The 2012 Serco Prize for Illustration

London Transport Museum, in partnership with the Association of Illustrators (AOI), is delighted to announce that submissions are now welcome for the 2012 Serco Prize for Illustration. This year the theme is Secret London. Entrants are asked to create an illustration that explores a hidden side to the city. Entries can depict little known or unusual aspects of the Capital’s history, culture, characters and communities – past or present. This is an exciting challenge for artists to celebrate a vibrant, multi-layered London in a way it has never been seen before.

The competition is open to students and illustrators throughout the world. The top 50 entries selected by a panel of judges will be displayed in an exhibition at London Transport Museum that will open Tuesday 13 November and run until Monday 10 December 2012. The winners will be announced at a private award ceremony on the evening of Monday 12 November 2012.

The winning entry will appear on Transport for London services as a poster and prizes will be awarded in three levels:

First prize: £2000
Second prize: £1000
Third prize: £750

The deadline for entries is 5.00pm on Friday 6 April 2012.

The Serco Prize for Illustration continues Transport for London’s legacy of design that dates back over 100 years. The Museum’s collection of graphic art is one of the best in the world and includes over 5,000 posters and artworks by famous artists including Man Ray, Paul Nash and Edward McKnight Kauffer.

This is the third year that Serco, who operate the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, Docklands Light Railway and the Woolwich Ferry, has supported the competition. All these transport modes provide an opportunity to discover some of the Capital’s ‘secrets’.

Terms and Conditions

Please read the conditions and terms of entry carefully. You will be asked to agree to them before you can submit your images to the competition.

The competition is open to all Association of Illustrators (AOI) member or non-member illustrators and students of illustration.
Agents or colleges may only submit entries on behalf of the illustrator with the express permission of the artist.

All artworks should be in portrait format. London Transport Museum (LTM) prefers that artworks conform to actual or pro rata standard sized: Double Royal – 635 x 1016mm (25 x 40 inches) or Double Crown – 505 x 760mm (20 x 30 inches). However, for this exhibition these sizes are not prescriptive.

Those selected to exhibit will be required to provide original framed artwork no larger than A1 – 841 x 594mm (33.1 x 23.4 inches), or high definition, high quality prints no bigger than A2 – 594 x 420mm (23.4 x 16.5 inches). Artwork is required to be framed with simple black wood profiles fitted with mirror plates for public display at the London Transport Museum, Covent Garden from Tuesday 13 November 2012 until Monday 10 December 2012.

The aim of the competition is to attract artwork for display that is colourful, inspiring and celebrates a vibrant, multi-layered London. Entrants are asked to create an illustration that explores a hidden side to the city. Entries can depict little known or unusual aspects of the Capital’s history, culture, characters and communities – past or present.

Whilst the theme is Secret London, it is desirable to include within the submitted artwork a representation of a mode or modes of transport on Transport for London’s portfolio, some of which are also run by Serco. These modes include: DLR (Serco), Barclays Cycle Hire (Serco), Woolwich Ferry (Serco), Red Bus, London Underground, London Overground, Taxi (black), Tramlink, cycling, River and Walking. The use of appropriate logo/s in lieu of vehicular portrayal is acceptable.

Transport for London (TfL) has a strict policy of avoiding reference to any political, religious or sexual topic. In addition, TfL is never associated with weapons or favours one charity over others.

If artists wish to include within their illustration reference to active commercial brands, such reference must be made in a way entirely incidental to the core purpose of the illustration.

If people are included in the artworks, it is important to remember the ethnic and cultural diversity of London, and make provision accordingly.

Artists are required to submit their own caption (in no more than 50 words) to explain the rationale and inspiration for their artwork. This caption will be reproduced to accompany each exhibited artwork. The AOI and London Transport Museum will reserve the right to edit captions.

Submissions will be evaluated based on the quality of illustration and the relevance of the image and caption to the ideas above.
Entries will be judged by an independent committee of judges. The judges’ selection will be final. Correspondence regarding the judges’ decisions will not be entered into.

Award winners will be named at an award ceremony to be held at London Transport Museum to be attended by London Transport Museum invitation only on the evening of Monday 12 November 2012.

Award winning copyright holders are required to grant a one year exclusive license to Transport for London and London Transport Museum for the use of their image in publicity/advertising materials and for the possible use on posters, postcards and merchandise for sale, and thereafter a nonexclusive licence for the period of copyright. The artist shall agree to receive 33% of the net profit from any sales administered by London Transport Museum.

Transport for London and London Transport Museum may also wish to licence, on a non-exclusive basis, images selected from the remaining 47 illustrations for use on merchandise. All artists, with the exception of the three winning illustrators, will have the option to opt out of granting such a licence when they are notified that their work has been selected for display. All artists who opt in shall agree to receive 33% of the net profit from any sales administered by London Transport Museum and the AOI will inform artists whose work has been selected for use three weeks prior to the exhibition opening.

London Transport Museum will provide reports and payment of the relevant profit share to the Association of Illustrators on a quarterly basis. The AOI will reimburse each artist accordingly.

London Transport Museum may also wish to sell selected works that are part of the exhibition. All artists, including the three winning illustrators, will have the option to opt out of selling their work during its exhibition when they are notified that their work has been selected for display. Artists who opt in to allow their work to be sold by the London Transport Museum will agree to receive 70% of the net profit of the sale of their illustration. Artists will be responsible for pricing their own work.

Entrants agree that all images and the name of the author selected for the exhibition can be published on London Transport Museum and AOI websites.

Please note that only entries which have been selected for the exhibition at London Transport Museum will be informed by email once a decision has been made by the judges.

Exhibitors must collect all artwork from London Transport Museum within one week of the end of the exhibition. The collection deadline is Monday 17 December 2012.

BY PROCEEDING TO THE SUBMISSION FORM IT IS DEEMED THAT YOU ACCEPT THE ABOVE CONDITIONS OF ENTRY.

Schedule of events

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY

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