This summer, we are collaborating with John Mullin and The Academy of Urbanism (AoU) to launch a national competition for children and young people from across the UK, which aims to get young people thinking about the places and spaces around them, and how they relate and connect to them.
How to Take Part
To take part, you will need to choose a place which is special to you, take a photo of yourself in that space and share why it is special to you.
- Take a photograph of yourself in your special place.
If you are uncomfortable sharing a photograph of yourself, you may also choose to place an object that you feel represents you (such as a toy, drawing or other object) into the image instead.
If you need help taking the picture, someone else can take it for you, but please include the name of who took the photo in your submission so that we can celebrate their contribution too.
If you want to take your own photo but are having trouble taking the picture of the place with you in it, you can collage a photo or representation of yourself into the photo you took of your place afterwards. You can use either software or collage prints to do this.
- Write up to 250 words which describe why that place is special to you.
Tell us about your connection with that space, and how its design (shape, materials, textures), location and/or feel of the place makes it so special to you.
You must write the text yourself.
My Place will run from Friday 22 July to Monday 5 September and is open to anyone under 18.
How to submit your My Place entry
Participants can submit their competition entries through this Google form, or by directly emailing us at elly@theglasshouse.org.uk with:
- Your name, age and where you are from
- Your self-portrait image, no larger than 10MB, as a JPEG or PNG
- Your text, up to 250 words
- A completed consent form, available to download here
My Place will run from Friday 22nd July to Monday 5th September. The competition will be judged by a panel of diverse built environment, design and community-based practitioners. The judging panel will be announced before the end of the competition.
The deadline for submissions is Monday 5 September, submissions after this date unfortunately can not be considered for the competition.
About the competition
The My Place competition will be judged in three age categories, outlined below.
- Under 12s
- 13 – 15 years old
- 16 – 18 years old
In each of these categories there will be an overall winner and two runner up prizes, one for best text and the other for best image. Runners up from each category will receive £25, and overall winners will receive £100.
Where My Place will be shared
All submissions will be featured in the The Glass-House website in a My Place photo competition gallery, through our Instagram page @myplace_competition, and selected images may also appear in The Glass-House social media and in print publications.
For further information about how The Glass-House captures, stores (including duration) and shares images of children and young people, please read our Photography Policy for the Capturing Children and Young People here.
Submissions will also be shared with John Mullin at The Academy of Urbanism to be featured in their online publication, Here and Now.
Selected submissions may have the opportunity to also be featured in an in-person exhibition later this year.
More About My Place
John Mullin launched the first My Place project over 15 years ago, inviting children, built environment professionals and people from all walks of life to share a short written piece describing their favourite place and their connection to it, accompanied by a photo of themselves in this place. My Place has grown and expanded over the years, with projects in the UK and across the world, most recently in America at Phelps ACE High School in Washington, DC. You can read some of the amazing submissions on the AoU’s website, Here & Now.
The Glass-House is now collaborating with John and The Academy of Urbanism to invite even more children and young people to have conversations about urban design and the places that are special to us through the My Place Competition.
We’re looking forward to receiving more about the places that children and young people value.
If you have any questions about the competition, please feel free to email us at info@theglasshouse.org.uk.