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International visual arts competition

« Graines d’artistes du monde entier »

Launched internationally in 1993, our drawing competition has continued to expand and develop around the world. This « wide-open window » on the planet collects each year, based on a common theme, the artistic expressions of young people under 25. It promotes artistic practice among children and young people around the world with the aim of bringing them together around a shared international action, fostering dialogue, respect, and commitment.

The proposed themes are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are part of the Pact for the Future , adopted by UNESCO to build a more united, equitable and sustainable world. Through art, participants are encouraged to express their vision of the world, their commitment to peace, cultural diversity, social justice and environmental preservation.

The competition also highlights the richness of traditional artistic techniques , which it considers a living heritage to be passed on. By promoting manual work and plastic expression rooted in each person’s culture, it affirms that the creative gesture, which connects the hand to thought , is essential to self-construction and understanding of the world.

The IMAJ – Centre for UNESCO’s mission is to inscribe childhood and youth in the memory of humanity. This is why it is committed to preserving all participating artistic creations within its “Memories of the Future®” art library , a true living archive of the thoughts of younger generations around the world.

The International Plastic Arts Competition was created in 1993 by Michel GIROST , Founding President of the Louis François Center for UNESCO (1995) and the World Institute of Youth Art IMAJ (2019).

Six artists symbolically accompany each age category of the Competition as Ambassadors: Philippe Tykoczinski (3-5 years), Guy Péqueux (6-9 years), Béatrice Tabah (10-13 years), Alain Richard (14-17 years), Monique Turin (18-25 years) and Pascale Rouillot (medical-social).

We pay tribute to three volunteer friends who have passed away: Bernadette Bautz, Mireille Lemée, and Bruno Fageot, by naming them Honorary Ambassadors of the Competition. They all contributed to the history and development of our association, and we pay tribute to them.

Our contest promotes artistic practice among children and young people around the world, aiming to bring them together around a common international action.

100 laureates will be rewarded with a medal and a diploma of honor.
The first prize in each category will be designated the Gold Laurel, the second the Silver Laurel and the third the Bronze Laurel.
The nominees will receive a diploma of honor.
All participants will be registered in the Artistic Fund of our Art Library « Mémoires du Futur®« .

International visual arts competition 33rd edition

Theme 2026:

“The Beauty of Life: Fauna and Flora. Terrestrial, Aerial, Underground, Aquatic and Underwater Life.”

Free and open to everyone from 3 to 25 years old

DATES TO REMEMBER

Deadline for submission: January 16, 2026
Deadline for receipt: February 16, 2026, subject to sending by January 31, 2026 at the latest
Jury: March 4-14, 2026.
Results: April 15, 2026 on our Facebook page
Exhibition: from June 2 to 6, 2026, at the Espace Argence in Troyes.

REGISTRATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL ART COMPETITION

Registration to the International Visual Arts Competition must be made online via a form. Any other method of registration will not be taken into account by IMAJ *.

Please read all the rules carefully. We have updated the conditions of entry. Any entry that does not comply with all the rules will be automatically eliminated.
Fill in the registration form (one form per participant and per artistic creation sent)
Download the label you receive by email once you have completed the form. Check the pre-filled information, date and sign the label.
Print it and glue it to the back of your creation with GLUE.
Add an explanatory text to your design (recommended but not mandatory).
Send us your correctly identified creation by post (envelope) to :

Michel Girost
IMAJ-Centre pour l’UNESCO
1 rue Linard Gonthier
B.P. 279 10008
Troyes Cedex
France

* If you are unable to complete the form or have any questions about taking part in our Competition, please contact us.

2025 CONTEST IS CLOSED

No registration is possible.

Days left to send your entry:

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REGULATIONS

ARTICLE 1: ORGANIZATION AND DATES OF THE COMPETITION

The World Institute of Youth Art (IMAJ) organizes the international plastic arts competition from August 1, 2025 to January 16, 2026.

ARTICLE 2: THEME AND PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

Theme “The Beauty of Life: Fauna and Flora. Terrestrial, Aerial, Underground, Aquatic and Underwater Life”.

This competition promotes artistic practice among children and young people around the world with the aim of bringing them together around a common international action.

IMAJ has made it its mission to inscribe childhood and youth in the memory of humanity, so it undertakes to keep all the artistic creations participating in its art library « Memories of the future® ». Whether awarded or not, they remain the property of IMAJ and will not be returned, in order to keep a testimony of childhood and youth.

