APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Make It York are calling out for visual artists, print makers, and designers to create a bespoke bauble design to celebrate the 30th anniversary of York’s St Nicholas Fair.
A staple in York’s streets over the festive period since 1992, the St Nicholas Fair Christmas Market will this year feature a special limited run of porcelain baubles that celebrate this exciting milestone. Profits from the bauble sales will be used to create a new cultural fund, York Creates, to provide future small-seed funding for artists and makers in the city.
About St Nicholas Fair
Rated in the top ten Christmas Markets in the UK, the five-week St Nicholas Fair features over sixty alpine chalets lining the streets of Parliament Street and St Sampsons Square, with local businesses selling everything from handmade gifts to delicious treats. The fair is the heart of the city’s Christmas experience and contributes to York ranking in the UK’s top ten Christmas destinations.
Find out more about Christmas in York here.
About the Competition
The theme for the design is: A York Christmas
Artists should produce a design around this theme for the bauble, which can be traditional, contemporary or give a fresh interpretation to a York Christmas.
Artists should produce a design using the guidelines provided and give a short explanation of their design. The bauble can accommodate three images of 40 x 40mm. These images can either be identical or different, depending on artist preference. However, one (or all) of these image squares should either be or include the word ‘York’, or some variation around a Christmas greeting (e.g., ‘Merry Christmas from York’).
Designs should be high quality and appeal to a range of customers, both local and visitors. The design should be suitable for use set against the white background of the bauble. The brief is open to interpretation on design style. Download instructions here for design specifications.
The winner will be decided by Make It York. The winner will be awarded a £500 cash prize and be included in promotional activity. A limited run of baubles will be produced and sold through Make It York as part of the 2022 St Nicholas Fair.
Enter the competition by 12 noon on 12 August 2022. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
For more information or to ask a question, contact culture@makeityork.com.
Competition Rules
- Artists may submit a maximum of two entries.
- Anyone over the age of sixteen is eligible to enter the competition. Artists should reside in York, or have a strong local connection.
- Designs that do not fit the specifications provided will not be accepted. Read specifications here.
- Only new designs will be permitted – designs which already exist and have been used in other contexts will not be accepted.
- The artist should submit a visual design for a bauble which will be manufactured professionally. Artists are not expected the manufacture the baubles themselves.
- Entries from members of Make It York staff, Visit York staff and volunteers, and close family of these is not permitted.
- Entries remain the intellectual property of the artist and after the competition, will be kept on record for informational purposes only by Make It York. Artists may contact the company to request their design be removed from records.
- The winning artist’s prize includes a buyout fee of £500 of the intellectual property of the design, which will become the property of Make It York, who will have sole right to merchandise the baubles. The artist will not receive a share of sales. All profits will be ringfenced for the new York Creates cultural seed fund.
- Decisions will be made in August 2022, with the winner being notified on or before 19 August 2022.
- The decision of Make It York on the outcome of the competition is final, although we are happy to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
