Park Plaza Hotels has teamed up with Leeds College of Art to offer Yorkshire’s brightest young photographers the chance to exhibit their work in the contemporary setting of the newly refurbished hotel. Keen to encourage new talent and to inspire creativity, 78 photographs taken by students from the college’s Photography degree have been shortlisted from hundreds of entries, and the winning 10 photographs will now be decided by online public vote.
Winners will be selected from each of the three entry categories: ‘Yorkshire Hospitality’ (the people of Leeds), ‘Icons of Leeds’ (the history, heritage and architecture of Leeds) and ‘Wild Yorkshire’ (the landscapes, fauna, flora and wildlife of Yorkshire.) All winning photographs will be displayed permanently within the public areas, guest rooms and suites of the hotel.
Paul Rogers, General Manager, Park Plaza Leeds comments:
“We’re extraordinarily lucky to have such stunning scenery and architecture here in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region so it was an important part of our refurbishment to be able to capture a sense of that within our hotel. By offering a competition to Leeds College of Art students we hoped to get some fresh perspectives on our surroundings, and already we’ve been bowled over by the results. From scenes capturing lunch time at Leeds Market to a view of the river Nidd from Knaresborough Castle, the students have brought great imagination, creativity and skill to this challenge and I cannot wait to see the winners displayed within the hotel.”
As well as having their photographs printed and installed by Park Plaza Leeds and unveiled at a launch event, the 10 winners will also receive two nights overnight stay in a European Park Plaza Hotel or art’otel of their choice.
Adrian Davies, Course Leader at Leeds College of art comments:
“This is a great opportunity for our students to get involved in a specific project, incorporate a brief and capture innovative images which hotel guests will hopefully enjoy. We are delighted to have been asked to take part in the competition and we look forward to seeing the finalists work on show in the hotel at the end of the month.”
The public vote is open until midnight Tuesday 31 January 2012. To have your say on which photographs should grace the walls of the newly refurbished Park Plaza Leeds, please visit: www.facebook.com/parkplaza and select “Pick the Pictures”
The hotel is currently undergoing a £2 million refurbishment project which will include redesigned guest rooms, suites, renovated lobby and public areas.