In an effort to highlight the beauty and inspiration that is intrinsic to the space sector, the Space Generation Congress (SGC) 2022 Paris and the SGAC Diversity and Gender Equality Project Group (also known as Our Giant Leap) are collaborating with the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) on an artwork competition. 

We are therefore inviting artists to submit their original artwork under this year’s Space Generation Congress motto: “Diversity, Access and Inclusion” before August 7th 2022.

All contributions will be displayed in the online SGAC Art Gallery, to be released in September 2022. A total of 10 contributions will be selected by a jury to be featured in the next edition of the Our Giant Leap Magazine to be released in October 2022. In addition, 1 winner will be announced on social media and will get a chance to receive a free in-person ticket to attend the Space Generation Congress Paris from September 14th to September 16th 2022. Some of the contributions will also be selected to be featured during an onsite art exhibition during the Space Generation Congress.

About the Space Generation Congress (SGC) 2022 Paris

The Space Generation Congress (SGC) is SGAC’s annual meeting supporting the United Nations (UN) Programme on Space Applications. Top university students and young professionals with a passion for space will travel from all around the globe to attend three days of the 20th SGC. 

Up to 150 delegates will enjoy an inspiring and resourceful engagement with their peers at the congress, held in Paris, on September 14-16 2022, prior to the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Delegates will gain exposure to perspectives on space issues from the world’s leading space organizations, including: the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS). In demonstrating the symbiotic relationship, leaders from these space organizations gained fresh, innovative and bold perspectives from the incoming space generation.

The theme of the 20th Space Generation Congress (SGC) is diversity, access, and inclusion. One of the core principles of SGAC is “embracing diversity”, therefore, diversity, access and inclusion are at the heart of this year’s flagship event. With this year’s IAC theme being “Space for All”, the Space Generation Congress would like to take this opportunity to tackle the themes of inclusion, access and diversity in as many ways as possible.

About the Diversity and Gender Equality (Our Giant Leap) Project Group

The highly ambitious and, at times, futuristic space sector is not a steady cruise for all; for many, it is a bumpy ride. Across the world, women and minorities in the space sector often learn to overlook the stigma of discrimination and accept it as the burden of a traditionally white male-dominated workspace. But, as we look into the future of space, we see the need for change.

From this necessity, Our Giant Leap was born within the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) in 2019. As the topic is global, it requires a truly international and long-term initiative.  This has been realized through the creation of the Diversity and Gender Equality (Our Giant Leap) Project Group in 2021. This Project Group works on the topics of diversity, inclusion and equality within the aerospace sector. 

Over the last 2 years, a total of 3 calls for artwork have been previously organized or co-organized by the Diversity and Gender Equality Project Group in collaboration with SGAC events organizing teams:

  • SG[France]2020: Our Giant Leap under the topic “Women in the Aerospace Sector”: all artworks have been displayed during an in-person artwork exhibition during SG[France]2020 on September 26th 2020 and featured in the first edition of the Our Giant Leap Magazine released at the occasion of the International Women’s Rights Day on March 8th 2021. 
  • SpaceGen United (SGU) 2020 x Our Giant Leap under the theme “Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality“: the 3 winners of this competition have been offered 1 free ticket each to the SGU online congress and have presented their contribution during a dedicated session of the event.
  • SG[Egypt]2021 x Our Giant Leap under the following themes: “Lunar Exploration”, “Diversity in the Space Sector” and/or “Space Medicine” (SG[Egypt]2021 Working Group topics). All participants in the call for artwork have seen their work displayed at the artwork exhibition of SG[Egypt] and all contributions linked to “Diversity in the Space Sector” will be featured in the second edition of the Our Giant Leap Magazine. In addition, 3 winners of the call have been announced on social media and on the SGAC website and got a chance to participate in SG[Egypt] 2021.

About CNES

Founded in 1961, the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) is the government agency responsible for shaping and implementing
France’s space policy. CNES is a pivotal player in Europe’s space programme, and a major source of initiatives and proposals that aim to maintain France and Europe’s competitive edge. It conceives and executes space programmes with its partners in the scientific community and
industry, and is closely involved in many international cooperation programmes — the key to any far-reaching space policy.

