The Contemporary Photography Group of the Royal Photographic Society has created a bursary to fund ‘A photographic project that conveys the experience of being a school student in a rural environment’ as part of the RPS Photography for All initiative.
The competition to win the bursary prize of £1500 was available to all primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and The Isle of Man which are in a settlement with a population of less than ten thousand (or which has been designated as Rural by the relevant Government Legislation).
The Contemporary Group judging committee unanimously voted Broadhembury Church of England Primary School as winner. Feedback from the committee commended the fact that the school’s plan for the project would touch the whole school and included a planned physical exhibition of the resulting work.
Broadhembury is a small village in the Black Down Hills Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty. Their project intends to stimulate thought and encourage the childrens’ interpretation of where they live, to convey the experience of being a school student in a rural environment, including rural landscapes and wildlife. The project will look at how the children can look after this environment to ensure it is preserved for years to come.
Outcomes will be more than tangible imagery, they aim to develop appreciation of the world where we live, to know why where we live is special and to know how we can look after our local environment. The bursary will support the project by purchasing photography equipment including time lapse cameras. It will also be used to hire exhibition space to show the outcomes of the project.
As well as the financial bursary the Contemporary Group will provide mentoring and advice to the school staff involved.
Contacts for further information:
RPS Contemporary Group: Sean Goodhart contemporaryweb@rps.org
Broadhembury CofE Primary School: Kate Prince kprince@broadhembury.devon.sch.uk