2022 Winners enjoy The Bindery in Clerkenwell

Two years ago, I created a local photography competition. ‘The Clerkenwell Community Photography Competition’. It was fabulous but a huge amount of work. After it was all over, I swore ‘Never again’.
This year I did it again. And it was even more successful. This year I held not just one exhibition, but two. Never again.

This year’s winners were announced in a fabulous evening event on Thursday 22nd September, held at The Bindery in Hatton Garden. The gallery space of a building beautifully re-developed by one of our sponsors, Dorrington, proved a perfect setting for shortlisted entrants to celebrate their achievements, mingle with fellow entrants and meet the judges.

If you want to see the 2022 winners, click here.

For more details about our exhibitions click here

There were prizes for each of the 5 age categories for the best single shot as well as best series. And there were two special awards, one from The Peel Institute for ‘My Clerkenwell Community’ and one from lead sponsor Central District Alliance for ‘My Clerkenwell at Work’.

Competition organiser, Chris Walker, commented “We would really have loved to invite everyone who entered, but having over 500 people would have been impossible. Sadly we had to limit it to the winners, runner-up and highly commended. But the exhibition is on until October 14th, during office hours, so there’s still time to see it”.

The exhibition shows 38 framed 70x50cm prints of the winners, runners-up and highly commended shots, along with 100 more smaller prints featuring most of the shots that scored points from the six judges. “There are still plenty of other great shots and stories that we simply didn’t have the space to show” says Chris Walker “at some stage we may try and find a way to make all the entries available to view.”

Along with the amateur photographers and their guests, were all the sponsors as well as all of the judges. One of the judges, Award winning professional photographer Philip Haynes, was blown away by the entries and the awards evening. “I was really impressed by the breadth of quality and creativity through all of the age groups, but what caught my attention the most was the love for the area that I felt at the awards night. The people who entered the competition are proud of where they live and its rich history.  It was more than just a photo competition, it was for people from all walks of life to come together and share their creative visions of the area.” 

Huge thanks go to sponsors Dorrington for providing the venue and co-funding the frames, and to sponsors Leap for doing the same with the prints. The framed prints can be bought at very reduced prices in order to recoup some of the costs. The cost is just £30 if you’re the photographer who took the shot, and £60 for members of the general public. Still a bargain! (The photographers get first refusal.)

The Bindery. 51-53 Hatton Garden, EC1N 8HN.  Until 14th October 2022. Weekdays 8am -6pm. 
A smaller additional exhibition is planned at SoapBox Youth Centre, 69-85 Old Street EC1V 9HX. From w/c 10th October.

How did the exhibition end up at The Bindery? A moderately interesting story.
I wrote and illustrated a little book about Clerkenwell a few years ago. Someone from Dorrington saw it and and asked if I could alter a few facts and create a bespoke edition for the opening of a beautifully redeveloped building in Hatton Garden. I said ‘Yes’ and took the opportunity to see if they’d like to become a sponsor of the 2022 competition. They said ‘Yes’. Then they asked if I’d like to put on an exhibition in their gallery space. I said ‘Yes’. Even if I say so myself, the exhibition looked fabulous.

For more information on these moderately interesting books click here