From 20 October 2025 to 10 November 2025
Location British Council Qatar
For Applications and Registration, follow the below links:
Photography Competition
Perspectives of Place: Capturing the Spirit of Creative Cities
Funded by the GREAT Campaign, in Partnership with TASWEER Photo Festival, Years of Culture, the Qatar Cultural Attaché’s Office in London and Teen Art Awards
The British Council is delivering the 10th Qatar UK Cultural Festival 2025, which aims to reflect and celebrate the strong friendship between Qatar and the UK. This is achieved through a collaborative partnership between the British Council and the British Embassy, with active engagement from local stakeholders across diverse communities in Qatar.
The British Council and its partners will host the 10th Qatar UK Festival from 2–12 December 2025 as a legacy of the 2013 Qatar UK Years of Culture. Since its launch the festival has become a key platform for cultural exchange, fostering creativity and connections between both nations. This year’s edition will highlight the Creative Industries, showcasing culture, innovation and entrepreneurship as drivers of talent, sustainability and collaboration.
As part of this year’s celebration of the Creative Industries, British Council is proud to launch a Perspectives of Place: Capturing the Spirit of Creative Cities Photography Competition in Partnership with TASWEER Photo Festival, Years of Culture, the Qatar Cultural Attaché’s Office in London and Teen Art Awards. This competition aims to spotlight emerging and established talents, foster creative expression, and explore the evolving role of photography in contemporary culture, including the impact of new technologies like AI.
Whether you are a teenager with a passion for photography or an adult with a creative eye, we invite you to join the Perspectives of Place: Capturing the Spirit of Creative Cities Photography Competition. Together, let’s showcase the unique spirit of our cities, connecting communities through photography, celebrating creativity, and capturing the places that inspire us. Your lens can reveal hidden stories and perspectives, helping us see our world in new and meaningful ways.
Photography Competition Theme:
“Perspectives of Place: Capturing the Spirit of Creative Cities”
In a world shaped by movement, memory, and imagination, place becomes more than geography, it becomes identity. This year’s theme, “Perspectives of Place,” invites photographers to explore how spaces, real or imagined, reflect who we are, how we live, and what we aspire to become. From quiet corners of home to digitally constructed spaces, this theme encourages participants to capture the emotional, cultural, and symbolic dimensions of place.
How Can Photography Capture the Spirit of Creative Cities?
This competition is rooted in the belief that creative cities are built not only through infrastructure but through the stories, images, and expressions of their people. As Qatar and the UK continue to invest in cultural innovation, photography becomes a powerful tool to document and reimagine the spaces we inhabit.
By focusing on cultural hubs, whether physical neighbourhoods, digital communities, or hybrid environments, we aim to highlight how creativity flourishes in connection, diversity, and dialogue. The competition aligns with the broader goals of the festival: to celebrate the role of the Creative Industries in shaping inclusive, dynamic, and future-facing societies.
Who can Apply?
Competition Categories
- Adults
- Open to photographers aged 18 and above residing in Qatar. This category encourages thoughtful, artistic, or documentary-style interpretations of the theme.
- Focus: Urban landscapes, personal narratives, or abstract interpretations of place.
- For young photographers aged 13–17. This category is about encouraging creative exploration and visual storytelling from a youth perspective.
- Focus: School life, friendships, family, digital spaces, or imaginative views of the world around them.
Competition Criteria
- Creativity & Originality: Judges will look for unique and innovative interpretations of the theme. Think outside the box and capture images that stand out.
- Storytelling: The photograph should tell a story or convey a message about how physical places shape identity, creativity, and connection.
- Cultural & Emotional Depth: Highlight the cultural, emotional, or symbolic dimensions of place, showing how creativity thrives within communities.
- Aesthetics & Composition: Judges will consider framing, lighting, colour, and use of space.
- Emotional Impact: A strong photograph engages the viewer and evokes a response.
- Ethical Standards: Photographs must respect privacy and consent. Any violation will result in disqualification.
- Originality & Copyright: Submissions must be the photographer’s original work and free from copyright or intellectual property violations.
- Usage Rights: British Council reserves the right to publish/use all submitted photographs while respecting the photographer’s copyright.
- Submission Rules: Each Photographer is entitled to participate in the competition with only one Photograph in JPEG or JPG format with high quality with minimum size 3000 pixels and 300 dpi printing quality. Digital edits are prohibited.
- Photographers have to be located in Qatar.
Prizes:
Valuable prizes for the first three winners from each category will be handed by high profile figures from Qatar UK festival 2025 stakeholders and a diverse panel of judges during a special event beginning of December 2025.
Selected works will be featured on the British Council and all partners’ platforms.
Photography workshops will be delivered to the winners by experienced photographers.
The photos will be recognised and showcased, whether through exhibitions, online galleries, or other means.
Frame your world, Share your story
Important Dates:
Application Dates: From 20 October – 10 November 2025
Deadline for submission is 10 November 2025
Contact us at photocompetition@britishcouncil.org or call us at 4425 1814
For Applications and Registration, follow the below links: