About the Climate Change Photo Essay Prize 2023

Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time, and the objective behind the Climate Change Photo Essay Prize is to encourage young people to engage with the issue in their local communities. For that reason, we are thrilled to launch the prize with the theme: Climate change and your community. Entrants are asked to submit a photo essay of three to five photographs that tell a cohesive story and address the theme.

The first annual Climate Change Photo Essay Prize was open for entries until 09 June 2023. The prize was open to young people aged 18 to 30 from Africa and its diaspora. Entrants did not need to be professional photographers or artists — all were encouraged to enter. Entry into the prize was free, and applicants retain full image copyrights (See Ethical and Legal Guidelines below).

The Climate Change Photo Essay Prize is run by Africa Soft Power (ASP), in association with African Women Board (AWB) as part of the ‘Road to 100 Million Climate Soldiers in Africa’ campaign. The campaign is focused on climate education, which we view as the first step in securing climate solutions. Our goal is to educate and empower 100 million young Africans in the fight against climate change, which we will measure through the reach of each of the campaign’s projects.

Finalists will have their work shown in a series of international exhibitions.

Winner and finalists (2023)

Judging panel

Julie Crooks

Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora at the Art Gallery of Ontario
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Kenneth Montague

Art collector and the founding director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a non-profit arts organization
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Renée Mussai

Artistic Director of The Walther Collection, a New York-based arts foundation and former Senior Curator at Autograph
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Global Tour

Entrants must be aged 18 to 30 on the closing date. You do not need to be a professional photographer to participate in this contest
Photo content must be appropriate to the theme
Each photo essay submitted is to consist of three (minimum) to five (maximum) images
We suggest only those images required to tell the story are included in the submission
Unnecessary images may reduce the overall impact of the photo essay
The photos must be yours. Do not use other people’s photos or plagiarize
Entries will be judged on the basis of effectiveness in conveying the story through the narrative composition, technique, content, and originality of well-edited images

Photos should be submitted to ASP via emailing asp@theafricasoftpowerproject.com with the subject CLIMATE CHANGE PHOTO ESSAY PRIZE and your name
Your email body should only include the title of your photo essay and the photo selections. Please note that judges will not read descriptions or explanations of your work
Please make sure you are certain of your photo selections. Once you submit your photos, you cannot change or edit your submission
Photos must be at least 1200px on the longest side and at least 72dpi – only digital images will be accepted. (Please retain full-size versions of the images in your library as we may require them if your photo essay is picked as a winner)
JPG/JPEG image files must be no larger than 2MB each
No watermarking or digital frames or borders

Entries close ~~Sunday 30th April 2023~~ extended to Friday 9th June

ETHICAL AND LEGAL GUIDELINES

You (the “Entrant”) agree it is your responsibility to have read the Competition Rules and Terms and Conditions prior to or at the time of entry into the Competition, and entry into the Competition
By entering the Competition, Entrant hereby accepts these Competition Rules and Terms and Conditions.
By entering the Competition, you agree and acknowledge that Africa Soft Power and African Women on Board (the “Admin”) are permitted to receive your registration data. All personal information will be used by the Admin in accordance with their Privacy Policy.
The Prize is free to enter.
The Prize is open to young people from Africa and the global diaspora community who are aged 18-30 on the closing date.
Each image entered into the Competition (an “Entry” or “Image”) must be submitted electronically via email
All entries must be submitted by 30^th April 2023.

To enter, submit three to five photos that form a cohesive photo essay to Africa Soft Power by sending an email to asp@theafricasoftpowerproject.comwith the subject CLIMATE CHANGE PHOTO ESSAY PRIZE and your name.
All works entered must be the Entrant’s own work.
Once Entrant submits their photos, Entrant cannot change or edit the submission.
Photos must be at least 1200px on the longest side and at least 72dpi – only digital images will be accepted. (Please retain full-size versions of the images in your library as we may require them if your photo essay is picked as a winner)
JPG/JPEG image files must be no larger than 2MB each
No watermarking or digital frames or borders
Entrant’s email body should only include the title of his or her photo essay and the photo selections. Please note that judges will not read descriptions or explanations of any Entrant’s work.

All Images must be the sole and exclusive ownership of the Entrant and must not infringe on the copyright of any other party or parties.
Entrants retain full image copyrights
The Entrant agrees that the photographs submitted to the Admin may be exhibited as part of the Prize exhibition at any venue worldwide.
The Entrant agrees unconditionally to grant the Admin a non-exclusive Licence (the “Licence”) to reproduce, publish and exhibit the copyright owner’s Images upon entering the Prize.
The Admin may reproduce any shortlisted photographs for the purposes of marketing, promotion, discussion and education in direct connection with the Prize and exhibition, in all media worldwide including any exhibition catalogues and subsequent publications, posters, the Internet (including social media) and within television documentaries, and may license these specific, limited rights to others only for the same purposes.
The Admin also reserves the right to reproduce selected images for core non–commercial purposes – including but not limited to past events page of the Admin’s website, brochures, publications – indefinitely, as a public record. The processes of the competition may be filmed, and entering the competition constitutes agreement by Entrant for submitted and/or selected images to be included in such filming, whether broadcast or not.
Entrant selected for the exhibition will need to provide the Admin with a Tiff file of their photograph for use in the catalogue and exhibition marketing campaign.
The Entrant will be credited for the use of their work, wherever practicable, as the Prize exists in part to raise the profile of the exhibiting artists.

There are two rounds of judging; the first will take place digitally where the Entrant will be required to upload their image(s) at the entry stage. The second round of judging is performed by a panel of independent judges (the “Judges”). The Judges are selected by the Admin and are appointed to their role by the Admin.
The identities of the Judges selected by the Admin will be publicly available on the Competition website.
Judges are provided with guidelines for procedures relating to the process, judging and any conflicts of interest.
The decision of the judges is final, and no discussion or correspondence can be entered into at any time. All decisions are made at the judges’ discretion; they reserve the right to vary the prizes or not to make any award.

Winner and finalists (2023)

Judging panel

Julie Crooks

Kenneth Montague

Renée Mussai

Global Tour

ETHICAL AND LEGAL GUIDELINES

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