About the competition

Context

The European Union program for local development - EU PRO Plus, like the previous programs - PRO 1 and 2, EU and European PROGRES and EU PRO organizes an annual art competition for high school students in 99 cities and municipalities of Sumadija, western, southern and eastern Serbia. The aim of the competition is to encourage students to inform themselves, consider and promote various aspects of the long-standing relations between Serbia and the European Union and explore their common goals and values.

The competition is also an opportunity to recognize, encourage and reward the artistic talents of socially engaged high school students, as well as the schools themselves, which are dedicated to supporting the creative development of young people in the municipalities included in the program.

Goals

1. Motivate young people in 99 cities and municipalities to nurture and support social awareness, engagement and proactivity regarding their rights and needs;

2. Encouraging high school students to take action on issues that are important to them and to actively work on developing and/or contributing to initiatives that positively affect their lives and the lives of their community as a whole;

3. To encourage high school students to nurture and develop their artistic talents;

4. To improve the learning environment in a school awarded for exceptional engagement.

Who can apply

Male and female students of all high schools and gymnasiums, regardless of grade, from 99 local governments participating in the implementation of the EU PRO Plus program: https://euproplus.org.rs/gderadimo

Students who took first, second or third place in previous competitions are not entitled to receive any of those three awards again. However, they have the right to participate in the competition and occupy one of the remaining nine places.

Art competition proposals for the 2024 calendar

Competition theme 

Theme

The European Commission has declared 2023 and 2024 as the "European Years of Skills", focusing on raising the quality of vocational education to help young people navigate the new labor market more easily. One of the key changes is the growing popularity of the circular economy, which requires the skills of efficient and sustainable use of resources.

The competition invites young artists to explore the concept of the circular economy, and taking into account their interests and talents, think and through drawings show their current or future activities and potential careers and jobs in the circular economy. Artworks should show youth activities that contribute to a sustainable future as well as innovative solutions for circularity in their communities.

This competition encourages students to think critically about the environment and to imagine how through their future professions they can become initiators of positive changes, emphasizing how to reduce waste, recycle, extend and improve the use of materials and achieve sustainability. Through their works, participants should demonstrate both their artistic talents and their commitment to shaping a greener future for everyone.

Talking points for discussion with students to foster creativity

What is circular economy?

Imagine a world where nothing is thrown away, where products and materials are used wisely and kept in circulation as long as possible. This means designing products that will last longer, but also finding creative ways to repurpose objects and finally, recycling the materials from which these objects are made. This is a way of life that is dedicated to a cleaner environment, taking care of nature and resulting in a greener future for our planet. Remember the magic words: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These are concepts that encourage us to use and spend less whenever we can, to think twice before buying new things, and to find innovative ways to give old things new life. And then when something can't be used again, it often turns into something completely new, so for example old newspapers become graphite pencils,  old sneakers become a surface for the sports field. 

Are you inspired? You could become an eco-entrepreneur, making amazing products from recycled materials or repurposing old items into something even better. Perhaps you could, in your place, organize an exchange of clothes, books or games among the locals? Learn how to fix bicycles and start a small business or start a Greening Club to promote environmental actions, such as cleaning river banks, planting trees or recycling. Explore sustainable gardening, digital recycling, eco-art or create your own business - the possibilities are endless! Here you can find more material for thinking.

Competition rules

Format of Expression

• Works submitted to the calendar competition should adhere to the following guidelines:

• Format: A3 (42 x 29.7 cm).

• Acceptable media: illustrations, drawings, paintings or collages.

• On the back of the artwork, please provide the following information:

  • A concise paragraph (approximately 30 words / 100 characters) describing the work;

  • Full name and surname of the student with their contact phone number and email address;

  • Year and class of students;

  • Full name, phone contact and email address of the responsible teacher;

  • Name and address of the school.

Papers sent without a textual explanation will not be considered. Explanations should clearly convey the essence of the submitted work.

