• June 1: Entries open
• June 30: Entries close
• July 1-15: Judging
• July 16-31: Shortlist announced
• August 13: Exhibition opening and awards ceremony (tentative date)
• August 13-29: “Drawing Self-Emancipation” Exhibition (tentative dates)

Young people between the ages 16 to 25, who are residents of Barbados.

1. Submitted artworks must be original static 2-dimensional pieces no larger than A1 (59 x 84cm).
2. Artworks can be made in any artistic style, using traditional and/or digital media.
3. Artworks may be created as an individual or as a group collaboration between two or more persons, who meet the eligibility criteria.
4. Artworks must draw from one or more “runaway ads” found in colonial newspapers printed in Barbados. Please see below “Sample advertisements” on how to access such ads.
5. For individual entries, there is a limit of one (1) work per participant. Participants can also be part of one (1) group work.
6. Artwork must be submitted with a completed registration form.
7. This competition is meant to foster creativity and imagination. Art created using AI image generators of any kind will not be accepted. Whether entirely made by AI, or partly made by AI image generators – this work is not eligible to enter.

• Drawing self-Emancipation is administered by the Barbadian based non-profit organization The HeritEdge Connection Inc.
• The HeritEdge Connection Inc. is the sole owner of the information collected from the entry forms and any other information submitted. HeritEdge will not sell, share, or rent this information to any third party, except as above.
• Participants will retain intellectual property rights of their respective entry. All participants authorise HeritEdge to publish their works totally or partly, in all publications (catalogues, posters, slide shows, brochures, adverts etc.) related to this art prize, as well as on the Heritedge website and social media. All artists and artworks will be credited. All care will be taken to protect the copyrights of the artist.
• The competition is a non-collecting competition. Submitted works will not be collected by The HeritEdge Connection.
• All participants in the exhibition will be required to agree to the terms of the gallery hosting the exhibition. 

• Submissions open June 1 and close June 30, 2026 at 4 pm.
• Artworks are to be submitted at the National Library Service in Bridgetown on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• All artworks must be accompanied by the registration form.
• A representative of the HeritEdge Connection will be on-site to receive and record the entry. A receipt for the artwork will be provided on submission.

What happens next?
Following submission, one round of judging will occur by an independent panel of 4 judges. All entrants will then be informed if they have been shortlisted or not via email. Entrants who have been shortlisted will be invited to exhibit their artworks in a group exhibition at the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown. Winners will be announced and will receive their prizes during the opening of the exhibition. Exhibition dates will be announced shortly.

What are the judging criteria?
The jury panel, comprising of experts in the fields of heritage, history, art, and education, will use standardized scoring criteria to assess the skill, creativity, and unique qualities of each submission. Judges will also evaluate the interpretation of the selected “runaway ad(s)” and the competition’s theme.

What are the prize details?
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be awarded prizes. The winners and those shortlisted will also be invited to participate in the “Drawing Self-Emancipation” exhibition. The exhibition is meant to provide exposure and recognition of their skils and the invaluable experience of showcasing their work within a gallery setting.

To facilitate the work of the young artists, HeritEdge has prepared a booklet with a selection of representative advertisements from the colonial newspaper The Barbados Mercury and Bridgetown Gazette. You can browse the booklet as a google document or as a .pdf that you can also download and print. If you want to find other advertisements beyond the ones included within, the booklet also contains information regarding how to access the full run of the digitized newspapers.

Please, read the introductory note at the beginning of the document that discusses the problematic and offensive language found in the newspapers of that era.

• Competition description, eligibility, and requirements document (.pdf)
• Registration form (.pdf)
• Competition flyer (.pdf)
• Competition flyer (.jpeg)
• Booklet with sample advertisements (.pdf)