Local creative entrepreneur Amber Leach, has launched a competition to encourage female artists from Plymouth to have their work featured in public art spaces as part of High Street Heritage Action Zone Project initiative and in the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
The Plymouth Selfie Wall Project launched on 1st March 2022 and will run for 4 weeks and will culminate in 8 winning artworks being replicated on large walls and hoarding boards across the city, and prizes of up to £500 per winning entry.
Amber Leach, a professional photographer, who gained inspiration for the project from the infamous instagrammable walls of Los Angeles, said, “Having these incredibly unique Selfie Walls will increase the number of local visitors and tourists, which will increase footfall to city centre, increase business in the nearby shops, bring some fun to the city centre, create something local people are proud of, and hopefully put Plymouth on the map for it’s creativity. I want local creative talent recognised, celebrated and showcased for the world to see.” The competition is female only, due to statistics showing that women are underrepresented in the creative industries. This project will give undiscovered female artists a chance to have their work showcased in their city and worldwide via social media reach. The walls will also create new backdrops for local / visiting photographers & film makers.
Any female can enter the competition as long as they reside in the pl1 – pl9 areas of Plymouth. Entrants can be any age, and don’t have to be a professional practicing artist. The winning artworks will be part of a larger project being carried out in the City Centre Conservation Area, the area forms an important part of the wider City Centre. Funding from this project will pay the winning artists for their designs and also for the artworks to be executed on the walls. The exact locations of the walls are still to be confirmed.
Funders and Partners
High Street Heritage Action Zone programme
The £95 million government-funded High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, delivered by Historic England, has been designed to unlock the potential of 60 high streets across England including the conservation area in Plymouth’s city centre which was adopted in July 2019. High Street Sparks funding will be available once a year for the next three years and is part of a wider High Street Heritage Action Zone project managed by The Box, POP and Plymouth City Council.
Plymouth Sound National Marine Park
Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City is home to the UK’s first National Marine Park. Plymouth Sound National Marine Park aims to improve access and engagement to natural and maritime heritage to ensure everyone can enjoy the significant benefits that being on, in, under or next to the sea provides.
Three winners will be chosen from competition entries to create three selfie sites across Plymouth’s waterfront as part of the drive to encourage more people to enjoy the waterfront and discover more about Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. Plymouth Sound National Marine Park received funding from the UK Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund to deliver a range of activities with tourism businesses in the wider visitor economy that are engaged, or have the potential to engage with, the National Marine Park initiative.
For further information about this competition please visit the website https://establishedbyher.com/plymouthselfiewallproject
