World Photography Day Competition 2026

To mark World Photography Day, 2026, the Museum is hosting a photography competition which open to all visitors. This year’s theme is ‘Home’. Simply submit one photograph, with a connection to mining, for a chance to win.

Our Museum is the home of celebrating coal mining heritage and its legacy. For many, our homes are in communities that were shaped and touched by coal mining. To celebrate World Photography Day we want to celebrate your home, what makes it unique and special to you.

It might be the village your family moved to when the pit brought work. The street where miners’ terraces still stand. A place that exists now only in memory, or in an old photograph tucked in a drawer.

The winner and runner up will have their photograph on display at the Museum, and the winning entry will be featured on the NCMME website and social media.

To enter our competition, entrants will need to include their name, email address, phone number, their connection to mining e.g. were you a miner, have a family connection, did you grow up in a colliery village, do you visit NCMME often?, and a description of the photo and why you submitted it (to be displayed alongside winning photo). Get snapping! Please submit your entry to volunteer@ncm.org.uk by Monday 4 August 2026.

The judging panel will select the winners on Tuesday 4 August, with the announcement taking place on World Photography Day on Tuesday 19 August.