Sandcastle sculptors will be asked to reflect the unprecedented events of this year in the annual Bermuda Sandcastle Competition.

Hannah Emmerson, the organiser of the event, said it would be the first time in 25 years that the competition would have a theme.

She added that participants whose sand sculptures best highlighted the 2020 theme could win as much as $600.

Ms Emmerson said: “I’m hoping that this will encourage people to come forward and see what everyday people can enjoy doing at the beach.

“It’s just another activity that anyone can get involved in.”

She added: “I’m really hoping that this becomes a much more standout event in people’s minds, because there really hasn’t been much to go on.

“This gives people something to look forward to to wrap up the summer and be a sort of bright light in terms of a community event.”

Ms Emmerson said that this year’s competition had been limited to a total of 20 teams — ten each in the adult and family categories — to allow for social-distancing.

Each group will be given a 10ft-by-10ft space, with ten feet of space separating each block and plenty of sand for teams to work with.

Ms Emmerson asked teams to practice safety measures like bringing their own tools and only working with people they saw on a regular basis.

She said: “I’m going to be asking teams to arrive with masks and to wear their masks when they check in.

“Of course, wearing masks while building for six hours in the hot sun on the beach is not a reasonable request for people, but we will request that masks be worn during the prize giving.”

Ms Emmerson said that she looked forward to seeing global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and worldwide protests against racial injustice portrayed.

She also encouraged participants to be creative and consider subjects such as the Australian wildfires, world politics and the popular Netflix show Tiger King, which explores the deeply interconnected society of big-cat conservationists in the United States.

Ms Emmerson added that people could sign up for her free workshops to get a masterclass on sandcastle building from past winners. She said: “I’ve had a lot of positive responses and interest in the workshops, especially with Covid and the lockdown because people are looking for activities and things to do.

“The No 1 thing I hear when people do build sandcastles with me is ‘oh, I have no artistic talent, I don’t know if I can do that’, but when they try it with the basic steps and principles that I lay out, they’re amazed.”

Ms Emmerson said that spaces were limited and that people should check the Bermuda Sandcastle Competition website for availability.

The competition will be held at Horseshoe Bay, Southampton, on September 5 from 9am to 4pm.

Jamal Hart from the Ministry of Education, N’zingha Ming from the Bermuda Society of Arts gallery and Tim Morrison From the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club will judge the entries and pick the top three sculptors in each category and an overall best in show.

The workshops will take place at 5.30pm at Horseshoe Bay on August 29 and September 2 and 3.

• Teams can register and check for spaces at www.sandcastle.bm