A 10-day exhibition showing what goes on behind the scenes at Norwich University College of the Arts (NUCA) has concluded at The Forum, with a schools competition winner named.

Visitors got the chance to make their own artwork as well as see a whole range of art, design and media work from NUCA's undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

There was also an awards ceremony for NUCA's 2012 Schools ArtMAD Competition, where former Norwich City star Darren Huckerby presented Ben Hawkyard, a year 11 pupil from The Hewett School, with a �500 cash prize for his winning animation.

An additional �500 was also awarded to Ben's school's art department after he claimed first place out of around 800 competitors.

Avril Wilkinson, Ben's mum, said: 'We are incredibly proud of him. Ben spent a long time perfecting an animation on the theme of the Olympics and the Olympic motto - faster, higher, stronger.

He taught himself to use Flash animation, working on it without any help, night after night, liaising with NUCA and troubleshooting when things did not go according to plan.

At the private view, we were very impressed with the quality of the other entries; I could not believe it when his name was read out and he went up on the stage to meet Darren Huckerby and have his photo taken.'

Ben has now been chosen to study A-level animation at NUCA next year, with Avril adding: The principal, John Last, and his colleagues were amazing and I know that Ben really appreciated their enthusiastic support of his work.'

A live Illustration auction rounded off the exhibition with visitors to The Forum bidding to own an original piece of work by both upcoming and established artists.

Over �2,000 was raised, which will be used by NUCA students to publish this summer's BA Illustration Degree Show catalogue.

To watch Ben's animation, go to www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/local-life

Have you won a competition? Contact Local Life editor David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk