Art as a path to Healing        

Call for Applicants: Art Competition "Art as a Path to Healing" - Visual Group Art Competition for Individuals aged 19-29

Redeem the Generation (RtG) is an Ethiopian youth focused Resident’s charity organization that operates regardless of political, religious, racial, and linguistic considerations. The rationale behind establishing RtG is directly related to a great deal of irresponsible life that the young generation is leading. The organization was legally established in 2001 by the memorandum of association and mandated to operate in all regional states of the country. It has recently renewed its license with the registration number 0826. 

RtG has partnered with USAID/OTI Ethiopia Support Program, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to carry out an initiative called "Art as a Path to Healing through Visual Art Art Competition" in the Tigray regional state of Ethiopia. The competition proposed to bring together fifty (50) contestants from Mekelle town to promote healing and peace through the power of art. This initiative builds upon the success of a previous national activity called "Advocating Peace through Art," which involved the organization and dissemination of artistic peace messages through group visual art and Forum Theater.

The proposed initiatives have the primary objective of fostering inclusivity by engaging participants from diverse backgrounds in Mekelle town. These initiatives serve as a platform to demonstrate the transformative power of visual art in post-conflict communities. The focus will be on empowering young people to express their messages of healing, peace, community resilience, and recovery. To cater to different age groups, the competition will be divided into two categories: Group 1, consisting of participants aged 13-18, and Group 2, comprising participants aged 19-29. The entire process, including the competition and its outcomes, will be widely shared through regional forums, exhibitions, and various media platforms, ensuring a broader reach and maximizing the initiative's impact.

To participate in the competition, interested contestants must meet the eligibility criteria for the 19 to 29 age group. These criteria include:

- Contestants must be between the ages of 19 and 29 years old for group two

- In the group two a total of 25 contestants expected to be part of this competition  

- Contestants must reside in the specified area or community associated with the competition, such as in and around Mekelle town.

- Contestants should have a genuine interest in visual art and a desire to express their messages of healing, peace, community resilience, and recovery through artistic means.

- Contestants should be committed to actively participating in all stages of the competition, including the submission of their artwork and engagement in related activities.

- Contestants must agree to comply with the rules and guidelines set forth by the organizers of the competition. The call also announced through TIKVAH Ethiopia/ TIKVAH Tigrigna 

- The competition invites young amateur artists, both from within and outside of art schools, to participate, with the condition that previous winners of the Redeem the Generation Art competition are not eligible.

- Submissions of art message must not discriminate against any religious values, ethnicity, gender, disability or cultural values.

- Contestants’ willingness to present the art products that must be original content created by the Contestant and must not contain any elements that are protected by someone else’s copyright or otherwise subject to third party intellectual property or proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights. 

- The Contest Sponsor reserve the right to disqualify, at their sole and absolute discretion, any submission that does not adhere to these criteria and to the intent and substance of these official Contest Rules.

- The contestants expect to draw their visual art by watercolors/ Acrylic paint and collage mediums only;

- Art products are expected to be clear, consistent; it is expected that they have local context, culturally accepted and are easy to communicate with the audience.

- Contestants are expected to demonstrate creativity and innovativeness throughout the competition

- Female contestants are highly valued and recognized, and they are actively encouraged to assume leadership roles within the competition

- Contestants are required to sign the consent form to submit their art product for the competition.

- Emphasis is placed on good team participation.

- Redeem the Generation will organize skill training sessions and provide all necessary working aid materials for the creation of the final artwork

- The top three winners of art will receive awards Prize of ETB 60,000; for ETB 40,000 and 25,000. Additionally, there will be a separate prize of ETB 10,000 for the winner with the highest number of social media viewers

The online and in-person registration for the Redeem the Generation Visual Group Art Competition will begin on January 29, 2024, and will end on February 2, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Registrations submitted after this date and time will not be accepted. If you're interested in participating, you can register either by visiting the Redeem the Generation liaison office during working hours (8:30 am to 5:00 pm) or by using the following link: https://forms.gle/qYmEMneTagoSgKVQA

For any inquiries, you can contact us at 09 20 19 31 19 or send an email to fisehat@rtgethiopia.org. Our address is located in the compound of Human Beings Association of Brotherhood in Mekelle, behind the gate of Ayder Hospital, at the street end of the road