VIEW ALL
Grants & Open Calls
Open Call Rules
Open Call

The 2018 Grant for Visual Storytelling on Climate Change

Visura and United Photo Industries have joined forces to launch an open call to Visual Artists working in photography, film or any visual form of stories related to Global Climate Change. The work can focus on the following themes: 1) evidence; 2) causes; 3) effects; and, 4) solutions. This is an opportunity for one individual or collective working in photography, film or any visual form to receive over $10,000 in cash and in-kind prizes, including a $3000 cash prize, and an invitation to present a Solo Gallery Exhibition to shed a light on this pressing issue facing our planet.
Deadline: April 1, 2018

Terms & Conditions

SPONSOR

Sponsors are FotoVisura Inc, PO BOX 936, Stowe VT 05672, USA ("Sponsor") & UNITED PHOTO INDUSTRIES, 16 Main Street, #B, DUMBO Brooklyn NY 11201. 



THEME

Visura and United Photo Industries have joined forces to launch an open call to Visual Artists working in photography, film or any visual form working on stories related to Global Climate Change & Global Warming. The work can focus on the following themes: evidence; 2) causes; 3) effects; and, 4) solutions. 


This is an opportunity for one individual or collective working in photography, film or any visual form to receive $3000 cash and an invitation to be part of a Solo Exhibition to shed a light on this pressing issue facing our planet.


TERM

The 2018 Grant for Visual Storytelling on Climate Change is a resource provided by Visura.co in partnership with United Photo Industries, where Visura.co and United Photo Industries host a unique merit-based competition exclusively for Visura’s Annual Members with a BASIC, STANDARD, PLUS or PRIME annual membership (the “Contest”). Sponsor and the partner institution, United Photo Industries, will appoint expert judges to select a winner based on the evaluation of the entries against objective judging criteria. 



The contest begins Saturday, February 24, 2018, at 8:00:00 a.m. US Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”) and ends on March 31, 2018, at 11:59:00 p.m. EDT. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules ("Official Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a merit-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.  Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and skill of entrant.



WHO MAY ENTER

The contest is open only to individuals who are Visura Annual Members with a BASIC, STANDARD, PLUS or PRIME  annual membership, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry, and who do NOT reside in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria. Employees of FotoVisura Inc, United Photo Industries, and their subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible. CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.



HOW TO ENTER

Each entry consists of a project entry form, a series of photographs, a project summary, and a first-person narrative related to the work. The entry is free of cost to all Visura members with a BASIC, STANDARD, PLUS or PRIME  annual membership. Non-members are unable to submit. To enter, sign into entrant’s Visura account, visit the Open Calls page, select The Grant for Global Climate Change & Global Warming Reporting, select the Submit My Project button, select the appropriate project and confirm entrant’s submission.  Each submission will include access to entrant’s Visura profile with required information, including entrant’s name, current location, nationality, bio, CV, contact information, email address, and captions for the entry.


Please know that any changes made to an entrant’s entry after submitting will be reflected in entrant’s submission for judges to see; entries may be disqualified if changes are made after the deadline.

Entry Requirements:

One entry per person or collective. Each entry must meet the following requirements:



Each entry will include a minimum of 15 and up to a maximum of 30 photographs and/or a video film.



Photographs must be in digital format. The photographs need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be 20 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1600  pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).



At least 50% of photographs must have been taken within 18 months of entry and may not have been published within the last year.



Photographs must not be manipulated. Digitally enhanced or altered photographs (beyond the basics needed to achieve realistic color balance and sharpness) are unacceptable. Sponsor values authenticity. Deceptive images will be disqualified. Sponsor will ask the winner for the RAW files, if available, to be submitted for review.



Only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is cropping; any other changes to the original photographs are unacceptable and will render the photographs ineligible for a prize.



Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud; provided entrants must be prepared to provide a release form as described below in "Release."  When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's art.



Each photograph, in its entirety, must be original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photographs and project is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photographs do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph.



Each photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of Sponsor, contain objectionable or inappropriate content.



Each series of photographs must be accompanied by individual captions which are complete and accurate, sufficient to convey the circumstances in which each photograph was taken, and include the date taken and place. Disguising or misrepresenting the origin of the content is cause for disqualification.



Watermarks are unacceptable. Unless Sponsor receives non-watermarked versions of the photographs within ten (10) days following its request, the entry will be disqualified.



Sponsor reserves the right to examine the original photographs in order to confirm compliance with these rules.



Each entry must include a personal narrative between 100-400 words, written by the entrant that describes the background and origin of the project.



All entries must be submitted and received by March 31, 2018, at 11:59:00 p.m. EDT. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.



JUDGING

The entries will be judged in accordance with the following Judging Criteria. Judging consists of three (3) rounds of evaluation. In round one, Visura’s Editorial Team (“Judges”) will select between forty to sixty (#40-60) entries from among all eligible entries based on the following criteria ("Judging Criteria"): (1) originality of the concept and creativity of execution (30%); (2) photographic quality (40%); and (3) quality of the text narrative (30%). A previous publication will be a factor in the Judges’ decision and may have a negative effect on the final score (up to 100%) depending on the outlet and format in which the project has already appeared. Entries selected in round one will proceed to round two. In round two, the judges will use the Judging Criteria to select the top five (#5) entries from among the forty to sixty (#40-60) entries selected from round one. In round three, the Judges will use the Judging Criteria to select at least one (#1)  winner(s) from among the top five (#5)  entries selected from round two. In the event of a tie, the tied entries will be re-submitted to the Judges for a re-judging between the tied entries alone. In the event that a tie remains after re-judging, the entry with the highest score in the creativity criteria will be declared the winner. The winner will be chosen on or around May 5, 2018, and notified by email. Decisions of the Judges are final and binding. If the Judges do not come to an agreed winner, VISURA and UNITED PHOTO INDUSTRIES will select a winner.



RELEASES

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.



Upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph or work submitted, authorizing Sponsors, and their licensees (collectively, "Authorized Parties") to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, as provided in the license section herein. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.



Similarly, upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any sculpture, artwork, or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.



Finally, upon Sponsor’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor’s request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.



For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor’s request or notification, (a) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was sent by Sponsor, or (b) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by email, on the day that the email was sent by Sponsor.



PRIZES

At least one winner will be selected.


One Individual or collective will receive: 
  • —$3,000 cash prize sponsored by Rovers North
  • —An invitation for a Solo Exhibition at United Photo Industries Gallery in Dumbo, Brooklyn in June 2018, which will include 4 weeks in the gallery, management, curation support, and a budget which will contribute to the Printing and Framing of the exhibition. Valued at $6,000
  • —An invitation to the Visura Lodge in Stowe, Vermont for a 7-day Residency valued at over $2,000, which includes accommodations during the month of May or June 2018. (Travel, food, and transportation is not included).
  • —An invitation for a Six-month Dual Mentorship with both Visura Founder Adriana Teresa and UPI Cofounder Laura Roumanos (valued at $3000), covering: 

    •     —the design and presentation of the recipients' personal website via Visura
    •     —monthly 60-minute editorial online consultation reviews
    •     —Consultation on future exhibition opportunities, partnership strategy, budgeting, grant writing and production advice with Laura Roumanos

 



The potential winner shall be required to:



  1. Sign and return within ten (10) days following an attempted notification, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release, Warranty of Ownership and License, and Publicity Release in which the entrant warrants that he or she is the owner of all photographs (and all the intellectual property rights in the photographs submitted) and writing in the entry and grants to Authorized Parties the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known,  without additional compensation.



Supply  United Photo Industries with digital photograph files
(Click here for Visura's Terms & Condititions)