Each year, the Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) encourages youth from around the globe to express the mission of Sister Cities International through original artwork, literature, film, and photography. Showcasing their imagination, creativity, and passion for world peace, students interpret a designated annual theme into works of art and literature.

This year’s theme, “We’re Going Places,” showcases the importance of travel and exchange in achieving peace. Students are encouraged to draw inspiration from their experience with sister cities, travel, exchange, international friendships, and their goals to present their vision of where the future will lead.

This program is a great opportunity to reach out to the community and engage local English and art teachers, and reach a student audience that may not already be included in sister city programming. This opportunity is available to any sister city program and can help expand local youth programming. In partnership with Cinequest, students are encouraged to create a short film as their submission piece. Voted “Best Film Festival” by USA Today Readers, Cinequest fuses creativity with technological innovation to empower youth and emerging artists. In addition, students are now invited to share original photography on Instagram as their submission piece.

Who is Eligible:

• Authors and Artists: students who are between 13 and 18 years old at the time of the deadline, and who are affiliated with a dues-paying member of Sister Cities International or a non-U.S. community that is sister cities with a member of Sister Cities International.
• Filmmakers and Photographers: students who are between 13 and 22 years old at the time of the deadline.

How the Showcase works:

• Submissions are sent from sister city member communities to Washington, DC  where a panel of judges selects Grand Prize Winners and Finalists based on originality, composition, and theme interpretation.
• All winners and finalists will be announced in June, 2017.
• Each Grand Prize Winner is awarded $1,000.
• After the finalists for art, literature, film, and photography have been announced, their works embark on a yearlong tour hosted by local sister city programs on a monthly basis.

For more information on this years showcase and how to participate this year click here.

To see winners and submissions from 2016 click here.

Winners from 2016:

“Unity” by Nathan Smoka, Colombia Heights, MN

“Together As One” Samuel Antwi, Kumasi, Ghana.

Isabella Cantu, @4bella12, San Bernardino, CA