Your art could go to space!
The British Council is holding the Space Art Competition 2026 to encourage children’s creativity.
This year’s theme is “Celebrate a Colourful Universe”. Students are invited to use their culture, traditions, patterns, pictures, art and stories as inspiration to freely express a colourful universe.
Submitted works will be displayed at the British Council Iidabashi School or Musashi-Kosugi School. Some works may also be introduced on British Council social media.
Top entries from Japan will progress to the global competition. Works selected in the global competition may be displayed on the SCA-2 art satellite and shown in space!
Submission deadline: Friday 10 July 2026
| Page menu |
▼Overview
▼How to enter
▼Rewards and selection
▼Guidelines
▼Message from Xu Bing
▼Contact us
| Overview |
“Space Art Competition 2026” (official name: Xu Bing Space Art Residency Program) is an art competition for children held across British Council centres around the world.
The competition encourages children to think freely about space, Earth, art, culture and the future, and to express their ideas through artwork.
This competition is part of the Space Art Residency Program involving Xu Bing, a contemporary artist from China. Xu Bing is internationally known for works exploring language, writing, communication and culture.
In Japan, the competition is open to the following children:
●Students enrolled in British Council English courses for children
●Children living in the Musashi-Kosugi area (not enrolled at the British Council)
Children who do not currently study at the British Council can also participate if they live in the Musashi-Kosugi area.
Top entries from Japan will be submitted to the global competition. Works selected in the global competition may be showcased on the official website launched by artist Xu Bing and may be displayed on the SCA-2 art satellite alongside works from around the world.
| How to enter |
■Theme
Celebrate a Colourful Universe
Think about how something from your culture could become a space-themed artwork.
For example, you could take inspiration from:
- Patterns, pictures or art that represent your culture or traditions
- A universe inspired by your family, community or culture
- A universe inspired by music, stories or memories
- A message you would like to send to space
- A colourful world you would like to show in space
■Age groups
Ages 4-17
Entries will be judged in the following age groups.
| Age group | Competition stage |
| Ages 4-8 | Local competition in Japan only |
| Ages 9-11 | Japan representative entries may be selected for the global competition |
| Ages 12-15 | Japan representative entries may be selected for the global competition |
| Ages 15-17 | Japan representative entries may be selected for the global competition |
■Artwork format
British Council students must use the official entry sheet provided by their class teacher.
Children living in the Musashi-Kosugi area should create a flat artwork freely on A4 paper.
Artwork should generally be a flat piece, such as a drawing, illustration, painting or poster.
Students aged 12 and above may also submit photography, poetry in English, or a short piece of creative writing in English.
■How British Council students can enter
1. Receive the official entry sheet from your class teacher.
2. Create your artwork on the entry sheet.
3. Write the required information in the spaces provided.
4. Submit your completed entry to your class teacher by the deadline.
Submit to: Your class teacher
Submission deadline: Friday 10 July 2026
Information to write on the entry sheet:
Name / Age / Class name / Entry title / Teacher’s name
Each student may submit one entry only. Late entries cannot be accepted. If any information is missing, please correct it by the deadline. Students may ask their teacher for a replacement entry sheet if needed.
■How children living in the Musashi-Kosugi area (not enrolled at the British Council) can enter
1. Create your artwork on A4 paper.
2. Bring your completed artwork directly to British Council Musashi-Kosugi School with your parent or guardian.
Reception hours: Tuesday-Friday, 13:00-19:00
When you visit the school, you will be asked to complete the required information and submit a parental consent form.
Submit to:
British Council Musashi-Kosugi School
35-9 Nakamaruko, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Tel: 044-920-8330
Submission deadline:
Friday 10 July 2026
*Entries cannot be submitted by post, email or online.
*Videos, performances and long proposal-style submissions are not accepted in Japan.
| Rewards and selection |
■Limited participation gift for 2026
For Space Art Competition 2026, a limited number of space eraser sets will be available for participants who meet the conditions below.
1. Current British Council students
Parents or guardians can post the artwork their child is entering in the competition, or mention that their child is taking part in the competition, on Social Media or a blog. Please show the post to a British Council staff member. We are not asking parents or guardians to write a review. Posts simply need to show the artwork or mention participation in the competition.
