News Release: Embargoed until 14 June 2004

INTERNATIONAL POSTER COMPETITION AWARDS

Respect for Animals is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s UK/Ireland and European ‘Design Against Fur’ poster competitions, coordinated worldwide, by the Fur Free Alliance (FFA).

Winners will receive their prizes and certificates at a celebration event on Monday,14^th June at the Artbank Gallery, 114 Clerkenwell Road, London (6 to 8 pm).

All of the winning (& highly commended) entries, will then go on public display until 19^th June at the gallery. Designs by 56 students from countries, including Russia, Hungary, Italy and the UK will be shown.

In Britain, more than 40 colleges took part in the UK/Ireland leg of the competition which is open to all students registered on design, art, graphics and fashion courses. Entries were received from 18 countries in the European competition.

The winners of both the UK/Ireland and mainland Europe competitions will receive prizes of £700 (2^nd and 3^rd prizes are £500 and £150 respectively and there is a special award of a digital camera awarded by author Richard Adams). The first prize winners of these two competitions now go forward to an international competition which will include the winners from USA, Canada and Australasia. Worldwide, more than 1,000 students took part in the competition.

Mark Glover, Campaigns Director at Respect for Animals said: ‘This is the second year that the Design Against Fur competition has been run and we have been overwhelmed by the response. Despite the fur trade’s multi-million pound PR offensive it is clear that people still see fur as cruel and unnecessary. We are already getting calls from people wanting to be involved in next year’s event which is set to be even bigger.

ENDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND PHOTO AVAILABILITY CONTACT NICKI BROOKS OR MARK GLOVER ON 0115 9525440 or 07850 768337.

Notes to Editors.

• The exhibition at Artbank will be open on 14^th (6-8pm) for the winners presentation and a press preview and to the public between 11.30am and 6pm Tuesday (15^th) to Friday (18^th) and 12-4pm on Saturday (free admission).
• Design Against Fur is co-ordinated, worldwide, by the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), a coalition of groups which campaign to end the cruel and unnecessary fur trade. Respect for Animals currently holds the chair of the FFA.
• The competition is now an annual event.
• The winners of this and also last year’s competition can be seen on the FFA website www.inFURmation.com in the Design Against Fur section.