DORSET residents could win thousands of pounds by taking part in a new competition encouraging people to get creative with art.

The Bournemouth and Poole College Art Prize aims to encourage schoolchildren, college students and adults to celebrate their artistic talents.

Within the Art Prize, there are several categories with their own prize pots, which total over £8,000, and the overall theme for the competition is ‘people and their environment’.

During the launch event, held at The College’s North Road site in Poole, Lawrence Vincent, principal of Bournemouth and Poole College, said that he has high hopes for the Art Prize.

He said: “We want to use it to help create a broader, more inclusive vision for the arts locally."

He added: “We also want to encourage engagement by young people and that is reflected in the prize pot, where there is a £3,000 bursary to spend on further education for a young person.

“Digital innovation is also something we want to encourage, which we are finding is unusual in arts prizes.

“But, above all, what we are really after is to develop a truly democratic art prize, which will encourage people to engage in the arts, regardless of experience.”

International artist Stuart Semple, photographer Tony Worobiec and museum and arts manager for Borough of Poole Michael Spender will be judging the entries as they come in and choosing their winners. Mr Semple, a former student at Bournemouth and Poole College, said that as a judge for the Art Prize, he was looking for ‘anything which is bold, different, and honest’ in the submissions.

He told the Dorset Echo: “It’s a big prize and with so many great artists across Dorset.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for people to take part in.”

For more information and all the details on how to enter, go to thecollege.co.uk/artprize