This year’s celebrations of Europe Day in Montenegro will put heritage in spotlight through a creative photo contest for university and high school students.

Launched by European Union Delegation to Montenegro and the EU Info Centre, the contest themed Our Culture– European Heritage encourages the youth from all across the country to get involved in the celebrations and show their perspective on Montenegrin cultural heritage.  

The participants are invited to send works inspired by Montenegro’s incredible heritage places, objects, and landscapes. They are encouraged to explore, interpret, and capture the beauty and meanings of their local heritage sites or national cultural landmarks. All photos submitted will not only expand the celebrations of Europe Day celebration on 9th May, but also enrich Montenegro’s contribution to European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

Being part of pan-European celebrations, the contest will present Montenegrin heritage in the wider European context and raise awareness of its values. To participate in the contest, students are invited to publish their photos on Facebook using the #EuropeForCulture hashtag and tagging the profiles of Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and the EU Info Centre. The works also need to be sent to an official euic.me contact email. The rules of the contest can be found here

The submissions will be accepted by 20th April, while the final results will be announced on 30th April. The winning photos will be published on 9th May, when the entire Europe will brace to mark over 60 years of peace and unity.

In Montenegro, this date is widely celebrated, with each year bringing new activities primarily designed for students and pupils. In 2017, the celebrations included a number of contests, concerts, and events that brought thousands of people together. The video below gives a glimpse of last year’s celebrations.

As highlighted by the Delegation of the EU in Montenegro, some of the most popular Europe Day events in 2017 were the Europe – That’s Us contest, which gathered 2000 participants from 48 schools across the country, the Games Without Borders activity that involved 10 schools from Podgorica, as well as central celebratory events in Niksic and Podgorica.

The spirit of sharing and unity that Montenegro showcases every year during Europe Days is truly inspiring. With heritage being one of the central themes of this year’s events, we can expect creative new perspectives on Europe’s history, culture, and identity.