The first 50 students at Iidabashi School and the first 50 students at Musashi-Kosugi School will receive a space eraser set.
Suggested hashtags: #BritishCouncil #ブリティッシュカウンシル #SpaceArtCompetition2026
2. External participants living in the Musashi-Kosugi area
Children living in the Musashi-Kosugi area who are not currently enrolled at the British Council can also receive a participation gift.
The first 50 external participants who submit their completed artwork to British Council Musashi-Kosugi School will receive a space eraser set.
In addition, external participants living in the Musashi-Kosugi area will receive a 10% discount on British Council Term 2 tuition fees, from September to December.
■Prizes and selection
One winner and one runner-up will be selected from each category. Winners will receive a certificate and a prize.
In addition, the judging panel will select Japan representative entries from the winning works at each school. The Japan representative entries will be submitted to the global competition.
Works selected in the global competition may be featured on the official website launched by the artist Xu Bing, and may also be shown on the SCA-2 art satellite.
If an external participant living in the Musashi-Kosugi area is selected as a winner, they will receive a 50% discount on British Council Term 2 tuition fees, from September to December. In this case, the 10% participation discount cannot be combined with the 50% winner discount.
*This participation gift is a limited promotional item for the 2026 competition only. Available while stocks last.
*Participation gifts and prize benefits may change or end without prior notice.
*This does not guarantee that participation gifts or tuition discount benefits will be provided in future competitions.
*Tuition discounts may be subject to conditions, including eligible courses, eligible periods, level check results and class availability.
■Schedule
10 July: Artwork submission deadline
18–24 July: Winners selected
September: Global winners selected
| Guidelines |
■Guidelines for creating artwork
- Artwork must be original and created by the student.
- Please do not include the following in the artwork:
―Photos of the student’s face or other people’s faces
―Full names, addresses, school names or other information that could identify an individual
―Political content
―Historical figures
―People who have not given consent to be included
―Content that may be considered inappropriate, offensive or illegal
―If the artwork includes personal information or content related to safety, it may be excluded from display, judging and submission to the global competition.
■Other important notes
- Each student may submit one entry only.
- Late entries cannot be accepted.
- Submitted works will not be returned.
- Submitted works will be displayed for a certain period at British Council Iidabashi School or Musashi-Kosugi School.
- Submitted works may be used as examples or to introduce the competition on British Council websites, social media, flyers, posters and other promotional or marketing materials.
- When works are published, the artwork title, age, category and other relevant information may be shown where necessary.
- Photos of students’ faces, addresses, school names and other information that could identify an individual will not be published.
- For children living in the Musashi-Kosugi area who are not enrolled at the British Council, only prize winners will be contacted.
- We are unable to respond to individual enquiries about judging results.
- If selected in the global competition, the artwork may be displayed on the SCA-2 art satellite and shown in space.
- Children who are not currently enrolled at the British Council may be eligible for a special tuition offer if they decide to join a British Council course. Details will be announced once confirmed. This offer may be subject to conditions such as eligible courses, eligible periods, level checks and class availability.
- The competition details, entry requirements, display and selection methods, and benefits may change due to unavoidable circumstances.
| Message from Xu Bing |
Hi! My name is Xu Bing. I’m from China and I’m an artist.
What can you see when you look up at the night sky?
You can probably see lots of stars. Perhaps you can also see some tiny moving lights. These are satellites.
A satellite is an object that orbits a star, planet or moon. The Moon is a satellite because it orbits the Earth. The Earth is a satellite because it orbits the Sun! The Moon and the Earth are natural satellites.
Today, thousands of artificial satellites also orbit the Earth. Some of these are communication satellites. These send signals from one point on Earth to another. These are used for television and internet services.
Others are weather satellites. These observe and help predict weather. There are also satellites that are used to observe activities on Earth, such as agriculture and building. Satellites are also used to explore and learn more about space.
One of these satellites is very special. Its name is SCA-2 and it is our very own satellite for art.
“We believe that everyone on Earth is creative and that we are all explorers.”
— Xu Bing
| Contact us |
For questions about the competition, please contact:
British Council Iidabashi School
courses@britishcouncil.or.jp
British Council Musashi-Kosugi School
musashikosugi@britishcouncil.org
