Open Call: Climate, Art & Youth Competition – Our Resilient Future

How can creativity help show what a climate-resilient* future looks like in your community?

Climate change is reshaping our world, bringing more extreme weather like storms, floods, mudflows, drought and wildfires, putting pressure on our environment, and creating new challenges for communities. In the West Balaton region and beyond, we must strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience – not only through science and policy, but through creativity, collaboration, and youth voices.

The DIRECTED Project is partnering with the Helikon Youth Arts Festival (in Keszthely, Hungary), to bridge climate researchers, policymakers, artists, and young people – highlighting bold visions for a climate-resilient future in the West Balaton region and across Europe.

As part of this collaboration, we are inviting young people (age 12-21) across Europe to share their vision for a climate-prepared future.

How can your community become more resilient to climate change in the future? How can your community prepare for the impacts of climate change like flooding, droughts and wildfires? How can we ensure safety and resilience for future generations? 

Use your creativity to tell the story. Submit an artwork, poem, music piece, soundscape, short film, poster or sculpture – get creative! Along with your piece, include a 2000 character reflection explaining your idea and what climate resilience means to you. 

We are looking for work that is original, courageous, hopeful, and driven by strong storytelling, communicated through your artistic skills or creative vision. High production quality is welcome – but powerful ideas matter most.

To read the call in a different language please visit our partners‘ website weADAPT.

The shortlisted work will be showcased to 3,000+ people at the Helikon festival, with the winners announced at the closing ceremony and shared across European climate and disaster resilience networks, with an invitation to present at a strategic climate event. The winners will also receive 250 euros to spend at a local book or arts store. 

This is where science, policy, and youth creativity meet.

*Climate resilience means the ability of a place or community facing extreme weather to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.

What Can You Submit?

You may submit work in any of the following formats (or a combination):

• Artwork (drawing, painting, digital art, collage, sculpture, please note that 3D pieces will need to be submitted as a photo)
• Poem or creative writing (1000 words max)
• Music, audio piece or soundscape
• Short film (10 minutes or under) 

You may re-submit work that you are submitting to other Helikon Festival categories.

Required Written Reflection (up to 2000 characters)

All submissions must include a short description explaining:

• The story your piece tells
• How it relates to climate resilience and adaptation (past and/or future for you or your community)
• Your personal reflection on your creative process 

Submissions are welcome in any language.
Where possible, English subtitles or translations are appreciated. If not provided, automatic captions (e.g. via YouTube) will be used for judging purposes.

What We’re Looking For

• Originality and creativity
• Personal or community connection
• Hopeful, action-oriented thinking
• Clear storytelling
• Courage to imagine change

High-quality production is welcome – but ideas and storytelling matter more than technical perfection.

How to Submit

Please submit your entry through the online form. The form allows you to include a link to your file. This can be a link to view your work online (e.g. Vimeo, YouTube, Pixlr) or a link to a shared drive (e.g. Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive).

If you are unable to share your work via an online link, please still complete the form and indicate that you will be emailing your submission to info@directedproject.eu.

When emailing your submission, please use the subject line ‘Youth Art for Our Resilient Future_[insert your name]’. Please also include the name and email address used in your online form so we can match your entry with your registration.

Accepted File Formats

• PDF – Poem or creative writing (max 1000 words)
• JPG or PNG – for artworks, posters, sculptures
• MP3 – for audio or music
• MP4 – for short films or video works (max 10 minutes)

Selection Process

1. Expert Shortlisting
   The DIRECTED consortium and stakeholders will select a shortlist.
2. Public Vote
   Finalists will be voted on:
   • Online
   • In-person during the Helikon Festival

What Can You Win?

• The Helikon 2026 special climate art category winners will be announced at the Helikon Youth Arts Festival closing ceremony (audience of approx. 3,000 people).
• Shortlisted works will be showcased during the festival.
• Dissemination across European climate and research networks.
• Invitation to present your work remotely at a strategic European conference with scientists, policymakers, and practitioners.
• 250 euro to spend with your local art or book store. 

Timeline

• Call Opens: 9 March 2026
• Submission Deadline: 7 April 2026
• Public Voting: During the Festival (14th-17th days)
• Winner Announced: 17 April 2026

Rules

Competition Rules

• Original work: Submissions must be original work created by the entrant. You may also submit work that is being entered in other Helikon Festival categories.
• Respectful content: All submissions must be respectful and non-offensive.
• Eligibility: Participants must be 12–21 years old at the time of submission and from an EU Horizon country.
• Parental consent: Participants under 18 require parent or guardian consent.

Copyright and Permissions

By entering this competition, I confirm that I am either the participant (if 18 or over) or the parent/legal guardian of the minor participant. I grant the partners of the DIRECTED project a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, and display the submitted work for educational, informational, and promotional purposes (including websites, social media, printed materials, and exhibitions).
No financial compensation will be provided for such use.

Entrants confirm that their submission is original and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.

Use of Submissions

Organisers reserve the right to share, display, and disseminate shortlisted submissions as part of project communications, exhibitions, and related activities.

Data Protection

We value your privacy. When you provide your name, age, country and email address, we use this data solely to contact you in connection with the Helikon youth and art festival.

• You consent to the use and storage of your data in connection to the art competition in the climate category.
• We only store your data for as long as necessary to fulfil this purpose. Only DIRECTED Project partners and Helikon Festival organisers will have access to your data.
• You have the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of your data at any time.

To exercise your rights or withdraw consent, please contact us at info@directedproject.eu.

Use of AI

The use of generative AI tools is permitted to enhance efficiency and creativity. However, we believe in radical transparency. Any content, image, or analysis created with substantial assistance from AI must be clearly disclosed as ‘AI-assisted’ or ‘Generated by AI’ to ensure our audience can trust the authenticity of our work