Submission Guidelines

Submit/Participate > Submission Guidelines

The Festival Committee welcomes submissions addressing the annual theme, Hope, from artists and directors of all ages and nationalities, regardless of their emirate or country of residence.

​

With hope we look forward toward the future. As the United Arab Emirates prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival enters its ninth year with a view for tomorrow. What will our world bring? What challenges await us and how will we face them? Our world is rapidly changing: new technology is transforming our economies, urbanization is reshaping our environments, and the current pandemic and climate threats are calling for us to adjust our way of life.

 

The ninth edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival will celebrate Hope and its promise of possibilities. Through art, we will explore where hope is found, how hope is built, and how hope is shared. We will search for the connection between hope and the future of humanity. How can hope inspire art and how does art inspire hope?

​

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

​

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

​

I've heard it in the chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.”

 

- Emily Dickinson

 

Before completing an online submission form, please read the Conditions of Entry & General Submission Guidelines below, as well as the Category-Specific Guidelines applicable to your work. Collectively, these criteria serve as the rules and conditions governing eligibility and participation in the Festival.

Conditions of Entry & General Submission Guidelines

General Guidelines

  1. All work must be created and executed by the artist. No reproductions are allowed. While artistic judgments and innovations are appreciated, the Festival is a public event and content must be respectful and suitable for audiences of all ages. Submissions that contain or depict violence, profanity, sexual images, or other content that would jeopardize a “general audience” rating in the UAE may be excluded from the competition.
  2. All copyright laws must be observed by artists and directors. The Festival assumes no responsibility for any misuse of copyright. By virtue of submitting an entry, each artist and director certifies that he/she is the sole owner of the rights and elements of his/her work. Aliases are not permitted.
  3. Submitting artists and directors grant the Festival permission to use and reproduce (all or part) of the entered material free of charge without retribution for publication and/or display in media to promote the Festival. This may include cropping of material for use in media releases, advertisements, printed catalogue, tickets, social media, and low-resolution postings on websites. Participants who do not wish their entered material to be used in this manner must contact the Festival Committee in writing at the time of submission and may be excluded from award consideration.
  4. The 2021 Festival has four submission categories: Digital Art, Sculpture, Film, and Student. Please see category-specific guidelines below.
  5. The Digital Art category covers paintings, photographs, graphics, and other two-dimensional mixed media if entries are submitted as a high-resolution photograph and adhere to the specified requirements.
  6. There is no submission fee. Artists and directors of any age may enter work in all categories, but may only complete a submission form once per category. Additional submissions for the same category, even if the entry would fall under a different sub-category, will not be considered. The exception is the Student Category, which is only open to current students in grades K-12. Please note that recent secondary school graduates and current unversity students must submit under the regular categories.
  7. Artwork or films previously submitted to the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival within the last four years will not be accepted.
  8. Digital art, sculpture, and film poster photos uploaded during the submission process should be high-quality, well-composed representations of the work. Poor quality photos may hurt chances of acceptance into the Festival.
  9. Any photo (artist headshot, artwork, sculpture, film poster) uploaded during the submission process must be 2-5MB only. Allowed file types are jpeg, jpg, and png unless otherwise specified. PDF files are strictly not allowed.
  10. Artists and directors will be notified whether their submissions have been accepted to the 2021 Festival via the email they include on the submission form.
  11. All costs associated with the transport of sculptures or mailing of films are born by the artist or director submitting the work.
  12. If work exhibited is for sale, the Festival Committee does not negotiate or mediate sales on behalf of the artist. If there are interested buyers, the artist’s contact information will be shared directly to initiate the process.
  13. First and second place awards will be presented in each of the four categories (total of eight awards).
  14. If it is determined before, during, or after judging that an artist or director has submitted entries that do not comply with these Conditions of Entry & General Submission Guidelines or the relevant Category-Specific Guidelines, the Festival Committee reserves the right and discretion to remove an entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards.



