Lillian Gray Art School NEA 2020 Awards 

The National Eisteddfod Academy Finals 

We have reached the end of 2020 and I am sure a lot of us are super grateful. Usually, this time of the year is filled with concerts, prize givings and year-end parties, alas due to Covid a lot of events didn’t happen. One of these is the NEA’s Gauteng Showcase. (View last years Showcase here) Non the less it is a time to reflect on what has been achieved during the year.

This year my heart is bursting with pride towards all our students. Not for winning but for competing at all and not for medals and gold stickers but for finishing. For keeping their chins up through a world pandemic, crazy school schedules, zoom lessons, technical difficulties and lots of personal stress and anxiety. I really wish I could give you all a massive hug and whisper in your ear – “Everything is going to be ok, you are ok, you made it and I am proud of you.” I wish I could linger in the hug just a few more seconds to make up for all the hugs missed this year. I salute all of you!

2020 Kicked off with a bang at our school with NEA brainstorming and planning surrounding the 2020 Themes. We guided them to really consider not only their technical skills but also the message that their art conveys.

For Pottery and Sculpture, they had the excellent guidance of Teacher Martie doing a lot of research on African Arts and Pottery. She helped them to develop their clay techniques and work on their 3D structures. They each made a unique African mask, shields and bowls.

Teacher Adelle developed lots of observation skills with drawing techniques and all the Fine Art Paintings. Teacher Patience and Teacher Faith helped the little ones, ages 6 – 8. Together we were all excited for 2020. But then March happened and a world pandemic reached the shores of SA. I don’t have to bore you with the details. We wanted to give up – watch this video – but we kept going and we finished! We not only finished we also built an online platform so each child could have their own online page with their art. Our first Virtual Exhibition! It was so amazing to not only finish but the finish well. 

Changes to NEA due to COVID 19 

Usually, the NEA competition is massive. Gauteng gets divided into 4 regions. Western Gauteng, Northern Gauteng etc. Our art school falls under Western Gauteng. This year a lot of schools never finished their entries or didn’t compete due to the difficulty surrounding the pandemic and lockdown. Our students persevered and dodged every curve ball 2020 threw at them.

This year the NEA decided to only have one massive pool and hand the awards out for that one pool. This means instead of competing with only Western Gauteng we competed against the entire SA. Schools from Durbanville, Paarl, Cape Town etc. So I a super proud to announce our results. Below are the Categories, what they mean and how they are calculated.

All I can say is WOW! Well done to our amazing team and students. 

ITEM WINNER CERTIFICATES  

A participant with the highest mark (%) in any given item in a region will receive an Item winner certificate, stating e.g. that he/she was the item winner in Fine Arts Drawing, Gr 1 or Painting Gr 3 etc

ITEM WINNERS FROM OUR SCHOOL

Lillian Gray Fine Arts School had the following Item Winners at the National Eisteddfod Showcase 2020.

• Annika Dunn – Grade 1 – Sculpture
• Arno van Graan – Grade 1 – Painting
• Christoff van Graan – Grade 1 – Mixed Media
• Boris Evstatiev – Grade 1 – Traditional African Pottery
• Suraya Harley – Grade 1 – Drawing
• Sofia Bhorat – Grade 2 – Painting
• Clara Rabe – Grade 2 – Sculpture
• Clara Rabe – Grade 2 – Photography
• Clara Rabe – Grade 2 – Painting
• Clara Rabe – Grade 2 – Traditional African Pottery
• Carla Du Toit – Grade 3 – Painting
• Carla Du Toit – Grade 3 – Printmaking
• Gabriella Cromer Wilson – Grade 3 – Painting
• Gabriella Cromer Wilson – Grade 3 – Traditional African Pottery
• Hope Mansfield – Grade 3 – Traditional African Pottery
• Logan Joubert – Grade 3 – Traditional African Pottery
• Noah Graham – Grade 3 – Sculpture
• Phoenix Shi  – Grade 3 – Painting
• Alicia Viviers – Grade 4 – Drawing
• Anay Naina – Grade 4 Painting
• Anay Naina – Grade 4 Sculpture
• Claire Jooste – Grade 4 – Sculpture
• Hade-Mari van Graan – Grade 4 – Traditional African Pottery
• Hade-Mari van Graan – Grade 4 – Printmaking
• Miya van Eck – Grade 4 – Mixed Media
• Surayansh Dala – Grade 4 – Sculpture
• Eva van Onna – Grade 5 – Drawing
• Hildegard Schraader – Grade 5 – Painting
• Ilana van den Berg – Grade 5 – Printmaking
• Zoe du Plessis – Grade 5 – Sculpture
• Emma Lok – Grade 6 – Traditional African Pottery
• Gys Joubert  – Grade 6 – Printmaking
• Isabella Manavalan – Grade 6 – Mixed Media
• James Corrigan – Grade 6 – Painting
• Kathryn Price – Grade 6 – Painting
• Kathryn Price – Grade 6 – Photography
• Lize Botha – Grade 6 – Drawing
• Clarika van der Walt – Traditional African Pottery
• Kara Vorster – Grade 7 – Printmaking
• Shahir Moosa – Grade 7 – Drawing
• Shahir Moosa – Grade 7 – Sculpture
• Heinrich Voight – Grade 8 – Graphic Design
• Kirsten Keve – Grade 8 – Painting
• Jana Lotz – Grade 9 – Painting
• Alexis Gloud – Grade 10 – Drawing
• Alexis Gloud – Grade 10 – Mixed Media

