DORSET Community Foundation say it is delighted to be working with Bournemouth and Poole College on a new art competition in the county.

The Foundation, which currently manages funds for companies, local authorities, and individuals, is working with The College on the Daily Echo-backed, Bournemouth and Poole College Art Prize.

Entrants into the competition, which features three age categories of 14 to 15, 16 to 18 and the over-19s, will be in with the chance of winning a share of over £8,000 worth of prizes.

By accessing government match funding, the total value of the Art Prize over the next 10 years has been increased by 50-per-cent, taking it from £100,000 to £150,000.

Peter Eales, Dorset Community Foundation trustee, said: “If you have an interest or a passion for the arts and would like to help develop the fund further in order to support artists across Dorset, we would love to hear from you.”

The Bournemouth and Poole College Art Prize aims to support and encourage engagement in the visual arts, by people of all ages in the Dorset region.

Artworks can be made in any media, including drawings, cartoons, watercolours, paintings, photographs, three-dimensional pieces, textiles, digital art forms, animation and moving image.

People and the Environment is the theme of this year’s competition, and entries must be submitted in the first instance by visiting The College’s website.

For example, if an entrant wished to submit a piece of textile work into the competition, at the first stage, they would need to send a photo, rather than the physical object.

Submissions for the Bournemouth and Poole College Art Prize must be made by May 18, 2014.

From there, a shortlist of finalists will be drawn up by June 13 and the winners announced on June 20.

For more information, go to thecollege.co.uk/artprize