شروط وإرشادات التقديم العامة

General Guidelines

  1. All work must be created and executed by the artist. No reproductions are allowed. While artistic judgments and innovations are appreciated, the Festival is a public event and content must be respectful and suitable for audiences of all ages. Submissions that contain or depict violence, profanity, sexual images, or other content that would jeopardize a “general audience” rating in the UAE may be excluded from the competition.
  2. All copyright laws must be observed by artists and directors. The Festival assumes no responsibility for any misuse of copyright. By virtue of submitting an entry, each artist and director certifies that he/she is the sole owner of the rights and elements of his/her work. Aliases are not permitted.
  3. Submitting artists and directors grant the Festival permission to use and reproduce (all or part) of the entered material free of charge without retribution for publication and/or display in media to promote the Festival. This may include cropping of material for use in media releases, advertisements, printed catalogue, tickets, social media, and low-resolution postings on websites. Participants who do not wish their entered material to be used in this manner must contact the Festival Committee in writing at the time of submission and may be excluded from award consideration.
  4. The 2021 Festival has four submission categories: Digital Art, Sculpture, Film, and Student. Please see category-specific guidelines below.
  5. The Digital Art category covers paintings, photographs, graphics, and other two-dimensional mixed media if entries are submitted as a high-resolution photograph and adhere to the specified requirements.
  6. There is no submission fee. Artists and directors of any age may enter work in all categories, but may only complete a submission form once per category. Additional submissions for the same category, even if the entry would fall under a different sub-category, will not be considered. The exception is the Student Category, which is only open to current students in grades K-12. Please note that recent secondary school graduates and current unversity students must submit under the regular categories.
  7. Artwork or films previously submitted to the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival within the last four years will not be accepted.
  8. Digital art, sculpture, and film poster photos uploaded during the submission process should be high-quality, well-composed representations of the work. Poor quality photos may hurt chances of acceptance into the Festival.
  9. Any photo (artist headshot, artwork, sculpture, film poster) uploaded during the submission process must be 2-5MB only. Allowed file types are jpeg, jpg, and png unless otherwise specified. PDF files are strictly not allowed.
  10. Artists and directors will be notified whether their submissions have been accepted to the 2021 Festival via the email they include on the submission form.
  11. All costs associated with the transport of sculptures or mailing of films are born by the artist or director submitting the work.
  12. If work exhibited is for sale, the Festival Committee does not negotiate or mediate sales on behalf of the artist. If there are interested buyers, the artist’s contact information will be shared directly to initiate the process.
  13. First and second place awards will be presented in each of the four categories (total of eight awards).
  14. If it is determined before, during, or after judging that an artist or director has submitted entries that do not comply with these Conditions of Entry & General Submission Guidelines or the relevant Category-Specific Guidelines, the Festival Committee reserves the right and discretion to remove an entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards.



Category-Specific Guidelines

Digital Art

  1. This category includes paintings, photographs, graphics, and other two-dimensional mixed media if entries are submitted as a high-resolution photograph and adhere to the requirements specified below.
  2. Artists may submit up to three digital art files for consideration. Submissions that include more than one file should be related thematically and considered part of the same series. Two or three separate, un-related digital art files will not be considered.
  3. All uploaded submissions must meet the following requirements. Those failing to meet these criteria will not be considered:
    • Maximum horizontal width 1920 pixels
    • Maximum vertical height 1080 pixels
    • File size between 2-5MB (or 2-5 Momax)
    • sRGB colorspace
    • No photos taken on mobile phones!
  4. Selected artwork included in the 2021 Festival will be exhibited in a large-scale, digitally printed format outdoors. The actual physical submissions will not be displayed. While the Festival Committee aims to retain the original feel of paintings and physical pieces as much as possible, digital representation means the printed image may never fully capture the originals in terms of canvas texture, coloring, etc
  5. Artists whose work is accepted for inclusion in the 2021 Festival will be required to provide high resolution photos of their work, as the final printed size will likely be several square meters. The Festival Committee reserves the right to alter or rescind an acceptance offer if artists are unable to provide large enough files to facilitate a high-quality print representation of their work.
  6. The Festival Committee is willing to assist local Ras Al Khaimah artists who do not have the capacity to take high resolution photos of their work. If acceptance is confirmed, please call +971 7 233 8060 to arrange a photo session. This support is available through July 30, 2020 for artwork selected by the festival committee.
  7. For queries and clarification of what is acceptable in this category, please call the Festival Committee at +971 7 233 8060 or email info@rakfinearts.ae



