8th Helen Keller International Award
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
4th April - 4th May 2009
Entrants Information Pack
Deadline for Applications - 19th December 2008
Download the 8th Helen Keller International Award Registration Form.
Main Category
- First Prize £1500
- Runners-up £200
Under 16s
- First Prize £100
Dr Helen Keller, the deafblind woman known worldwide for her inspirational life and work, visited Scotland in 1933 with her teacher Anne Sullivan to accept an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow. On this trip she established a trust fund to be applied in the interests of deafblind people.
Sense Scotland became trustees of this fund in 1989, transforming it from an annual essay competition, into the Helen Keller Award, a multi-media art competition open to professional and non-professional artists. Now coordinated biannually, the Award attracts an ever-increasing number of entries from artists across the world.
The competition brief:
The competition aims to challenge the perceptions of deafblindness. This is interpreted in many different ways, eliciting a diverse array of artwork in a broad range of media. It also includes the submission of work by artists who are deafblind they.
General Entry Info/Guidelines
Up to two pieces of work per person in any artistic medium may be submitted. The work must in some way challenge the perceptions of deafblindness. Pieces will be selected and judged by an independent panel. The decision of the selection panel and judging panel is final and binding.
Main Criteria for the Award
Art form
The work can be in any art form that can be presented in an exhibition space. The competition and exhibition combines visual arts, film, music and literature, obviously dependent on the entries submitted although the bulk tends toward the visual arts. Many pieces are tactile and incorporate the use of all the senses, others are based on the everyday environments and interests of disabled people.
Authorship
The work can be by an individual artist or group of artists. All participants should be credited or a group name given. Artists can be professional or amateur and can remain anonymous. (All artists will be anonymous to the judging panel).
Number of Entries
No more than two entries will be accepted per individual/group.
Brief and Theme
Work MUST challenge perceptions of deafblindness or sensory impairment.
Where possible the theme should be addressed directly. If the content of the work is not clearly addressing the theme, but there are other ways in which the piece challenges perceptions, then this should be explained in the application process.
Access
The artists should consider access to art works. Many art works submitted are tactile and appeal to all senses in some way or form. Whilst there is no stipulation on how accessible an art work should be, Sense Scotland asks you to consider how the widest audience might enjoy and experience your work. Sense Scotland will provide audio descriptions and Braille labeling and guides to support this.
Work selected for exhibition will also be photographed and made accessible on the Sense Scotland website. A long-listing process has been used to ensure that ONLY work relevant to the brief is accepted for exhibition. The judging is integral to the selection of work to be displayed in the exhibition.
Judging
The competition is unique in that the identity of artists remains undisclosed until after judging is complete, with all work judged solely on its artistic merit and on how it challenges perceptions of deafblindness and sensory impairment.
Judges for the 7th Award were Pauline McLean (BBC Scotland, Arts Correspondent), Monica Callaghan (Head of Education, Hunterian Art Gallery), Matthew Dalziel (Fine Art Department, University of Dundee), Mark O’Neill, (Glasgow City Council) and Francis McKee, (Curator, Glasgow International. Other judges at previous Awards have included sculptor Kenny Hunter.
International Entries
The inclusive nature of this art competition has helped it to grow in both size and profile, and last year we had entries from artists in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Holland, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, USA and all over the UK.
Awards
The 8th Helen Keller International Award will include new specially commissioned awards created by Sense Scotland artists for runners up and for the winner of the Under 16 category.
Winner - The Helen Keller International Award
The winner receives a specially designed trophy and cheque for £1500.
Two Highly Commended Runners Up - The E.D.G.D. Fairfull-Smith and the G.W. Fairfull-Smith Awards
Two runners up will each receive an award and cheque for £200.
Under 16s - The Neil Fairfull-Smith Awards
There is also a category for Under-16s piloted for the 7th Helen Keller International Award with a winner receiving £100 and two runners up.
Previous Helen Keller Award Winners
7th Helen Keller Award
The winning piece was 'Love Colour' - Light, Wood and Perspex, an illuminated heart of bright colour and flashing lights. The winner was Yvonne Larkin, an artist from East Kilbride who is supported by Sense Scotland.
Winner of the under sixteen category - 'Deaf Blind People' - Poster Paint - Hannah Duncan (Scotland)
6th Helen Keller Award
The winner was Welsh artist Matthew Humphreys, whose film 'The Lost Reels' was a moving piece about his father who was deaf and then became blind. This award received over 220 entries from 9 countries and exhibited in the Collins Gallery.
5th Helen Keller Award
The winning entry came from Gill Horn for her piece titled 'I don't know' which comprised of a series of heads with veils, glasses and headphones offering a very direct look at deafblindness, with some subtle touches such as hand written Braille round the veils. Over 180 artists entered and exhibited in the Kelvingrove Gallery.
4th Helen Keller Award
The winning entry came from Joseph Fenton for an acrylic painting. Peter Howson donated a pastel drawing, the auction of which raised £1,300 for Sense's Arts Development Programme. Around 90 entries were received and the exhibition was held in Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
3rd Helen Keller Award
The winning entry came from the Sense West Sculpture Group who produced a collaborative work made by six deafblind artists based in Birmingham. Around 80 entries were received and the exhibition was held in the Mackintosh Room at the Glasgow School of Art. The award was presented by Princess Anne.
