St Simon Stock Students Shine at the John Downton Awards

This week’s awards ceremony at County Hall, Maidstone, celebrated young artistic talent across Kent, with an extraordinary 486 applications submitted. The conceptual strength, compositional intelligence, and technical skill on display were exceptionally high, making the judging panel’s task both challenging and inspiring.

The evening was presided over by Councillor Paul Webb in the 25th anniversary year of the awards and judged by an esteemed panel including Clarrie Wallis, Director of Turner Contemporary.

The awards honour the life and work of celebrated Kent artist, poet, and philosopher John Downton. First organised in 2000 at the request of his sister, Miss Hilda Downton, the awards recognise and encourage the creative talents of young people in Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, and Photography. Schools and colleges from across Kent participate in this annual exhibition, hosted on behalf of the John Downton Trust.

We are thrilled that five talented students from St Simon Stock School were shortlisted for the prestigious John Downton Awards, a county-wide celebration of creativity and artistic achievement.

Best Drawing Award – India Coles

We are especially proud to share that India Coles won the Award for Best Drawing for her deeply thoughtful and powerful piece.

India’s work explores the experiences of refugees, often facing unimaginable uncertainty and hardship. The judges particularly praised the eyes in her portrait, noting how they immediately draw the viewer in and communicate profound emotion. Remarkably, this marks the third consecutive year that a St Simon Stock student has won Best Drawing.

Highly Commended Silver Award – Joe Brighton

In addition, Joe Brighton received the Highly Commended Silver Award for his compelling digital painting.

Joe’s work reflects on the modern tension between digital life and real-world interaction. Through his piece, he highlights the subtle yet significant ways that “phone life” can overshadow “real life,” prompting viewers to reflect on their own habits.

With two students achieving major recognition in such a competitive field, and five shortlisted overall, this is an outstanding accomplishment for St Simon Stock School and a testament to the creativity and talent of its young artists.

The John Downton Awards: 2026