After years of war in Syria, the recent earthquake was a catastrophe on top of the war for millions of people in the country. To mark 100 days after the earthquake, Oxfam will offer a platform to Syrian talents by sharing their art pieces on our webpages and social media channels starting from May 17 and for a week to follow.
Oxfam in Syria will offer this platform to Syrians, wherever they are to share their own voices through art pieces they chose (including pictures, paintings, sketches, videos, and the story behind them (like where those art pieces were taken, or what can we see in the piece, how they think this piece reflects the theme of the year). Poetries are also welcomed.
The submissions must fit this year’s theme of "An earthquake on top of a shattering war; finding hope in tough times." In simple words, we would like to show how Syrians are coping with the ramifications of the recent earthquakes and over a decade of war in the absence of enough support to help Syrians wherever they are in the region recover and rebuild their lives.
We would like to receive people’s experiences on how the recent devastating earthquake has impacted their lives in terms of losing their homes and livelihoods.
This is an opportunity to show the world that the misfortune of Syrians which fell off the international agenda for a long time is still there and it became worse with the recent earthquake that killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and destroyed infrastructure, meaning that the living conditions of Syrians are worse now than it has been at nearly any point throughout the past years.
We are inviting any Syrian to submit an original creative piece that fits this year’s theme, including visual art like drawings and videos. Each piece should be accompanied by a clear description of the art piece content; the story behind it, why it fits the theme and the participant’s contact (phone number and email). All submissions must be sent to Oxfam.syria@gmail.com by 30 April and meet the requirements outlined below. We strongly encourage submissions from Syria women talents.
Call for Submissions – Details:
Who can submit? What forms of art can be submitted?
- Any Syrian who’s a talented photographer or painter or an artist who is willing to have their original creative work shared through the Oxfam website and social media channels, and other public forums can be a part of this art gallery. Submissions of all visual arts are welcomed, including pictures, paintings, sketches, videos and the story behind them (like where those art pieces were taken, or what can we see, why we think this art piece reflects the theme of the year). Poetries are also welcomed.
How will winning submissions be selected?
An Oxfam committee will select the winning submissions based on the following criteria:
- Creativity and originality of the depicted theme.
- How submissions tell a compelling story or share an important perspective related to the theme of “An earthquake on top of a shattering war; finding hope in tough times.”.
- How the artwork conveys the artist's feelings or experience regarding the current circumstances or what they really would like to see change in this difficult situation.
- Overall impression of the art, how much is powerful and aligns with Oxfam’s values of equality, empowerment, solidarity, inclusiveness, accountability, and courage.
- Syrian talented women are strongly encouraged to make a submission.
- Good quality. [Size of submissions of the visual pieces should be no less than 4 GB for a video and 4 MB for other still images].
- Complete and perfectly written submission materials. (Unfortunately, we do not have enough time to chase down participants for additional detailed information, so it is recommended to make sure that the submission forms are well written and include all needed information).
What will the selected recipients receive?
Oxfam will select up to 15 original submissions by Syrian talents for inclusion in this project, based on the criteria above. The selected talents will have their creative pieces showcased and promoted on Oxfam websites and social media channels as well as via other public forums (including art exhibitions and events).
Also, the top three participants will be contacted and interviewed to talk about their art pieces and the interviews will be shared in writing or as videos through Oxfam’s channels.
How will the winning submissions be used?
Your piece of art and the description shared may be used to support Oxfam’s awareness-raising and public engagement efforts related to the Syria crisis and to help raise money so it can continue its work. Your work and description could appear on Oxfam or partner websites, on social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), in a report or via media (including newspapers, radio, television).