Open Eye Gallery and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are pleased to announce a call for entries to Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023! The competition is open to anyone living in the city region. Free online submission starts 10 November 2022 and closes 23.59 15 January 2023. Winners’ works will be a part of the Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023 exhibition. There will also be cash prizes and more special prizes to be announced!

SUBMIT HERE

Liverpool City Region is a place for photographers — our varied landscapes and vibrant communities have led to images that have inspired visitors and locals alike. Historically, the city region has nurtured more than its fair share of internationally significant photographers, something that continues today — it’s the reason Open Eye Gallery is based here. 

The photography world is now shining a spotlight on the city region as we host the Sony World Photography Award Winners 2022, from the 11th November — 22 December. Open Eye Gallery will be expecting record visitor numbers. Then in January we are proud to host a solo exhibition by Craig Easton, the overall winner of the Sony World Photography Award during lockdown in 2021, selected from entries from 72 countries.

Over the last few years, more than ever before, people have shared their lives through photography on social media. We all know the power of a photograph: to bring us nearer to things we miss (or might have missed), to communicate beyond language, and connect instantly. 

Now Open Eye Gallery and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are supporting the awards to celebrate the culture, creativity and vibrancy across our city region — we want to make some noise about the talent living right here. 

ENTRY DETAILS

• Submissions are free and open to anyone living in the city region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral). 
• To enter the competition, please create your account on picter.com. You will be then guided through the submission process with all the technical requirements. 
• Select one category to participate and upload from 3 to 5 photos. No need for the new photos — participants can use their archives. Photos don’t need to be taken in the Liverpool City Region. 
• In the project description you can mention your subcategory (Mobile, Analogue, Under 16) for a chance of winning additional prizes. 
• Submission deadline is 15 January 2023. 

CATEGORIES, JUDGES AND PRIZES

The categories in the competition are: People and Places, Still Life, Living Sustainably, Sport, Portrait, Urban Living, Creative, Wildlife and Nature. There will be an award for each category and an additional award for Mobile, Youth (U16s) and Analogue subcategories. Detailed category descriptions are available on the competition website. Winners will be showing as part of Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023 exhibition. There are also cash prizes and special prizes.

dot-art will be offering 1-year free dot-art Darkroom Membership to the winner of the Analogue category and 1 free month to the winners of each of the other award categories. dot-art is a Liverpool gallery supporting local artists, working with businesses, and running art classes. dot-art also offer free half-day dark room taster sessions on 15 December (1 AM – 1 PM and 2 PM – 5 PM). A taster session is an introduction into the processes of creating prints from negatives and provides an opportunity to get to know the equipment and language: email gallery@dot-art.com to apply for a free place. The dot-art team will also be leading weekly Darkroom tours throughout the competition live dates for those interested in joining the Darkroom or a taster session.

INNSiDE will be offering a voucher for a one night stay at INNSiDE Liverpool in an INNSiDE Guest Room for 2 guests inclusive breakfast. INNSiDE Liverpool is a contemporary urban design city hotel in the heart of downtown Liverpool. 

The judges are:

Overall Winner:

• Lindsay Taylor, Judge for 2021 Sony World Photography Awards, Curator, University of Salford Art Collection 
• Mariama Attah, Judge for the 2022 Sony World Photography Award, Head of Exhibition Open Eye Gallery
• Craig Easton, Photographer, Overall Winner of the 2021 Sony World Photography Awards
• Sarah Lovell, Lead Officer – Culture Coordinator, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

People and places:

• Tina Ball (Kirkby Gallery, Culture Development & Events Officer)
• Arshmeena Durrani (Junior Project Manager – Race Equality, Liverpool City Region)
• Brian Churchill (Sales Manager, INNSiDE Liverpool)

Still Life:

• Peter Frost (Director, World of Glass)
• Andy Campbell (Principal Media Manager Communications & Marketing, Liverpool City Region)
• Declan Connolly (Programme Assistant, Open Eye Gallery)

Living Sustainably:

• Stephen Whittle (Principal Manager, Museum, Gallery & Operations, The Atkinson)
• Philippa Lee (Senior Commercial & Projects Lawyer, Liverpool City Region)
• Núria Rovira Terradas (Assistant Creative Producer, Open Eye Gallery)

Sport:

• Janet Dugdale (Director of Museums at National Museums Liverpool)
• Craig Thomason (Partnerships and Communities Manager, Community Integrated Care)
• Emeka Onuora (Race Equality Manager, Liverpool City Region)

Portrait:

• Philippa Crofts (Conservation, The Hardman’s House)
• Jan Leong (Senior Commercial & Projects Lawyer, Liverpool City Region)
• Lee Rooney (Communications Officer, Liverpool City Region)

Urban Living:

• Niall Hodson (Curator, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum)
• Helen Cross (Digital and Creative Sector Lead, Growth Platform)
• Maxine Joy ( Practitioner Homelessness / Housing First, Liverpool City Region)

Creative:

• Adam Smythe (Curator, The Bluecoat)
• Nick Bell (Programme Manager Households into Work, Liverpool City Region)
• Clare Barber (Senior Media and Communications Officer, Liverpool City Region)

Wildlife & Nature:

• Dave McAleavy (Project Manager, Mersey Forest)
• Lorna Rogers (Asst Director Mayoral Programme Delivery, Liverpool City Region)
• Sorcha Boyle (Responsive Programme Coordinator, Open Eye Gallery)

Youth:

• Lucy Byrne (Director, dot-art)
• Dave Roscoe (Past President, The Atheneum)
• Bronwyn Andrews (Assistant Creative Producer, Open Eye Gallery)

Mobile:

• Nicola Triscott (Director/ CEO, FACT)
• Rob Ingman (Transport Network Performance Operations Manager, Liverpool City Region)
• Anna WijnHoven (Assistant Creative Producer, Open Eye Gallery)

Analogue:

• Rachel Brewster (dot-art Darkroom and Little Vintage Photography)
• Neil Hibbs (Technical Services and Photographic Lab Manager, Harman Technology)
• Maria Gulina (Digital Marketing, Communications and Content Producer, Open Eye Gallery)

TERMS

As much as possible, Open Eye Gallery’s staff, space, online channels and networks are open and free for people to use. Our open processes and platforms make it easy to contribute to and co-author our programme. We maintain the right to refuse to share images at our discretion.

All photographs submitted must be the work of the person submitting them. Ethically, we ask that if your photograph has a central focus on a person or persons, you have asked their permission to submit.  Your content must not be illegal or unlawful, must not infringe any person’s legal rights, and must not be capable of giving rise to legal action against any person (in each case in any jurisdiction and under any applicable law). By submitting to Liverpool City Region Photo Awards 2023, the images fall under a Creative Commons license. Copyright remains with the photographer but we may use your images (credited and in context) for educational and marketing (of the awards) purposes.

For press enquiries contact: Maria Gulina, maria@openeye.org.uk.

Open Eye Gallery, founded in 1977, is an independent, not-for-profit photography gallery based in Liverpool. One of the UK’s leading photography spaces, it is the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in the North West of England. Open Eye Gallery works with people to explore photography’s unique ability to connect, to tell stories, to inquire, to reflect on humanity’s past and present, and to celebrate its diversity and creativity.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, is made up of the city region’s six local authorities – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. It uses its devolved powers to ensure that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect in areas that have a real impact, such as transport, employment, digital, housing and culture. It is the first Combined Authority to have control over culture through devolution, utilising many of the region’s existing assets and talent to stimulate cultural and creative opportunities and make a real and meaningful difference to the lives of the people living and working in the area.

Open Eye Gallery is supported by Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council. It is a National Portfolio Organisation.