Sculpture

  1. There are two sub-categories included:
    • Sculpture: submissions can be made from any new materials and should be able to stand on their own unsupported.
    • Recycled Art: submissions must be made from at least 75% recycled materials and should be able to stand on their own unsupported. All entries must be accompanied by a full list of materials used and details on where they were sourced.
  2. All sculptures will be exhibited outdoors with open exposure to the elements. Only sculptures that can safely be displayed in such conditions—without risk of damage to the piece—should be submitted.
  3. All pedestals or other special display structures required for the sculpture should be included in the uploaded submission photo.
  4. Artists whose sculptures are selected for inclusion in the 2021 Festival will be responsible for transporting both the sculpture and display stand, if applicable, to and from the exhibition.



Film

  1. There are three sub-categories included:
    • Animation
    • Documentary
    • Short Film
  2. Submissions must not exceed 30 minutes, including credits.
  3. Films must be bilingual, Arabic/English. This means films featuring English audio must include Arabic subtitles. Films featuring Arabic audio must include English subtitles.
  4. Submitted films must have been completed in the last three years.
  5. Films must be submitted in .mov format as a link through the online submission form or on a physical USB drive to the address below. If sending a USB drive through the mail, “For Cultural Use Only” and “Without Commercial Value” must be clearly marked on the envelope:
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research RAK Gas Building, 4th floor Reception Al Nakheel Area, Al Jazah Road Ras Al Khaimah, UAE +971 7 233 8060 Contact: Festival Coordinator, RAKFAF 5. All shipping costs for submitting the film, if applicable, must be covered by the sender. It is recommended to use a courier for shipping submissions as regular post does not guarantee an expected arrival date. Please note: Directors who only provide a link at the time of submission will still need to send their film on a physical USB drive to the specified address if accepted to the 2021 Festival.



Student

  1. Only students in grades K-12 are eligible to submit one work under this category. If artists decide to formally submit work as a student, they should not submit additional works under any other category. For students who wish to submit multiple works across categories, they should not apply as a student and should submit directly through the main Digital Art, Sculpture, and Film categories instead.
  2. Students are encouraged to submit original artworks. If the submitted artwork has been inspired by another piece of art, this must be noted on the submission form and the original artist must be recognized.
  3. Student submissions may be made by individual students or by schools. Schools wishing to submit works by multiple students should contact info@rakfinearts.ae for the group entry form.
  4. Students must provide their school name and year/level on the submission form.
  5. The Student category welcomes digital art, sculpture, and film submissions.
  6. Student digital art submissions should follow the Digital Art Guidelines.
  7. Student sculpture submissions should follow the Sculpture Guidelines and meet the criteria for one of the sub-categories (Sculpture; Recycled Art).
  8. Student film submissions should follow the Film Guidelines and meet the criteria for one of the sub-categories (Animation; Documentary; Short Film).



