'Dales Scene' by Dacre Braithwaite

Yorkshire's landscape, seen through the eyes of children and young people from 50 North Yorkshire schools, is the focus of an innovative and prestigious exhibition at Ripon Cathedral. For the past year staff from groups of primary and secondary schools in the Harrogate, Ripon, Bedale and Skipton areas have been meeting to select the highest quality students' work on the theme of Yorkshire landscape for the exhibition.

The selection process has given staff the chance to share ideas and discuss how best to teach and promote the visual arts in schools. It has also encouraged schools to get their pupils out and about in the landscape, painting or drawing directly from life.

From Saturday August 29th to September 20th, hundreds of paintings, prints, textiles and collages made by children and young people aged three to 18 will go on show in Ripon Cathedral library and the nearby historic Thorpe Prebend House.

The exhibition, called "Yorkshire Through the Eyes of Young People" contains a huge variety of works from large painterly canvasses to delicate watercolours, abstract images, photographs, pieces woven from sheep's wool found in the Dales, ceramic tiles and batik among many others. The images chosen by pupils also reflect the diversity of this vast county, the largest in England, ranging from urban and industrial landscapes, historic, ancient architecture to Dales and moorland scenes.

Sponsored by the Wensleydale Creamery and Starbeck Editorial Resources, the exhibition shows the depth and range of children and young people's visual imagination and artistic ability.

Jo York, an art consultant who works in many North Yorkshire schools on behalf of the County Council and Eileen Bellett, diocesan and cathedral education adviser, both came up with the idea. Jo said: "There is so much exciting work going on in our schools and it seems only right that the wider public should be able to enjoy the sheer inventiveness of many of our youngsters and the high quality teaching that takes place."

The work will be studied by a panel of judges: Daniel Hornsey, a Ripon gallery owner; the Rev Dr Nick Buxton from Ripon Cathedral who has a special interest in art and York artist Ed Kluz. Highly commended prizes will be awarded for each key stage age group– reception; key stages one, two three and four as well as sixth form.

County Councillor Jim Clark, North Yorkshire's executive member for schools said: "This exhibition, which has been hung to professional standards, is a chance for children to feel that their artistic endeavours are worthy of public notice and a prestigious show. We hope the exhibition will encourage children, parents and schools to continue to develop the visual arts to such high standards.

"We are also very grateful to Ripon Cathedral for generously offering this wonderful space as a venue"

Jo York is hoping that this will become an annual event to showcase children and young people's art.