supported by NIACE

Inspired by ... winners 2010Inspired by  will be the VA's annual art competition for people on part-time courses, and is 
supported by NIACE, the National Institute of Continuing Education. Participants create a work of 
art or craft inspired by the collections of either VA South Kensington, or the VA Museum of 
Childhood.207 applicants entered the competition this year. They came from diverse backgrounds and from 45 
colleges and institutions nationally and were encouraged by over 100 tutors in art, crafts and 
design. Some of them had never been to the Museum before, but visited with their art group 
especially for the 'Inspired by ...' competition. A significant number of entrants had 
access requirements.
The entries were assessed by a total of 13 curators, programme managers, designers and prize donors. 
45 artworks in different media made by students were selected to go on display at the VA Museum of 
Childhood from 2 October to 21 November 2010.

 Access Prize
 Nicola Lon for Vitreous Humour
 Inspired by...
  'The Decode exhibition looked fantastic with its interactive items and the Opto-Isolator really 
caught by attention - it's so innovative and unique. Then I saw De Morgan's peacock with 
vibrant turquoise and blues, which gave me the added inspiration for iris colour set against the 
white background.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'Vitreous Humour by Nicola Long was chosen because of it's clever and successful 
integration of inspiration derived from two objects - Golan Levin's human sized interactive eye 
from the Decode exhibition and William de Morgan's ceramic dish with peacock design; its lovely 
delicacy with the fringed edges representing eyelashes; its sense of intrigue with the eye in the 
base of the dish and the double entendre/meaning of the word vitreous 1) part of the eye 2) when clay is fired it vitrifies.'

 Opto-Isolator II by Golan Levin, 2007, Decode: Digital Design Sensations, 8 December 2009-11 April 
2010 
 Benefit of Learning Prize (awarded by National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education)
 Muriel Morris-Jones for In the Beginning - Finding a Voice
 Inspired by...  
  'I was inspired by Gallery 41. It brought back a long-forgotten interest 'in the 
beginning' of the world, the miracle of creation and mankind's many theories and clutching 
at answers in both religion and science.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'Muriel Morris-Jones' application In the Beginning, Finding a Voice really shows the impact 
that learning can have as an adult, and the contribution that museums can make to learning for 
everyone.
 She says, '[The Winged Lion in the South Asian Gallery] brought back long forgotten interest 
'In the Beginning' of the world, the miracle of creation. It has rekindled my dormant 
interest in the mysteries of the universe and creativity of mankind through time.'
 '[I am] slowly recovering my passion for life, by attending the Mary Ward Centre for three 
hours a week in the company of other creative people...'

 Sculpture Prize
 Jolanta Jagiello for City Calligraphy
 Inspired by...  
  'I wanted to be inspired by the work of architects so I visited the Architecture Gallery. I was 
impressed by the section on public housing, particularly tall tower blocks.'
 Judges' Comments
 'Inspired by the architectural model for the Rowlett Street Housing Estate designed by Erno 
Goldfinger, 'City Calligraphy' evokes the steadfast durability of public housing and tall 
tower blocks, while acknowledging the variables (such as subtle movement and delicate suspension) on 
which these structures rely. As a kinetic artwork it moves and bounces upon contact.' Medieval  Renaissance Galleries Prize
 Margaret Sparks for A Medieval Forest
 Inspired by...  
  'The wood carvings on the pillars are incredibly strong and I immediately saw the trees as a 
medieval forest. My main idea was to layer the trees as a collage, to provide shadows and overlap of 
trees in a forest.' 
 Judges' Comments
 'We were drawn to Margaret Spark's magical reinterpretation of details on medieval carved 
wooden columns in the Medieval and Renaissance galleries. The linocut technique of her work alludes to the carving process of the original, and she has 
recreated the intricacy of the column's leaf-patterns. The individual foliage prints are 
sensitively balanced compositions, further enhanced by repetition. The result is a boldly graphic 
design in a style which references the patterned fabrics and wallpapers of the 1940s and 50s.' Carved columns, Calabria or Sicily, Italy, 1200-50, Museum no. 269:1,2-1886
 v'A Medieval Forest' made by Margaret Sparks during her Printmaking class at Sutton College 
of Learning for Adults
  Metalwork Prize
 Lilly Ousantzopoulou for Enchanted Circus
 Inspired by...  
  'My artwork would be the result of visiting the British Galleries of the VA Museum and being 
enchanted by the 1851 tunnel book representing the Great Exhibition.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'Enchanted Circus' captures an illusion of depth and movement which fascinated the 
Victorians - a fascination drawn forth by Charles Moody's Great Exhibition 'tunnel 
book'.  The layering of different metals with varying colours and textures, like the lithography of 
the book helps to create space and a sense of playful whimsy.' 
  
