Find out more about Talking Statues and how to find them.
You’ve heard from Mother Julian, Lord Nelson and more…but some of the other statues of Norwich are also waiting for their chance to get a word in!
What will they say? Are you the one to tell us?
The National Centre for Writing and Creative Nation are giving budding writers the chance to bring two Norwich statues to life with the Talking Statues creative writing competitions. They are:
Snap the Dragon is open to writers aged 16 and under. The Missing Statue is open to writers over the age of 16.
The winning pieces will be recorded by professional actors and included as part of Talking Statues, ready to chat in early 2019. They’ll talk until the project closes in September 2019. Winners will also be invited along to their monologue recording and receive a copy of the final recorded script to keep.
To enter, please read the additional information below.
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Snap the DragonMuseum of Norwich at the Bridewell
Competition open to writers aged 16 and under
Snap lives alone in a case in the museum. Dragons have a long history in Norwich, present in architecture and at special events in the city since medieval times. How did Snap end up in the museum and what does he get up to when the crowds go home?
You may visit Snap in the first gallery without paying to enter the Museum. Just tell a member of staff at the front desk that you are taking part in Talking Statues.
The Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4.30pm.
Whilst you are there, why not follow the Dragon Trail too?
Download our helpful notes on Snap the Dragon before you start >>
How to enter
Submit a short monologue (maximum 350 words) from the perspective of Snap. The winning entry will be professionally recorded and included as part of Talking Statues Norwich, ready to talk in early 2019.
Send entries to competitions@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk with the heading ‘Talking Statues competition entry’.
The e-mail must state:
Deadline: midnight, close of Friday 30 November 2018
For more information visit nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk or email competitions@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk
The Missing StatueChurch of St John, Maddermarket
Competition open to writers over the age of 16
The Reformation left scars upon many churches and we have chosen to explore one of these empty spaces (or ‘missing statues’) for our over 16’s writing competition.
St John Church Maddermarket is an unusual city centre church, with an explosive history! Who could or should stand here above the north porch, looking out over the churchyard, and what story would they have to tell?
In line with Heritage Open Days (HoDs) theme ‘Extraordinary Women’, we have decided to take this opportunity to celebrate Norwich’s impressive lineage of radical women, which includes Boudicca, Elizabeth Fry and Harriet Martineau amongst many others.
The theme is, in part, a recognition of the centenary of the Universal Suffrage Act. But alongside celebrating the unique achievements of the suffragists, Heritage Open Days are also encouraging us to tell the stories of the hundreds and thousands of other women who have changed our lives, in both large and small ways over time.
Less than 20% of UK statues are of women, and we would like to do our bit to address this!
So, we are stipulating that our Missing Statue has the voice of a woman. She may be alive or dead, a human being or a very different creature, that’s up to you!
Download our helpful notes on the Church of St John Maddermarket before you start >>
Download further notes from the Church of St John >>
How to enter
Submit a short monologue (maximum 350 words) from the perspective of the Missing Statue. Be as inventive as you like – what sort of voice might she have today?
The winning entry will be recorded by a professional actor and included as part of Talking Statues Norwich, ready to talk in early 2019.
Send entries to competitions@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk with the heading ‘Talking Statues competition entry’.
The e-mail must state:
Deadline: midnight, close of Friday 30 November 2018
For more information visit nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk or email competitions@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk
(i) The Missing Statue – St John’s Church at Maddermarket
(ii) Snap the Dragon – The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell
(a) Sing London Limited have unlimited rights to publish, print or use the work as part of Talking Statues.
(b) The Organisers and audible.co.uk have unlimited rights to publish, print or use the work in agreement with Sing London.
(c) The Organisers may publish, print or use the work in agreement with Sing London.
(d) The entrant understands that the Organisers intend (but is not obligated to) to have an actor record the monologue, edited if, in the Organisers sole and unfettered discretion, it decides to do so, and that it intends to incorporate the recording into the Talking Statues project.
(e) They may to be identified as the author by Sing London Limited and that their name and a likeness may be used in connection with advertising, publicity and promotion in connection with the Talking Statues project, by or with the consent, of Sing London Limited, and by its project sponsor audible.co.uk.
(f) They will participate to a reasonable degree in publicity relating to the competition and their status as a winner.
