Arts students gear up to make mark on Le Tour

TL;DR

Art and design students in Cumbria are invited to design two official posters for the 2027 Tour de France. The race will feature stages in Great Britain, including Carlisle and Keswick.

Key points

Students in Cumbria invited to design Tour de France posters
Two official posters for the 2027 race will be created
Stages of the race will take place in Carlisle and Keswick

Cyclists in lycra and helmets travel past Big Ben, with blue skies in the background.

Britain will be responsible for designing two posters for the Tour de France [PA Media/ John Giles]

Students have been given the chance to design two official posters for the 2027 Tour de France.

The world-renowned cycle race will see a number of stages take place across Great Britain, including two taking in Carlisle and Keswick.

Art and design students across Cumbria have been invited to take part in a competition to design a poster for the Grand Départs - the opening stages of the race.

University of Cumbria business manager Karen Jones said the competition gave students a chance to have their work "showcased on a global stage".

"This competition sends a strong message to students studying creative subjects across local authority regions: you don't have to go far to go far," she said.

It is tradition that each edition of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift are represented by a unique poster, unveiled each October in Paris.

The 2027 event will be the first time both Grand Départs have been held in the same country outside of France, meaning Great Britain will be responsible for designing both posters.

Cyclists climbing up a narrow street which has stone buildings on either side. Crowds line the street, a few holding Union Jack flags. There is bunting above the street further down the street which is the bottom of the road.

The competition is open to art, design, graphics, creative and photography students [PA Media]

The artwork will be seen by millions as it appears along the roadside and on promotional materials and advertising.

The competition has been launched as part of Grand Départ GB's JOY social impact programme.

Tracy Power, from JOY, said it was a "once in a lifetime opportunity for two talented students to showcase their creative skills" and "forever be associated with this historic Grand Départ".

The competition is open to art, design, graphics, creative and photography students at further and higher education institutions within any of the council areas where races are taking place - including Cumberland Council.

Both winning designers will be invited to Paris in October for the official unveiling of their work during the official route presentation of the 2027 races.

The submission deadline closes at 17:00 BST on 26 June.

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