Kicking off the 2020 Darwin Festival on a creative note, the 20 finalists of this year’s Young Thinkers’ Competition enjoyed a fantastic night of appreciation and celebration with six Highly Commended entries announced and 12-year-old Vivian Wang from Packwood Haugh School crowned this year’s winner.

Over eighty family, friends and teachers attended to support the finalists whose work was proudly on display in both the entrance lobby to Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery (which will remain for a month), as well as at the special event staged on the Museum’s Balcony space.

The theme was ‘Darwin’s 2020 Vision’ and local artist Linda Edwards, along with fellow judges Robin Morris, Chairman of Morris & Company, and Professor Anna Sutton from University Centre Shrewsbury awarded Jason Gu (12) , Charles Miller (11), Ollie Jones (10) , Grace Say (9), Evie Hedges (8) and Phoebe Neale (7) with Highly Commended certificates and a tea towel featuring their own design.

The star of the night was Vivian Wang from Packwood Haugh school whose thought-provoking design was awarded the First Prize of being featured on flags flying from the Morris Welsh Bridge offices and from the University flagpole.

A delighted Vivian was presented with her Certificate and very own t shirt featuring the design.Her design will also be mounted as artwork within the University campus and she was presented with her Certificate and a VIP Cinema experience from Robin Morris along with the Morris Scholar, Paige Eades.