There is still time for budding photographers from around our region to get involved in Norwich’s Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART)’s latest community photography competition, ‘There Be Dragons!’, which closes on Monday 9^th December 2013.

HEART would like to see your snaps of dragons and mythical beasts from around Norwich’s, as a precursor to the Norwich Dragon Festival 2014: Warming Up Winter, which returns next year between Monday 10^th and Sunday 23^rd February.

Dragons have been a heraldic symbol closely associated with the city of Norwich since the Middle Ages (including the Guild of St George and its procession featuring Snap the dragon), and today dragons are still visible across the city’s architecture and feature in many of the city’s celebrations. ‘There Be Dragons!’ celebrates this role which dragons and other mythological beasts have played within Norwich’s rich heritage over the centuries, as well as showcasing the inspiring photography talent around the region.

HEART is calling on photographic enthusiasts of all ages to get involved, offering many great prizes for the competition’s winners who will be selected from two age categories. The competition’s grand finale will be the presentation of the winning and shortlisted entries in a public exhibition to be held in The Forum during the Norwich Dragon Festival.

HEART is challenging entrants to represent the theme of dragons and other mythical beasts in an original and creative way, reflecting the individual’s personal interpretation of these mythical symbols. Entries can be in black and white, or colour; portrait or landscape; external or internal; from a bird’s eye or worm’s eye view; features and close-ups or panoramic views; they can include the historical built environment such as buildings and streets, or can focus on or include particular objects; photographs can be literal or more abstract interpretations.

The competition judges are looking for photographic quality and composition; originality and creativity; the story-telling qualities of the images and how they relate to the given theme. Entrants can submit up to five different photographs each, which must be received by HEART by no later than Monday 9^th December. One winner will be selected from the under 25-year-olds category, and another winner will be picked from the over 25-year-olds category. Fantastic prizes will be awarded to each category’s winner, including intu Chapelfield gift cards, trophies, heritage goodie bags and exclusive tickets to the launch event of the exhibition.

Examples of dragon symbols and other mythological beasts around Norwich are wider than one might first expect, including sculptures, wall paintings, stained glass, internal detailing (like the spandrel in Dragon Hall), exhibits in museums (Snap) and architectural detailing. This competition not only tests peoples’ photographic skills but is also a challenge to seek out and record unusual subjects.

Michael Loveday, Chief Executive of Norwich HEART said: “Our community Photography Competitions have been amazingly successful, resulting in some brilliantly creative images of Norwich’s historic buildings. This year, we want to see your interpretations of mythological beasts in the city and their links with Norwich’s heritage.”

Sheridan Smith, Marketing Manager at intu Chapelfield said: “We are delighted to support the ‘There be Dragons!’ community photography competition. Norwich is a beautiful city, full of hidden gems, so it will be exciting to see what the talented entrants choose to photograph.”

For details of how to enter the ‘There Be Dragons!’ Photography Competition, please visit www.heritagecity.org for an entry form and terms and conditions.

‘There Be Dragons!’ is HEART’s fifth community photography competition, following on from ‘Alternative Angles: New perspectives on Norwich’s heritage’, ‘Norwich 12 buildings’, ‘Norwich Medieval Churches’ and ‘My Heritage, My Norwich’.

 

Norwich Dragon Festival 2014: Warming Up Winter is being organised by HEART, with support from the Norwich Town Close Estate Charity, Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) and The Forum, the Norwich Dragon Festival will see two weeks packed full of dragon-related activities and events linked to the symbol of the dragon, celebrating its role in the heritage and culture of Norwich and promoting heritage to a broad audience during the post-Christmas depths of winter.

Dragon-seekers of all ages can enjoy films, sculptures, competitions, quests and tours, arts and craft activities, puppet shows, dragon trails, storytelling, dragon performances, talks, exhibitions, artwork and displays.

In 2011, the Dragon Festival’s 60 events attracted 75,000 visitors and had a positive economic impact on the local economy of £400,000.

More information about the festival as it is released will be available at www.heritagecity.org/dragonfestival, and the brochure will be available in January. You can also follow announcements about the festival on Twitter at @NorwichHEART and #NorwichDragonFestival, or on Facebook –Norwich HEART or Norwich Dragon Festival.

 

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