In association with The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013, which commence in a month’s time, a photography competition ‘A young perspective on the Baltic Sea’ will be organised. The photography exhibition will combine the two main themes of the event, i.e. youth and the protection of the Baltic Sea. The objective is to depict the Baltic Sea from a fresh perspective while simultaneously increasing awareness on why the status of the Baltic Sea is poor, and what we can do to improve it.
Photographs that participate in the competition will be taken on the first leg of the race from Aarhus to Helsinki. The photographs will be taken by the youngsters who have joined the ships’ crews for the race.
The competition has three categories. The pictures will be taken with Olympus TOUGH TG-2 iHS cameras, provided by Rajala Pro Shop. Rajala Pro Shop will instruct the youngsters on photography, and marine biologist Miina Mäki from the John Nurminen Foundation will introduce them to the protection of the Baltic Sea.
A digital exhibition of the photographs, open at the Forum Box gallery in Hietalahti from 17 to 20 July 2013, will be compiled from photographs participating in the competition. The photographs are also on display and for sale at the Kuvalo photography service (www.kuvalo.com) and at the event area in the Rajala Pro Shop stand. The general public can vote for their favourite pictures between 17 and 19 July 2013 at the Rajala Pro Shop stand and via Kuvalo. Proceeds from the sales of the photographs will be directed to the Clean Baltic Sea projects of the John Nurminen Foundation.
The results of the competition will be published on Friday 19 July 2013 at 2:00 p.m. on the main stage of The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 event. Kaisa Rautaheimo, photographer for Helsingin Sanomat; Juha Nurminen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the John Nurminen Foundation; Ilkka Lastumäki, marine analyst at the Finnish Environment Institute; and freelance photographer Meeri Koutaniemi, Press Photographer of the year 2013, comprise the jury of the competition.
The ‘Young Perspective on the Baltic Sea’ photography competition is organised by the City of Helsinki, and coordinated by CreaMentors Oy. Rajala Pro Shop and the John Nurminen Foundation are partners of the competition.
The Tall Ships Races, a race for tall sailing ships, takes place in the Baltic Sea every four years. As an event, the Tall Ships Races highlight themes that are highly significant to our society, such as the welfare of our youth and the protection of the Baltic Sea. More than half a million visitors are expected to attend the event organised in Hietalahti, Helsinki.
Further information and contacts:
City of Helsinki: Päivi Munther, Project Manager, paivi.munther@hel.fi, tel. +358 40 334 2045
CreaMentors Oy: Liisa Gadd, liisa.gadd@creamentors.fi, tel. +358 50 573 6008
John Nurminen Foundation: Tuula Putkinen, Communications Manager, tuula.putkinen@jnfoundation.fi,
tel. +358 400-907809
Rajala Pro Shop: Jani Gerkman, jani.gerkman@rajalacamera.fi
The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013
The Tall Ships Races sailing contest is organised by Sail Training International (STI), an international non-profit organisation. These races are designed to promote international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing, regardless of their nationality, skin colour, religion or social background. The City of Helsinki Event Office is responsible for event organisation in Helsinki. The Helsinki event has three main themes: youth work, the protection of the Baltic Sea, and responsible event organisation.
The Tall Ships Races are organised in the Baltic Sea region every four years. In 2013, in addition to Helsinki, the event will be hosted by Aarhus in Denmark, Riga in Latvia, and Szczecin in Poland. Roughly 100 ships, carrying some 3,000 young sailors, will participate in The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013. Helsinki last hosted the event in 2000.
The event will take place from Wednesday to Saturday, 17 to 20 July 2013.
The event area comprises Hietalahti, Hietalahti docks, Jätkäsaari and the Sinebrychoff park
Scheduled programme every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Changes to the programme are possible.
Entry to the event is free.
Accreditation: Representatives of the media must be accredited by filling in the form at http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi/fi/lehdisto
Media contacts: Anna Kari, Pink Eminence Oy, tel. +358 40 717 8185, anna@pinkeminence.fi
Further information: Päivi Munther, Project Manager, City of Helsinki Event Office, tel. +358 40 334 2045, paivi.munther@hel.fi
Photographs: http://aineistopankki.hel.fi/?cart=2564-dhgbflkbmk&l=FI
www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi
The Clean Baltic Sea projects of the John Nurminen Foundation improve the status of the Baltic Sea. Eutrophication is the most serious environmental problem faced by the Baltic Sea. Signs of eutrophication include the blooms of blue-green algae encountered every summer. The most efficient way to prevent eutrophication is to cut the phosphorus loads discharged to the sea. The target of the Foundation’s phosphorus removal projects is to reduce the annual phosphorus discharges entering the sea by 2,500 tonnes by 2015: this equals one sixth of the total target of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM. The Tanker Safety project aims at reducing the risk of oil spills with the introduction, to be implemented in 2013, of the new, enhanced navigation support information system ENSI for all tankers sailing the Baltic Sea. The Foundation finances its environmental operations with private donations and public funding.
www.puhdasitameri.fi