![By The original uploader was Elbeonore at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/thedevonweek.newsandmediarepublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/young-beatrix-potter.jpg?resize=672%2C372)
The poll asked children aged from 5 to 16 years about their artistic tastes and which authors, artists, writers and even vloggers they recognised by name.
Revealing which of these famous names may be ‘extinct’ within a generation and exposing what modern parents are likely to be reading and showing their children on TV, in books and in galleries, the names that children were asked to identify that they recognised were:
- Enid Blyton
- Beatrix Potter
- Lewis Carroll
- Rudyard Kipling
- Zoella (Zoe Sugg, vlogger)
- Van Gogh
- Quentin Blake
- Claude Monet
- Steven Spielberg
- Dr Seuss
Results in the South West showed that authors Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton and Dr Seuss were ranked first (with 77 per cent), second (72 per cent) and third (70 per cent) respectively when asked which people they had ever heard of; while surprisingly YouTube sensation Zoe Sugg aka Zoella, with over 10 million subscribers online and a best-selling author herself, was ranked last with only 26 per cent.
Famous artists Van Gogh (68 per cent) and Claude Monet (35 per cent) pipped her to the post coming fourth and ninth respectively, while fellow authors Lewis Carrol (52 per cent) and Rudyard Kipling (43 per cent) ranked sixth and seventh respectively.
Four per cent of all the children polled in the South West didn’t recognise any names on the list which may take teachers by surprise as many feature on the national curriculum.
The online poll was commissioned for holidaycottages.co.uk to learn more about children’s cultural tastes ahead of the launch of a new competition they launched to find Britain’s best young authors, artists and video film directors.
Launched in January 2016, holidaycottages.co.uk’s ‘Young Creatives’ competition asks schools, Scouts, Brownies and other youth groups to enter their best work.
They have the chance to win part of the £2000 prize which includes books, holiday vouchers and photography prizes. The competition is in partnership with Penguin books and is being judged by celebrity children’s authors, Jeremy Strong and Chris Bradford, alongside MD of Photobox, Robert May. There will be two age groups for entries, under 11’s and under 16’s.
James Morris, managing director of holidaycottages.co.uk said “It’s very encouraging that many children recognised the authors and artists widely renowned as ‘classic’ names. However, the poll suggests that many of the most famous painters may be starting to slip off the radar.
“Our aim with the ‘Young Creatives’ competition is to encourage children to paint, write or produce short films and express their creativity.
“As providers of holidays, we know that when children’s imaginations are stimulated by a great day at the beach or on a long forest walk, the best creative moments happen.
“We hope that by giving children an outlet such as the Young Creatives competition to show their best work, it will remind each of us to value the creative and artistic elements in our lives.”
(from a press release)
image: young Beatrix Potter. The original uploader was Elbeonore at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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