2008 New Talent Contest Heats:

The first and second place wiinners from each heat will go forward to compete in the NTC final at the Swindon Winter Image Show 16 Feb 08. The final winner will represent UK at the European final next year held in Vienna. FoBBS sponsors the NTC winner to the value of £200 to attend the EBA final.

NTC Heats

Green Lawns Bonsai, Sudbury Suffolk. 26 Aug 07

Heat Results -

To follow

The Sussex Show, Hove Town Hall 15-16 Sep 07:

Heat Results -

1st Andrew Ford– Sussex Bonsai Group

2nd Kevin Fletcher– Eastbourne and Wealden Bonsai Club

BTA Show Don Valley Stadium 30 Sep 07

Heat Results -

To follow

Final at the Swindon Winter Image Show 16 Feb 08

Competion Results -

To follow

Application forms and rules can be found on the left of this page.

The NTC winner goes through to represent Britain in the 2008 European Finals to be held in Vienna.

Contact Dave Penny

Winners All in the New Talent Contest 2007

The New Talent Competition proved ever popular with an encouraging increase in entrants to a total of 7 participants. The contest had the additional benefit of Dan Barton who did an outstanding job at judging a diverse range of styled white pines. During his summary at the end of the contest he described the good qualities as well as the potential for improvement in each of the competition trees.

Dan monitored carefully each contestant as they worked on the tree, looking at how they worked on the material as well as assessing the final image. It was interesting to see how the different contestants dealt with the challenges that each piece of material presented.

Eventually after 4 hours the contestants had completed their styling and the judging took place, this year the material had been pre judged and weighted to help even the scoring between the best and worst material. The effect of this gave each piece of raw material plus or minus points based on its styling potential. Trees were allotted numbers and contestants drew lots.

The overall winner was Andrew Arthur who will go on to the EBA Convention in Ostend to represent the UK . It was encouraging to find that all the other 6 contestants wished to enter again for the 2008 final. The names of the other contestants were:

Andrew Ford
David Fisher
Roger Andrews
Mark Kerry
Gillian Walker
Simon Richardson

If you wish to enter for the 2008 final there will be 3 heats please contact David Penny on 01892 665 704 or david@matsuenbonsai.co.uk

NTC 2007

The venue of the New Talent Contest 2007 will again be during the Swindon Bonsai Winter Image Show at the Coleview Communty Centre see downloads. Entrants please use the form listed in the downloads then e-mail Dave Penny

The winner of the UK New Talent Contest goes forward to represent Britian in the European New Talent Contest. FoBBS provides financial support to assist the UK NTC winnner with travelling expenses to the European New Talent event. For 2007 the European NTC Finals will be held in Ostende 18 - 20 May 07

For more details on how to enter the contest for 2007 see the downloads on the left.

New Talent Contest Winner 2006

Peter Evans from South Devon Bonsai wins the UK New Talent Contest 2006. Peter now goes forward to represent Britain in Europe at the EBA convention Poland 28 April 2006.

Aims and Rules

The New Talent Contest was created to encourage new bonsai artists to demonstrate their abilities to the wider bonsai community and allow FoBBS to select a UK representative for the European New Talent Contest.

The contest is also an excellent way to show the process of bonsai design to the general public in order to attract more people into the art. For the contestants, it is always a fun and entertaining way to practice bonsai for a day.

For those unfamiliar with the event the rules of entry are quite simple.

The competition is open to any FoBBS member whose main source of income does not arise from bonsai.

Material for the heats are provided by FoBBS and drawn from a hat by contestants.

Contestants use their own tools, wire and other materials and there is 5 hours to complete the design.

Report on the New Talent Contest Final 2004/5 Held at Coleview Community Centre Swindon (February 19th)