‘The Spirit of Malvern’ Open Air painting competition will be held on Bank Holiday Monday, 6 May.

The competition is the latest creative idea to come out of  the new networking group Creatives Connect Malvern, and it is a sign of a surge in local  community interest in the arts, offering a chance for today’s artists to add their mark to the area’s creative legacy.  

It will see up to 100 artists set out into the town and hills to seek inspiration. The  works of art they create will be displayed in a ‘pop-up’ public exhibition. A panel of judges, including Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, Tom Voyce and local artists, Brian Gorst  (painter, teacher, writer) and Maureen Gamble (artist, printer, lecturer, writer) will award prizes of £1000, £350 and a local WR postcode prize of £450 and Best Landscape, Urban  and ‘wildcard’ artworks will all win £100 each.  

Malvern Creatives Connect (MCC) was founded in 2023, by theatre director and coach  Kirsty Cubberley, as a focal point for artists of all genres to generate ideas, stimulate  events and encourage participation. “The very nature of the Malverns has always attracted  creative people, inspiring great writers, musicians and dramatists” says Kirsty Cubberley. “Today, we are seeing a groundswell of energy to build on this artistic legacy, we want to  ensure that the historic association between Malvern and the Arts is reconnected through  the community, local venues and new audiences. At MCC, we are harnessing that energy  and ambition, supporting our local creatives, and encouraging participation. The MCC network already includes more than 130 members, who meet regularly, share ideas and  information, and support one another.”

If you would like to get involved, please see the webpage https://creativesconnectweb.wixsite.com and sign up!