BCCU are delighted to announce that we are now accepting entries for the 2025 Credit Union Art Competition.
The theme for this year’s competition is: “The Future Is…”
This exciting theme gives participants the opportunity to present their own vision of the future and capture it through art.
The Credit Union Art Competition is one of the most prominent and longest-running competitions of its type across Ireland. The competition has no age limits and is open for children aged seven years & under right through to 18 years & over (adult). There are two overall categories – General Category & Additional Needs Category – with age limits applying as at 31st December 2025.
Important Note: All entries must be submitted in either A3 (420mm x 297mm) or A2 (594mm x 420mm) and in landscape orientation. Other sizes and portrait-orientated entries will be disqualified from adjudication.
How the Competition Works
The competition seeks to encourage young artists to draw or paint on this year’s theme, using pencil, charcoal, pen or ink, felt-tip markers, crayon, pastel, water colours, gouache, acrylics, oils, poster colour or collage.
Entrants may only submit one entry and it must be accompanied by a fully completed entry form and returned by the notified closing date.
Categories
There are two categories - General Category & Additional Needs Category - with the following age groups in each category:
Age limit applying as at December 31st 2025
- 7 years and under
- 8 – 10 years inclusive
- 11 – 13 years inclusive
- 14 – 17 years inclusive
- 18 years and over (Adult)
Proof of year of birth may be requested by the credit union.
The Additional Needs Category allows participants with a physical or intellectual disability to be actively encouraged by their teachers to submit entries in free expression painting or drawing, without the restrictions of the competition’s official theme (should they so wish).
There is a separate section for group entries in the Additional Needs Category only, where they will need to tick the box if submitting a group entry.
Entries for the Additional Needs Category and those under 18 years will require the signature of a parent or legal guardian to declare the work is the unaided effort of the entrants. Entrants will need to tick a box to declare the work is their unaided effort or the unaided effort of the entrants.
If less than five entries are received in any one category, credit unions have the option not to judge that category.
Further information and terms & conditions can be found on the 2025 entry forms.
