Who is eligible:

* The competition is open to adults learning mosaic at UK further education classes, community centres and workshops. It is not intended for students taking art and design courses at college.

* Entrants must be beginners and work submitted should have been produced during their first mosaic course/s in 2009. Entrants and winners in previous Topps Tiles mosaic competitions cannot be considered.

* The competition is for mosaics produced by individual artists and, regretfully, we cannot include group projects or mosaics created by children.

Entering the competition:

* A student’s work can only be considered if submitted by his/her mosaic teacher.

* Teachers are required to send in ONE portfolio containing good quality photographs of their students’ mosaics. Each portfolio should contain pictures of work from a minimum of FIVE students, and only one portfolio per teacher is allowed.

* Portfolios showing work from less than five different students cannot be considered.

* Students may learn at different FE centres or workshops, but all those included in a portfolio must be taught by the same teacher, who will be our main point of contact throughout.

Submitting work:

* After a student has spent many hours on their mosaic, it is important that teachers produce a photograph which does justice to that work and shows it in as good a way as possible.

* The piece should be placed against a plain background with the photographer positioned directly in front before pressing the shutter. A 6”x4” print is perfectly adequate, but 9”x6” is the maximum size allowed. Images on CD will be accepted, but prints are preferred.

* If a piece has been produced specifically for the garden, it is permissible to photograph it in a suitable location outside.

* The following information should be clearly written on the reverse of each photograph:

(1) teacher’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address

(2) name of college or workshop and full address

(3) overall dimensions of the work

(4) title of the piece

(5) function or use for which the piece is designed (if applicable)

(6) for abstract pieces, please insert an arrow to show which way up the photograph should be viewed.

(7) artist’s name, address , telephone number and e-mail address.

* Photographs should be securely housed in a folder with the teacher’s name clearly written on the cover.

* Closing date for entries is Tuesday 1st December 2009. Portfolios should be mailed to:

Viv Johns
Topps Tiles Awards for Achievement in Mosaic
Thorpe Way
Grove Park
Enderby
Leicester
LE19 1SU

0116 282 8000

vjohns@toppstiles.co.uk

Judging:

National finalists will be chosen by David Tuhill, who has taught at various art colleges including the Royal College of Art. Mr. Tuhill has experience at all levels of art and design education and has been part of various design programmes and businesses.

National finalists and prizes:

* One national finalist will be chosen from each teacher’s portfolio and every effort will be made to choose someone within two weeks from receipt of that portfolio.

* Each national finalist will receive a cheque for £100 and a special certificate. Each participating teacher will also receive Topps Tiles store vouchers to the value of £300 to purchase coursework materials.

* National finalists’ prizes will be presented at each artist’s nearest Topps Tiles store and a photographer will attend to take pictures for local press.

* Each national finalist is required to take his/her mosaic with them to the presentation at their nearest Topps Tiles store.

* Topps Tiles reserves the right to reproduce photographs of artists and entries in commercial publications, with due acknowledgement to the artist.

National winner and national award:

* Work produced by finalists will go forward for national judging at the beginning of 2010. The National Winner receives a £500 Topps Tiles commission for a mosaic artwork. By arrangement with the artist, this artwork will be either the mosaic produced for the competition or a mosaic duplicate of the original piece.

* The national judge will inspect the actual pieces of work and national finalists should retain their work in order to be included.

The Topps Tiles Awards for Achievement in Mosaic is staged with guidance and co-operation from the British Association for Modern Mosaic.

Topps Tiles Plc, Thorpe Way Grove Park,
Leicester, LE19 1SU
Telephone 0116 282 8000 Fax 0116 282 8100
Registered in England 4781209