Langholm People

CREATE a portrait of a Langholm person, from your past or present, and be in with a chance to win a cash prize and inclusion in a specially-commissioned book.

Twenty portraits will also make up an exhibition to celebrate the 400^th Langholm Charter anniversary in September.

OutPost Arts is calling for people from the town to get involved in this exciting portrait competition.

The competition is part of the Langholm People Project, a creative programme to shine a light on ‘ordinary people’ from Langholm during times of adversity.

Entries can be a self-portrait or a depiction of anyone who lives or has lived in Langholm.

Lucy MacLeod, creative director of OutPost Arts said: “By asking people to get involved in this portraiture-based competition, we want our community to get involved in depicting the characters and personalities who make the Muckle Toon, a most special place to live in and visit…

“By opening this project up to people of all ages, we hope to collect a wide variety of depictions.

“You might want to honour your granny by painting her picture, draw your teacher, make a collage of your friend or capture a street-view of Langholm’s people.

“The brief is super-flexible and open to all ages and abilities, which we hope will be extra exciting.”

The competition has three distinct categories: adults 18 plus; Academy pupils; and primary pupils.

Work can be in any medium: painting; drawing; photography; printmaking; mixed media; collage etc

“It can be any size or dimension up to A2 and the only stipulation is that the person lived in Langholm at some point.

A panel will select winners and runners-up who will receive up to £100 cash prizes.

All entries will automatically be included in a hard-back book which will be gifted to all local libraries.

Lucy added: “The book will become a kind of poignant time-capsule, a keepsake depicting the townspeople at a most difficult time.”

The panel will select up to 20 entries for inclusion in a large-scale exhibition, Langholm Facing Up, scheduled for September.

It will feature in the 400^th Langholm Charter anniversary programme, organised by the Langholm Alliance.

The competition portraits will feature alongside pieces from three professional artists commissioned by OutPost Arts to work with specific groups of residents for the Langholm People Project, including relatives of the Polish refugees who were resettled in Langholm after World War Two.

For more information about the competition, to access an entry form or to receive support to create a portrait, for example, access to materials or practical advice, please contact Lucy at hello@outpostarts.co.uk or send a message to OutPost Arts on Facebook.

It’s is also seeking contributions from people for the Langholm Camp artist commission and kindly requests that anyone, who has memories, stories or information about the Polish camp or the resettled soldiers, please get in touch confidentially via sophie.jarzyna@gmail.com or ring 07583 909 317.

Additional information at http://outpostarts.co.uk/langholm-people-project.html