Create Birmingham, in partnership with CreateHubs and the Birmingham Public Library, has launched The Comic Strip Challenge, a monthly comic strip competition and publication, for residents of Jefferson County.
This initiative is meant to encourage creatives of all ages to explore job opportunities and career pathways in creative industries. To better engage with role models in the industry, Create Birmingham will share all submissions with an outstanding group of industry leaders who will serve as judges.
“Create Birmingham is thrilled to host this initiative," said Meghann Bridgeman, President & CEO of Create Birmingham. "We are grateful to our partners at CreateHubs and to the Birmingham Public Library for providing an accessible creative space for participants to craft their submissions. As an organization, we are dedicated to building creative economic opportunities across our region and it’s powerful when these opportunities are shaped through creative teamwork and shared outcomes.”
CreateHubs leaders, Eric Pertilla and Kristena Hatcher said, the CreateHubs Foundation believes that each and every person is a storyteller, and our mission is to unlock and maximize those innate abilities by creating spaces for exposure, education, and engagement to the endless creative outlets available within the entertainment industry.
"In serving our purpose to remove barriers of entry and access, we’re honored to partner with the local leadership within Create Birmingham and the Birmingham Public Library, who are already doing the work to empower and uplift the community," Perilla and Hatcher said. "We’re excited to do our part in helping to create pathways to opportunity and imaginative exploration for generations to come.”
Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, The Birmingham Public Library Central Branch will provide free and accessible creative space (including printing/scanning services) to ensure everyone can participate in the challenge.
"We are excited to partner with Create Birmingham for the comic strip contest and to provide a creative space for artists to use. We look forward to more opportunities to partner in the future," said Heather McWilliams, Librarian for Youth, Teen, Arts, Literature & Sports.The Comic Strip Challenge opens today.
Submissions are due the first Friday of every month by 11:59 pm CST. Winners are selected and announced the third week of each month. There will be up to one winner for each age group each month. The winner’s name and comic will be shared via the Create Birmingham newsletter and social media platforms.
The monthly challenge will be organized in three age groups: 8-12, 13-16 and 17+ with cash prizes ranging between $25 - $100. There is no fee to submit artwork and submissions are accepted via the Create Birmingham website.
All participants must reside in or attend school in Jefferson County, Alabama.For more information about Create Birmingham, visit createbirmingham.org.
For more information about The Comic Strip Challenge, visit www.createbirmingham.org/community-arts/comic-book/ or email hello@createbirmingham.org.
-- Submitted by Meg Daniel Nelson, Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives Create Birmingham
