The ECO Cultural Institute (ECI)—the specialized agency of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on culture—is proud to announce extension of final date for its flagship program of the ECO Youth Award, a new initiative that aims to discover and celebrate young talent in each of ten ECO member states on a particular artistic area each year. The current award is aimed at recognizing the best Young Painter in Water Color or Oil painting in each member country. Hence, the young artists aged between 18 and 30 years of age, whose expertise is in Painting are welcome to submit their entries, under the terms and conditions given below, within the extended final submission date of 15^th November 2024.

Number of Awards:

A maximum of ten, i.e. one winner will be selected from each of the ten ECO member states (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) whose entries will be judged as the best graphic design from amongst the entries from his/her respective country. Each Award includes a Citation and US$ 1,000 as prize money.

Theme of inaugural ECO Youth Award:

The theme for the first edition of the ECO Youth Award is “Painting depicting the culture of ECO region (or that of any ECO Member State)”. The entry to the competition is only by online application and no direct or postal entries shall be entertained. The link for submission of entries is www.ecieco.org/ecoyouthaward to be filled by entrant directly or by the country’s diplomatic mission in Tehran.

A maximum of three entries may be submitted per entrant. The entrant must fill in all the fields of the Online Entry Form and upload his/her name, full contact details, full CV and a clear picture/image/photo of his/her artwork (water or oil painting) on the e-portal on ECI website by the due date.

Originality of Entries and relevance to ECO region’s culture:

Water Color painting and oil painting are important and influential forms of art that can enhance the aesthetic, functional, and cultural aspects of the ECO region and its people. The youth of ECO States are encouraged to submit paintings done by them that:

• are original, creative, and effectively communicate a message; and
• contribute to the culture and heritage of the ECO region, reflecting its diverse and rich traditions.

Eligibility:

1. The entrant must be citizen of any of the ten ECO member countries and must be an ordinarily resident within the ECO region. The youth (other than those with refugee status) must not have remained outside the ECO region for more than two years at the time of submission of the entry.
2. The entrant (open to both males and females) must be aged between 18 years and 30 years.

Ineligibility:

1. Entries must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, intellectual property rights of any person or entity. Any plagiarized entry or unfair means may debar the applicant from ECO Awards.

1. Entries that have won previous awards at ECO level, including the ECO Youth Award, may not be submitted.
2. Applicants who are family members of diplomats or staff of the ECO Secretariat, ECO Specialized agencies or of diplomatic missions of member states accredited to the ECO are ineligible.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting the entries is 15^th November 2024. Late/incomplete entries will not be accepted.