Wildlife Photographer of the Year in Plymouth

An international showcase of the very best in nature photography will be on display at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery from 28 March to 30 May.

‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide. Now in its 50th year, the competition is recognised for taking a lead in the artistic representation of the natural world.

It was launched in 1965 with just 361 entries. Today it’s a truly global event with almost 42,000 entries received from 96 different countries.

One hundred winning images from the most recent competition have been displayed at the Natural History Museum, London since late 2014. The exhibition is now embarking on a tour that will take it across the UK as well as to places including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, South Africa, the Netherlands and the USA.

Plymouth is one of ten British cities that will host the exhibition.

Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith said: "We’re very pleased to be included on the tour and hope people will make the most of this opportunity to see some of the world’s best wildlife photography while it’s on display in Plymouth.”

Museums manager Mark Tosdevin added: “The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is the leading event of its kind for nature photographers and it’s really grown in stature over the years. The resulting exhibition attracts millions of visitors across the world and presents inspiring images that highlight the variety and diversity of the natural world."

The Museum and Art Gallery will be running a series of events while the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is on show. These include a gallery tour, family activities and photography workshops. Visitors can also view the exhibition out of hours when it stays open until 8.30pm on Friday 15 May for ‘Museums at Night 2015’.

Exhibition opening hours are 10am to 5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. Admission is free. For more information visit the what’s on pages at www.plymouthmuseum.gov.uk or call 01752 304774