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The Changing Face Of Coalfield Communities Photography Competition

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION CELEBRATES THE SPIRIT OF COALFIELD COMMUNITIES

Residents of Britain’s coalfield communities are being offered the chance to show the rest of the nation how they are rising to the challenges caused by pit closures.

National charity, The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) is launching a photography competition to celebrate the community spirit of coalfield areas.

The Trust has been working with communities since 1999, helping residents to regenerate their villages and reignite the community spirit so typical of mining areas.

Since the Trust began, it has distributed £190million of grants. It has created 119 new community facilities, and refurbished and improved more than 2,000. It has helped more than 17,000 people in coalfield communities to find work and more than 115,000 to get skills and training for the future. It has worked on child care places, social enterprises, community transport, and debt and financial advice, and it has helped nearly 10,000 people to become new volunteers in projects within their communities.

The photography competition, “The changing face of coalfield communities”, is open to everyone and all areas of photography – professional, semi-professional and enthusiastic amateurs.

Photographs need to be of landscapes, people, events, objects or buildings, in fact, anything or anybody that entrants feel sums up the spirit of coalfield communities today. All images should have been taken in 2010.

CRT Trustee Peter McNestry says: “Coalfield communities have undergone a massive change and many residents have had life-changing experiences, both good and bad. This competition pays tribute to the tremendous community spirit that we know is alive and well in former mining areas, as we have witnessed it first hand while working closely with local groups and individuals over the past decade.

“This is a perfect opportunity for residents to share their images of places, people and events which continue to make coalfield communities special.”

Entries will be judged by celebrated rock and portrait photographer Kevin Cummins. Last year he published Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain – a visual record of the city and its pop history incorporating many of his images of some of its great bands, including Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses.

His connection with Britain’s coalfields stems from 1986 when he was commissioned to take photographs of contemporary life by Wigan Heritage Centre at an important period for the town due to the widespread closure of Britain’s coal mines.

Kevin said: “I am honoured to be involved with this competition and looking forward to seeing the story of Britain’s coalfields in pictures.”

Photos will be assessed on their artistic flair and imagination and can be taken on any digital camera or even a mobile phone. Often the most powerful and interesting photographs aren't always the most technically brilliant. It is the creativity behind the image that is most important to our judges.

The top 10 images will be made into special prints to be displayed in community centres funded by the CRT across Britain and the top 50 images will be showcased in a book to celebrate the work of the Trust.

How to enter

You can enter up to three images by emailing them to photographycomp@coalfields-regen.org.uk or uploading them to the Coalfields Regeneration Trust facebook page or Flicker group.

Please include your name, address, age and a short explanation of where the photograph was taken and when.

Terms and conditions of the competition can be found on the Coalfields Regeneration Trust website at www.coalfields-regen.org.uk. The competition closes XXXX.