FAQ YOUTH SOCIAL ART AWARD
The Youth Social Art Award is an independent and not-for-profit initiative by the Institute for Art and Innovation e.V., based in Berlin, Germany and The Global Youth Call, a worldwide creative initiative organized by the Alliance For Youth-Led Futures to inspire peace, planetary health, and intergenerational solidarity.
Inviting young creators (ages 15-30) to express their vision of peace through original creative works. Selected submissions will be featured in the “100 Voices for the Future” collection and showcased at the Sound of Peace Festival in Rome on May 24, 2026.
Do you want your work to be recognized as Social Art? If so, this award gives you the chance, to gain acknowledgment. We invite you to become part of a movement, as we need more people to create impact and inspire societal change.
Plus, selected artists will receive many opportunities:
Mentorship and partner connections, participation in Creative Labs, show their art at Sound of Peace Festival (May 24, 2026), inclusion in “100 Voices for the Future” publication, potential exhibition opportunities at additional venues…
When the Open Call is on, you can apply by sharing an artwork related to social art. Please use the button “apply here” in our partner’s aplication page to submit your artworks or documentation shots of projects.
September 21, 2025.
January 7, 2026.
Any young creator aged 15-30 can participate, regardless of nationality, gender, training, or prior experience. We encourage submissions from diverse backgrounds, especially from conflict-affected regions, indigenous communities, and emerging artists.
No.
You can submit original works in six categories: Visual Artwork, Music, Short Films, Poetry / Spoken Word / Text, Performance / Theatre, Open Format (experimental/transdisciplinary work)
One media file (depending on artform):
Visual artwork → 1 image (JPG/PNG, max 5 MB)
Music → 1 audio file or link (max 5 min)
Short film → 1 video file or link (max 5 min)
Poetry/spoken word → text (max 500 words) or audio (max 5 min)
Performance/theater → video excerpt (max 5 min)
Open format → 1 mixed-media file or link (max 5 min / 5 MB)
Yes! Both individual and collaborative submissions are welcome. Please clearly identify all contributors in your submission.
Yes.
English or attach English translation to your work please.
Opportunities to have your work displayed on social media, receive mentorships, have your art travel the world, and ultimately to be onstage at Rome for Sound of Peace Festival on May 24, 2026 with other international artists.
– Public voting (Jan 23-31, 2026) selects wildcard entries
– Specialized juries for each artform select Top 100 (Feb 1-10, 2026)
– Cross-artform jury selects final works for Peace Festival (April 2026)
Evaluation considers relevance to peace themes, originality and creativity, emotional impact, technical quality, and advocacy potential.
January 2026. The global audience votes for standout entries in each category. Community favorites advance as wildcard entries to the jury review round, ensuring grassroots voices are heard and celebrated.
Find the terms and conditions here.
Yes, here you can find the online galleries of the Top 50/Top100 artists from
Social Art Award 2025
Social Art Award 2021
Social Art Award 2019
Social Art Award 2017
The Institute for Art and Innovation e.V., and The Global Youth Call, a worldwide initiative organized by the Alliance For Youth-Led Futures.
The Institute for Art and Innovation e.V. (IFAI) is a multidisciplinary institute that explores and promotes art and innovation as a means to foster social impact and inspire positive change. For this purpose, the institute established the Social Art Award in 2017. The accompanying book of each edition supports the spread and recognition of Social Art, the artists, and their work. Furthermore, the institute undertakes research, training, production, and exchange. IFAI is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in Berlin, Germany.
Sustainability
We are mission-driven and act in the public interest serving people and planet to thrive.
Integrity
We value people with different backgrounds. We perform on evidence and our principles.
Collaboration
We collaborate in synergy with a global network to succeed in building meaningful and liveable futures.
Honesty
Honest conversations is key and necessary when confronted with uncomfortable truths.
Fairness
We listen actively and deeply and will comment open-mindedly.