The United Nations World Food Programme’s office in Cuba has launched a pair of inclusive creative competitions designed to amplify public conversation around topics that are frequently sidelined in mainstream discourse, according to WFP Cuba representative Etienne Labande, who shared details of the initiatives in an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina. Labande noted that the art-focused projects open a critical space for everyday people to share their unique perspectives on issues that rarely gain widespread public attention.
The first of the two initiatives is an open Creative Photography Competition, structured into three thematically distinct categories: Portraits of Nutrition, Life on Earth, and Stories of Resilience. Eligibility for the photography contest extends to all Cuban residents aged 18 and older, with participants permitted to submit up to three original images per category. All submissions must be received by the deadline of June 29, and shortlisted selected works will be presented to the public in a curated gallery exhibition scheduled for September this year.
A second, separate adult-focused visual arts competition centers on the theme “Nourishing Knowledge: Nutrition, Tradition, and Community”. For this fine art contest, participating artists are allowed to submit up to two small-format original works, with entries due at the Visual Arts Development Center by June 30. Three cash prizes will be awarded to top-scoring entries, and all winning artworks will become part of the permanent WFP Cuba collection before going on public display in the Visual Arts Development Center’s on-site galleries.
To engage younger generations in the conversation, the program also includes the WFP in Action National Children’s Visual Arts Competition, which invites young creators between the ages of 5 and 18 to take part. Young participants can submit up to three original works across a wide range of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, crafts, model making, installation art, and digital art.
The cross-generational creative program is not a WFP-only initiative: it draws collaborative support from a network of leading Cuban cultural and institutional partners, including the Cuban United Nations Association, the University of the Arts of Cuba, the National Council of Visual Arts, the historic San Alejandro Academy, and the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba.