Alive and Kicking & UNHCR launch 2021 Youth with Refugees Art Contest
May 14, 2021
Nonprofit social enterprise Alive and Kicking and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency have teamed up to launch the 2021 Youth with Refugees Art Contest under the theme, “Together through sport.” The organizations look to to shed light on the power of sport to bring people together and create a sense of hope.
Refugees anywhere in the world are encouraged to send in an illustration to enter the #DreamBall design contest.
The theme was selected coming out of a turbulent year where sport proved itself vital in restoring physical and mental health, inspiring people and creating solidarity. With the sector facing its own challenges through COVID-19, the contest wants to offer an opportunity for people to illustrate their talents and highlight sport's role in breaking down barriers.
The five best designs will be turned into footballs stitched and made by refugees and host community members in Kenya by 2017 Beyond Sport Global Award winner, Alive and Kicking. The deadline for the contest is June 25th, and UNHCR has shared that finalists will also receive special prizes.
With numerous centres across sub-Saharan Africa, the organization is the world's only nonprofit ball manufacturer. It creates hundreds of ethical jobs for adults facing many economical disadvantages, with the promise that all profits from ball sales go towards additional fundraising and giving young people access to sport and health education. Winning balls from this contest will be sold to support sporting activities and opportunities for refugees.
“Alive and Kicking are delighted to be partnering with UNHCR on their #DreamBall Design Art Contest. Not only will it showcase the fantastic art and design skills of refugees across the globe, it will also support ethical employment at Alive and Kicking’s centres while giving thousands of young people access to sport,” said Ben Sadler, CEO of Alive and Kicking.
Participants can be between 10 to 30 years old and the opportunity is open to refugees, asylum seekers, displaced youth and anyone who wants to use their creativity to create social change and benefit others. The winning creations will be shared on Alive and Kicking’s social media platforms and featured in a digital exhibition.
The inaugural contest, launched in April 2020, encouraged young people to reflect creatively on the theme: “everyone counts in the fight against the virus, including refugees.” It brought together 2000 young artists from 100 countries, with one in four participants being refugees. Following the contest, several refugees were able to obtain remunerated work.
UNHCR seeks to inspire younger generations to be more inclusive of people forced to flee violence and persecution. It does this through a range of initiatives that encourage young people to learn, be creative, debate, volunteer and shape solutions.
“The drawings conveyed a message of resilience,” said Foni Joyce Vuni, a refugee and member of UNHCR’s Global Youth Advisory Council who served on the jury last year.
“I loved that it showed that we (refugees) have something to give. Skills, love, time, care. Sometimes, it’s not about the major things, but about the effort we make in caring for each other.”