As part of the initiatives of its Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has announced the opening of nominations for the 2^nd edition of ICESCO “Bayan” Award for Creative Expression in Arabic for 2021. The Award will be granted to three winners from each age category: youth (USD 2,000) teens (USD 1,500), and children (USD 1,000).

The Bayan Award aims at promoting creativity and production in Arabic among non-Arabic speakers, highlighting the universality of Arabic, complementing both the educational and cultural dimensions, and encouraging the development of language skills through creative writing and oral expression.

The contest consists of an oral expression that the candidate records in a creatively and artfully produced short video based on a text written in Standard Arabic (verse, prose, article, or short story). Nominations must address either of the following themes: Post-COVID learning, prevention is better than cure, cultural diversity, or technology and the future.

Nomination criteria:

• The candidate must be a student from a non-Arab country, whose first language is not Arabic;
• The work must be submitted through the student’s educational institution;
• The educational institution must nominate only one work;
• The video must not exceed three (3) minutes in length for children, four (4) minutes for teens, and five (5) minutes for youth;
• The video must be artfully and creatively produced;
• The video must not have been published or nominated for another contest;
• The application file must include the video, the written text, and the duly filled-in nomination form. The form can be downloaded via the link below: http://www.icesco.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/12/ICESCO-Award-BAYAN-second-edition.pdf

Nominations must be sent before July 30^th, 2021 to the following email: bayanaward2@icesco.org

The Award Jury will examine the nomination files that have met the criteria and select winners, who will be announced on ICESCO’s website and through official letters to the competent parties. In addition to the prize money, winners will receive appreciation certificates.