DORSET residents could win thousands of pounds in a new competition encouraging people to get creative with art.

The Bournemouth and Poole College Art Prize aims to encourage school children, college students and adults from the wider community to celebrate and embrace their artistic talents.

Within the prize, there are several categories with prize pots, which total over £8,000, and the overall theme is People And Their Environ-ment, which is open to each person’s own interpretation.

During the launch, at the college’s North Road site in Poole, Lawrence Vincent, principal of Bournemouth and Poole College, said that he has high hopes for the Art Prize.

He said: “We want to use it to help create a broader, inclusive vision for the arts locally.

He added: “We also want to encourage engagement by young people and that is reflected in the prize pot, where there is a £3,000 bursary to spend on further education for a young person.

“We also want to encourage digital innovation, which is unusual in arts prizes.

“But above all, what we are really after is to develop a truly democratic art prize, which will encourage people to engage in the arts, regardless of training, background and age.”

International artist, Stuart Semple, renowned photographer, Tony Worobiec, and Museum and Arts Manager for Borough of Poole, Michael Spender, will be judging the entries as they come in and choosing their winners.

Mr Semple, a former student at Bournemouth and Poole College, said that as a judge for the Art Prize, he was looking for ‘anything which is bold, different, and honest’ in the submissions.

“It’s a big prize and with so many great artists across Dorset, it’s a fantastic opportunity for people to take part in.”

For further details, go to thecollege.co.uk/artprize