Bristol’s unseen and unsung army of night workers are to get their hour in the spotlight in a new photo competition being staged in the city.
On Sunday October 25 at 2am, when the clocks change from British Summer Time to British Winter Time and most of people can look forward to an extra hour in bed, an estimated one in eight of the workforce will have to work the extra ‘magic hour’ twice over.
The Magic Hour photographic competition offers an opportunity for the thousands of night-time workers, such as ambulance staff, nurses, police officers, taxi drivers, street performers, security staff, cleaners, pizza delivery drivers and anyone else on the 1am-2am shift in Bristol, to show what goes on in the early hours of the morning while the rest of us are sleeping.
The competition is free to enter for all night-time workers in the Bristol area, with a prize-fund of £1,000 for the winning images. Any keen photographers not working the night shift are also welcome to enter the competition for a nominal charge.
Mike Porter, managing director of 24 Hours in Our City, which also organises Bristol’s popular ’24 Hours in Bristol’ photo-marathon competition, said “Bristol is rapidly becoming a true 24-hour city, however keeping the city going 24/7 needs a huge number of people prepared to work all hours to transport us, entertain us, feed us, support, protect and keep us safe.
“We would like to celebrate this unsung army of people at work in the early hours with this unique ‘Magic Hour’ competition. The judges will be looking for photographs that capture the spirit of night-time workers in Bristol.”
Anyone who will be working within the boundaries of greater Bristol between midnight on Saturday October 24 and dawn (6.51am) on Sunday October 25 or anyone else interested in taking part is invited to pre-register at www.bristolbonushour.com.
Entries taken on mobile phones, tablets or cameras during the early hours of Sunday October 25 will be uploaded onto the website for judging by Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson, the chair of South Western Ambulance Service Heather Strawbridge, and Mike Porter of 24 Hours in Our City.
An exhibition of winning images will be held at Bristol’s Harbourside Arts Centre, off Millennium Square, in the run up to Christmas. For further information or to sponsor a Magic Hour competition prize please email info@24hoursinourcity.com.
