Background and Introduction

The ASEAN Foundation and ASEAN-German Energy Programme (AGEP) are pleased to announce the ASEAN Photo Competition focused on the theme of “#ASEANYouth Shaping the Vision of Sustainable Energy as the New Normal.” AGEP is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gessellschaft für Internationale Zusammernabeit (GIZ) GmbH in close cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE).

In accordance with Phase 1 of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025, ASEAN sets an aspirational target of securing 23% of its primary energy from renewable sources by 2025 as energy demand in the region is expected to increase by 50%[1]. The increase of awareness and public support to the development of renewable energy sector in ASEAN is central in mitigating the challenges that the region face.

As part of ASEAN’s continuous initiative to drive an integrated, competitive, and resilient region through the utilization of renewable energy, we are calling all young and talented photographers aged 18 – 30 years old from 10 ASEAN Member States to submit a photo story on the theme of “#ASEANYouth Shaping the Vision of Sustainable Energy as the New Normal.” The photo competition, which is one of competition series under ASEAN Youth Energy Awards (AYEA 2021), aims to contribute to the awareness of the benefits of sustainable energy (solar, wind, hydro, tidal, and biofuel) paving the way for ASEAN’s cleaner and greener future.

Based on the photo story submissions, the 10 youth from 10 ASEAN Member States will be selected to participate in a virtual visual storytelling workshop in June 2021. The final photography projects from 10 finalists will be submitted to a Technical Evaluation Committee and a total prize of 2,000 USD will be awarded to the Top 3 Winners and the People’s Choice Award Winner, announced at the 39th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting 2021

Who can apply?

1. Creative and talented youth that holds an ASEAN Member State passport (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and resides in the country of citizenship.
2. Amateur photographers and interested youth are encouraged to apply. Note: Professional photographers who are full-time employees or contributors of established media outlets and/or have their own photography firms are not eligible to participate.
3. The applicants must be aged 18 to 30 years old at the time of the deadline of submission on 23 May 2021.
4. Selected finalists must be able to communicate fluently in both spoken and written English to be able to participate in the virtual workshop.
5. Selected finalists must have active Facebook and Gmail accounts for ease of communication with the trainer and other participants.

Deadline for applications

23 May 2021 at 23:59 pm (GMT+7)

Entry and Selection Rules

• Each visual narrative entry must clearly and creatively address the theme “#ASEANYouth Shaping the Vision of Sustainable Energy as the New Normal” in 1 - 15 photos, including its short narrative. The content of the image must not be changed or manipulated by rearranging, adding, or deleting individuals and/or items from within the picture. Color modifications or transformations to grayscale that do not change the content are allowed. The narrative should be in English, or if created in local language it should be complemented with English translation.
• The applicant should upload their photo story related to the above-mentioned theme on their respective social media channels and tag @aseanfoundation @aseanenergy with hashtags #SustainableEnergyastheNewNormal #SwitchtoSustainableEnergy.
• Complete the application form at bit.ly/ASEANPCSEform and upload all attachments as requested. Please submit the photo story that shows the benefits of sustainable energy in your community and/or the contribution of people around you to the sustainable energy (SE).

Evaluation criteria

The technical evaluation committee will evaluate the photo submission. The selection criteria are outlined below:

1. Adherence to the theme: The photo story clearly and creatively represents the theme of “#ASEANYouth Shaping the Vision of Sustainable Energy as the New Normal” through positive youth perspectives;
2. Originality and creativity: The content is unique and not derived from other ideas and addresses the theme in an original and compelling way;
3. Visual techniques: The visual content is attractive to viewers through composition and technique; and
4. Potential viewer impact: The photo story conveys personal or aspirational thoughts that are inspiring to viewers.

Following the evaluation process, ten participants will be selected to participate in a virtual visual storytelling workshop in June 2021.

What to expect during the workshop?

1. During the workshop, each of the finalists will deepen their visual narratives with an editorial skill to better develop their own personal visual language. The photo projects by the 10 finalists will raise awareness and address the above-mentioned theme related to ASEAN and their home country. The participants will get to practice to pitch their projects to the trainer, and judges.
2. After the pitching, the trainer and judges will evaluate and provide constructive feedback to the photo project pitches from the finalists.

What happens after the workshop?

Upon one-month completion of the workshop, each finalist will be supervised by the trainer to finalise and submit their photo stories in English and local language. The final photo projects will be evaluated and published on the ASEAN Foundation’s Facebook Page and the ASEAN Photo Competition on SE’s Facebook Group.  Following the evaluation, the top three and the People’s Choice Award winners will be announced at the 39th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting 2021

Copyright

• Participants agree to grant ASEAN Foundation, GIZ, and ACE the right to reproduce, disseminate, display, and construct derivative works of the entry in any media at any time by submitting an entry to the photo competition.
• Participants acknowledge and guarantee that the submitted photo project is an original work created solely by the entrant and that it does not infringe on copyrights; trademarks; and the rights of privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights of any individual or entity by entering the competition.

Information on GIZ’s Photo and Video consent

1. Participants’ personal information will only be used for the German Development Cooperation’s (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) internal and external auditing purposes. The data will be stored for 10 years on GIZ’s internal servers. Any other use of the data will always be subject to further consent. The data will not be used for advertising purposes and not be shared with third parties.
2. Participants consent to video footage and photos of themselves being taken and used in GIZ’s PR work (brochures, presentations, website) in connection with the event. The recordings and pictures will not be used commercially. The participants consent to GIZ storing and using their personal data in accordance with the above statement. This consent will remain valid even if their data is not used.
3. The participants consent to the list of participants, containing names, organisational affiliation, position and email address.

Timeline/Process

Prizes 

A total prize of 2,000 USD will be awarded to the Top 3 Winners and the People’s Choice Award Winner, announced at the 39th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting 2021.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding the ASEAN Photo Competition on Sustainable Energy, please contact [email protected].