20.12.07
Falmouth lecturer wins National Photographic Portrait Prize 2007

University College Falmouth lecturer on BA(Hons) Photography Michelle Sank has been awarded Third Prize in the fifth annual Photographic Portrait Prize for her photograph of a teenager, one of a series commissioned for exhibition at Reality Crossings, the 2nd Fotofestival in Mannheim, Germany.

The Photographic Portrait Prize 2007 showcases the work of the most talented emerging young photographers, photography students and gifted amateurs alongside that of established professionals.  This year's prize attracted a record 2,700 entrants who submitted in the region of 7,000 images.

The image, for which Michelle was awarded £2000, was taken in a children's home in Germany, while she was on a residency there. Her work reflects a preoccupation with the human condition and to this end can be viewed as social documentary, encompassing issues of social and cultural diversity.

The competition was judged from original prints by Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Sandy Nairne; commissioning photography editor for the Saturday Telegraph Magazine, Cheryl Newman; photographer Sheila Rock; writer, broadcaster and photography critic for the Evening Standard, Sue Steward; and Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, Terence Pepper.

Michelle said: "It has been a great honour to receive this award and I am pleased it was with this particular photograph. It highlights for me how fragile young people can be today, something that has been a strong part of my photographic interest."

With its substantial prize fund and high-profile exhibition and tour, The Photographic Portrait Prize 2007 exhibition, which is open to the public until Sunday 24 February 2008 at The National Portrait Gallery in London, offers a unique opportunity to view the work of some of the most exciting contemporary portrait photographers working today.

University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education. The CUC is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council.

For further information about BA(Hons) Photography at University College Falmouth, please visit: www.falmouth.ac.uk, email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 214384.

For further information please contact Jilly Easterby, Head of Public Affairs, University College Falmouth on 01326 213792 or email jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). UniversityCollegeFalmouth is a partner of the CUC.

Editor's notes:

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