Student competition: The Thought That Counts
Gifting in a Digital World
The competition:
Brighton students are invited to create, by May 10th, a 'virtual gift' that can be 'gifted' (emailed / downloaded) via the Internet. This might include any digitally formed artwork and/or functional product. First Prize is £400 plus the opportunity to be one of the first to exhibit and sell your virtual gifts on the launch version of the Thought That Counts project website.
What is it?
The Thought That Counts student competition is based within the University of Brighton as part of an ongoing research project that explores the artistic creation of virtual gifts as part of a low-carbon, gift economy.
The competition explores the notion of the gift and gifting with all its possible interpretations, loaded connotations, cultural significances and meanings but within the digital realm. The competition and the concept of virtual gift sit within the shifting contexts of explosive consumer and creative use of digital technology, diminishing material resources, loss of meaning in the marking of social and cultural events, increasing ethical awareness and economic insecurity.
The project will be launching a website as a virtual gift shop and gallery that will feature, promote and publicly ‘sell’ virtual gifts created by celebrated artists and designers from across a range of disciplines including illustration, graphic design, photography, music, product design, literature, sculpture, animation, craft and the applied arts.
The Brief:
Produce a virtual gift that can be gifted (emailed / downloaded) via the internet. This might include any digitally formed artwork and / or functional product and could include animations, films, websites, photography, illustrations, music, applications, ecards, screensavers etc. Formats are not restrictive, but credit will be given to those proposals which illustrate, creativity and innovation and add ‘value’ to the notion of ‘gift’ as a digital entity.
The Prize:
First Prize is £400. Four runners up will join the overall winner in being awarded the opportunity to exhibit and sell their virtual gifts on the launch version of the project website, alongside the project's list of acclaimed creatives. You will receive contracted commission on every gift sold and will have a personal promotion space on the site as well as featuring in the project's press releases and promotional features.
Deadline:
Your virtual gift will be emailed to n.a.gant@brighton.ac.uk by 5pm on May 10th 2010. To receive an entry form please email n.a.gant@brighton.ac.uk before March 30th 2010. Winners will be announced at the Burt Brill & Cardens Graduate Show 2010 Private View
Criteria:
You must be a student of the University of Brighton at the time of the competition. Your gift proposal must be capable of being downloaded from a website via the internet and/ or emailed. Formats might include (not exhaustive) PDF, MP3, MP4, Quicktime Movie, 3D Animation, Flash movie, JPEG etc. Your file must be less than 8MB in size.