YOUNG artists have been selected to have their photographs inspired by life living at home during the pandemic displayed as part of a national exhibition.

Three students from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, are having their work shown as part of the exhibition, which will feature work from other teenagers across the country.

Scott Allison, Lianna Charlesworth and Hope Norman had their images chosen to appear in the “At home” exhibition organised by The Sixth Form Colleges Association.

Vicky Snowball, from the college, said: "Photography is such powerful visual language and our students have certainly embraced this opportunity to document personal experiences for the national 'At Home' exhibition.

"The successful entries really showcase a high level of creativity and honesty, marking this key moment in time."

The exhibition was designed to reflect the experiences of young people during lockdown and there were submissions from almost fifty colleges.

Hope, whose picture "piece by piece" is part of the exhibition, said: “My piece reflects the fragmented time we are in. Society is very much, at the moment, an incomplete puzzle, of which we are the pieces.

"During quarantine I’ve found comfort in doing jigsaws, they’re a great pastime! Though I think this is a reflection of something greater, we now have time to work and build on our characters and in the end see a bigger picture."

Lianna, whose piece was called "Escaped the house", said: “The main thing I focused on while taking the photos was loneliness because I think that's the most common feeling that people have during lockdown. I also made my images black and white to emphasise sadness rather than keeping colour in them."

Scott Allison's picture "Human waste" was inspired by flytipping on his daily walk. He said: “I was on my daily walk when I came across an example of fly tipping, which unfortunately became a common sight during lockdown. I took this picture to document the first hand effects it has on the scenery and the environment. This image is one of many I have captured, documenting life during lockdown."

Department for Education minister Gillian Keegan said: “This has been a difficult time for the entire country but this exhibition is a wonderful example of how creativity can flourish in the face of adversity.

"It’s great to see how these sixth form students have captured the experiences of lockdown from a young person’s perspective.”