Call for entries: Songs reflecting on conflict

The free contest is open to young people aged between 9 and 18 from around the world.

This year’s edition will run under the theme, The Unheard Voices of Conflict: Stories from Around the World. Applicants can create a song, poem, artwork or speech, which reflects on conflict or gives a voice to those who may not have one.

The entry should include a recording (video or audio) of the song and written lyrics. The jury will not consider the quality of the production.

Entrants should use the five Ws to explore the theme, which include: 

• Who? – This could be a conflict that has affected participants or their families, or they could bring to light someone else’s story. 
• What? – Conflict comes in many forms. What conflict affects the participants? 
• When? – Participants can look at historical or current conflicts.
• Where? – This could be within participants’ local community or around the world.
• Why? – New voices and perspectives essential to understanding the real impact of conflict.

The entries could include: 

• A personal family story relating to the conflict.
• The feelings of a service child whose parent has been deployed.
• The perspective of people from a defeated army.
• Refugees fleeing from their homes, the perspective of indigenous or minority groups.
• Young people caught up in conflict.
• What animals would say if they could speak? 

Eligibility

Entrants who submit songs should consider the following:

• Songs must be no longer than 4 minutes in length.
• Songs should consist of the contestant’s work and must not infringe on any copyrights or any other rights of third parties.
• Songs will be judged based on melody, composition, originality and lyrics (where applicable). 
• All writers will retain the rights to their original material with the exception of a submission that will grant a licence in perpetuity to NSI to exploit the song (if the music makes any money, the owner will be paid accordingly).
• Songs may be written in any language.
• Songs should be either typed or clearly handwritten.

View more guidelines here.

Prizes

• First prize song winners – Special virtual songwriting workshop with actress and singer Bethzienna Williams.
• First prize poetry winners – Special virtual poetry workshop with the Nik Perring.
• First prize art winners – Bespoke art pack from Pegasus Art.
• First prize speech winners – Bespoke writing pack.

First, second and third prize winners will receive a special NSI winners notebook from Nametags4U. The Volksbund has offered four spots for their summer camp for first place winners in each competition section. Summer camps will be held in Munich in August (for UK and EU residents).

Interested individuals can apply here.

The submission deadline is 19 March.

About NSI

The NSI was launched as a First World War commemoration project for children and young people. Inspired by the conflict, more than 11 000 young people from 47 different countries, territories and dependencies created poetry, artwork and songs. From 2019, the competition expanded its focus to include conflict in all forms and throughout history, up to and including the present day. This includes conflicts at the community level such as knife crime and gang violence.