Winners announced in Derby schools’ competition to design mini rams as part of world-class sculpture trail

Schools Mini Rams Age Group Winners 2 Credit Oliver Taylor

Image: The winners of the Schools Mini Ram Trail (L-R): Mr Ramington, Patty, The Friends and Family Ram and My Life in Derby. Credit: Oliver Taylor.

Derby Museums, together with education partner Rolls-Royce, are delighted to announce the four winning designs from schools across Derbyshire that will feature as part of a school’s Mini Ram Trail in the Museum and Art Gallery from 27 May to 22 August 2021. In addition to the four winners, the 26 runners up will also be showcased at the Museum and Art Gallery.

This colourful Mini Ram Trail will complement the main Derby Ram Trail, a spectacular free public art installation which will run from 27 May until 22 August 2021, bringing a flock of 30 fabulously colourful and unique five-foot tall rams to create a free public walking sculpture trail around Derby.

Derby Museums were thrilled to have 21 Derby city schools and colleges (Primary, Secondary and SEND) take part in this cross-school art competition. The theme was ‘What is important to me, right now’, and saw entries that featured friendship, nature and thanking the NHS for their ongoing work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Each school then selected their own age category winners to decorate a 3D ram, which have now been judged from a shortlist of 78

The four winners are:

  • 5-7 years: Brynnlee, age 7 (Cavendish Close Infant and Nursery School)
    • Brynnlee’s ram (called ‘Patty’) shines like gold to echo those who are kind and helpful to each other. This was inspired by the children being back in the classroom together post Covid, talking about what is important to them now. 
  • 8-10 years: Devdeep, age 9 (Dale Primary School)
    • The bright colours used on Devdeep’s ‘Friends & Family Ram’ represents the enjoyment he feels when playing with family and friends. The detailed illustrations include friends and family, trees, homes, sunshine and sports teams. 
  • 11-13 years: Miles, age 11 (St Peter’s Junior School)
    • Miles’ ‘Mr Ramington’ celebrates – and was inspired by – all things Derby! The city, the wider countryside and county, which perfectly reflects with the ethos of the main Derby Ram Trail. 
  • 14-16 years: Jennifer, age 14 (Derby Cathedral School)
    • Jennifer’s ‘My Life in Derby’ ram links the thinkers and innovators of Derby, Derbyshire landscape and the nature of the Peak District with Derby Cathedral.

These wonderful four winning designs – and all the runners up – will be on display for visitors to enjoy throughout the summer. They will bring a splash of colour and lots of fun to the city, which will already be host to the 30 bespoke rams standing proudly outside key city landmarks, such as the new Museum of Making and Derby Cathedral.

Tony Butler, Executive Director at Derby Museums said:
“We were delighted by the wonderful ideas and creative approaches that were put forward and it was really hard to pick the four winners as the standard was incredibly high. Thanks to everyone who got involved across all the different age categories as we know it has been a difficult time for schools, young people, educators and families. These colourful Mini Rams are going to be a delight for visitors across the summer at the Museum and Art Gallery and a great complement to the Ram Trail across the city.”

Gill Fennell, Community Investment Manager at Rolls-Royce said:
“We were really impressed by the imagination and ideas that shone through in all the entries. Creativity is such an important skill in developing new ideas for absolutely anything and everything, so we are delighted to be the Education Partner for Derby’s Ram Trail. The standard of entries suggests that the young people of Derby have all the creative talent needed to be the innovators of the future and I can’t wait to see their Mini Rams in the Museum and Art Gallery.”

The Derby Ram Trail has been created in partnership with Wild in Art, a leading producer of spectacular public art events who have worked all over the globe from Sydney and São Paulo to the London Olympics 2012.

To find out more about the Derby Ram Trail website.