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SISI

An IGAD Visual Showcase
A curated gallery of photography, illustrations, and digital art on climate change in the IGAD region

Submit your work here

Welcome to the SISI – An IGAD Visual Showcase

Background

The IGAD Media Awards have become the region’s flagship platform for celebrating excellence in journalism and storytelling. Building on this success, IGAD is introducing SISI – An IGAD Visual Showcase as a side event to the 2025 IGAD Media Awards.

SISI will provide a platform for photographers, illustrators, and digital artists from across the region to present powerful visual stories on climate change, one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Objective

The showcase aims to:

  • Highlight the impact of climate change on people, communities, and landscapes in the IGAD region.
  • Provide a regional platform for visual storytellers to showcase their work.
  • Celebrate creativity and storytelling as a bridge for dialogue, resilience, and unity.
  • Enrich the IGAD Media Awards with art, culture, and public engagement.

Theme

“Climate Change in the IGAD Region”

Call for Submissions

IGAD invites photographers, visual artists, and digital creators to submit a series of 5–10 works (photos, illustrations, or digital art) that tell a compelling story of climate change in the region. Submissions should be original and must reflect at least one of the following criteria:

  • Originality – creative and fresh perspective.
  • Storytelling – clear narrative through the visual work.
  • Technical Quality – clarity, composition, and presentation.
  • Thematic Relevance – direct connection to climate change.

Special encouragement will be given to:

  • Submissions from female photographers and artists.
  • Collaborative works.
  • Series that include perspectives from two or more IGAD countries.

Submission period: 7 – 30 October 2025
Format: High-resolution digital files (JPEG/PNG/TIFF for photography, PDF/PNG for illustrations and digital art).
Eligibility: Open to professional and emerging artists from IGAD Member States.
How to Submit: [Insert link/email here]

Selection & Recognition

A technical review will be conducted based on the listed criteria. Selected artists will:

  • Be invited on a fully paid trip to Addis Ababa to participate in the IGAD Media Awards 2025 (26–28 November 2025).
  • Have their works printed and displayed in a curated physical exhibition.
  • Receive a certificate of recognition.
  • Gain the opportunity to network with media professionals, policymakers, and partners.
  • Retain full rights to their work.

Expected Outcomes

  • Amplified voices of regional artists on the urgency of climate change.
  • Greater recognition of creative contributions to climate action.
  • Enhanced visibility of the IGAD Media Awards as a hub for media, art, and cultural expression.
  • Stronger regional collaboration among visual storytellers.

Timeline

  • 7 – 30 October 2025 – Submission period.
  • Early November 2025 – Technical review and selection.
  • Mid-November 2025 – Notification of selected artists.
  • 26–28 November 2025 – Exhibition launch at IGAD Media Awards in Addis Ababa.
Submit your work here

For more details

Email: mediaawards@igad.int