CALL FOR ENTRIES_POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION

The cities of Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen invite designers to enter a poster competition to promote and raise awareness of the significance of designation as a UNESCO City of Design.

COMPETITION BACKGROUND
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was launched in October 2004. It connects cities that seek to promote their local creative scenes, believe in UNESCO’s mission of promoting cultural diversity, and want to share experiences, ideas and best practices for cultural, social and economic development.

So far, seven cities have been appointed members of the UCCN as UNESCO Cities of Design: Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

The idea for this competition originated with the Montréal-based agency Sid Lee, which organized an in-house poster competition in 2006 to celebrate Montréal’s appointment as a UNESCO City of Design. Sid Lee then followed up by proposing a similar contest to Create Berlin, with the goal of bringing the results of the two competitions to both cities. The success of the Montréal and Berlin initiatives prompted all of the UNESCO Cities of Design to run the same competition simultaneously and showcase the winning pieces in joint exhibitions in each city.
Organized in the framework of UNESCO Creative Cities Network, this competition will be the first joint project carried out by the seven UNESCO Cities of Design.

The competition brief is largely based on the document produced by Create Berlin, as is its title, “CODE,” coined by Raban Ruddigkeit of Berlinbased agency ruddigkeit corporate ideas.
CODE stands for City Of DEsign, and for each individual UNESCO DEsign City’s own unique code.

ORGANIZERS
Participating cities in this call for entries are Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Since Berlin has already held its own competition in 2009 and the winning posters have been selected, the city is not participating in this call for entries, but will showcase the winning entries at the Berlin venue for the joint exhibitions.

On the basis of the common competition brief and rules, each participating city is responsible for disseminating the call for entries to its target audience, designating a jury of five experts to select ten winning posters (finalists) including a Grand Prize winner, providing the grant award of $2,000 US to the Grand Prize winner, promoting and showcasing the seven cities, including Berlin, and showing the 70 winning posters in a prominent public venue for a period of at least two weeks.

THEME
The works of designers and creative or cultural workers shape the identity of our cities.

The purpose of this competition is to produce images that illustrate what has made, makes or will make Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen unique.

Every metropolis has its own visual identity, an individual CODE. The focus of this competition is: What CODE defines each city? What is your image of Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai or Shenzhen?

Through this poster competition, together with thousands of creative minds internationally, we want to depict symbols, forms, colours and stories in the urban landscapes that make Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen UNESCO Cities of Design.

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS
The competition is open to graphic designers, illustrators and photographers — professionals and students — based (i.e., living or working) in one of the seven UNESCO Cities of Design: Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Since Berlin has already held its own competition in 2009, and has selected winning posters, Berlin is not participating in this call for entries, which means that no one from Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai or Shenzhen can submit a poster proposal to Berlin.
However, Berlin designers are invited to submit their poster proposals to Buenos Aires, Montréal, Kobe, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
In each participating city, a jury of five judges (local design experts plus one international expert from another UNESCO Design City) will select their 10 favourite posters among the submitted works. Each jury will also choose one Grand Prize winner per city among those finalist entries.

The total of 70 selected entries (including the seven Grand Prize winners) from all cities will be included in an exhibition displayed for at least two weeks in each UNESCO Design City, creating widespread international visibility (see: Calendar of Venues).

The 70 winning posters and designers will also be showcased from September 2010 until the end of 2011 on each participating city’s website (see:Organizers).

In addition to the previously mentioned visibility, each of the seven Grand Prize winners will receive:
● a cash award of $2,000 US
● a UNESCO medal

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
June 28, 2010

● The competition is FREE - no charge to registeror enter.
● Designers in any of the seven UNESCO Cities of Design are invited to enter.
● In all cases, online registration is mandatory and must be completed no later than 5 pm local time via the registration page located on each participating city’s website (see: Organizers).
● Each registration will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail from the city’s contest organizer, containing a 16-digit registration number.
● To ensure anonymity for judging, the registration number should be used as the name of the electronic file containing the design entry to be uploaded (e.g., Mtl0805061253849.pdf).
● There is no limit to the number of entries per person in any of the participating cities, but each entry must correspond to a separate registration form and number.

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS:
July 5, 2010

● Questions must be received by each city’s contest organizer no later than 5 pm local time.
● Questions as well as answers will be progressively posted on the participating city’s website.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
July 29, 2010

● In each participating city, entries must be received electronically by the contest organizer, no later than 12:00 noon local time.
● Submissions received after this deadline will not be considered.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
● Poster dimensions:
A1 format (594 x 841 mm / 23.4 x 33.1 in.).
● File format:
High-quality JPEG (8 or higher).
● Resolution:
72 dpi – 1684 x 2384 pixels.
● File size should not exceed 5 MB.
● This low-resolution image will be used for evaluation purposes only. Selected entries must be resubmitted as high-resolution files to be printed as A1 format posters for the exhibition or related publications, and further use in press orpublic communications.
● Submissions must be anonymous. No designer’s name or other identification must be visible on the design.
● T he registration number must be used to name the electronic files of each design entry (e.g., Mtl0805061253849.pdf).
● Files must be uploaded to an FTP site (instructions available upon completed registration).
[or] Files must be sent to the contest organizer e-mail address (see: Organizers).

