How to enter work into Judged Competitions
Our Craft, Fine Art and Photography competitions are open to everyone resident in Dorset. Anyone living outside Dorset can enter work providing they are a Member of the Association.
All of the instructions for entering work can be found below and by following the links to relevant pages.
Winners of trophies in the previous year are allowed to enter the same category in the following year.
Items entered into judged competitions will NOT be for sale. After judging, items will be displayed by DACA personnel in a manner designed to achieve and maintain the maximum collective impact.
Please read the entry specifications carefully.
It is essential that your work is labelled accurately, in accordance with the instructions below.
Please ensure that you use the correct codes on the entry form. Use of different codes may mean that your work will not be processed correctly and may not be judged.
Entries must be your own unaided work and not previously entered for judging at a DACA Event.
DACA reserves the right to refuse to accept work.
DACA will take all reasonable care of work, but accepts no responsibility for loss or damage. DACA recommends that you insure your entries.
Presentation and finish, including any information provided, will be taken into account by the judge.
Copyright must be acknowledged where applicable.
Your name will not be visible to the judges.
Complete the Entry Form for Judged Competitions in accordance with the rules for the discipline (Craft, Fine Art , Photography) in which the work is being entered.
The entry form needs to be received by the Entries Secretary by the date shown on the form.
Ideally, the Entry form should be submitted on line. Your labels will be returned to you by post and should be securely attached to your work before Handing-in.
If you wish to submit by post a printable version of the entry form is available.
There is a charge for each item entered, with a 50% reduction for DACA Members. Full details are shown in the table below.
The Entry Fees payable are:
Members | Non-Members | |
Adults | £1.50 per exhibit | £3 per exhibit |
Young DACA | 50p per exhibit | £1 per exhibit |
People with Disabilities | 50p per exhibit | £1 per exhibit |
Groups |
£5 per exhibit £3 per exhibit |
|
Schools |
You must add £2 to your total entry fee to cover postage and administration costs.
BACS payment may be made to:
Sort Code 55-61-09; Account 07378548; Account Name : Dorset County Arts Crafts .
Please mark payments ‘ENT’ followed by your surname as the reference for your payment.
If payment by BACS is not an option, a cheque (payable to “Dorset Arts & Crafts Association”) may be sent to the Entries Secretary at 24 Nottington Lane, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 5DF or a secure credit card payment can be made via Square.
For Individual Entries
The on-line Form for Judged Competitions can be used to enter into any or all of the three disciplines, Craft, Fine Art and Photography .
Young DACA entrants are up to and including 18 years of age. Please indicate actual age on the form.
DACA welcomes entries from those with any form of disability. The disability must influence your ability to create your work. Work may be entered in any of the Craft, Fine Art or Photography Disciplines. The nature of the disability should be indicated on the form.
For Group Entries
DACA welcomes entries from groups who have 6 or more members involved in and jointly produce a single piece of work.
Group entries may be made for exhibits in all disciplines. Please contact the Entries Secretary (entries@dorsetartsandcrafts.org), Tel 01305 816530 who will discuss your requirements and provide you with a Group Work Entry Form for completion.
For School Entries
DACA welcomes entries from all schools. The work may be produced as part of the curriculum, a school club or special project. The work may be of any discipline but must be displayed together. Please contact the Entries Secretary (entries@dorsetartsandcrafts.org), Tel 01305 816530 who will discuss your requirements and provide you with a School Entry Form for completion.
Entries must be brought to Purbeck School (Worgret Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4PF) on one of the Handing-In Days (28th & 29th July) together with the Form which was returned to you with your labels.
Please ensure that the labels provided are firmly attached to the entry.
We are unable to store wrappings, boxes or other packing materials.
If you have difficulty delivering your exhibits, please contact the Entries Secretary as it MAY be possible to make arrangements for them to be collected and delivered to the School.
Entries must be collected from Purbeck School during your chosen collection session on Wednesday 7th August 2024.
Remember to bring the entry form with you. Your work will only be released to you on production of this form. This is to ensure that work is collected by its rightful owner. If someone is collecting your work on your behalf, please give them your form.
Certificates and judges comments will be available for collection during the event or upon collection of the items after the event.
The Association has no facilities to store any unclaimed work. If you have any difficulty in collecting your work, you must discuss any alternative arrangements with the Entries Secretary before the end of the exhibition.
Items entered into judged competitions will NOT be for sale. After judging, items will be displayed by DACA personnel in a manner designed to achieve the maximum collective impact and with no changes made for the duration of the event.
If you are a DACA Member and do wish to submit items for display and sale, please follow this link. Submitting Work Form.
