Young artists visited Hackney Town Hall on Thursday 1 March to receive awards for their creativity and hard work in designing a Hackney Black History Flag.

Deputy Mayor Anntoinette Bramble presented certificates to the winner and 5 runners up who made it out of 75 entries sent in from young people across Hackney. The winning design will now be made into a real flag and will be flown above Hackney Town Hall for Black History Month in October.

As well as receiving commendations the finalists also received love to shop vouchers and the winner also picked up a free t-shirt from local clothing start-up Future Royals.

Winner, 13 year old Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron, a Year 8 pupil from The Urswick School said: “I have African roots and my design is inspired by my own experience of growing within a black community and culture in Hackney.”

Jonathan Beasley, Head of Art & Photography at The Urswick School said: “We are delighted that Malaika’s design will be flown above Hackney Town Hall. It is a real moment of pride for us as a school – to see our student’s creativity and sense of culture and history being celebrated in this way. Huge congratulations to Malaika and well done to all the young artists who took part and played such an active role in their local community.”

The final designs were picked out by a panel of judges and were awarded on distinctiveness of design, being exciting and colourful and celebrating the present and future while honouring the past.

Deputy Mayor Bramble, who was on the judging panel for the competition said: “There were so many fantastic designs. I am always amazed by the creativity of the borough’s young people, all of the entries were a celebration for Hackney and the contribution that African and Caribbean communities have made both locally and across the globe. The winning design embodies a sense of pride taken from that very same contribution, i’m excited to see it flying above the Town Hall as an important symbol for Hackney and Black History later this year.”

The six finalist designs will also go on display in Hackney Central Library throughout Black History Month in October.

Black History Flag 2018 Finalists:

1.         Winner: Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron

2.         Segun Rasheed

3.         Children with Voices (Syesha Samuels, Reon Dornelly and Kenya Thomas)

4.         Emelda Ndifon

5.         Gloria Cumpstey

6.         Angel Levy