Photo: Courtesy of monkeybusiness 

Saint Lucia Peace & Love Poster, Essay, and Spoken Word Poetry Contest 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a worldwide slowdown. With school and job closures; sports, performances, and social gatherings shut-downs; and social distancing measures in place, we as a society of busy individuals, for better or worse, have been forced into situations of solitude. While it is easy to focus on the "for worse" side of things, it is also essential to take advantage of the stillness to reflect on the "for better." 

The UK-based nonprofit organization Friends of Saint Lucia International has created an opportunity to do just this. With the introduction of its inaugural Peace & Love Poster, Essay, and Spoken Word Poetry Contest, Saint Lucian youth ages 12-14 are encouraged to contemplate their life experiences, culture, and traditions as they relate to the theme "Increasing Our Cultural Confidence During COVID-19." 

According to Friends of Saint Lucia International, "The contest was conceived as a means of finding a meaningful way to engage our young people in a time when mental health issues are on the increase, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And at the same time, rewarding their creativity through the expression of peace and love within the theme" (friendsofstlucia.org).  

All work must capture the theme, be original, non-published, and have not received awards in previous contests.  

Posters are judged on originality, artistic merit, and expression of the theme. All posters must be submitted digitally, one image only. Artwork needs to be two dimensional and may use various art mediums; including charcoal, crayon, pencil and painting, drawing, cartoon, and photo collage. 

Essays must be submitted in English and have a 700 word count plus or minus 10 percent. Essays must be typed in black ink, double-spaced, and set in Times New Roman or related family font type. 

Spoken word poetry is a piece of creative writing that is best delivered through performance. It can be a story, poetry, or a combination. The entry must be recorded as a video and be between 120-180 seconds long. Participants must pick one category: English or Creole.  

Prizes:  

1st place EC$1000.00 

2nd place EC$500.00 

3rd place EC$250.00 

Three Commendations EC$100.00 each 

The deadline for all submissions is Friday, October 22, 2021. 

Sources: 

friendsofstlucia.org 

thecaribbeannewsnow.com