Competition: (Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement

In 2024, Latvia proudly celebrates the 20th anniversary of its accession to the European Union, a pivotal decision that shaped the country's development and sustainability. Joining the EU opened up vast opportunities for Latvian youth, both at home and in other member states. To highlight the significance of the 2004 enlargement for Latvia's future, the Latvian Institute of International Affairs invites students from Latvian universities to participate in a creative works competition:"(Re)uniting East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU Enlargement". We encourage you to share your personal reflections, emotions, and memories about Latvia's accession to the EU.

The most outstanding works will be awarded.

Who can apply?

• Students of higher education institutions of Latvia, both individually or in groups (max 3 people). The competition work language is Latvian.

What kind of works can be submitted?

• Visual arts: digital paintings, illustrations, graphic design.
• Multimedia: videos, animations.
• Photography: photo essays or digitally edited photography.
• Literature: poetry, short stories, essays.
• Music and sound art: original compositions, soundscapes.

Requirements:

• Visual arts and photography: JPEG, PNG or TIFF (no larger than 10 MB per file).
• Video and animation: MP4, MOV or AVI (maximum length 5 minutes, maximum file size 500 MB).
• Literature: PDF file.
• Music and sound art: MP3 or WAV (maximum length 5 minutes).

Criteria: Submitted works will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Creativity;
• Relevance to the theme;
• Technical quality;
• Compliance with the criteria.

All selected works will be published in an exhibition of creative works as part of an event organized by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs to commemorate the 2004 EU enlargement, taking place on December 5, 2024 (more information will follow).

Submit your work using the following link: https://forms.gle/2Cc4Vfh4uXx3Ydaz7

Submission deadline: All works must be received by November 25, 2024, at 23:59.

Prizes:

• First place: 250 EUR
• Second place: 200 EUR
• Third place: 150 EUR

The competition "(Re)uniting East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU Enlargement" is part of the LIIA project "Re)uniting East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU Enlargement", which is supported by the "European Union – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme for European Memory".

For more information about the project, please click here.

The project "(Re)uniting East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU Enlargement" (REWEU) is dedicated to commemorating the 2004 "Big Bang" EU enlargement. Through a combination of local, national, and international public events, collecting historical memories and stories, research on the impact of the 2004 enlargement, the costs of non-enlargement, and the role of women in this process, as well as exhibitions and media articles, the project contributes to broader efforts for a contemporary EU memory policy. Grant Nr. 101143762 "REWEU". For more information about the program, please, click here.

The competition is co-funded by the European Union.