Exploring gender through the lens
British Council in Israel teams up with artists for photography competition
British and Israeli artists are uniting in a campaign and competition about gender identity run by the British Council in Israel.
Launched on Wednesday and running through September 18, the contest is looking to “be part of a global conversation that can promote understanding, equality and make a difference to people’s lives.”
The project, called Engendered, is a “movement to inspire people to embrace, accept and celebrate gender identity,” according to the council. “We are all unique human beings with different experiences, feelings and interpretations of what gender represents.”
Photographers from around the world can submit their work, and the winners will be exhibited at the Israeli International Photography Festival in Tel Aviv in November. The contest is hosted by Israeli start-up GuruShots, which is an online gaming platform for photographers to share their work.
The supporters and judges of the competition include both Israeli and British nationals, among them singer Ivri Lider; filmmaker Ibtisam Mara’ana; photographers David Adika, Nadav Kander and Juno Calypso; curator Maya Anner; Eyal Landesman, director of the Israeli International Photography Festival; and British Ambassador David Quarrey.
Three separate winners will be chosen – one selected by the judges, one whose photo gets the most votes online, and a third who receives the largest number of total votes for a set of four photos. While all winners will be displayed at the exhibition, the judges’ pick will also receive £500 toward a plane ticket to Israel and three days accommodation in Tel Aviv.
“We are delighted to be part of such an important global conversation and bring together Israeli and British artists to reflect our diverse societies and help connect us through creativity,” said Christian Duncumb, the director of the British Council in Israel. “We believe that art provides an excellent platform for harnessing understanding, dialogue and relations between global communities.”