Calling all young storytellers!

Love writing? Enter our creative writing competition

As part of our sponsorship of the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail, we are thrilled to launch a creative writing competition for young storytellers in Bristol and beyond.

The brief

We are inviting school-age children to write a short story imagining how Spellbound, our Norbot sculpture (below), ended up in Victoria Park.

Word limit: 500 words (maximum)

To get you started…

• Is he hiding from the infamous Feathers McGraw?
• Did he hear how wonderful Victoria Park is and decide to explore?
• What magical or mischievous adventures did he have along the way?
• And why on earth is he dressed as a fairy tale princess?

This is a fantastic chance for children to unleash their imagination and bring Spellbound’s backstory to life!

Who can enter the competition?

This creative writing competition is for children aged 4 to 11, and each child can only enter once. Entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian or teacher on behalf of the child.

How to enter the Norbot creative writing competition

Please submit your entry to hello@barcankirby.co.uk. Submissions can be typed or neatly handwritten and scanned.

The prize

There will be a prize for the best story. All will be revealed…

Terms and conditions

1. The competition

• The competition is a Creative Writing Contest for children aged 4 to 11 years old.
• The theme is: ‘How Nobert came to be in Victoria Park’.
• Stories must be the child’s original work, written in their own words.
• Word limit: maximum of 500 words.

2. Entry requirements

• The competition is open from 1^st July 2025 to 12^th September 2025. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Entrants must be between 4 and 11 years old on the closing date.
• Each child may enter only once.
• Entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, or teacher on behalf of the child.
• Entries must include:
  • The child’s first name and age
  • Contact details for a parent/guardian (email and/or phone number)
  • The title of the story
  • School (if attending school)

3. How to enter

Entries should be sent to: hello@barcankirby.co.uk.

Submissions must be typed or neatly handwritten and scanned.

4. Judging and prizes

Stories will be judged on creativity, originality, and storytelling appropriate to the child’s age.

The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Three winners will be selected and notified by 30^th September 2025.

Winners will be announced on the Barcan and Kirby website and Barcan and Kirby social media.

5. Use of entries

By entering, you give permission for the child’s story (and first name/age only) to be shared publicly (e.g., on websites, in exhibitions, or in printed materials).

No contact details will ever be shared publicly.

6. Other information

There is no entry fee.

This competition is not open to the children of the judges.

All entries must be suitable for a general audience and not contain offensive or inappropriate content.

Further information

If you have any questions about the competition, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing hello@barcankirby.co.uk.

Spotted Spellbound on the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail? Tag us on Facebook or Instagram!