The University of Bath is coordinating a national photography competition to challenge preconceptions about how older people interact with technology.
The best images will form a touring exhibition that will visit the Houses of Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.
The competition is called Left to Our Own Devices and is run jointly by Age UK, a national charity, and KT‑EQUAL, a research consortium dedicated to improving the lives of older and disabled people, including researchers at Bath.
The judges are looking for interesting images on the theme of older people’s experiences with technology, and particularly images that challenge stereotypes, deliver a powerful message, surprise or entertain.
The competition has four categories and one winner from each area will win £250:
- Gadgets and Gizmos
- In the Home
- Out and About
- An open category
The competition was initiated in Bath by Professor Chris Eccleston, in the University’s Department for Health, and is managed by Project Officer Heather Williams.
Professor Eccleston said: “We’d like to see good quality photographs, but you don’t have to be a professional photographer. The image should capture older people’s relationships with technology, whether good or bad.
“The winning images will raise awareness of the experience of older people”.
The judging panel will be made up of: Christina McBride, Lecturer in Photography at Glasgow School of Art; Professor Trevor Cox, a member of the KT-EQUAL consortium; and Phil Rossall, Research Manager (Knowledge Management) at Age UK.
Phil Rossall of Age UK said: “Technology for older people can take many forms. It’s not just computers and smartphones, it’s anything which can make later life more comfortable, more rewarding or less arduous.
“At Age UK, we’re interested in new technology less for its technical merits than for its tangible benefits for quality of life – something we hope this competition will help to promote.”
The competition is free to enter. Visit the competition website to browse other entries and take part in online discussions about the issues they raise.
The closing date for entries is 31 January 2012.