Young Artists Bring Dartmoor’s Wild Beauty to Life
Devon’s next generation of creative minds just made a real-world difference for their local landscape. The Dartmoor Youth Art Competition crowned three winners—Juniper Holliday (12), Sophie Hobson (15), and Molly Wightman (16)—whose striking designs will be featured on a fresh range of limited-edition t-shirts from Roots Clothing in 2025. But these shirts aren’t just about style; they’ll help raise funds for the Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA) and further conservation and youth involvement in this rugged corner of southwest England.
This collaboration between Roots Clothing, a local youth-led brand, and the DPA tossed the creative baton straight to local teens and preteens. The competition asked entrants to channel their love for Dartmoor—its wide skies, granite tors, and wild ponies—into artwork that could start conversations and maybe inspire action. All proceeds from shirt sales, set for a May 2025 drop, will go directly to DPA’s youth programs and environmental projects, so every purchase directly fuels more adventures and access for youngsters across the region.
Art With a Purpose: Giving Young Voices a Platform
Kids out exploring Dartmoor know just how much is at stake. For Juniper Holliday, her piece was about encouraging everyone to get out on the moor, whether that’s through hiking or wild camping, with the simple idea that ‘people protect what they love.’ Molly Wightman, the competition’s oldest winner, put it this way: Dartmoor isn’t only a playground or a postcard—it captures “our past, present, and future.” She points to respect as the key ingredient to making sure its wildness survives for the next group of kids eager to discover it.
The competition didn’t just end with three names in the spotlight. Three more talented youngsters received recognition during Ten Tors 2025, the legendary team trek across Dartmoor watched by families and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Their work, while not landing on t-shirts, still drew praise for capturing the moor's magic and challenges. Such visibility helps bridge that gap between curiosity and stewardship—between loving a place and pitching in to save it.
This contest is only part of a wider movement across Devon to use art and nature as tools for youth empowerment. At RAMM (Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum), the *Dartmoor Frame of Mind* project reaches out to teenagers struggling with mental health, offering photography workshops that double as an invitation to slow down and really look at what’s around them. It’s about more than the end result; it’s about forging connections and building resilience in the wild air. With each program, project, or even a wearable painting, young voices get a little louder in the call to protect Dartmoor’s future.
