‘Letters to Mackintosh’ is a creative writing project open to people of all ages. We invite Mackintosh fans to submit a piece of writing no longer than 1000 words, addressed to Charles Rennie Mackintosh as if he was still alive today in celebration of the 152nd anniversary of his birth on the 7th of June 2020. Perhaps you’ll tell him what your favourite piece of his work is? Or maybe you want to ask him some questions about his ideas or travels? You could even write him a poem, include some of your own illustrations or describe what he might have been up to on a typical day back in 1900. The possibilities are endless – but we’ve outlined some creative writing prompts in our Letters to Mackintosh Entry Guidelines to refer to if you wish to do so.
This project is inspired by the ‘Chronycle’ which is a published series of letters Mackintosh wrote to his wife Margaret when they were separated for a period of time to take care of business affairs. In his letters, Mackintosh tells Margaret all about his day to day activities, describing his likes and dislikes about where he is staying in Port Vendres, reflecting on their careers and relationship and keeping their connection alive. It isn’t the standard of writing but the wit, emotion and details of everyday life in the writing which captures the hearts of those who read them.
During the current international Covid-19 pandemic we have all been trying to stay connected with loved ones, mostly online or over the phone, but letter writing has also made somewhat of a comeback! The lockdown has also given us time for reflection, research and re-discovering the things we enjoy doing in our spare time, and made us think about where we might want to visit once restrictions have been lifted. The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society would normally be hosting a series of events in celebration of the Mackintosh Anniversary, and although this sadly won’t be possible this year we would like to strongly encourage people to keep engaging with the Mackintosh Legacy and share their love for his work. ‘Letters to Mackintosh’ is a celebration of what Mackintosh means to us and an opportunity for you to get creative in your own right and ‘reconnect’ with him as an Artist, Designer and Architect.
Judging Categories and Prizes:
Best Entry from under 12’s:
- Amazing Mr Mackintosh Book
- Design Detectives Activity Sheets
- Mackintosh Colouring Book with colouring pens/pencils
Best Entry from Teens (age 13 – 20)
- A Selection of Mackintosh Stationery
- Mackintosh Book
- Starter Watercolour Painting Set
Best Entry from Adults (age 20+)
- £20 Gift Voucher for the shop at Mackintosh Queen’s Cross with FREE admission for up to 4 people
- Complimentary ‘Mackintosh Discovered Walking Tour’ for 4 people
- Complimentary Admission to House for an Art lover for 4 people
(all admission to Mackintosh buildings will occur when each location re-opens and it is deemed safe to honour the relevant prizes)
Overall Top Entry:
- 1 year of membership to the CRM Society which includes a bumper edition 2020 Journal.
- Afternoon Tea and Free Entry to the Exhibition experience at Mackintosh at the Willow.
- A complimentary pair of annual “Friend of the House Cards” valid at House for an Art Lover (Friend of the House Cards – valid for 1 year from when the House re-opens and it is deemed safe to honour them.) You’ll get:
– Free entry to House for an Art Lover’s Visitor Attraction during opening hours
-10% discount apples in the Art Lovers’ Café, Shop and for Art Classes (Café discount applies to total bill for up to 4 guests)
– 10% discount on in-house event tickets. (Card Holder Only)
Judging Date: 9th July 2020
Winners Announced: Monday 13th July 2020
Top entries will be published on both the www.crmsociety.com and www.mackintoshchurch.com websites and all viable entries will be documented on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
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