Example of data submission of awarded work from the art competition of the EU PRO Plus program from 2022 "Your ideas, your future"

Example of the paragraph (around 30 words) that explains the work:
Engaging the youth in defining their own future through initiating the actions to solve the current issues in the community is crucial for the future of all the citizens in Niš. (this sample paragraph has 31 words)

Name, surname, contact phone and email address of the student:
Anđela Bučić, 060 000 000, email@email

Grade and year the student is attending: III2

Name, surname, contact phone and email address of the teacher:
Danijela Davidović,  060 000 000, email@email

Name and address of the school: Niš Art School, Prvomajska 6, Niš

General Competition Rules

• EU PRO Plus does not bear the costs of creating and sending art works

• Participation in the competition is free, and applications can be individual (individual student) or group (school) applications;

• All works that do not match the topic or do not meet the technical and author's requirements will be disqualified;

• Only unpublished works of art can compete in the competition

• Artwork with inappropriate titles or messages will be disqualified;

• It is necessary to avoid stereotypes, ridicule, offensive or inappropriate representations of vulnerable groups, their social positions, lifestyles and cultures. Artwork containing such content will be automatically disqualified;

• Authors and schools must ensure that all elements of submitted artwork are original and not copied from other sources;

• All images used in works of art must comply with the existing Law on copyright and related rights of the Republic of Serbia;

• By participating in this competition, authors and schools agree that EU PRO Plus and the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Serbia can use the works for the purpose of promotion, publicity, news, during educational workshops as well as information campaigns and campaigns related to the topic of the competition, and without the author's prior permission.

• The names of the authors will be listed on the calendar of the EU PRO Plus program for 2024;

• Students who took first, second or third place in previous competitions are not entitled to receive any of those three awards again. However, they have the right to participate in the competition and occupy one of the remaining nine places.

Obligations of schools participating in the contest

• Secondary schools participating in the calendar competition must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Organize an internal competition open to all students and choose up to ten (10) best works of art to submit to the competition;

• Encourage teachers to initiate discussions and engage with students on the topic provided for the competition;

• Each student is entitled to submit only one artwork for the EU PRO Plus calendar competition;

• The deadline for submission of papers is 17 November 2023 by noon.

• The works selected for application must be sent by post to the EU PRO Plus office in Belgrade to the following address:
  
  UNOPS/EU PRO Plus
  Notice: "Art competition"
  Skrelićeva 4,
  11000 Belgrade

Additionally, in addition to the individual art competition, schools can receive recognition and awards based on the quality of the organization of internal school competitions. To qualify for this award, an internal school competition should be documented and submitted in the form of a short written description, accompanied by photographs and/or videos. These materials should be sent along with the artwork.

Selection process

• Only submissions that fully comply with the competition rules will qualify for the initial round of judging;

• The 20 best artworks from this round will be displayed on the official EU PRO Plus website and will be eligible for online voting;

• Online voting will be open for five days and available to all citizens of Serbia;

• After the online voting period ends, all votes will be tallied. The artwork with the highest number of likes will receive one audience vote, which is equivalent to one vote of the other jury members;

• The EU PRO Plus Selection Committee, consisting of at least four members, of which at least one member has an artistic background, will oversee the next phase;

• From the 12 shortlisted works, the Selection Committee will declare the third best, second best and best art work;

• It is important to note that only one artwork per school can be selected among the top 12, regardless of its ranking after the voting process.

Awards

The following awards will be awarded for the 12 best papers and three teachers:

• First award – a laptop computer

• Second and third awards – tablet computers

• Nine consolation awards - mobile phones

• Three tablet computers (one per school) will be given to the mentors of the winning artworks

Award for the winning school

The selection committee will also assess the school's commitment to organizing an internal school competition. One high school that shows exceptional commitment, both in terms of quantity and quality of submitted works, will receive a special award.

This winning school will be awarded a valuable package, including a laptop computer, projector and related equipment. These resources aim to enhance the learning environment and educational opportunities for their students.

Award ceremony

EU PRO Plus will host an awards ceremony in December 2023, the format of which will depend on the prevailing epidemiological conditions at that time. Participants will receive information about the specifics of the event in a timely manner. The ceremony will include an exhibition where the best submitted works will be presented, along with the presentation of the EU PRO Plus calendar for 2024.

Vote for the best works

Online voting for the best works of art is open until 01 December 2023, noon.

In order to participate in online voting, please register using your email address. After you enter your e-mail address and password, you will receive a registration confirmation and a login link, after which you can start voting.

After registration, you can vote for each work you like one at a time by clicking on the heart below the work. By clicking on the blue heart again, you cancel the vote.

When you have shared your votes, it is enough to close the voting page or leave the program's website, and your votes will be automatically registered in our database.

Thank you for your time and help in selecting the best works of art that will be found on the pages of the EU PRO Plus program calendar for 2024.

Apply

• The deadline for submission of papers is 17 November 2023 by noon.

• The works selected for application must be sent by post to the EU PRO Plus office in Belgrade to the following address:
  
  UNOPS/EU PRO Plus
  Notice: "Art competition"
  Skrelićeva 4,
  11000 Belgrade

Results of the Art Competition "Creating a greener future!"