To mark the 30th anniversary since its foundation at the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, BEARR is organising a photography competition on the theme, “Side by Side”, celebrating 30 years of civil society support and collaboration in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (the EECA region).
After a difficult year during which the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the precarious situation of many vulnerable groups, BEARR is looking for creative, uplifting, hopeful images which depict community spirit and solidarity in the face of adversity. All interpretations are welcome, and anyone can submit photos. Photos from young aspiring photographers under 18-years-old and photos depicting or from the EECA region where BEARR works are especially welcome.
The following panel of expert judges will decide on 3 winners and 3 runners up:
- Nadia Beard, the Editor-in-Chief of The Calvert Journal
- Ex-BBC Diplomatic Correspondent and BEARR Patron Bridget Kendall MBE
- Three award-winning photographers, Emma Brown, Jadwiga Bronte and Elyor Nematov.
The winners and runners-up will be announced by email and social media, as well as at an online prize announcement on Wednesday 16 June at 17.00 BST via Zoom. The judging panel and BEARR trustees will join the online event, and all entrants are warmly invited to attend. Details will be sent out nearer the time.
TO PARTICIPATE:
- Send your photos (3 maximum) to BEARR’s Information Officer, Louisa Long at info@bearr.org with the subject “BEARR Photography Competition: [YOUR NAME]” before 23:59 BST on Tuesday 1 June.
- Please provide a short title for each photo and a brief description of how it fits the theme Side by Side (no more than 100 words per photo). You can write this in either English or Russian. The judges will be looking for creative and emotive interpretations of the Side by Side theme.
- Use a phone or digital camera.
- Do not use any editing software or image processing programs such as Photoshop.
You can find more details and guidelines here.
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The prizes include cash prizes, limited edition photography books, and the chance to feature in BEARR’s online exhibition and in-person exhibition in London. One of the books is “We: photographs from Russia 1996 – 2017” by John Peter Askew, kindly donated by John himself and Pushkin House. “We”, exhibited at Pushkin House in 2020, holds the idea that it is vital to tell stories where we represent our ‘best selves’ in the belief that we have the ability to become better versions of ourselves and envision a kinder world.
