Local event guide

To participate in the Young Pavement Artists Competition, you will need to organise and/or take part in your own local event competition which can be held anytime between 12 April 2010 and June 2010.

The winners of this event can be then entered into the National Competition. To find out how to organise and complete your local event, please read on:

Event support materials

• Download a parents' notice form to let them know about your event
• Download your free event publicity poster
• Download your winner certificates for all age groups and the banner category 
• Download a participation certificate for all the kids who take part.  

The location

• You will need to find a location which is suitable to hold an event - this could be in a school playground, a shopping centre, a library or even a backyard. Wherever you hold your event, please ensure that you seek permission from the relevant person or authority.
• The area should be clear - paving slabs or a tarmac area is best. If permission isn't granted for drawing on the pavement or the area isn't suitable, the artwork can be drawn on thick cardboard or paper.

Entrants

• Each young person that enters must pay £2, which entitles them a pitch to create their pavement art.
• This pitch should measure 2ft x 3ft (60cm by 90cm) with a 4cm gap left between pitches. This can be smaller for the 4-5 age range.
• Entrants who may have difficulty getting down to pavement level can draw on paper.
• You can allocate pitches in the way you feel is best.

Your local event competition

• The event can be held anytime from 12 April 2010 through to June 2010. All entries to be received by 25 June 2010. Any entries received after this date may not be considered in the National Competition.
• Don't forget to request that the local press publicise the event and attend.

Taking part

• Organisers should record the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all individual entrants.
• In their allocated pitch, participants must draw an image that reflects their interpretation of the theme of Strength in Nature.
• Organisers must find suitable judges to judge the competition - if possible try and attract a local celebrity to attend and judge the event.

Judging

Choosing local level competition winners is a hard job! Entrants should be judged on the following criteria:

• Layout
• Artistic merit
• Suitability of theme
• Design
• Innovation and imagination
• Creativity.

Judges should pick one overall winner from each age category and, if applicable, the winning banner group to submit to the National Competition. You may select runners up if you wish to do so. 

Entering the National Competition  

• Please take one photograph of the picture drawn by the winner in each age category and, if applicable, a photo of the winning banner group.
• When taking the photographs, please follow the guidelines set out in our digital photography guide.
• All entries must be received by Muscular Dystrophy Campaign for the National Competition by 25 June 2010.

All entries (photographs on a CD plus submission form and entry fees) should be posted to:

The Young Pavement Artists Competition
Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
61 Southwark Street
London SE1 0HL

Tips and suggestions

1. When organising your event, make sure everyone knows that you are raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Use the supplied posters and templates in our support materials section to help with this.
2. Organise other activities and refreshments on the day to help raise more funds. For example, offer face painting or sell cakes to participants and their friends and family.
3. If it looks as though the weather might cause problems on the day of the event, think ahead! Have a box that you can put tickets, chalks and other materials in; have large sheets of plastic or bin bags to hand so you can protect the artwork; or use it as an impromptu shelter should rain set in.
4. Ensure you have water available - for drinking as well as washing off hands and legs.
5. Encourage entrants to bring along cushions or gardener's padded work boards to kneel on while drawing, instead of being directly on the pavement/hard area.
6. Ensure that entrants are protected if the weather is good/bad - ask parents/guardians to provide hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, raincoats etc.
7. Encourage entrants to protect their clothing - especially the younger age range.

Important information

When you are organising your Young Pavement Artists Competition - local event, you should ensure that:

1. At least one supervising adult attends that has police clearance.
2. All children are accompanied by a parent/guardian or placed in the care of an appropriate adult.
3. The event is held in a safe and secure area.
4. There are enough helpers and responsible adults to ensure the safety of all those that are taking part.