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INTERACTION, THE 63rd WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/

PRESS RELEASE #20 - "Interaction and Glasgow School of Art 
Announce Design Competition for Science Fiction's Oscars"

GLASGOW, Wednesday 4 August 2004

Interaction, the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention, and the 
Glasgow School of Art (GSA), one of Britain's foremost higher 
education institutions for the study and advancement of fine art, 
design and architecture, today announced a public design competition 
for the base of the 2005 Hugo Awards, Science Fiction's equivalent 
of the Oscars. The awards will be presented in a spectacular 
ceremony, which will form one of the highlights of the next year's 
Glasgow Worldcon. 

The involvement of the GSA with the competition is particularly 
appropriate as Interaction's own publicity and graphic style has 
been inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the GSA's most famous 
graduate and the architect of the school's eponymous Mackintosh 
building.

The Hugo Awards, named after Hugo Gernsback, one of the fathers 
of modern science fiction, are the leading awards in the genre, 
and are awarded each year by the members of that year's Worldcon. 
The award itself comprises an instantly recognisable silver rocket, 
whilst the design of the base varies from year to year and is 
usually inspired by the history and location of the city hosting 
the Convention.

The 2005 competition will be based on two qualifying groups, one 
open to students of the School of Art, and the other to science 
fiction fans across the world. Shortlists of the best four entries 
from each qualifying group will be taken forward to a final judging 
panel including representatives of Interaction and the GSA. Full 
information on how to enter the competition will be published on 
Interaction's website during August 2004.

The competition winner will receive a membership of the convention, 
a cash prize, and the opportunity to introduce their base design 
as part of the Hugo Ceremony itself.

Vincent Docherty, Interaction Co-Chair, noted that "we are delighted 
to be working with the School of Art as part of our commitment to 
building close links between the convention and the city of Glasgow. 
I am also pleased at a personal level as my father was himself a 
student at the School."

Kathryn Howell, Commercial Manager at the School of Art, said "the 
Glasgow School of Art is delighted to be involved in the Hugo Base 
Design Competition – it will offer our designers and artists the 
unique opportunity to get actively involved in this high profile 
convention and we look forward to welcoming the 63rd World Science 
Fiction Convention to the City of Glasgow in 2005."

Links:

Glasgow School of Art: www.gsa.ac.uk

Charles Rennie Mackintosh: www.gsa.ac.uk/mackintosh/


                                                                ENDS

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Contacts
General: info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk
Press/Media: Paul Treadaway - press@interaction.worldcon.org.uk

The 2005 World Science Fiction Convention, known as Interaction, will
take place in Glasgow, UK from 4-8 August 2005. More information about
Interaction, including current membership rates, is available from its
web site (http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/) or by writing to
info@interaction.worldcon.org.uk.

Specific press contacts, or requests to be removed from the
Interaction press release mailing list should be directed to
press@interaction.worldcon.org.uk.

"WSFS", "Worldcon", "World Science Fiction
Convention" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the
World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

"Oscar" is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture 
Arts and Sciences.