The International Office at the University of Sussex and the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts have launched a photo competition for prospective students to capture life in the time of coronavirus and how it is impacting them or their society.

The competition seeks to depict how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people live their lives around the world and how disruptions caused by it has separated friends and family, distanced tutors and students, made cities and airports empty, and imposed necessary Covid hygiene protocols on people.

According to Martin Hookham, Head of the International Office, the competition was necessary because the pandemic has made us all think about what is really important in our lives.

“I doubt we will ever truly understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on individuals around the world but the competition gives us a chance to reflect on our shared experiences and what unites us – even in the most challenging of times."

Tosin Adebisi, Sussex International Officer at the University and one of the organisers of the competition stated

“They say that an image speaks a thousand words, and we want to capture our shared experiences of the pandemic and hear from prospective students pursuing further studies outside their home countries. With this competition, we want to inspire and celebrate our global community of students, and create excitement for the future.” 

Tunde Alabi Hundeyin, a doctoral student at Sussex and a documentary photographer who is one of the judges of the competition explained why this competition is important for our student community to enable them to share their experiences, and the triumphs they have encountered as young during a challenging time.

“We want to see how people have been getting on in the pandemic, or the reality on the streets during the lockdowns, or perhaps the bravery of essential workers. We really want to see these views of the pandemic.” 

The photo competition is open only to prospective UK and international students applying to the University of Sussex in September 2021 and must be a single image in any photography genre – portrait, landscape, still life, conceptual, fine art, or street, which encapsulates the experience of young people during the pandemic. The photo must also have been taken by the participant with the consent of any person represented in it.

Finalists have a chance to win DSLR cameras including Nikon D5600 cameras, cash scholarships and other prizes. Photographs for the competition can be taken with mobile devices or digital cameras with an accompanying caption not exceeding 50 words.

Submissions should be posted on participants’ Instagram, Twitter, Weibo or WeChat accounts with the hashtag #SussexPhotoCompetition. Participants can also tag the University's social media accounts at @sussexuni on Instagram, @SussexUni on Twitter and @英国萨塞克斯大学 on Weibo and WeChat  to enter the competition.

For details on how to enter, visit the Sussex Photo Competition 2021 application page. The closing date is 1 August 2021 at 4pm BST (GMT+1), and the selection process will run from 2–14 August 2021.

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