The agency’s 2,400-strong workforce constitutes an exceptional pool of talent, with some 1,800 engineers and executives. Women represent 38% of its workforce; 33% of the executive committee and 50% of board of directors & science committees.

Through its ability to innovate and its forward-looking vision, CNES is helping to foster new technologies that will benefit society as a whole.

CNES will sponsor 1 free ticket to the Space Generation Congress, as well as the onsite art exhibition during the event.

About the SGAC Art Gallery

Onboard our spaceship, Earth, we are all spacefarers. The surrounding cosmos has captured the imaginations of generations from time immemorial, inspiring technological, philosophical, and artistic innovations alike. The SGAC Art Gallery provides a platform to showcase a small fraction of that imaginative ingenuity from the youthful space leaders of today. Featuring art of all forms from artists around the globe, this gallery offers a window into how our members perceive space in their own cultures. We hope that by sharing this diversity, the beauty and wonder of space can reach more eyes and inspire more minds.

Guidelines

Eligibility criteria

  • The competition is open to all students and young professionals from any country.
  • All participants should be registered SGAC members. 
  • All participants shall be of the age between 18 to 35 inclusive (up to the day of your 36th birthday) on September 16th.
  • The competition is open to individuals and to team submission. Just note that team submissions will not be eligible for the SGC ticket.
  • Competition organizers and judges are not eligible for the competition.

Application

To apply, please submit your artwork using the online form below before August 7th 2022 23:59 GMT.

Submit your artwork

Rules

The submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • The artwork should include a reference to “Diversity, Access and Inclusion” (this year’s Space Generation Congress theme).
  • The artwork should include a reference to space.
  • All submissions shall be original creations.
  • There is no limit to the number of artistic contributions per person. The participant shall just make sure that every contribution is different.
  • All submissions shall be made using the online form provided above by August 7th 2022, 23:59GMT. Any submissions after the deadline will not be considered. The Selection Committee reserves the right to extend the competition deadline.

Each submission should include the following:

  • Name and contact of the artist
  • Title and short description of the artwork
  • Artwork as a (printable) high quality file (.png or .pdf for example)

Prize

All contributions will be displayed in the online SGAC gallery, to be released in September 2022.

A total of 10 contributions will be selected by a jury to be featured in the next edition of the Our Giant Leap Magazine to be released in October 2022. 

In addition, 1 winner will be announced on social media and will get a chance to receive a free in-person ticket to attend the Space Generation Congress Paris from September 14th to September 16th 2022.

Some of the contributions (around between 10 and 20) will also be selected to be featured during an onsite art exhibition during the Space Generation Congress.

Jury

The competition will be evaluated by 3 SGC Organizing team members and 3 Diversity and Gender Equality Project Group members.

Timeline

  • 7 August 2022: Call for applications closes
  • 12 August 2022: Winners are announced

Other information

Copyright and Intellectual Property

  • By submitting your work, you agree to grant the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License. This confirms that you hold the copyrights to your work, with SGAC being allowed to display your work on its website, social media, and other web, digital, and print related platforms, on which you will be attributed.
  • By submitting your work, you confirm that you have read and understood the SGAC Code of Conduct, and that your work is in line with the spirit of all SGAC Governance Policies.
  • By submitting your work, you guarantee the originality of your work, confirm that you hold all the copyrights to this work, and confirm that your work does not breach any copyrights held by any other parties. You additionally agree to indemnify SGAC in the case of any copyright claims against your submitted piece of work by any other parties.

You agree that SGAC reserves the exclusive right to determine the works which are displayed on its platforms. SGAC shall also be the sole determiner of the amount of time a work shall be displayed.

Contact

Any questions about this call for artwork? Feel free to contact [email protected] 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can! In case you are selected to win the free SGC ticket, we will reimburse you.

Yes, you can but you will not be considered to win the free ticket to SGC. Your participation will only be taken into account to be featured in the next edition of the Our Giant Leap Magazine, on the SGAC online gallery and might be selected to be displayed during the SGC onsite art exhibition.