The Eighth of March anthology series first began in 2019, to showcase strong female characters from the Whoniverse in their own full-cast audio dramas, and is returning for a third volume on International Women’s Day 2023.

To accompany the box set, this new competition is calling talented artists to create traditional portraits – using non-digital media – of one of the box set’s incredible stars; either Louise Jameson (as Leela), Michelle Gomez (as Missy), or Caitlin Blackwood (as teenage Amelia Pond).

Three winners will be chosen (one winner per category) from all eligible entries and each will receive a £100 voucher to spend on ANY release at www.bigfinish.com.

The judging panel will include producer of The Eighth of March, Emma Haigh, Big Finish’s Creative Director, Nicholas Briggs, Big Finish’s Graphic Designer, Mark Plastow, and illustrator and graphic artist, Sophie Cowdrey (winner of Big Finish’s 2018 artists’ competition).

Sophie’s incredible work has graced the cover of several Doctor Who Blu-ray steelbook covers over the years. She has recently joined the art department at Bad Wolf for the upcoming 60th Anniversary Doctor Who specials and the new series starring Ncuti Gatwa.

Sophie Cowdrey said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be on the judging panel for this exciting competition from Big Finish! I hope to see a wide range of creative entries and different interpretations of the brief. Leela, Missy and Amelia Pond are iconic characters and their unique stories will serve as an excellent source of inspiration. With such a creative fanbase and the power of traditional media, the possibilities are endless.”

Emma Haigh added: “I’m really excited about this competition – I can’t wait to see the images that are created and how the characters from the world of Doctor Who take shape in new ways. We’re always on the lookout for new talent and I’m looking forward to making new connections with artists, both established and emerging.”

How to enter:

Create character portraits in one of the available categories Louise Jameson as Leela (category 1) or Michelle Gomez as Missy (category 2) or Caitlin Blackwood as a teenage Amelia Pond (category 3) using traditional, non-digital media (e.g., paint, charcoal, pencils, pen and ink, sculpture, etc.).

Then:

Follow @bigfinish on Twitter or 'like' the Big Finish Productions Facebook page and either:

• On Twitter: post a photo of your artwork with the hashtag #TheEighthofMarch, and tag in @bigfinish

• On Facebook: post a photo of your artwork on the Big Finish Productions Facebook wall as a comment under the post here, making sure you include the hashtag #TheEighthofMarch in your post.

The competition is open from 15:00 BST 30 January until 12:00 BST on 08 March 2023. Entrants must be residents of the United Kingdom aged 16 or over and must not be employees of Big Finish Productions.

The submitted artwork must not have been previously published, submitted into a past competition or used for any other purpose. There is a maximum one entry per person throughout the Promotion Period. Multiple entries will be disqualified and all entries must be made by the entrant themselves.

All qualifying entries will be judged by a panel comprising Big Finish producers and an independent judge on or before 08 March 2023. The winners shall be the entries which, in the sole opinion of the judges, are the best.

The winners will be contacted via social media (either by Twitter direct message or Facebook reply comment) within 14 working days of the judging and will be required to respond to confirm eligibility plus acceptance of the prize within 14 days of initial contact. In the event a winner does not respond to communications within the 14 days of initial contact, the Promoter reserves the right to disqualify that winner and allocate that prize to an alternate entry selected in the same manner. If contacted, the winners will be provided with details on how to claim their prize.

The full list of terms and conditions can be found here and should be read by anyone planning to enter the competition.