True Colours Art Exhibition

CCEA has created a virtual exhibition allowing visitors around the world to tour and interact with art and design displays by Northern Ireland’s GCSE, GCE, and A Level students.

Speaking about the exhibition Leah Scott, CCEA’s Director of Finance and Corporate Services, said:

We are delighted to have the True Colours exhibition back after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 in a new and exciting virtual format. The result has been exceptional and brings into play a range of new ways in which we can celebrate the amazing and creative work by our students across NI. CCEA is an innovative organisation and this virtual exhibition demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the learning experience through technology.

The virtual exhibition modelled on one of The Ulster Museum’s galleries is the first time CCEA will showcase work from Art & Design students in a fully virtual setting. In total, it will display works from 49 pupils in 24 schools and showcase a variety of mediums such as fine art paintings, sculpture and multimedia.

True Colours is embraced by teachers as an opportunity for schools across Northern Ireland to virtually view and experience art and design produced by pupils for exams.

CCEA’s Education Manager for Art & Design, Anne McGinn commented:

Students have demonstrated their ability to be resilient and utilise the Covid-19 restriction periods to their advantage by using art and design as way to channel energy and creativity in a positive and beneficial way. Schools can use the exhibition as a valuable teaching resource and students can be inspired by the range of talent on display. CCEA will build on this approach and look forward to bringing more exhibitions using this method as well as hopefully returning to a physical exhibition in The Ulster Museum.

Colleen Watters, Art Education Officer, National Museums NI, said:

The Ulster Museum is delighted to see the return of CCEA’s True Colours Exhibition, in such an innovative, accessible and interactive way. We are excited an actual exhibition space in the museum has been used to display the virtual exhibition and look forward to working with CCEA in the future.

To explore the True Colours virtual exhibition visit:

CCEA’s True Colours

Every year CCEA’s True Colours exhibition celebrates artwork produced within schools and colleges across NI. The exhibition has been in existence, in various forms, since the 1950s and is embraced by schools as an opportunity to showcase impressive art and design pieces from their talented pupils which have been produced for CCEA’s summer series of GCE A2, AS and GCSE level examinations. The event has become the focal point for schools and further education colleges across NI to display a broad range of artwork from their students.

Schools and Exhibitors 2022

Belfast Royal Academy: GCSE Holly Hooks, AS Kathleen Malone, A2 Eoghan Hughes 

Breda Academy: AS James Todd, A2 Olivia Young     

Cambridge House Grammar School: GCSE Jack Campbell, A2 Darcie McCaughern     

Campbell College: GCSE Michael Hill         

City of Armagh HS: GCSE Leah Rainey         

De La Salle College: GCSE Emmet Fraser         

Down High School: GCSE Ella Hawthorne, AS Rachel Beers     

Fivemiletown College: A2 Ben Weir                                     

Friends School Lisburn: GCSE Erin McGrath, AS Holly Winters, A2 Emma Stewart 

Lurgan College: GCSE Stacie Allen & Charlotte Collins, A2 Luke Steele     

Methodist College Belfast: GCSE Jiwon Hong, AS Sasha Porter, A2 Sophie Williams 

Our Lady & St Patrick's College Knock: GCSE Cara Coulter         

Rathmore GS: GCSE Jude Newham, AS Lara Hanly     

St Patrick’s Academy: GCSE Kara Morgan & Maria Donaghy, AS Loren McKenna     

St. Louis Grammar School Kilkeel: GCSE Alice Quinn, AS Anna Forte     

St. Louise’s Comprehensive College: GCSE Aoife Devlin         

St. Malachy's College: A2 Eoin Conroy         

St. Marys College: GCSE Jodie Lavery, A2 Sinead Ferreira     

Strathearn School: GCSE Juliette Ruelland-Kennedy & Tara Winton, AS Grace Bowman & Lauren Nesbitt, A2 Elizabeth Walker & Jess Winton 

Sullivan Upper School: AS Emily Cole & Jonju Ruding, A2 Adam Bell & Dervla Blaney     

The Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School: A2 Aidan Lavery        

The Royal School Armagh: AS Tony Xue, A2 Hannah Finlay     

The Royal School Dungannon: GCSE Charlotte Meyer, AS Holly Magowan     

The Wallace High School: GCSE Ben Blaney