Young people from all over the world are invited to submit photo entries that capture their understanding of the common heritage of the Silk Roads through the lens of their camera for the Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads International Photo Contest.
The Silk Roads are an expansive region composed of a network of maritime and land routes. Originating in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia the Silk Roads cross the Central Asian sub-continent, the Russian steppe, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula. They also stretch through North Africa and Northeast Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco. Additionally, they pass through Eastern and Southern Europe, before reaching France and Spain.
The Photo Contest is an opportunity for young people living or travelling within these regions to share their perceptions and further their understanding of the common cultural heritage and pluralistic identities emerging from the interactions and exchanges taking place along the Silk Roads. It encourages the use of photography to extend these cultural interactions and encounters in the contemporary world, to foster mutual understanding and promote peace amongst the diverse populations encompassed by the Silk Roads.
The contest is in two age categories: 14-17 year olds, and 18-25 year olds. Interested participants are invited to submit photographs that best encapsulate the shared heritage of the Silk Roads through one or more of the three themes of Gastronomy and Food Production, Traditional Sports and Games, and Music and Dance.
To participate, entrants should go to the Participation page at https://unescosilkroadphotocontest.org/en/participate and upload a maximum of 20 photographs. They should include a caption for each photograph or series of photographs, in digital format (JPEG or JPG). The quality of the photographs must be at least 1,500 pixels wide for horizontal images and 1,500 pixels tall for vertical images.
Minors must provide written permission from their legal guardian(s) as follows: “I, the undersigned Mr/Ms “full name” legal representative of “full name”, authorize him/her to participate in the photography contest “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” which runs from 19 September 2019 to 6 January 2020. I read and agreed with the terms of rules
Signed “City”, the “Date” Signature. No minors’ participation will be accepted by the Organization without their guardians’ written permission.
Only minor modifications to the photographs will be accepted (e.g. dodging and burning, aperture, cropping, color balance) and must be clearly indicated in the image’s description.
No photograph must not contain any personal information that identifies the photographer and all participants must be able to provide a high-resolution image that, if selected, can be printed on different media for exhibitions.
The Selection Committee members will examine all submissions and select the winners from each of the age categories. Examples of some of the very best photographs from the 2018 contest are available online and can be accessed at https://unescosilkroadphotocontest.org/en/node/6627.
The announcement of the winners will be made on March 21, 2020, on https://en.unesco.org/silkroad.
Three winners will be selected from each age category and given awards at an awards ceremony. First place winners will receive a professional camera’ second place winners will receive a semi-professional camera, while the prize for third place will be a standard-model digital camera. In addition, winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the award ceremony while those under 17 years of age may be accompanied by one family member, courtesy of UNESCO.
A travelling exhibition of around fifty photos that best represent the spirit of the contest will be exhibited in various places around the world. To commemorate the occasion, these exceptional photographs will ultimately appear in a professionally bound photo album.
The contest is organized within the framework of the UNESCO Silk Roads Programme, UNESCO Youth Programme and the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022).
The 2019 edition of this contest is open for entries from September 19, 2019 to January 6, 2020.
The contest is being organized by UNESCO, through its Headquarters in Paris, France. It is a free-of-charge photography contest called Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads, with the theme “Reveal the Silk Roads”, (through Gastronomy and Food Production, Music and Dance, and Traditional Sports and Games).