The craft judges will complete comment sheets for each craft entry. The comment sheets will be available for collection during the exhibition.
All photography and Fine Art entries will be considered for awards, within the appropriate category. Due to the high number of photographic entries, individual comment sheets will not be completed.
Fine Art entries entered in the “Botanical Art/Illustration”, “Dorset Life, Land or Seascape” and “Open Art” competitions will be judged and the judges will complete comment sheets where appropriate.
Certificates can be awarded in any of the three main disciplines of Craft, Fine Art & Photography.
Gold | Work of Outstanding Merit |
Silver | Work of Special Merit |
Blue | Highly Commended |
Green | Commended |
Certificates and trophies will be awarded at the judges’ discretion. Only in exceptional circumstances will a trophy be awarded to an entry which does not merit a Gold certificate.
Certificates will be available for collection throughout the Exhibition. A trophy presentation will be held at 2.30pm on Sunday 4th August. All trophy winners will be contacted by the Entries Secretary and invited to attend the presentation (entry is free after 2.00pm for the trophy winner and one family member).
Trophies remain the property of the Association. Trophies awarded at the 2023 Showcase event must be returned to the Entries Secretary on or before hand-in for the 2024 event.
The Association reserves the right to cancel judging of a section.
A full list of the trophies and awards for all disciplines can be found on Trophies & Awards.
Photography of exhibits in the exhibition is permitted for private/ personal purposes only. Your work may therefore be photographed by visitors to the exhibition and by Dorset Arts & Crafts Association for publicity purposes. Commercial photography is not permitted without the express permission of the committee.
The Association would not be able to hold the annual exhibition of work without the work of volunteers. If you would like to be part of the team you would be very welcome.
Exhibition stewards are essential, both to help visitors enjoy the exhibition and to keep your work safe.
If you are entering work, please try to offer yourself as a steward for at least one session if possible.
Every effort will be made to display all entries, but if space should prove to be insufficient, the Committee reserves the right to select for display.
Disabled Physical | A physical disability is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina to carry out their chosen discipline. |
Disabled Visual | Visual impairment or vision loss, is a decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems carrying out their chosen discipline. |
Discipline | Areas of work that can be entered into the exhibition. Craft, Fine Art, and Photography. |
Digital Art | Any creative practice that uses digital technology as an essential part of the artistic process. This does not include the manipulation of photographs. |
Section | Disciplines are subdivided into sections Eg. Craft is a discipline, beadwork (BW) is the section. |
Guidance
The Association welcomes entries from young people up to and including 18 years.
Work may be entered in any of the Craft, Fine Art or Photography disciplines.
Refer to the Craft, Fine Art, or Photography pages for the relevant entry specifications for the work being entered.
How to complete the entry form
Please complete the on-line Entry form Form for Judged Competitions
Guidance
The Association welcomes entries from those with any form of disability. The disability must influence the Exhibitor’s ability to create his/her work.
Work may be entered in any of the Craft, Fine Art or Photography Disciplines. Refer to the Fine Art, Photography or Craft pages for the relevant entry specifications for the work being entered.
Judging
The Association encourages entrants to provide details of their disability. This information is very useful to the judges but will not be displayed to the public unless the entrant asks for this to be done.
How to complete the entry form for an individual
For craft items : Follow the Craft Instructions.
For fine art : Follow the Fine Art Instructions.
For photographs : Follow the Photography Instructions.
How to complete the entry form for a group
Please contact the Entries Secretary (entries@dorsetartsandcrafts.org), Tel 01305 816530 who will discuss your requirements and provide you with the relevant Entry Form for completion.
Guidance
The Association welcomes entries from groups who have 6 or more members involved in and jointly produce a single piece of work.
Judging and Trophies
Group craft items are eligible for any of the trophies in the craft section .
Entry Forms
Please contact the Entries Secretary (entries@dorsetartsandcrafts.org), Tel 01305 816530 who will discuss your requirements and provide you with a Group Work Entry Form for completion.
Entry fee for each group entry is £5.00.
Guidance
The Association welcomes entries from all schools. The work may be produced as part of the curriculum, a school club or special project. The work may be of any discipline but must be displayed together.
Judging and Trophies
Entries are eligible for any of the trophies in the Young DACA section.
Entry Forms
Please contact the Entries Secretary (entries@dorsetartsandcrafts.org) Tel 01305 816530, who will discuss your requirements and provide you with a School Entry Form for completion. Information on the entry forms will be taken into consideration by the judges.
Entry fee for each school entry is £3.00.