Press releases/Wikipedia Takes Coventry 2

Help Wikipedia take Coventry

On 1 September, Wikimedians and amateur photographers will come to Coventry to take photographs of buildings, monuments and other structures in Coventry.

COVENTRY, 28 AUGUST 2012: On 1 September, the city of Coventry will play host to Wikimedians and amateur photographers as they descend upon the city for a one-day "photo scavenger hunt" - and you can join them.

The event is a collaboration between the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Jordan Well, Coventry and Wikimedia UK, the charity that promotes Wikipedia. It'll be a fun day which will also help create a lasting, freely-accessible photographic record of Coventry's landmarks and history for use on Wikipedia and all over the world. It will be the first event of its kind in the UK.

Harry Mitchell a local resident and volunteer for Wikimedia UK, said "I am thrilled that Coventry will be hosting the first "Wikipedia Takes..." event in the UK and I can't wait to see the results of the day in use on Wikipedia and elsewhere. Many Wikipedia articles lack illustration and this event will really help to improve the quality of articles on topics related to the city of Coventry."

Erin Hollis, Social Media Assistant at the Herbert, said "We are excited to host another event together with Wikimedia UK. It will be a fantastic opportunity for participants to explore Coventry's history in a unique way - and have fun too! And best of all, the photographs taken on the day will showcase the best of Coventry to people all over the world."

You can register for the event and get more information on http://bit.ly/WikiTakesCov.

Contact details

For Wikimedia UK press enquiries please call Stevie Benton, Communications Organiser, on +44 (0)20 7065 0993 or +44 (0)7803 505 173 (out of hours). You can also email presswikimedia.org.uk

Notes to editors

1. Wikimedia UK is the Wikimedia chapter for the UK. It works to support, develop and promote Wikimedia Foundation projects, such as Wikipedia. It does this by bringing together the Wikimedia community and by building links with UK-based cultural institutions, universities, charities and other bodies.
2. Wikipedia is the largest reference work ever created. It's the sixth most visited website in the world, attracting around 480 million unique visitors every month.
3. The Wikimedia Foundation's projects include Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikinews, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikibooks, Wikispecies, Wikiversity and Wikimedia Commons.
4. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum provides places for the people of Coventry and visitors to the City to meet, celebrate, and explore their cultural and creative past, present and futures. Last year the Herbert welcomed over 309,000 visitors. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is managed by The Coventry Heritage & Arts Trust. The Trust also manages the Lunt Roman Fort and Priory Visitor Centre.
5. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is a non profit making charity. All proceeds from exhibitions, donations or retail sales go towards maintaining free entry, supporting our work with the local community and preserving our collections for future generations.
6. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum redevelopment project has been jointly funded by Coventry City Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Arts Council, the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Wolfson Foundation Fund, Advantage West Midlands and English Heritage.
7. On the day of the event, Wikimedia UK Communications Organiser Stevie Benton will be available to talk to anyone from the press and answer any questions you may have. Erin Hollis, the Herbert's Social Media Assistant, will also be available.