إرشادات التقديم لكل فئة

Digital Art

  1. This category includes paintings, photographs, graphics, and other two-dimensional mixed media if entries are submitted as a high-resolution photograph and adhere to the requirements specified below.
  2. Artists may submit up to three digital art files for consideration. Submissions that include more than one file should be related thematically and considered part of the same series. Two or three separate, un-related digital art files will not be considered.
  3. All uploaded submissions must meet the following requirements. Those failing to meet these criteria will not be considered:
    • Maximum horizontal width 1920 pixels
    • Maximum vertical height 1080 pixels
    • File size between 2-5MB (or 2-5 Momax)
    • sRGB colorspace
    • No photos taken on mobile phones!
  4. Selected artwork included in the 2021 Festival will be exhibited in a large-scale, digitally printed format outdoors. The actual physical submissions will not be displayed. While the Festival Committee aims to retain the original feel of paintings and physical pieces as much as possible, digital representation means the printed image may never fully capture the originals in terms of canvas texture, coloring, etc
  5. Artists whose work is accepted for inclusion in the 2021 Festival will be required to provide high resolution photos of their work, as the final printed size will likely be several square meters. The Festival Committee reserves the right to alter or rescind an acceptance offer if artists are unable to provide large enough files to facilitate a high-quality print representation of their work.
  6. The Festival Committee is willing to assist local Ras Al Khaimah artists who do not have the capacity to take high resolution photos of their work. If acceptance is confirmed, please call +971 7 233 8060 to arrange a photo session. This support is available through July 30, 2020 for artwork selected by the festival committee.
  7. For queries and clarification of what is acceptable in this category, please call the Festival Committee at +971 7 233 8060 or email info@rakfinearts.ae



Sculpture

  1. There are two sub-categories included:
    • Sculpture: submissions can be made from any new materials and should be able to stand on their own unsupported.
    • Recycled Art: submissions must be made from at least 75% recycled materials and should be able to stand on their own unsupported. All entries must be accompanied by a full list of materials used and details on where they were sourced.
  2. All sculptures will be exhibited outdoors with open exposure to the elements. Only sculptures that can safely be displayed in such conditions—without risk of damage to the piece—should be submitted.
  3. All pedestals or other special display structures required for the sculpture should be included in the uploaded submission photo.
  4. Artists whose sculptures are selected for inclusion in the 2021 Festival will be responsible for transporting both the sculpture and display stand, if applicable, to and from the exhibition.



Film

  1. There are three sub-categories included:
    • Animation
    • Documentary
    • Short Film
  2. Submissions must not exceed 30 minutes, including credits.
  3. Films must be bilingual, Arabic/English. This means films featuring English audio must include Arabic subtitles. Films featuring Arabic audio must include English subtitles.
  4. Submitted films must have been completed in the last three years.
  5. Films must be submitted in .mov format as a link through the online submission form or on a physical USB drive to the address below. If sending a USB drive through the mail, “For Cultural Use Only” and “Without Commercial Value” must be clearly marked on the envelope:
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research RAK Gas Building, 4th floor Reception Al Nakheel Area, Al Jazah Road Ras Al Khaimah, UAE +971 7 233 8060 Contact: Festival Coordinator, RAKFAF 5. All shipping costs for submitting the film, if applicable, must be covered by the sender. It is recommended to use a courier for shipping submissions as regular post does not guarantee an expected arrival date. Please note: Directors who only provide a link at the time of submission will still need to send their film on a physical USB drive to the specified address if accepted to the 2021 Festival.



Student

  1. Only students in grades K-12 are eligible to submit one work under this category. If artists decide to formally submit work as a student, they should not submit additional works under any other category. For students who wish to submit multiple works across categories, they should not apply as a student and should submit directly through the main Digital Art, Sculpture, and Film categories instead.
  2. Students are encouraged to submit original artworks. If the submitted artwork has been inspired by another piece of art, this must be noted on the submission form and the original artist must be recognized.
  3. Student submissions may be made by individual students or by schools. Schools wishing to submit works by multiple students should contact info@rakfinearts.ae for the group entry form.
  4. Students must provide their school name and year/level on the submission form.
  5. The Student category welcomes digital art, sculpture, and film submissions.
  6. Student digital art submissions should follow the Digital Art Guidelines.
  7. Student sculpture submissions should follow the Sculpture Guidelines and meet the criteria for one of the sub-categories (Sculpture; Recycled Art).
  8. Student film submissions should follow the Film Guidelines and meet the criteria for one of the sub-categories (Animation; Documentary; Short Film).



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