Fen Model Show 2022

Description

The Fen Model Show is a new event for miniature painters and modellers, and will kick off on the 30th of April 2022 in Ely, right in the heart of the Fens.
While we're starting out with a pretty humble first show, we have bigger plans and hope it'll grow into a permanent fixture in the show calendar.
Keep an eye on this page for more updates over the coming weeks!

Feel free to ask questions about the show - we'll be happy to answer pretty much anything! In the mean time, here are some starters:

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀?
Absolutely nothing. We want the first show to be accessible to as many people as possible, so we're shouldering the whole cost ourselves. If and when we expand, we'll need to charge for entry, but we're committed to keeping prices as low as we can, for both painters and traders.

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Yes, but a pretty basic one for the first time. We'll be offering two prizes: Best of Show, chosen by us, for the best single model brought along; and People's Choice, which everyone who attends can vote on for the best overall display. We'll even have trophies.
We're hoping that the pretty simple approach will encourage people to put their work on display without feeling like they're necessarily in a competition.
Assuming the show is a success, we'll expand into a bigger competition with categories and the like, following something similar to the 'open' format used at shows like Euro Miniature Expo, Scale Model Challenge, etc.

𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Not at all. You're welcome to turn up just to admire the work on display and talk about the hobby. But it would be a pretty rubbish show if no one brought anything, so please do.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗹𝘆?
Ely is about 14 miles north of Cambridge. It's one of the smallest cities in the UK (we have a very impressive cathedral), and is well connected via rail, so you can get there from London in about an hour, or a bit over three hours from Birmingham. The venue is five minutes' walk from the station.

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀?
Yes, but only one. The venue this year isn't massive, and we wanted to err on the side of having enough space for people to display their work. We're hoping to have a few more in future years.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻?
We'll have demonstrations from an award-winning painter and an award-winning sculptor throughout the day. We're hoping for a pretty relaxed environment, so you'll be able to have a chat to them about what they're doing, how they work, tips and tricks, and probably other things that interest them.

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀?
Sadly, the space is upstairs and there is no lift. If you have difficulty with stairs, this will sadly not be accessible to you. I'm personally disappointed by this, but - yet again - if we get to expand, we'll be using the rest of the venue for future shows, which is all downstairs and completely accessible.