EU Youth Art Competition in West Nile: Portraying Stories of Hope from Refugee Youth

Fostering Empowerment Through Art

Launched during the 2023 World Refugee Day celebrations, the art competition, funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa, targeted three refugee settlements in West Nile, northern Uganda, and was jointly implemented by Faces Up Uganda, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth through art.

Drawing the enthusiastic participation of over 680 young individuals aged 8 to 21, the campaign engaged art experts who guided the youth in creating pieces centered around themes such as empowerment and self-reliance, environmental protection, governance and leadership, and access to justice and protection for peaceful and prosperous communities.

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Community Exhibition: Recognizing and Awarding Finalists

Recognising the participation of all the participants living across Rhino Camp, Imvepi and Bidi Bidi refugee settlements in West Nile, the European Union first organized a community exhibition in Yumbe in November, featuring the artwork of the top 46 finalists who took part in the art competition. During the event, all finalists were awarded certificates of participation from the European Union, together with school backpacks and art supplies for their personal use.

Following the West Nile event, the EU organized an impactful youth art exhibition at Alliance Française Kampala on 6 December, bringing the art work to bigger audience in Kampala.

During the event, the EU unveiled the top three winners - Richard Meta, Michael Feti, and Lydia Sarah, who travelled to Kampala for the first time. The awards ceremony celebrated three exceptional young artists, who each received accolades and were awarded a fully funded mentorship opportunity with the renowned visual artist Kwizera at his art studio in Kampala.

Speaking at the Kampala exhibition, EU Ambassador Jan Sadek emphasized the disproportionate impact of the refugee crisis on young people, and expressed the organization's commitment to empowering youth and the belief in the potency of art as a platform for amplifying their voices. He remarked:

"With incredible creativity, this exhibition portrays stories of hope from the youth of West Nile."

Upon receiving her award, winner of the 17-21 year old age category Lydia Sara expressed joy at being a part of the competition and having her work featured. She encouraged other young refugees to embrace their talents and showcase their abilities. She exclaimed:

“This competition empowered me to believe in myself and my talents!”

Joining the European Union in celebrating the artist, a representative of the Government thanked the EU for organising an event that “celebrates the potential of young people”, in a country which is hosting over 1.5 million refugees, the majority of whom are children. She applauded the “important message of hope and resilience as the Government of Uganda prepares to go to the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva”.

In closing the event, Ambassador Sadek announced that the exhibition would be brought to a global audience with the launch of an online virtual exhibition, including a platform to purchase these art works, with all proceeds going back to the young artists.

Explore and support the artists at Faces Up Uganda.