The past few weeks at Artfield have felt like standing inside a live wire, buzzing with energy. As our students prepared for the Young Silverback Awards, the studios transformed into a creative battleground, a playground of ideas. Anyone walking through the corridors could hear it all: the urgent whispers, the debates over what “balance” really means, the laughter that came with last-minute changes, and the determined silence of students working deep into the night.
This year’s Young Silverback experience was easily one of the most exciting moments on our calendar. The moment the creative briefs arrived, everything changed. With only twenty-four hours for most categories and forty-eight for film, the entire school moved with a sense of urgency. Ideas were shaped, challenged, rebuilt, abandoned, and revived. It was beautiful chaos.
A special moment this year came from watching our students step into categories they had never tried before. These were new fields with new demands and completely new challenges. Even with all the uncertainty, they walked in with confidence, trusted their creativity, and still came out as winners. It was a powerful reminder of how brave and adaptable our young creatives are.
The pairing system added even more life to the experience. Every project carried two minds and two creative energies. Watching students merge their ideas into one vision felt like observing real creative chemistry. Some pairs worked quietly and calmly, while others moved with the intensity of a storm, but each team pushed themselves and produced work that made us stop and say, “This is exactly why we do what we do.”
The discipline and courage our students showed revealed how much potential exists in our classrooms. Whether a team won or lost, every participant left with stronger instincts, more confidence, and a deeper understanding of what it means to create under pressure.
Then came the victories worth celebrating.
In the Print Category, Team Outlawz, made up of Bukenya Shafiq and Etimu Jotham, created work so bold that it almost introduced itself. Their choices were brave, refreshing, and unforgettable, and their win was well deserved.
In the Film Category, Mirembe Kristi and Mugenyi Liadon, known as Loc’d and Loaded, produced a short film that captured our full attention. It was thoughtful, layered, and beautifully refined. Many of us watched it more than once just to enjoy the details.
Beyond the wins, the true highlight was the spirit of collaboration. We saw ideas fuse, collide, stretch, and grow into something stronger than what either student could have achieved alone. It reminded us that creativity thrives when different perspectives meet.
We are grateful to the Young Silverback Awards organizing committee for giving our students a platform where their hard work and talent could shine. Their long nights, big dreams, and commitment were truly worth it.
From the first idea to the final reveal, this entire experience filled us with pride. And if this is only a preview of what our students can do in pairs, even in unfamiliar categories, then the future of design is not just bright. It is incredibly exciting.