PRESS RELEASE: Sony World Photography Awards University Programme
The Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) has further expanded its student initiative creating a truly global competition to discover tomorrow’s professional photographers.
Building on the success of the 2008 and 2009 competitions, Student Focus incorporates students and photography institutions across six continents – North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. This year’s programme welcomes an incredible 117 institutions all competing with the hope of reaching the final stage of the competition in Cannes, France in April 2010.
The competition’s brief is for the students to create an image which encapsulates ‘War and Peace’, as reflected in their country.
Students from 117 institutions, will submit their work online. A shortlist of two students from one institution on each continent will then be selected by the esteemed judging panel chosen from the World Photographic Academy. Judges include:
Adrian Evans, Director of Panos pictures agency
Adrian Boot, Music photographer and co-founder of www.urbanimage.tv
Jonathon Torgovnik, widely exhibited documentary photographer and co-founder of NGO, Foundation Rwanda
Idris Khan, artist
Sue Steward, photography critic, writer, radio broadcaster, photo-editor and journalist for a variety of national newspapers
The twelve shortlisted students, along with their tutors, win a trip to Cannes in April 2010, where, as part of the World Photography Festival, finalists will conduct their final assignment. They will also participate in a series of lectures, talks and master classes led by the judging panel, industry figureheads and Academy members.
The overall winner will be announced, along with the winners of the professional and amateur categories, at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony at the Palais des Festival. The Student Focus prize represents approximately 50,000 Euros’ worth of photography equipment for the individual students and their institution department, courtesy of the sponsor, Sony.
A highlight of the festival in Cannes will be a showcase of photographs selected from the student submissions from all of the 117 participating institutions. When presented together, the photographs are expected to create a moving and truly global picture of the world today through the eyes of the student population.
Scott Gray, World Photography Awards founder, comments: “Student Focus is an integral part of our programme It provides a platform for both students and educational institutions from across the globe to compete, interact and develop through the medium of photography as well as providing us with the opportunity to support those students in taking their first steps into a professional career.”
This year also sees the launch of the new Student Focus Facebook fan page which will be an opportunity for students and tutors to share their ideas as the competition progresses. Please visit http://www.facebook.com/WPAStudentFocus
Notes to editors
The 117 selected institutions are:
Europe
Czech Republic, Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem
Denmark, The Danish School of Journalism
France, École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie
France, Ecole Nationale Superieure Louis Lumiere
France, La Cambre University
Germany, University of Applied Arts and Sciences, Dortmund
Germany, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover
Germany, Folkwang Hochschule, Essen
Hungary, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
Ireland, Dublin Institute of Technology
Ireland, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Poland, Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts
Poland, Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw
Poland, University of Silesia
Portugal, Universidade Lusofona
Portugal, Instituto de Artes Visuais Design e Marketing
Portugal, Instituto Português de Fotografia
Spain, Institut D’estudis Fotografics de Catalunya
Sweden, Mid Sweden University
Turkey, Marmara University
Turkey, Bahcesehir University
Turkey, Sabanci University
UK, London College of Communication
UK, Manchester Metropolitan University
UK, Falmouth University
UK, Central Saint Martins
UK, Kirklees College
UK, Edinburgh College of Art
UK, University of Westminster
Australasia
Australia, Raffles College of Design and Commerce
Australia, University of Technology Sydney
Australia, RMIT
Australia, Murdoch University
Australia, The University of Sydney
New Zealand, The University of Auckland
New Zealand, AUT University
Australia, University of Wollongong
Australia, Griffith University
New Zealand, Massey University
North America
California , Art Center College of Design
Canada, Ontario College of Art & Design
Canada, SAIT Polytechnic
Canada, Ryerson University
Canada, School of the Photographic Arts – Ottawa
Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago
Florida, Art institute of Fort Lauderdale
Georgia, Georgia State University, Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design
Michigan, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Minnesota, The Art Institutes International Minnesota
Mexico, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
Mexico, Tecnologico de Monterrey – campus ciudad de Mexico