46 ITEM WINNERS 

MEDAL AWARDS AT NEA

• A participant with the highest mark (%) in any given category in a region will receive a medal and Category winner certificate.
• Broadly defined a category is a combination of similar items, often grouped into Junior and Senior

MEDAL AWARDS FROM OUR ART SCHOOL AT NEA

Lillian Gray Fine Arts School had the following Medal Winners at the National Eisteddfod 2020 Showcase.

• Alexis Gloud – Category Winner – Mixed Media – Grade 10
• Kirsten Keve – Category Winner – Painting – Grade 8
• Hade-Mari van Graan – Category Winner – Printmaking – Grade 4
• Sofia Bhorat – Category Winner – Painting  – Grade 2
• Suraya Harley – Category Winner – Drawing – Grade 1
• Boris Evstatiev – Category Winner – Creative Works – Grade 1

6 MEDAL AWARDS 

NEA Ambassador Award 

This is awarded to an individual in the annual Eisteddfod based on the highest marks obtained in any given item. This award can be distinguished by the exclusive use of a special Ambassador Award seal. For the purpose of this award, all the results in all regions are considered. The number of NEA Ambassador Awards may differ from year to year, but will be awarded to a maximum of 3% of the total number of individual participants and groups in the given year.

• Alexis Gloud – Grade 10
• Heinrich Voigt – Grade 8
• James Corrigan – Grade 6
• Jana Lotz – Grade 9
• Kirsten Keve – Grade 8

5 AMBASSADOR AWARDS 

Top 10 Junior Prestige Award: NEA

Regional The top 10 participants (junior and senior) in each region will be identified and ranked according to their total achievement In all sections. This mark is calculated by allocating a numerical value to each level of achievement as awarded by the adjudicators for every item a candidate has participated in, as well for any subsequent award (e.g. item winner, category winner, etc.) according to the following scale: Certificate (1 mark), Silver (5 marks), Gold (10 marks), Diploma (30 marks), Item winner (10 marks), Category winner (30 marks) and Ambassador Award (90 marks).

The final results are calculated by the computer-based on these values. Since 2012 only the highest result in any item is considered for the calculation of the total, e.g. when a participant obtained 2 diplomas in Narrative Poetry, Gr. 5, only the event with the highest mark (e.g. 93% compared to 90%) will be considered. Based on this formula a participant with e.g. 3 diplomas in Unprepared Reading Grade 4 will receive 30 marks towards his total, compared to 3 x 30 in the past. Achievement on this level can be compared to achievement on a district level.

Top 10 Foundation Phase 2020 NEA – Grade R – 3 

Op the 10 Places across SA the Lillian Gray Art School have 3 students that placed within the Top 10. 

2nd Place:  Clara Rabe – Grade 2 

8th Place:  Christoff van Graan – Grade 1

9th Place:  Suraya Harley – Grade 1

Top 10 Junior Phase 2020 – Grade 4 – 7 

Op the 10 Places across SA the Lillian Gray Art School have 3 students that placed within the Top 10 at the NEA. 

2nd Place:  Hildegard Schraader – Grade 5 

8th Place:  Kara Vorster – Grade 7 

10th Place:  James Corrigan – Grade 6

Top 10 Senior Phase 2020 – Grade 8 – 12

Op the 10 Places across SA the Lillian Gray Art School have 2 students that placed within the Top 10. 

9th Place:  Jana Lotz – Grade 9

10th Place:  Alexis Gloud – Grade 10