My True Nature

As part of its 50th Anniversary events, WWF is inviting youngsters to take part in My True Nature.  Whether it’s a special place, a favourite season, an exciting outdoor adventure or just walking their pet dog, WWF want young people to capture their own personal connections with nature – on camera, in words, or through art, sound or movement.  They are looking to discover what the living world means to the UK’s 7-16 year-olds, and promote and support vital access and interest in the natural world.   So if you’re in that age group with a passion for nature and the environment and love getting creative then you’re exactly who they want to hear from.  

Marking 50 years of conservation, My True Nature, runs from April to 9 September, and artworks will feature on the WWF website www.wwf.org.uk/mytruenature for the public to view and comment on. Prizes will be awarded for some of the best artworks and a panel of judges will select the best 50 artworks to be showcased at a special WWF 50th Anniversary event in November.

The judges will be looking to see who has best met the key criteria – “does this artwork convey a moving, inspiring and personal experience of the natural world”   In particular, the they will be looking for Personal stories - something that ‘you’ really love about nature; Emotion - a ‘story’ that is told with feeling and passion; Creativity - an entry that is presented in an original, different or perhaps unusual way.   Entries will be judged in five categories: camera, audio, art, words and movement. Entries can be made by individuals or in small groups so you can enter on your own or as part of a class group or youth group.    An exclusive secure online channel hosted by Radiowaves, allows schools to upload their entries, be inspired, get free support packs and receive feedback from friends and peers. There’s also a dedicated My True Nature forum so that teachers can meet and discuss their work.

As well as opening up the competition to public entries, WWF have chosen fifteen schools and youth groups across the country to commission from.   Children from these groups will be mentored to come up with a concept for their entry then plan and develop their ideas, put them into practice and finally produce and submit their entry.   One of the fifteen groups is from Christchurch in Clapham where they are entering in the sound category.   They will be working with a leading professional sound designer, recording natural sounds in an urban setting and then turning their recordings into a soundscape to complete their entry.