We are happy to open submissions to the 6th edition of the “I live by the Sea Contest” (https://todaywehave.com/contest.html). The philosophy behind the Contest, which is run by Today We Have, in co-operation with a number of institutions and members of the EU4Ocean coalition is to create a platform which enables the exchange of information among all people passionate about the ocean. The Contest is an official partner of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and so, we strive to create an international society, whose members believe in the need to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with special emphasis on marine issues. We facilitate the exchange of experiences of young people from various parts of the world with the hope that our contest unites international youth who can mutually learn about various aspects of marine environments, from social to natural issues.
In times of global environmental changes, it is obvious that understanding the problem and appreciating the still existing beauty of the ocean play a critical role in increasing peoples’ awareness. The participants of the contest will have the chance to have their art work presented in important events dedicated to the ocean and therefore promote their own perception of the reality and their regions. We think that the opportunity to connect people from various parts of the world through art is a great value in order to share individual experiences. We want the participants to share their vision and creativity with us. We want all of them to feel like we are helping to change the world for the better one, even just a little bit, and thus the participation in this endeavor is an “award” in itself for all of us!
The idea behind this project involves a worldwide Contest for young people up to the age of 21. We expect from participants to use any type of visual arts to present a story of “their sea”. We have two categories, which include photos or films. Therefore, participants, may submit photos or short films along with a short text which describes the story. In the films we accept any form of artistic expression, from a documentary, to feature, or theatre play, pantomime, dance or songs. In the evaluation, we take into consideration not only the photo or a film but also the text, which contextualize the shots, ma give an interesting description of the region, a special feature of the place, an explanation of the depicted problem, etc. All works submitted are reviewed by a panel of International Judges. Due to a variety of options for contestants the panel involves experts from a number of art and science areas.
We always state that we all live by the sea. No matter how far from the sea you live, next to the beach or far away in the mountains, we still have a great impact on it. And it is up to us whether we create a positive relationship with the sea or have adverse impact on it. We believe that educating people about the importance and the beauty of marine environments is the key to creating positive attitudes towards the sea. Therefore, as every year, we very much welcome also submissions which do not directly picture the sea or are made at the beach, but present peoples’ thoughts regarding their relation to the sea in an artistic form from wherever they are. Get inspired by Aleksandra Stoińska, whose picture was one of the winning ones!
One of the winning photos by Aleksandra Stoińska, age 15. 2019.
Photo Title” “You are the difference”.
In her story, Aleksandra stated the following: “ …. It is estimated that about 80% of pollution in the marine environment comes from land sources. Example: about 12.7 million tons of plastic go to waters every year (approximately it is a mass equal to a mass of 91 blue whales). This is responsible for deaths of innumerable organisms, disturbances in the ecosystem, as well as human tragedies.
The truth is that the smallest everyday activities can significantly affect the state of water in the world. No matter where we come from, what we do, how old we are - each of us is responsible for what is happening in waters….”