The winning posters will be used by the seven participating cities in exhibits, promotions, and printed materials.

While the submission is in the format of a poster, the design concept should be adaptable to a variety of media: t-shirts, bags, buttons, a website, screensavers… anything. Each city will work with their winning designers to adapt the design to different uses, as opportunities emerge.

JUDGING PROCESS AND CRITERIA
● Judging is scheduled to take place in all participating cities before August 29, 2010.
● The list of jurors will be confirmed and provided by each city’s contest organizer to registrants, when finalized.
● Submissions received that meet the requirements of the competition will be reviewed anonymously by the jury.
● The winning entries in all participating cities will be announced before September 3, 2010.

The selection in each participating city will be conducted by an independent jury based on the extent to which:

● The design meets the competition requirements.
● The design demonstrates originality and creativity in describing, representing, or suggesting the competition theme.
● The design demonstrates “good design” through its concept and the actual design, layout, and expressiveness.
● The design is adaptable in whole or part to other media applications and formats: t-shirts, bags, buttons, screensavers, etc.

COPYRIGHT & WAIVER
Entries must be original. The design may use any form of photography, illustration, collage, or typography, provided no copyrights are violated. By submission of the entry, the designer(s) agree(s) to save harmless the competition organizers, jury and sponsors, in the event that a third party claims copyright infringement or violation for the design submitted.

The intellectual property rights (copyright and moral rights) of the poster design submissions will remain with the designer(s). Entrants agree that by making submissions, they are sanctioning the free use for display of their poster designs in exhibits, publications and on websites.

If any of the designs submitted are to be applied to t-shirts, buttons, bags for sale or screensavers, the competition organizers and/or any of their representatives agree to work as a client with the designers in question on a professional basis, and to draw up an appropriate copyright agreement, and to ensure that any net profits from the sale of these items go to the designers in question.

CALENDAR OF VENUES
The exhibition of 70 winning posters will be presented in the seven UNESCO Cities of Design from September 2010 until the end of 2011.

Shanghai | from September 15 - 22, 2010 | 6th Shanghai International Creative Industry Week, SVA Creative Industry Park |
from Sept 23 - end of October, 2010 | touring exhibitions in 20 Creative Industry Parks, including 10 Expo tourist sites

Nagoya Design Week | from October 9, 2010 | Design Gallery (IdcN) and around the town

Kobe Design Festival | from October 15, 2010 | KIITO (Design Creative Center Kobe)

Buenos Aires International Design Festival | from October 22, 2010 | Metropolitan Design Center

Berlin | from November 4 - 29, 2010 | CREATE BERLIN Showroom

Shenzhen | From December 6 - 20, 2010 | The Oct Art & Design Gallery

Montréal | from June 6, 2011 | Centre de design UQAM

SUBMISSION DEADLINE – July 29, 2010

Name
Occupation:
Address:
City:
Province/State:
ZIP/Postal Code:
Country:
Telephone:
E-mail：

To ensure anonymity for judging purposes, a registration number will be sent to you by e-mail.

I intend to submit my work to the Shenzhen CODE poster competition.

I will submit my poster design by 12:00 noon local time on July 29, 2010.

I hereby declare that I hold all international publication rights to the submitted work and all design elements used (photographs, fonts, etc.).

Shenzhen City of Design Promoting Office and Shenzhen Creative Culture Center is permitted to exhibit and publish my design - this includes use in relevant publications and PR materials only in the explicit context of the CODE project in all seven UNESCO Cities of Design (Berlin, Buenos Aires, Kobe, Montréal, Nagoya, Shanghai and Shenzhen). Any such use will be made with my name clearly stated.

Non-gratuitous usage by Shenzhen City of Design Promoting Office and Shenzhen Creative Culture Center or third parties is strictly prohibited.

All submitted works will be regarded as protected by copyright even if individual cases are not in full compliance with all requirements.

The publication of works in the context of the CODE poster competition may have a bearing on the term of copyright and period preclusive of prejudice to novelty.

I agree to pay any costs incurred for the collection.

Liability for damages to my work after submission on the part of Shenzhen City of Design Promoting Office and Shenzhen Creative Culture Center, its employees and representatives is limited to intent and gross negligence.