The Archive of Tomorrow:What Will We Remember of Today?

This autumn/winter a collaboration of groups and organisations are running a local photographic competition as part of the Uplift Project at St Mary's Church , Totnes.

Residents across South Devon are invited to become archivists of today and capture daily life in and around the Totnes area. All photographic levels are welcome. Submit one image that tells a story about current life in your community taking inspiration from photos from Totnes Image Bank.

It might be a moment, a place, a person or a routine, something that sums up the time and place we are in. We want to see everyday life in Totnes, Dartington and the surrounding rural area.  The goal is to create a photographic time capsule that will be displayed at Saint Mary's church and archived at the Totnes image bank for future generations.

The competition is being run by Contact Darkroom, in association with Totnes Image Bank, U3A's Photography group and St. Mary's Church, Totnes.

 
 

Who can enter

The competition is open to anyone living in South Devon and opens 1st November 2026 and closes 10th of January 2027, in three age categories:

  • 5-12

  • 12-17

  • Adults (18+)

Each person may submit one image only.

 
 
 

The prizes

Each category will have its own winner and runners up.

First prize

  • 5-12 Winners receiving a framed and mounted copy of their image.

  • 12-17 have the option of a framed and mounted copy of their image or a 35mm film camera

  • Adult category winners will receive a one-to-one session at Contact darkroom to teach them the skills of darkroom printing.

Runners up will receive a calendar from the Totnes Image Bank and have their photo featured in the exhibition.

 
 
 

What happens to your image

Every submission has the possibility to be archived at the Image Bank, creating a lasting record of life in South Devon in 2026/27.

A selection of entries, including the winners, will be shown in an exhibition at St Mary's Church, Totnes in the new year (2027).

 

How to enter

  • Submit your image by 10th of January 2027 to saintmarysphotocomp@gmail.com or drop it into the postbox in the children’s area at Saint Mary’s or post to Saint Mary’s Church, 9 High St, Totnes TQ9 5NN.

  • Include a title and a short caption of up to 200 words, explaining the story behind your image so the archive will have context.

  • Include your name, age category and the area of South Devon you live in. For entrants under 18, a parent or guardian must give consent.

  • Any persons with clear visibility in the image, consent will need to be included and if under 18, parent/guardians approval is needed.

  • Images should be JPG and between 10-20mb.

 
 

What we're looking for

Take these historic images from the Totnes Image Bank as your starting point and respond to them with a photograph of your own. Explore what heritage means to you, whether through familiar landmarks, community traditions, or the everyday details that connect Totnes past and present.

Representatives from Contact darkroom, U3A photography group and the Totnes Image Bank will be judging the competition. Judging on storytelling first and technical skill second. A phone photo with a strong story will always beat a technically perfect image with nothing to say.

We want images depicting everyday life of Totnes and the surrounding area. It might be street photography of the market, shop owners outside their shops, a gathering at the skate park or any other sporting event. It could be a social club in a public space, interior or exterior. We are unlikely to accept images of private life indoors.

Terms & Conditions

  • You may submit only one image

  • You must have personally taken the photograph

  • You must live in South Devon

  • Photographs of people - If your photograph features an identifiable person in close-up (for example, a portrait), you must have that person’s permission to photograph them. Images of crowds in public spaces, taken from a distance, do not require permission. If your work is selected for exhibition, you may be asked to provide a signed model release form.

  • By entering, you agree that your photograph may be used, free of charge, by the organisers and sponsors in any capacity and in any media, and the image will be gifted to Totnes Image Bank.

  • Your category will be based upon your age as of 1st November 2026
    Shortlisted winners may be asked for an interview.

  • Applications will be closed as of midnight on 10th January 2027

Project Partners

 
 

Contact Darkroom

CONTACT darkroom is a Not-for-Profit art centre and photographic darkroom in Totnes, Devon. specialising in black & white and colour darkroom printing and photographic experimentation. Housed in a repurposed abattoir, Contact has transformed an underutilised building into a do-it-yourself darkroom, workshop and gallery.

Born out of a desire to create the resources and spaces we felt were missing, Contact Darkroom supports knowledge-sharing and experimentation across the photographic and visual medium, challenging the idea that access to creative spaces and opportunities requires relocating from rural areas to big cities.

Contact Darkroom is co-running the programme alongside the Saint Mary’s uplift project team. In addition to the Competition Contact is running a 4 week programme with Kevicc's students to delve deeper into the theme of heritage whilst teaching them the magic of the darkroom and analogue cameras. The students are taught the fundamentals of photography and hand printing  whilst encouraged to interpret what heritage means to them.

Visit the Contact website: https://contactdarkroom.co.uk

 
 
 

Totnes U3A Digital Photography Group

Established in January 2009, Totnes U3A now offers over 25 study and activity groups, run with the involvement of its 300-plus members.

The Digital Photography Group welcomes all U3A members, whether they enjoy taking photographs with a mobile phone or a traditional camera. We meet on the second Monday of each month, from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at Bridgetown Community Hall. We also organise outings to different locations, giving members the opportunity to take photographs and enjoy photography together.

At our monthly meetings, members share images inspired by a chosen theme, using a projector to display their work. These sessions provide a friendly and enjoyable opportunity to exchange ideas, share knowledge and learn from one another’s experience.

Whether you are an experienced photographer or simply enjoy taking photos, you are welcome to join the Totnes U3A.

Interested in joining us? Find out more about Totnes U3A and its groups via our website: https://totnes.u3asite.uk

 
 
 

Totnes Image Bank

Totnes Image Bank is a charity which oversees the conservation of an extensive and growing archive of photographs of Totnes and the surrounding area. The mission of the Image Bank is to educate the public in the history and heritage of Totnes, liaising with other local groups to expand collective knowledge and understanding of Totnes life.

Visit the Totnes Image Bank online archive: https://www.totnesimagebank.info