Photo competition

RISE Africa Annual Photography Showcase

The RISE Africa Annual Photography Showcase encourages imaginative and novel thinking to collectively envision the futures of African cities. It aims to promote citizen photography and grassroots storytelling, as well as curated photo-journalism, as a way to excite and encourage citizens and decision makers about their homes. The resulting photographs will be used to elicit ideas from city officials, urbanists, decision-makers, private sector and civil society who will explore and engage with the exhibition through a number of workshops. These annual photography showcases intend to produce realistic, novel and positive demonstrations of Africa which are curated from within.

In order to achieve this, ICLEI Africa will be running an annual multimedia and photography competition to which anyone who is passionate about the future of African cities is encouraged to contribute. Each year there will be a new theme to explore key thematic areas of RISE Africa. See thematic areas here.

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Theme for 2021: My Afro-Future City is…

Reflect on what your city or community could be in 2025, 2040, 2063 or 2100.

There are many futures that our cities could manifest.

The 2021 theme of “My Afro-Future City is…” asks you to reflect about what your city or community could be in 2025, 2040, 2063 or 2100.

These could be sweeping skyline visions, or hidden urban happenings.

What could make your cities more inclusive, joyful, healthy, efficient, happy, safe and enjoyable?

What futures or actions must we avoid?

Let your creativity loose and share your visions of your city or of any African city.

What we would like to see

Show us how your future city works.

Entries can be abstract or literal. Think social documentary, fashion, still life, portraits, any form your stories take, the creative licence is yours! As long as the image is still (no video, please) and shows us your future African city imaginary and vision. We are looking for provocative images with strong aesthetic value, meaningful content and alignment with the theme.

For inspiration check out @FutureAfricanCities. The subjects of your photography should truthfully and positively represent people and the cities.

Criteria for selection

Aesthetic Value

Provocative or Innovative Imagery

In Line with Theme

Submission

Please submit your competition entries here by 12 May 2021

15 entries will be shortlisted by the RISE Africa curatorial team, and voted upon by participants of the RISE Africa 2021 Action Festival: 24-28 May 2021.

Requirements

– Multimedia submissions are welcome! However, these should still be image based, without video or audio.
– Submissions must be accompanied by a description/story.
– Multiple files can be submitted per entry, but these must all be related to the entry title and description. Otherwise submit a separate entry.
– Submissions cannot be larger than 10MB.
– You may enter as many times as you like.

Prize

Winner receives $500

Two finalists receive $200

Eligibility

We encourage anyone to submit images, but the subjects must be of, or in, African cities.

Remember, please share portraits with permission – Images must not be degrading to the dignity of the subject.

Use rights

Each participant retains all copyrights to their photographs and recognition is provided with any use of the photographic submissions.

By posting a photo for this competition:
-Participants confirm that the submission is their own work and that they have the permissions necessary to share it with ICLEI Africa;
-Participants grant ICLEI Africa the right to showcase the photograph(s) on RISE Africa platforms as well as use them for promotional purposes.

Disclaimer

ICLEI Africa reserves the right to define the particular criteria for choosing the most compelling submission and not to select a winner.

For any inquiries about the photography showcase, please contact: jehan.bhikoo@iclei.org & riseafrica@iclei.org

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View 2020 exhibition page