The STARTS Prize Africa 2025

Opportunity type: Prize

For: different creatives

Deadline: 05/03/2025

Rewards:  Up to €15,000 + Exposure

Location Eligibility: Worldwide

About this opportunity

The STARTS yearly competition is back to award two innovative projects at the nexus of science, technology, and the arts that have what it takes to make a significant impact on economic and social innovation.

The STARTS Prize Africa will highlight and award regional best practices in the field through the launch of the African edition of the well-known STARTS Prize. The STARTS Prize has been a major contributor to building the foundations of a community interlinking artists, companies, scientists, researchers, and businesses. This movement will now be enhanced with the first edition of the STARTS Prize Africa. 

The STARTS Prize Africa welcomes initiatives that strive towards a positive social, humanitarian, economic, or political impact and promote a diverse and sustainable society. Embracing the powerful intersection of arts and technology, it supports endeavors that address the pressing issues of the continent and facilitate digital transformation within the creative sector. 

The STARTS Prize Africa recognizes projects that use creativity to drive positive change and highlights examples of collaborations between individuals, collectives, and organizations from diverse sectors. We are especially interested in projects that focus on societal challenges and promote sustainable practices on the continent. 

Rewards

A Grand Prize of €15,000, as well as five Awards of Distinction of €3,000 each, will recognise pioneering works that contribute to the positive development and digital transformation of the cultural sector in Africa.

Award Ceremony and Symposium: The winner of the STARTS Prize Africa Grand Prize commits to accept the award in person at the Award Ceremony and to present the work at the STARTS Prize Forum. Both will take place during the Ars Electronica Festival on September 4 – 8, 2024 in Linz, Austria. Groups and institutions are requested to nominate a representative to fulfill this commitment. 

Exhibition: If the submitted work is selected and honoured by the Jury, the artist is committed upon invitation to present the submitted work at the Ars Electronica Festival 2054, as well as at the consortium members’ events. 

Eligibility

• Open to citizens and residents of all African countries and legal entities registered on the continent.
• Artist groups can apply if at least one member is an African citizen or resident.
• Eligible applicants: individuals, creative groups, startups, NGOs, research institutions, companies, and consortia.
• Projects must be completed or far enough along for the jury to assess their quality and feasibility.
• Projects should be no older than two years or show significant development within the last two years.
• Concepts, ideas, and proposals for collaboration will not be considered.
• Entities subject to EU sanctions are not eligible.

Entry Fee

Free

How to Apply

Apply using the link: https://bit.ly/3tXb7lp

All questions regarding this award should be sent to lisa.shchegolkova@ars.electronica.art