Art competition draws inspiration from athletes

The competition launch coincided with the opening ceremony for this year’s games on July 27 and will run until August 12. Young people with a creative flare and passion for sport are invited to submit a sporting inspired picture incorporating noodles in some way.

“We have a connection with lots of athletes and sporting talents in Ireland, including the Irish Boxing Team, and have hosted cooking classes with them teaching the importance of a balanced diet,” she said.

“So taking inspiration from them as well as Wimbledon tennis players, Tour De France cyclists and Olympic athletes, we thought now was a great time to promote healthy eating and raise awareness of the importance of exercise amongst young people.

“The art competition is just a fun way of doing that and the use of noodles in the art just adds an extra noodle-y twist which makes it different from any other art competitions.”

There are two age categories with different prizes; the under 12 category winner will spend an exhilarating afternoon in the capable hands of Mobile Team Adventure, embarking on a fun family session of canoeing on the stunning Lagan Regional Park Valley.

The teenager category winner (age 13–18) will take a spin around the city on a Belfast City Bike Tour with the family - a fun, eco-friendly tour with local guides showing the sites, some of which are only reachable by bike.

“There are lots of fun outdoor activities which can be enjoyed throughout Northern Ireland and the prizes offered for this competition give just a flavour of what’s on offer. We hope the lucky winners will have lots of fun taking part and maybe we’ll discover a future gold medalist,” said Chris Scott from OutdoorNI.com.

Before participating in the energy intensive activities, both prize winners and their families will be set up for the day with a cookery class hosted by Wagamama group trainer Juan Manteca.

Feeling the heat in the kitchen of the Victoria Square restaurant, Juan will teach the families new healthy cooking techniques using fresh ingredients and interesting flavours, leaving them with satisfied tummies and an array of new dishes to continue cooking at home. 

‘Doodle with Noodles’ is now open for free entry and completed artwork should be submitted to the Wagamama restaurant in Belfast - Unit FFC6 Victoria Square Shopping Centre, Belfast BT1 4QG.

All entries must include the name and age of the artist as well as contact details for the parent or guardian. Submitted artwork will be displayed in the restaurant until the competition closes on Sunday August 12 when the winners will be announced. For more information telephone 028 9023 6098.