 'Enchanted Circus' made by Lilly Ousantzopoulou during her BTEC National Certificate Level 
3 class at Kensington  Chelsea College
 Fashion and Textiles Prize
 Eleanor Symms for Silver Birch Tree Pockets
 Inspired by...  
  'The textiles, fashion and jewellery collections at the VA are wonderful resources, enabling me 
to view works within chronological, cultural and aesthetic contexts.'
 Judges' Comments
 'Eleanor Symms' 'Silver Birch Tree Pockets' stood out for me from the very early 
stages of judging for the textiles and fashion section of 'Inspired by' 'I was struck by the way Eleanor had re-interpreted the idea of separate pockets to tie around 
the waist - indispensable, commonplace accessories the 18th century, and updated them as a very 
beautiful, desirable objects for the 21st century. I also liked the way she had studied an unusual 
combination of objects from across the museum collections, using them as they are intended, to 
inspire modern design. I was interested in the way she fused traditional and contemporary materials 
and techniques to recreate the effect of silver birch tree bark, and was equally inspired by the 
natural world.'
 Museum of Childhood Prize
 Rebecca Green for Mrs Bryant's Pleasure
 Inspired by...  
  'Mrs Bryant's house was magical and the reality and detail of the rooms incredible - but 
the strangeness of the difference in scale between the doll in the kitchen and the furniture was 
very apparent to me!' 
 Judges' Comments
  'This beautifully made, illustrated children's book is based on the imagined lives of two 
doll-sized owners of two of the museum's finest dolls' houses on display, Mrs Bryant's 
Pleasure and The Tate Baby House.
 Rebecca has constructed a fully illustrated story about what problems may arise within their out of 
scale and mismatching miniature worlds in Mrs Bryant's house including how she is too small to 
look out her windows or to climb in to her bed easily.
 Rebecca has taken the time to really observe the quirkiness of dolls' house interiors and 
notice how, as furniture and interior decorations have been acquired over time, and not made 
specifically for the house, they are often out of scale and at times nonsensical. I really liked how 
this was the central focus for the story and how the characters of Mrs Bryant and Mrs Tate, her 
larger next door neighbour, overcome their differences in scale by turning this to their advantage, 
and eventually becoming friends. The drawings throughout the book are beautifully executed and 
capture the period features of the house and the dolls really well. The story is imaginative and has 
a sweet and optimistic message of friendship and is one I can really see children and adults 
enjoying, particularly in combination with seeing the Mrs Bryant's Pleasure at the Museum.'
 Theatre  Performance Prize
 Natasha Tonkin for Tweatre
 Inspired by... 
  'Inspired by the reflective and interactive theme of Decode exhibition and the glitz and 
glamour of the Theatre Collection, I wanted to create a new space that merges the myriad of online 
outlets with the traditional theatre performance arena, drawing attention to their analogous 
relationship.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'We thought Natasha's piece scored very highly in originality. An imaginative mix of 
'old' and 'new' technology, it has echoes of a 'What the Butler Saw' early 
cinema experience alongside reference to the feeling of intimacy and expectation one gets when 
sitting in a live audience, waiting for a show to begin.
 The large amount of art materials used and practices were also impressive and it was great to see 
two seemingly different exhibitions and galleries brought together as inspiration for a new piece. We loved the title too, combining 'Theatre' and 
'Tweeter.' 
 View a short video on 'Tweatre' by Natasha Tonkin on youTube
 Ceramics Galleries Prize
 Timothy Letten for Compression
 Inspired by... 
  'Room 143 inspired me. I found drawing many objects on all the shelves compelling and 
compressed all of them into one drawing. I immediately had an idea of pots found under the sea. When 
brought to the surface, they had all stuck together.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'We were impressed by Timothy Letten's "Compression" not only by the quality and 
challenges of making a piece of this size, but also for its imaginative scope.  It takes on an 
organic life of its own absorbing and fusing with the forms of the traditional Nigerian pots in the 
Ceramics Gallery.  He had the idea that the pots had fused and compressed under the sea for 
hundreds of years but rather than become objects frozen in time, they have become one object which 
is very much alive.'
 Glass Prize
 Wendy Green for Connect
 Inspired by...  
  'I visited the Museum of Childhood and was transported back to my youth by the brightly 
coloured Playplax construction toy and the Javanese shadow puppets. The colour changing gobo light 
in the Sensory Pod also appealed to me.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'Playing with shapes, textures and light, Wendy Green's delightful 'Connect' is an 
imaginative response to the collections of the Museum of Childhood. The almost impossible balance of this incredibly delicate structure shows great skill but also a 
refreshing playfulness that makes it a particularly appealing object.'
 Ceramics PrizeClarissa Dorner for Nasturtium Stack
 Inspired by...
 'I am inspired by the monumental size of the cast of Trajan's Column. I particularly like 
the way it spirals upwards, telling a story. I was also inspired by the tulip vases in the Ceramics 
gallery and the related pieces produced in the 'Telling Tales' exhibition.'
 Judges' Comments
 'Clarissa Dorner's 'Nasturtium Stack' is inspired by the VA's ceramics 
collection and perhaps one of its most imposing sculptures, Trajan's column. Her piece not only 
shows great technical achievement, it skilfully marries delicate glazing to a sense of monumentality 
and harmonious equilibrium that has a poetic resonance.'
 Word and Image Prize
 Laura Sheppard for Chinese Zodiac Puppets
 Inspired by... 
  'Upon visiting the China rooms I was completely taken aback by the beauty and the detail in all 
the items, but particularly the textiles and ceramics.' 
 Judges' Comments
  'Laura Sheppard's work was chosen as a winning piece as it displayed a meticulous care in 
execution, coupled with a sense of fun and movement. Laura had clearly spent time and effort studying objects at the VA and had let that inspire her 
work without restricting her imagination. We were particularly impressed by her attention to the 
detail and the presentation of the works.' 
A prize was also awarded to Carolyn Dinan, illustration tutor at Kensington  Chelsea College and 
Putney School of Art for the most inspiring tutor.
The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) offered 100 in vouchers towards the 
Benefit of Learning winner.