By HoldtheFrontPage staff

Journalism students and newly-qualified reporters are being invited to enter
a contest that offers a holiday and 500 as the top prize.

The 24 Hour Museum is running the third annual Museums and Galleries Month
Arts Writing Prize, in association with English Heritage.

May is Museums and Galleries Month - MGM - which means a host of special
events will be held around the UK in celebration of its great cultural
institutions.

The best review or feature about an MGM 2005 event submitted to the 24HM
will win a Tour Through Time short break, courtesy of English Heritage and
500 from the 24 Hour Museum. Tours Through Time is the English Heritage
tour programme that takes you on a fascinating journey through some of the
most significant moments in English history.

One runner up will receive a free one-day Tour Through Time for two, also
courtesy of English Heritage.

24HM welcomes entries from full or part-time journalism students; those who
have recently completed journalistic training; and from 24HM volunteer
writers, past and present.

This year's MGM theme is Objects of Desire: The Art of Collecting, so
participants can expect to encounter the exquisitely beautiful, unusual,
unique, old and sentimental in visits to museums and galleries up and down
the country.

In addition, museums will be marking the 60th anniversary of the end of
World War II and SeaBritain 2005, so writers have plenty of subject matter
to choose from.

Entries will be judged by a panel including Maev Kennedy of the Guardian and
writers will get the chance to see their work published on the site, which
runs five news and five exhibition stories each week, updated daily. The
site welcomes more than 400,000 visitors every month, making it one of the
UK's top cultural websites.

It is 24HM policy to work with student journalists wherever possible, and
the network of student writers provide the site with a flow of fresh writing
from all parts of the UK.

For full details of the competition, visit the website or contact Jon Pratty
on 01273 820052 or by e-mail: editor@24hourmuseum.org.uk.

The closing date for entries is May 31.

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/awards/050418mus.shtml