Cartoon Movement and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands invite cartoonists, illustrators and artists from the Western Balkans (Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia) to send in their work for a regional cartoon competition and exhibition with the theme Media freedom.

Media freedom is a vital component of a functioning democracy. Reliable reporting and investigative journalism inform citizens about what is going on in society and inside government, forming the basis of a healthy public debate. Cartoonists, who use their pencils to hold power accountable and to expose injustice, power abuse and corruption, cannot do their work without this freedom.

We are looking for cartoons that visualize the importance of media freedom and the value of independent journalism.

Rules of Participation

1. This competition is open to all cartoonists, illustrators and artists from Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia. Cartoonists can submit work that is unpublished, or work that has been published before.

2. The cartoons should reflect the theme media freedom and the value of press freedom for the public debate.

3. Cartoons that contain hate speech or discrimination will not be accepted.

4. Cartoons can be in black and white or in color, and can be created using any technique.

5. Cartoons must be sent in via email to cartoons@cartoonmovement.com.

6. Cartoon size must not exceed A3 at 300dpi, in PNG or JPG format.

7. Each cartoonist can send in a maximum of three works.

8. Participants must include the following in their submission:

Full name & address

Email & telephone number

Short bio (max. 250 words)

9. The deadline of the competition is Friday March 1 2024, 23:59 GMT.

Prizes

1. A professional jury will convene in March 2024 to select cartoons for the exhibition and to determine the winners.

2. The first prize winner will receive €1000 and a certificate.

3. The second prize winner will receive €500 and a certificate.

4. Cartoonists selected for the exhibition will receive a certificate.

5. Selected works will be included in exhibitions hosted by Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia in April and May 2024. Selected cartoons will also be published on the website of Cartoon Movement.

6. Winners and artists of selected works will be informed by April 10, 2024.

Copyright

1. The participant must certify and warrant that the submitted cartoon(s) does not violate the rights of a third party or any copyright. The competition organization is not responsible for intellectual property violations that might have resulted through the submissions of cartoons.

2. Copyright of the submitted cartoons will remain with the artist.

3. Cartoonists grant Cartoon Movement and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands a non-commercial and non-exclusive license to use the submitted work(s) in exhibitions and other publications, print and digital.

*For the European Union, all references to Kosovo should be understood in full compliance with Resolution 1244 (1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. For the United Nations, references to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).