Mexico, Centro Diseño, cine y television
Mexico, Escuela Nacional De Pintura, Escultura y Grabado La Esmerelda
New York, School of Visual Arts
New York, Parsons, The New School for Design
New York, Tisch School of Art, NYU
Oregon, Marylhurst University
Puerto Rico, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón
Virginia, James Madison University
Tennessee, NOSSI School of Art
South America
Argentina, Escuela Argentina De Fotografía
Argentina, Motivarte
Brazil, Candido Mendes University, Rio De Janeiro
Brazil, Centro Universitário Senac
Brazil, Instituto Profesional IPP
Brazil, Miami AD School/ESPM
Brazil, Universidade De Caxias Do Sul
Brazil, Universidade De São Paulo
Chile, Carrera De Periodismo, Universidad De Concepción
Chile, Escuela De Diseño, Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile
Chile, Escuela De Periodismo, Universidad De Santiago De Chile
Chile, INACAP
Chile, Instituto Profesional Santo Tomás
Chile, Instituto Profesional La Araucana
Chile, Instituto AIEP De Universidad Andrés Bello
Chile, Instituto Profesional Duocuc- Sede San Carlos De Apoquindo
Chile, Instituto Profesional Arcos
Chile, Instituto Profesional De Chile
Chile, Instituto Profesional Los Leones
Chile, Universidad Catolica De Temuco
Chile, Universidad De Artes Y Ciencias Sociales ARCIS
Chile, Universidad Diego Portales, Escuela De Diseño
Chile, Universidad De Antofagasta
Chile, Universidad De Las Américas
Chile, Universidad Del Pacífico
Chile, Universidad De Valparaiso
Chile, Universidad Internacional SEK
Chile, Universidad Mayor, Centro Mayor De Innovación Y Diseño
Chile, Universidad Profesional Santo Tomás
Chile, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana
Chile, Escuela de Comunicaciones Alpes
Colombia, Universidad De Los Andes in Bogotá
Venezuela, Universidad Catolica Andres Bello
Asia
Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
India, Jamia Millia Islamia
India, Jnafau College of Fine Arts, Hyderabad
India, National Institute of Design
Indonesia, Photo District Jakarta
Indonesia, STIKOM, The London School of Public Relations – Jakarta
Japan, Tokyo Zokei University
Philippines, College Of Fine Arts, Up, Diliman
Pakistan, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Russia, Saint Petersburg State University Of Culture & Arts
Russia, Vgik College of Cinema, Tv And Multimedia
Singapore, Nanyang Technological University
Thailand, The Art Center Chulalongkorn University
Turkey, Anadolu University
Africa & The Middle East
Dubai, American University in Dubai
Palestine, Palestine Polytechnic University
South Africa, National Film And Television Institute ( NAFTI )
South Africa, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
South Africa, Rhodes University
South Africa, Stellenbosch Academy of Design And Photography
South Africa, Tshwane University of Technology
South Africa, University Of Johannesburg
South Africa, Vaal University of Technology
The Sony World Photography Awards (WPA), launched in 2007, lend a global platform for the photographic industry and community. Through a variety of international programmes including a week-long photography festival, an online magazine, a gallery, an international student programme and a touring exhibition, the WPA continually discovers new talent and createsavenues through whichto reward photographers with the support and expertise of industry professionals.
Dates for Student Focus are as follows:
Registration ends: 30th November 2009
Judging: 4th-22nd January 2010
Shortlist announcement: 1st February 2010
Winner Announcement: 23rd April 2010
The winners of the 2009 student initiative – University Shoot Out – were Neal Kartik and Pranab Kumar Aich from Jamia Millia Islamia in India
The WPA website - www.worldphotographyawards.org now features an online magazine and gallery. It also includes comprehensive information about the awards, the categories, a current list of World Photographic Academy members, and key dates
Images from last year’s competition are available via the website’s press centre
A full list of competing institutions is available via the website www.worldphotographyawards.org/studentfocus
About Sony:
Sony is a leading global innovator of audio, video, communications and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Sony is renowned for its audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA™ LCD high-definition television, Cyber-shot™ digital camera, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® MP3 player as well as its VAIO™ personal computers and high-definition (HD) professional broadcast equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD. Offering a complete end-to-end HD value chain and with its electronics, music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is one of the world’s leading digital entertainment brands, employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide.
Through its long-term football partnerships as an official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League until 2012, Official FIFA Partner until 2014 and global sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 and 2014, Sony is inspiring a sense of excitement for the millions of football fans around the world.
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(First posted on Monday, October 5, 2009 at 13:14 EDT)