The competition highlights the richness of traditional artistic techniques (painting, drawing, ink, colored pencils, pastels, felt-tip pens, ballpoint pens, engraving, collage, etc.), considered as a true living heritage to be passed on. By highlighting manual work and plastic expression rooted in each person’s culture, it affirms that the creative gesture, a direct link between the hand and the mind, is essential to personal construction and understanding of the world.

The proposed themes are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are part of the Pact for the Future.

ARTICLE 3: CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

This competition is open to children and young people from 3 to 25 years old from all over the world divided into 6 categories: 03-05 years old, 06-09 years old, 10-13 years old, 14-17 years old, 18-25 years old and medico-social category (all ages up to 25).
Only one (1) entry per person (same last name, first name and address) is accepted.
Registration is only possible via the online registration form. If you are unable to complete the form, please contact us. We will send you a label to fill in on your computer. Only correctly completed and legible (roman letters only) registration forms and labels will be considered. Registration forms and labels that do not meet these criteria will be disqualified. Any other form of participation will not be accepted and will be considered null and void by IMAJ.

The participant may attach an explanatory text on his creation and/or on the artistic approach. Not mandatory.
Only creations on a flat surface are accepted (no 3D) and on flexible supports (no master key, no frame, no wood). Maximum size 105 x 75 cm.
Only creations that respect the theme of the year will be evaluated.
Digital, photographic, or artificial intelligence-generated creations exceeding the maximum format of 105 × 75 cm, creations fixed on any support (frame, colored paper, etc.) or unidentified creations will be excluded from the competition.
The creations must be sent to IMAJ in Troyes at the expense and under the responsibility of the competitors.
For all shipments from countries outside the European Union, send your design by LETTER-COURRIER if possible. Include a proforma invoice indicating that it is a gift or the sending of documents with no commercial value. Any shipment by PARCEL will be held by customs, please check with your post office before sending your creation.
Sending address :
Michel Girost
IMAJ – Centre pour l’UNESCO
1, rue Linard Gonthier
B.P. 279 10008 Troyes Cedex
France
- Participants who do not meet these criteria will be automatically eliminated.
- Deadline for submission: January 16, 2026.
- Deadline for receipt: February 16, 2026, subject to sending by January 16, 2026.
- The participant or their legal representative will not be able to recover their artistic creation; it will not be sent to them.
ARTICLE 4: JURY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The jury will deliberate between March 4 and 14, 2026 to select a maximum of 200 nominees and 100 winners based on adherence to the theme and artistic and technical merit.

ARTICLE 5: PRICE

The first 3 prizes in each category will receive a medal (gold plated, silver plated and solid bronze) and a nominative diploma. The other winners will receive a bronze medal and a nominative diploma.

The nominees will receive a nominative honorary diploma only. The prize won cannot under any circumstances be exchanged for cash or another prize.

ARTICLE 6: EXHIBITION OF CREATIONS

The winners and some of the nominees will be exhibited during the international event » Seeds of artists from around the world® » (GAME) at the Espace Argence of Troyes from June 2 to 6, 2026. Later, the artistic creations will be presented in the form of a traveling exhibition in France and abroad.

ARTICLE 7: ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

The winners will be informed by email and the results will be announced on the IMAJ Facebook page from April 15, 2026.

ARTICLE 8: AWARDS

The winners will collect their prize during the prize-giving ceremony on Saturday June 6, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at Espace Argence in Troyes. In the event that the winner cannot be present, the prize will be sent by post in the months following the ceremony. . IMAJ can in no way be held responsible for the follow-up and the future of the package, it cannot be held responsible in the event of loss, theft or damage to the package (medal/diploma); it will not be able to replace or compensate for the loss/theft/degradation. Each medal and diploma is made in a single and unique copy.

ARTICLE 9: RIGHT OF ARTISTIC PROPERTY

The participant or his legal representative, exclusively assigns to IMAJ, in accordance with article L. 131-3 of the intellectual property code, all the economic rights to the artistic creation, free of charge and exclusively and for the worldwide, for the legal duration of the copyrights and certifies having read and accepted the transfer of rights contract.

ARTICLE 10: EXCLUSIONS

Each participant agrees not to send counterfeits or plagiarism. Artistic creations must be « original » and not be the subject of any copy. These rules are final and will not be the subject of any recourse, appeal or proceedings whatsoever, neither by the schools, nor by the authors.

ARTICLE 11: MEMBERSHIP

Each establishment participating in our competition becomes a « corresponding member » of IMAJ for the year without having to fulfill any specific regulatory obligations.