Swindon’s The Platform Project is giving young people in the region the opportunity to make their mark through its multi-media Youth Publishing Competition.
Providing a way for entrants to build their CVs and gain experience, the competition will allow them to express their views on a range of youth social action topics by producing multi-media content to be judged by a panel of local professionals.
All entrants will be in with a chance of winning a new iPad or cash prizes.
The judging panel includes Swindon Link and Ink editor and publisher Jamie Hill, journalist and media consultant Fiona Scott, author and blogger Angela Atkinson, broadcaster and Swindon 105.5 station manager Shirley Ludford and journalist and editor Gary Lawrence.
Jamie Hill said: "I'm always amazed at the talent and the skill that young people demonstrate when it comes to writing and journalism.
"This competition is a great way for potential writers to put their words on the page, and will hopefully lead them towards a career in journalism."
The competition, which is open to entrants aged 10 to 24 in the Swindon and Wiltshire area, is fully funded by the National Lottery’s #iWill fund, which develops funding programmes to enable young people to take part in high quality social action that builds a habit for life.
The Platform Project is actively engaging with schools and youth groups across the region to encourage participation in this competition, which can bring a range of benefits to the entrants.
Sadie Sharp, Founder of The Platform Project, explained: “This is a real opportunity for young people to show us their skills and innovation when it comes to multi-media.
"We’re asking entrants to express their views on a range of social topics affecting them, whether that’s climate change, LBGTQ+ rights, poverty or something else, and they can do this through any medium they choose including videos, blogs, vlogs, podcasts or social media campaigns.
“It’s a brilliant way to gain experience and to start to create a portfolio of work which they can continue to build upon as they explore opportunities in the future.
“We have assembled a panel of expert judges whose valuable experience and insights will help us to select the worthy finalists ahead of our awards night in January.”
Fiona Scott said: "Supporting young people in our community to be the best that they can be is something which is very important to me. We can all do our bit to encourage the next generation to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. I'm very humbled to be part of this project."
The deadline for entries is 1 January 2024. All qualifying content will be published on The Platform Project’s Youth Issues blog www.iDare.blog and in a special edition printed version of the #iDare magazine.
To find out more and register interest in entering the competition, or to download a poster to display to encourage participation, people can visit https://www.platformproject.co.uk/publishing-competition
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