Contest Overview
The ocean makes life on Earth possible.
The ocean regulates global climate, produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe, and holds nearly 97% of Earth’s water. Global ocean systems largely influence life on land, even hundreds of miles from a coastline. Salt, fresh, warm, or cold, all water is connected through the water cycle.
We live on a water planet.
Like our human bodies, 70% of Earth is water, and this water is continuously in motion: it rises from the ocean, creates clouds in the sky, and returns to land as rain or snow. This precipitation soaks into the ground; collects in freshwater streams and lakes; is taken up by trees and plants; and sustains every living being it encounters on its journey—bacteria, fish, insects, birds, mammals, and of course, humans. When you drink water, you are consuming water molecules that have been around the world, cycling through Earth’s ecosystems for billions of years. All life needs water, and where there is water, there is life.
WATER RISING
The 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest theme WATER RISING challenges students to explore and understand their connection to water, and to creatively communicate the need to protect this vital resource and life-sustaining relationship. What are the stories we need to tell about water to sustain and conserve it for current and future generations of life on Earth?
CONTEST DEADLINE: JUNE 14, 2021
How to Enter
Submissions are accepted in:
- Visual Art
- Creative Writing
- Film
- Interactive & Multimedia
- Performing Arts: Music & Dance
- Poetry & Spoken Word
Who May Enter
Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate in the Ocean Awareness Contest. Enter the division based on your age at the time of entry:
- Junior Division: Age 11-14
- Senior Division: Age 15-18
Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size.
All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.).
Start Your Submission
We All Rise Prize
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTIST JASON TALBOT
This year, to better fulfill our mission, Bow Seat is making a greater investment in emerging creators of color by sponsoring the We All Rise Prize, with awards totaling $15,000 specifically for youth in the U.S. who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latina/o/e.
Ten $750 awards in both the Junior Division (ages 11-14) and Senior Division (ages 15-18)—a total of 20 awards—will be offered to students in the U.S. who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latina/o/e in the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest, and whose entries demonstrate notable artistic achievement in their chosen category. Cash awards are not restricted and can be used for tuition, art supplies, or personal expenses.
Voice of the Sea Award
In Partnership with Poet/activist/educator Tayllor Johnson
As the Ocean Awareness Contest has grown over the years, young artists have continued to push the boundaries of our categories in ways that have intrigued and moved us. The new Voice of the Sea Award was inspired by receiving a growing number of spoken word poems—pieces that truly came alive through performance. To celebrate this powerful mode of expression, Bow Seat is recognizing two spoken word poetry submissions with Voice of the Sea Awards at the Gold-level in each age division: one $1,000 award for a Junior submission, and one $1,500 award for a Senior submission. Entries must follow the requirements for submitting in the Poetry & Spoken Word category.
Bay State Award (Massachusetts students only)
All Ocean Awareness Contest participants who reside in Massachusetts will be automatically considered for the Bay State Award, a special recognition to celebrate the creative young artists, thinkers, and activists in our home state! From the Housatonic River to the Quabbin Reservoir to the Atlantic Ocean, water connects us all and plays a wicked important role in the Commonwealth’s economy, culture, and health of our human and non-human residents. Up to 3 winners in each age division will each receive a $250 cash award.
Publishing, Art Exhibitions, and Special Opportunities
As a winner, you may have a special opportunity to showcase your talents worldwide while raising awareness of ocean issues to a broader community. Bow Seat organizes art exhibitions, pop up shows, and social media campaigns; curates anthologies of art and poetry; finds opportunities to publish student writing; and showcases all winning student work in our online gallery. As part of Bow Seat’s student art collection, your creative piece will help to educate and inspire audiences to take action!
Upcoming Events & Exhibits