The Competition

Please refer to the guidelines below for instruction on your submissions.

Submission deadline: April 16, 2023

Submissions are now closed.

For the 7th International Trans.History Youth Competition we invite students (ages 13-18) from Moldova,  Ukraine, Poland and Germany to send us their innovative and creative projects in one of two categories:

– Video work (max. 7 minutes)

– Graphic Story (6-15 pages)

The works should explore one of the following areas:

– Visual interpretation of a poem by a Jewish author 

– A story speaks to me: Based on a Jewish biography from the Centropa database (centropa.org)

Criteria

• You must produce the work yourself
• Depict a person in your work, who you find interesting and important. Write up to 50 words on why you chose this motive and briefly explain what the story behind the work is.
• Be sure to choose high resolution photos, at least 1084 x 824 px in your works
• You are free to write in your native language but please include an english translation /  subtitles (if you feel uncomfortable, consider asking your english teacher for help)
• Your submission should include your own original illustrations and text. 
• Your submission should be between 6 and 15 pages (if applicable, including translation)
• It should include a cover page listing the project’s title, the author(s) of the graphic story and the name of your school (and your teacher). Moreover, your submission should also have an introductory text that tells us what kind of story you are going to tell.

Here are some examples of successful projects from previous Centropa youth competitions, based on biographies of Jewish women interviewed by Centropa:

The Story of Anna Mass: My father‘s apprentice (based on the life story of Anna Mass)
„How can one survive“ (based on the life story of Vera Wechsler)
„What being real Jewish is about“ (based on the life story of Deborah Averbukh)
„Live to live“ (based on the life story of Tilda Galpert)

How to submit your graphic novel:

• Please upload your graphic story through the submission form on Centropa’s Trans.History webpage here.
• Remember to add the names of all authors and persons involved in creating the project
• Choose a suitable title for your project

Tips: 

• Consider giving your text to an English teacher for a grammar/language check before submitting it. You can also fact check your text with a history teacher.
• Be sensitive with regards to the topics you are creating content about. Make sure you use courteous, inoffensive language and show the appropriate respect for the topic and content of your project. If you are unsure about your entry submissions, don’t be afraid to ask an adult, teacher or member of staff at Centropa.

Suggestions on where to find material for your graphic novel:

• Jewish biographies and photos can be found in the Centropa database. You can search by name or by country and find a wide range of photos.
• For more on Jewish history, customs and holidays, you can take a look at the JewishVirtualLibrary.org or MyJewishLearning.com
• National and city libraries, archives and Jewish museums have lots of photos of Jewish history and places. A Google search of your “town name” + “Jewish” could give you a great start.
• We encourage you to explore your local Jewish history and heritage and take your own photos and videos!
• If you need help or have any questions, reach out to us at Centropa:
  • Ion Ungureanu (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for Moldova
  • Ewa Arendarczyk (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for Poland
  • Ninja Stehr (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for Germany and Ukraine

Be mindful: 

• Do not copy someone else’s work.
• Do not use sources or state facts which are dubious and unreliable. If you are not sure about the source’s credibility, send us an email
• Please make sure you are not using photos that are copyright protected. This can lead to lawsuits. If you are not sure if you can use the pictures, send us an email
• Do not show graphic pictures of violence or death
• No reenactments
• Do not treat people’s stories disrespectfully

The winners will be announced at the end of April and will receive a voucher and be invited to present their project at the international awards ceremony for Ukrainian, Polish, Moldovan and German participants in May 2023.  The award ceremony for the competition winners will take place online via zoom.

The deadline for entries is April 16th, 2023. The best three entries will later be published on our websites.

Prizes:

Gift vouchers for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and honorable mentions

1. Prize 500€

2. Prize 250€

3. Prize 150€

Please share this call with interested parties! And feel free to join our Trans.History YouthCompetition Facebook group.