Enter the Bonavero Institute Artwork Competition!

This year’s competition theme is ‘Hope & Courage’.

Deadline Extended! Entries should be submitted by Friday 5th May at 12 noon (UK time).

Oxford University staff and students, are invited to submit a piece of art in a competition to choose the cover of the next Annual Highlights.  The artwork will also be put on permanent display at the Institute, based in Mansfield College. 

This year has seen people and communities across the world coming together courageously to assert their rights, for example, in Iran, in China, in Peru, and in Sri Lanka. Alongside brave individuals and communities, journalists and human rights lawyers are often to be found telling the stories and seeking to provide legal protection. This year’s cover will celebrate the hope and courage that underpins the struggle for human rights everywhere.  

Last year’s competition was won by Centre for Socio-legal Studies’ research student, Aastha Prasad, who produced two powerful pieces on the theme of ‘Household and Migration’. 

The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights Annual Highlights showcases the important work carried out by the Bonavero Institute and is shared digitally with partners of the Bonavero, human rights practitioners, lawyers and activists globally.  The cover is shared on social media and the artist acknowledged in all iterations. 

Competition details 

• Entries should be works on paper (using oil, watercolour, pastel, mixed media) and should be provided in high resolution (300dpi RGB) A4 landscape format digital file.  

• Entrants can submit a maximum of three pieces, accompanied by a short explanatory paragraph (no more than 100 words).  

• Joint submissions will also be accepted, but please note that any joint entry should represent no more than three contributors.  

• Entries should be sent to bonaveroihr@law.ox.ac.uk and should reach us by Friday 5th May 2023, at 12 noon (UK time).  

• The competition Jury will include the Director and Administrator of the Bonavero, an external faculty member on the M.Sc. in International Human Rights Law, as well as the designer of the Annual Highlights and at least one independent expert.  

• The Jury will select the best entries for display in the Bonavero over the summer as well as selecting the winning entry.  

• Entrants must be willing for their artwork to be used by the Bonavero in its Annual Highlights (if their entry wins) and displayed permanently at the Bonavero Institute (if selected by the Jury) but their role in creating the artwork will be acknowledged wherever used. 

• The competition is open to current Oxford University staff members and students, including students of the M.St./M.Sc. in International Human Rights Law.