced.

The judging panel includes: Brendan Stuart Burns, twice winner of the National Eisteddfod Gold Medal in Fine Art and lecturer at The University of Glamorgan; Lucinda Bredin, Editor at Bonhams Magazine; Hugh Morgan OBE, Chief Executive of Autism Cymru; and Darren Jackson, Principal of Beechwood College.

Winning individuals and their schools will receive prizes. In addition, a ‘Teacher’s Choice’ award will enable teachers across the UK to choose which of the finalists they consider to have produced the most creative work.

The finalists’ work will be rolled out into a national art tour open to the public and hosted in prestigious galleries, first at The Old Library in Cardiff and later in London in September.

Darren Jackson, Principal of Beechwood College, said: "We have seen how engaging in art and creativity programmes can transform the lives of young people who previously struggled to make themselves heard.

“This competition has shown us there is a huge amount of creative talent among young people with an ASD and I would like to congratulate the 18 finalists and all of the entrants on their fantastic artwork."