BDAT Celebrates Creativity and Wellbeing with Poetry and Photography Competitions
Following the huge success of the BDAT Big Read event, Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) launched two exciting creative competitions, celebrating students’ love of reading, self-expression, and wellbeing across the Trust.
The competitions included:
Both competitions attracted an outstanding number of entries from primary and secondary students, showcasing imagination, talent, and thoughtful reflection. The judges faced a very difficult task selecting the winners due to the exceptionally high standard of submissions.
These competitions mark an important stepping stone as BDAT looks ahead to the National Year of Reading, reinforcing the Trust’s commitment to fostering a lifelong love of reading and creativity. By encouraging students to engage with texts in imaginative, reflective, and personal ways, BDAT is building strong foundations for a year-long celebration of reading across its Academies. The success of the poetry and photography competitions demonstrates how reading can support wellbeing, inspire self-expression, and bring communities together – values that will sit at the heart of BDAT’s activities throughout the National Year of Reading.
Wellbeing Poetry Competition Winners
All poems focused on the theme of wellbeing, exploring emotions, resilience, and self-care with creativity and maturity.
Primary Competition
Secondary Competition
Overall Winner: Fasanya from Belle Vue Girls’ Academy
Reading in an Unusual Place Photography Competition Winners
Students captured creative and inspiring moments of reading in unexpected locations, highlighting the joy of books beyond the classroom.
Primary Competition
Secondary Competition
Mr Kennedy, BDAT Student Voice Coordinator, said:
“It was great to see so many fantastic entries from pupils across BDAT, showcasing the creativity of young people across Bradford. The competitions helped to support the aim of the BDAT Big Read to use reading and the written word to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Reading gives us a chance to escape from everyday pressures and a time when ‘the world can wait’, as Fasanya states in her winning poem. It was great to see this reflected in the entries.”
All the winning entries to both competitions can be viewed on the BDAT website here