2nd Helen Keller Award
Lewis Scott, an artist who is supported by Sense Scotland, won with a painting which was bought by Glasgow City Council and is displayed in Scotland Street Museum.
1st Helen Keller Award
This was the first Sense Scotland, Helen Keller Award. Paul Somerville, then aged 9, won the first award with a painting titled 'Me'. Around 60 works were received.
Helen Keller International Award
Process for Applicants
- Stage 1
Deadline for 1st Stage - Application and competition registration: 19th December 2008
Entry pack sent out to applicant.
- Stage 2
Deadline for 2nd Stage - Entry form and CD Rom images/media work returned: 23rd January 2009
Selection Panel meet on 4th February 2009 to long-list work for final submission.
- Stage 3
Long-listed entrants will be informed to submit final work to be received during: 2nd - 6th March 2009
Applicants not long listed are notified not to submit their final work
Exhibition Judging and Preview to announce shortlist: 3rd and 4th April 2009
Winner Announced at Award Ceremony: 18th April 2009
Stage 1
What to Submit with Registration
Checklist
- Deadline for registration: 19th December 2008
- Registration Form
- Competition Fee of £5 per art work
Please do not
Do not send any work or photographs at this stage - upon application, you will be sent an entry form with which to send in photographs and documentation (deadline - 23rd January 2009).
You do not have to finish the work by the first deadline - 19th December 2008.
You should not enter unless you have carefully read the brief.
Exhibition criteria
Work that uses substances or materials that are potentially hazardous or materials that are perishable will not be put forward for selection.
Any work that does not meet the specific criteria will not be put forward for selection.
If you require further advice on this then contact the Arts Department at or telephone +44 (0)141 429 0294 and ask for Arts and Wellbeing.
Exhibition criteria for 2-D Work
2-D work must be framed with the exception of canvases unless there is an aesthetic or issue of access that requires work to be unframed. In this case artists must ensure that their work can be hung with eyelet hooks.
Work must be able to have hanging rings screwed into them. This will be done by Sense Scotland and work must not be submitted with these attached, as these can cause damage while in storage or transit.
Metal or clip frames must not be used due to safety issues.
Work must not exceed 5ft(h) x 4ft(W) due to space restrictions.
Exhibition criteria for 3-D work
Due to space constraints we advise entrants to carefully consider the scale of work they intend to submit with particular regard to width and depth. Work should also be of a weight that is safe for handling. In exceptional circumstances where we are unable to accommodate selected work at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall we may contact you to agree an alternative way to represent the piece in exhibition.
If work needs to be assembled and is long listed, you will need to provide detailed installation instructions and please keep assembly simple.
Exhibition criteria for live and digital arts and installation work
Performance art and or large installations will need to be represented through documentation or film. There are likely to be technical limitations for online or other digital art works, please contact Sense Scotland to discuss your ideas, if considering submitting work based on installation or performance.
Media Work
We will accept the following work:
- Audio/Music entries
We can accept any music or audio file except BWAVE files.
- Film/Media
We can accept any file types that are not software specific e.g. jpeg, tiff, eps, mpeg, avi or any DVD or CD materials.
- Photography and multi-media
These art forms will be accepted, but must be submitted in the same way as 2D work.
- www.sensescotland.org.uk/helenkeller/hk7.php
- www.sensescotland.org.uk/news/7th-helen-keller-winner.php
- www.sensescotland.org.uk/helenkeller/photo_gallery.php
Entries must be considered as art works.
The panel will not consider documentaries in the Award unless they have a strong aesthetic approach.
Literature and Poetry
We will accept literary work that can be displayed in the context of an exhibition.
Terms and Conditions
Care of Work
Every reasonable effort will be made by Sense Scotland to care for artwork received. However, Sense Scotland will not be liable for any damage that occurs to work during the course of the competition. The responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused remains the responsibility of the artist.
Insurance
Sense Scotland does not provide insurance cover. If you wish your art work to be insured we would advise you to take out personal insurance as no cover will be offered by Sense Scotland.
You will be required to submit an insurance evaluation of the value of your work for the venue's information at Stage 2 of the application process.
Personal Data
By submitting this entry form you agree to Sense Scotland holding and processing the personal information you supply and are aware that Sense Scotland may require to use this information for the purposes of the exhibition.
Copyright and Reproduction
The copyright of all entries remains with the artist. Sense Scotland may reproduce images for publicity and promotion purposes in connection with the competition and exhibition.
Submission of any entry implies acceptance of the rules and regulations
The 8th Helen Keller International Award Exhibition
The exhibition for the 8th Helen Keller International Award will be hosted by Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, with the exhibition situated in the café bar, island bar and mezzanine level galleries.
The exhibition will run from 4th April - 4th May 2009
A preview event will take place at the gallery on the 4th April where the shortlists for the awards will be announced followed by the 8th Helen Keller International Award ceremony on 17th April 2008.
Sense Scotland would like to thank Isla Duncan at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for her support. The exhibition is kindly supported with grant funding from ITV.
Links to sites of interest
Helen Keller
Find out more about Deafblindness
Disability Arts
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
7th Helen Keller International Award Winner and Gallery
The 8th Helen Keller International Award is presented by Sense Scotland
43 Middlesex Street
Kinning Park
Glasgow G41 1EE
Tel: +44 (0)141 429 0294
Fax: +44 (0)141 429 0295
Text: +44 (0)141 418 7170