Artbeat: weekly arts diary

20th April 2001, 1:00am

The annual Young at Art awards at the London Institute until May 1 are a stunning show, featuring some exuberant artworks. But Susannah Fone, co-ordinator of the awards, is keen to attract more entries in the younger age groups (11 to 19-year-olds from schools in London are eligible) and in the Digital Art and New Media category next year. She also wants to encourage more teachers to enter in their own right. Entry forms will be available in September. Contact Susannah on: 020 7514 6238; email: s.fone@linst.ac.uk; www.linst.ac.uk .

There’s further inspiration for art teachers in an exhibition of sculptures by Lucy Casson, Looking Through a Cheese Grater , at the Charlotte Street Gallery, London, until May 5, tel: 020 7255 2828.

Hubble’s Universe is a collection of awe-inspiring giant photographs taken by the Hubble space telescope, on show at the Blue Gallery, near London’s Barbican, until May 12, tel: 020 7490 3833. It is worth turning up just for the stunning free poster for under-16s of the Eagle Nebula. A larger show tours to Falmouth Art Gallery in mid-July. Visit the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore at www.stsci.edu .

Collaborations between artists and scientists are generating a fascinating body of new work. Research and production grants announced last week from the Sci-Art consortium will fund projects such as films of the swarming patterns of the Highland midge and reconstructions of prehistoric musical instruments. Visit www.wellcome.ac.uksciart nbsp;and www.sciart.org .

The Almeida Theatre’s education and community work moves into an abandoned hospital ward for a production running from April 27-May 5. Drawing on interviews with patients, parents, doctors and nurses in London hospitals, Ghost Ward , directed by Ben Harrison examines the triumph of human will in the face of adversity. The promenade staging is at St Andrew’s Hospital, Bow, with professional actors working with 20 young people from seven schools.nbsp;Box office: 020 7359 4404. Tickets cost pound;5.